Criterion Theatre
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
28 people
favorited this theater
Showing 501 - 525 of 615 comments
Vincent: “Nicholas and Alexandra” was a 70mm blowup at the Criterion:
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I saw it there on a high school class trip and thought it looked incredible. I can remember how certain shots looked on that screen even now. It’s a very good movie, even on TV. If you still don’t like it, take a look at today’s movie section in the paper and see what junk is playing nowadays. It’ll make you appreciate “Nicholas” that much more. Maybe you should see “Fiddler” again also – it’s a great movie. That was a 70mm blowup as well, but I only got to see it in 35mm in Rutherford, NJ.
Vincent: I never saw “Nicholas & Alexandria” but I think that “Fiddler” is one of the finest musicals ever made. I’ve only seen it on TV but it’s an under rated masterpiece. I didn’t win Best Picture that year because I think by 1971, the country’s mood had drastically changed and were more than burnt out by the onslaught of musicals that were heaped upon them after “The Sound of Music” and “My Fair Lady”. But I’ve read more than one critical history that claims that “The French Connection’s” win over “Fiddler” that year was a mistake but the Academy was reflecting the changing times and tastes.
Anyway, that’s a major digression. Why was “Fiddler” lousy? Lousy film or presentation at The Rivoli? I understand that it was one of the last Roadshows.
Well CC I only caught the tail end of it as well as the movies I mentioned above were in Times Square first run for me only names on a marquee. (Did though see Fair Lady at the Cri in both 65 and 71.)Then saw Nick and Alex at the Cri in 71 and Fiddler at the Riv. Lousy both of them. And neither in 70mm!
You and I might pay that much for a film in a big theater with a big screen and great sound. But I’m sorry. I see these people buying stacks of DVDs at the Virgin Megastore (ironically the site of the old Loews State) and these people would never do that. There’s no market anymore for films to open in a spectacular way. The reason is not so much that the public wouldn’t go but because the studios have switched their priorities away from the theatrical releases to home entertainment. This is not publicized by the studios but it’s a known fact.
It’s sad for us who remember how special it could be to see an event film in a theater. You and a lot of the others on this site remember even bigger, better times. I only remember the tail end of it. But it’s enough for me to lament it’s passing.
CC I think the top for SOM at the Rivoli was $4.50 whereas the top for Fair Lady at the Criterion was a full dollar more for a whopping $5.50. This was four years before Funny Girl! I believe in an article at the end of ‘68 the Criterion manager said that the mezz seats were sold out through Feb '69. I remember my mother telling me that my aunt spent 4.00 a ticket for Fair Lady in Asbury Park(this was at the St James on roadshow.) I thought that was a crazy amount of money to spend on a movie.
Today if the Riv and the Cri still existed I would happily pay $40 for a 70mm film.
Vincent: you would never, ever in this day and age be able to charge that much ($40) for a film no matter how special, unique or inventive the film or it’s presentation was. Even $6.00 sounds a tad exhorbitant for a movie back in ‘68. My Mother took my older brother to see “The Sound of Music” at The Rivoli but she never told me how much it cost. I would imagine it would’ve been in the $4-$6 dollar range from the information you provide.
“Back Then” I would imagine a film’s theatrical release could still be considered enough of an event to warrant jacking up the admission price. Today a film’s theatrical release is done soley to drum up interest in a films eventual release on DVD. Home Entertainment is where the studios now make the BIG, BIG profits. It’s not in theatrical releases and has not been in over 20 years.
When Funny Girl played at the Criterion in ‘68 a mezz seat(considered the best place for a movie though not by me) for a Saturday night was $6.00. A top Broadway musical for orch would cost you $15.00. This means that a roadshow mezz seat(which of course does not and will not ever exist again)would cost you today about $40.00. Then if in line with contemporary avarice we were to discuss Premium Seating a theater then could charge $100 for a hit roadshow film.
When Funny Girl played at the Criterion in ‘68 a mezz seat(considered the best place for a movie though not by me) for a Saturday night was $6.00. A top Broadway musical for orch would cost you $15.00. This means that a roadshow mezz seat(which of course does not and will not ever exist again)would cost you today about $40.00. Then if in line with contemporary avarice we were to discuss Premium Seating a theater then could charge $100 for a hit roadshow film.
Ah Bill, Arch Obler, who will ever forget “Bwana Devil” in 3-D
Rememeber the ads? “A lion in your lap”, “A Girl in Your Arms”
A bottle of aspirin in the projection booth.
“Bewitched” was a piece of Arch Obler’s schlock, no? And it was a “sleeper” hit even yet? The penchant for biography films that summer is notable: Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, Incendiary Texas Guinan, Rhapsody in Blue Gershwin, and the Great John L. Sullivan—what a passion for pre-WWII America! I wonder what might have been the competition between Phil Silvers on stage at the Roxy and on screen in “Don Juan Quilligan” at the Victoria? Today’s distributors would get all in a knot about that sort of thing, huh?
