Criterion Theatre
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
27 people
favorited this theater
Showing 601 - 611 of 611 comments
Hi, My name is Holly, I’m 14 and a Big Dream Street fan, A band that performed their very first concert at the Criterion. In the video it seemed in fine shape, why did they knock it down? The concert was 12/14/99 Wayyyy back there. Yeah so I was like so sad when I read the back of the video box. It said that the concert took place just days before the Criterion was to close it’s doors forever. Forever is such a sad word. Yes I am very emotional.
-Holly
60s-went to the movies & Bonds as a child. Early 80s Bond International Casino was a massive club, Criterion was still functioning as a private club/theatre till the end? Know
down the block (43rd) Toffanetti’s (which my Mom & Dad patronized
in the 40s) became a Nathan’s, now a Building with the huge NASDAQ
ticker (famous news wire neon Next block over)
You are right the building’s 45th St. sidewall is intact as are the other walls of the auditorium which I now believe is a stockroom for truck deliveries for Toys Are Us. The Toys R Us marquee or television monitor is exactly where the theatre’s original marquee was. Since the building was only partially demolished, they were able to keep the ordinance that allowed them to retain the extended marquee they have now. I also worked as a fill in manager for B.S. Moss and I was there for Alien and Bo Dereks film “10”. I can still remember her running on the beach ion her famous scene from that film. It was still a single screen at the time and a Moss theatre. During a Saturday matinee of “10”, there was civil unrest outside the theatre that caused us to close the front doors and suspend the sale of tickets for a hhalf hour until the crowd outside simmered down. People in the theatre were unaware of the turmoil outside. I have a set of 11 x 14 movie stills from ALIEN that were discarded that I kept as a momento of the theatre.
In response to Warrens good comment, the Theatre was located on the
North half or 45th St. side of the block (left side when facing the block) facing the Loews State rear entrance and current Lyceum. The balcony fire escapes are still visable.They even re-painted the building side about 2 years ago. The 44th St. side in back of Toy's
without windows must have the area used by Bond Clothes, Woolworths, and the Roundabout Theatre.The Theatre entrance was in the middle of the block and when you walked through the long lobby you were at the right side of the auditorium.
I remember my first trip to Times Sq. around 1955 when they had the entire roof with the giant Pepsi Cola bottles on either side and the giant waterfall in the middle.
I remember back in 1954 when “The French Line”
starring Jane Russell played in 3-D and played to record crowds.
Remember the giant billboard above the marguee?
JR in 3-D Need we say more?
Saw FUNNY GIRL there. What a great experience. It is sad to think that it is gone. New York has lost a lot of its history.
Theatre was first twinned upstairs/downstairs. Then the downstairs was split left/right. The last 4 houses were in the basement. I was in here first time XMAS week 1962 for Lawrence Of Arabia.
On the below comment about “Cleopatra”, “Around the World in 80 Days” all opened at the Rivoli Theatre not the Criterion. “Ben-Hur” opened at the Loew’s State Theatre. Criterion opened “South Pacific”, “My Fair Lady”, “Patton”, “The Ten Commandments”. The Loew’s State Theatre was the MGM showcase house. The Rivoli Theatre was the first TODD-AO house in New York City. The Criterion Theatre installed the TODD-AO projection system around 1957.
ALL the NYC premiers happened at the Criterion. All the outside boroughs had to wait their turn. Many folks recall “Opening Thursday at a theatre near you.”
“Ben Hur”, “Cleopatra”, “5 Weeks in a baloon”, “Around the World in 80 Days”, “Spartacus”, and other blockbusters opened there.
My first visit to the theater was to see “Hans Christian Andersen” in early 1953…and then again in 1964 to see the roadshow of “My Fair Lady”, followed by my final visit in 1966 to see “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”… I hate to see these old movie palaces turn into toy stores, but the public today just doesn’t “get it” about the real way to see a motion picture.
Did anyone else see roadshow engagement of “The Ten Commandments” in 1955 at the Criterion.