Criterion Theatre

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.

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.

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”

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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 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.

But lets face it the audiences don’t give a damn either so why spend the money? They’re more than happy to shove their money in the till many times over for the latest rotten blockbuster that they’ll buy on DVD in a few months.
Wasn’t Funny Face in true stereo?

William, I don’t recall any 4-track VistaVision prints, only mono or Perspecta, can you site any examples?. In my memory, the only time the Paramount had stereo sound was “House Of Wax” in 3-D and later Cinemascope prints. Some flat 1:85:1 prints like “Glenn Miller Story” and “From here to Eternity”, which did not play the Paramount, were also 4-track mag.
TJ, the sad truth is aspect ratios are being multilated in todays movie boxes. In my day, we fit the projectors with lenses properly sized to project the exact ratio ratio with the aperature plates perfectly. It was important that the image on the screen be exactally what the director had intended. The film makers spend months, if not years, carefully constructing a movie, every frame is a portrait of the directors vision. Upon completion, the finished product is handed over to the projectionist who’s job it is to present the film as it was intended to be seen. We have an obligation as projectionists and theatre owner to respect the directors hard work and make absolutly sure the film is presented scratch and dirt free, with the proper lens and aspect ratio, in sharp focus with proper light temperature. I am not so sure people running the movie theatres today give a damm about that anymore.