Bill, I remember it well, a lot of noise over what today would be
PG-13. I sat through two complete screenings:)
Warren, I remember all the trouble we had with 3-D projection, it was at times a nightmare and was one of the main reasons for it’s demise. Another reason if course was the public got bored with the whole idea. In fact the Criterion stoped showing “French Line” in 3-D
towards the end of the run due to all the projection problems. The add read, “Now you can see it without glasses”
A third 3-D film that played at the Criterion in that summer of ‘53 was Mickey Spillane’s “I the Jury,” with Biff Eliot as Mike Hammer. My hunch is that “The French Line” did better business than either that or “Fort Ti,” since the Catholic Legion of Decency condemned the Jane Russell vehicle for suggestive costuming and situations, thereby guaranteeing enormous curiosity about the film.
Warren, Would you agree Jane Russell’s “The French Line” was the biggest and highest grossing 3-D film to ever play the Criterion?
I remember the giant billboard proclaming, JR in 3-D,need we say more?
Thats another question I have. How come they don’t curve screens anymore?
I saw “Fort Ti” at the Criterion one night after my final high school regents exam. I don’t know if it was the “high” from being released from high school test bondage or the quality of the presentation, but the effect of “Fort Ti” was terrific, especially the stereo sound and the curved screen with 3-D.
I saw the Three Stooges short at the 8th Street Playhouse when they did that incredible 3-D summer. I am not sure if they screened Fort Ti, I would have gone to see it.
So if you were working at the Rivoli for WSS and were not a member of the union then you were only there after the film ended its reserved seat run and went on continuous perfs. But how do you manage to confuse the Rivoli and the Criterion when you worked at the Riv and were there for two of its biggest attractions ever?
“West Side Story” & “Cleopatra” opened and had their premieres over at the Rivoli Theatre.
I worked as an Usher at the Brooklyn Paramount until it closed in 1962, I then worked at the Criterion while West Side Story was playing until 1963 when Cleopatra opend and we were replaced by the reserved seat union ushers. They did however let us in to see the premier of Cleopatra.
The Roundabout/Criterion Center/Stage Right-Stage Left was originally the International Casino on the second floor of the building. The theater auditorium was separate. The Bond 45 Restaurant has opened, and the food and decor are fabulous. The restaurant is situated where the front of the orchestra and stage of the Criterion were located. The entire building is now known as the Bow Tie Building, since it is situated in the Bow Tie of Times Square.
Could someone elaborate on the difference between the Criterion Theater and the Roundabout in the early 90’s(1991-92?)? I remember it was known collectively as the “Criterion Center” then and the Roundabout at the Criterion had room for meetings and stage shows. I saw a production of Hamlet there in early 1992 where Elizabeth McGovern had a non-publicized “wardrobe malfunction” which was entertaining to us high-schoolers. I remember 1940’s era escalators and Moderne looking signs inside which seemed authentic. Was this once part of the Criterion movie theater? Later, in 1996, I attended a business meeting there.
As for demolition, a bit of a misnomer if you mean ripped to the ground, which it was not, though most of the interior walls and fixtures were removed.
It looks like some Deco/Art Moderne type restaurant will open on the 45th St side of the building, borrowing details from the original structure.
Bob, thanks for that information. I knew Warnerphonic sound was not a mag track on the print, as was the case starting with “The Robe”, but I did not remember how it was presented. Since the Paramount had four projectors, I wonder if they ran 6000 ft reels with an intermission, or ran the entire movie all the way through by making a change-over. I wish I had a chance to run a movie in that format. It was exciting enough interlocking left eye, right eye 3-D prints, to add a sound dubber to the mix must have been fun, similar in some ways to running Cinerama.
Vito, the Paramount Theater also played “Charge at Feather River” in 4-channel Warnerphonic Sound, and 3-D. The 3 stage speakers were played from a 35mm magnetic full-coat print on an interlocked dubber, and the 4th mono surround channel was played off the right projector 3-D print. The left 3-D print contained a mono optical mix of the 4 channels. The theater could switch to this track in case the magnetic interlock went out-of-sync with the picture.
Many films were released in 35mm magnetic 3 channel interlocked stereo sound during 1953, and most Times Square movie palaces presented them in that format. Sadly, through studio neglect, most of those stereo tracks do not survive today.
I’d like top amend my above comment about having the dvd in a couple of months, today you can literally trip over them in the street or the subway on opening day.
I don’t know about that. The mass audience seems to like the useless and the pointless(MI, Spiderman II, the collected works of Adam Sandler.) Times when thousands would line up outside the Hall to see Top Hat, Mrs Miniver and The Odd Couple seem to me today paleolithic.