I breifly knew one of the managers at the Carnegie in the 1970’s. He doubled as the house organ player as well. The organ was to the left of the stage, an a welcome novelty to such a newer theatre.
I ran into him several years ago, and we reminisced about the various promotions they did for the films during his time there. He called it “the genious of Oscar Brotman”, the theatre’s owner.
During the Chaplin festival, huge animated signage was constructed over the theatre’s existing marquee. Artistically changed out with each Chaplin film.
During a film’s run called “Blue Water, White Death”, they had a large, cylindrical tank built on the sidewalk. With a wetsuited diver inside.
It was a showing of the Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter” however, that put them over the top. In addition to a giant Jagger lips logo, they’d lined the stage with additional PA speakers to replicate the concert experience. This could be heard a block away. And in the then, rental apartments above. Now condos.
They often had ushers dressed to coincide with any given film’s theme. I distinctly remember an in-house “greaser”, for “The Lords of Flatbush”. The nearby Playboy Theatre occasionally did the same, but not to the same degree. The on street promotions were an added bonus to Rush St. revelers. Next door was the famous niteclub “Mister Kelly’s”, later restaurant Sweetwater, and now Gibson’s Steakhouse. Hugo’s Frog Bar is now “in” the old Carnegie site. The building was not “torn down” as previously mentioned. As the Carnegie was part of an apartment/bank complex including Mister Kelly’s, when it was all rebuilt after a fire in the late 1960’s at corner tenant Steinway Drugs. That was the previous building that was demolished to make way for what was the built including the “new” Carnegie Theatre. As I remember, it never went to a multiple screen format before it closed. I could be wrong. The nearby Esquire had though, and survived until just a few years ago as a result.
I was unfortunately at the McVickers during it’s decline. I was the ride to a heavily advertised, short-run showing of “Make Them Die Slowly” in late 1982 or early `83. A campy horror film billed as “Banned In 31 Countries!”.
The tag line apparently worked, as the by then decaying structure was clearly overwhelmed by the those who showed up.
The restrooms were located in the basement. Needless to say the archaic plumbing was no longer up to the task of large crowds. As the ensuing flood approached the grand stairwell upwards, management saw fit to only rope off the area, instead of closing and/or causing chaos/losing money.
As with most of the downtown theatres already in decline, rodents could be heard and felt under foot during the feature presentation. So much so that at one of the many points the film stopped, rowdier patrons would yell: “Hey rats, the film broke!"
As if the rodents were somehow in charge or running the projector.
It was sad to see the once grand, vintage facade and ornate interior in such disrepair. Running "Make Them Die Slowly” sadly became a fitting end to a glorious theatre history. As previously documented, the McVickers closed shortly thereafter.
I breifly knew one of the managers at the Carnegie in the 1970’s. He doubled as the house organ player as well. The organ was to the left of the stage, an a welcome novelty to such a newer theatre.
I ran into him several years ago, and we reminisced about the various promotions they did for the films during his time there. He called it “the genious of Oscar Brotman”, the theatre’s owner.
During the Chaplin festival, huge animated signage was constructed over the theatre’s existing marquee. Artistically changed out with each Chaplin film.
During a film’s run called “Blue Water, White Death”, they had a large, cylindrical tank built on the sidewalk. With a wetsuited diver inside.
It was a showing of the Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter” however, that put them over the top. In addition to a giant Jagger lips logo, they’d lined the stage with additional PA speakers to replicate the concert experience. This could be heard a block away. And in the then, rental apartments above. Now condos.
They often had ushers dressed to coincide with any given film’s theme. I distinctly remember an in-house “greaser”, for “The Lords of Flatbush”. The nearby Playboy Theatre occasionally did the same, but not to the same degree. The on street promotions were an added bonus to Rush St. revelers. Next door was the famous niteclub “Mister Kelly’s”, later restaurant Sweetwater, and now Gibson’s Steakhouse. Hugo’s Frog Bar is now “in” the old Carnegie site. The building was not “torn down” as previously mentioned. As the Carnegie was part of an apartment/bank complex including Mister Kelly’s, when it was all rebuilt after a fire in the late 1960’s at corner tenant Steinway Drugs. That was the previous building that was demolished to make way for what was the built including the “new” Carnegie Theatre. As I remember, it never went to a multiple screen format before it closed. I could be wrong. The nearby Esquire had though, and survived until just a few years ago as a result.
I was unfortunately at the McVickers during it’s decline. I was the ride to a heavily advertised, short-run showing of “Make Them Die Slowly” in late 1982 or early `83. A campy horror film billed as “Banned In 31 Countries!”.
The tag line apparently worked, as the by then decaying structure was clearly overwhelmed by the those who showed up.
The restrooms were located in the basement. Needless to say the archaic plumbing was no longer up to the task of large crowds. As the ensuing flood approached the grand stairwell upwards, management saw fit to only rope off the area, instead of closing and/or causing chaos/losing money.
As with most of the downtown theatres already in decline, rodents could be heard and felt under foot during the feature presentation. So much so that at one of the many points the film stopped, rowdier patrons would yell: “Hey rats, the film broke!"
As if the rodents were somehow in charge or running the projector.
It was sad to see the once grand, vintage facade and ornate interior in such disrepair. Running "Make Them Die Slowly” sadly became a fitting end to a glorious theatre history. As previously documented, the McVickers closed shortly thereafter.