Loews State 4

Loew’s State had a great rep for their NYC premieres and for showing top first-run movies. It was glitzy and ritzy. Who could ever forget that crystal chandelier? I remember attending the opening of Brando’s “Mutiny on the Bounty” in ‘62. A decade later, the same actor had morphed explosively into a cunning Mafia don.

In the spring of ‘71, I was working for a former ambassador, a relic of the Eisenhower administration. His offices were high up in Rockefeller’s International Building, and from there I could see a movie crew at work. During lunch hour, I headed over to 5th Avenue between 51st and 52nd St. The street was closed off. There was a snow blowing machine hard at work and a bunch of colorful 1940s-style taxicabs. Best & Co., a store that had been closed for a year, had its 5th Ave. windows stocked with Christmas goods. Two young actors, who turned out to be Al Pacino and Diane Keaton, were doing their Christmas shopping in that scene.

A few days later, I watched the pair film a nighttime scene outside Radio City Music Hall where Kay and Michael spotted the headlines that Don Vito had been gunned down and he called Sonny at the mall on Long Island.

All this activity in midtown and Little Italy in lower Manhattan produced a groundswell of interest for “The Godfather.” Puzo’s book sold copies numbering in the stratosphere.

Finally, in the late spring of ‘72, it opened at the State. My boss surprisingly gave the entire staff their choice of a morning or an afternoon off to see the movie! Whattaguy!

Does anyone know what is down there now?

I was just watching an episode of the TV show Taxi, and they shown an exterior night scene of Manhattan in the winter (snow on ground) with Loews State in vertical white neon on the left, with the letters scrolling down. This episode was from 1981.

Is this the same Loews State? There is a sign on the left side of a Majestic Dancing, and across the street is a Florsheim shoe store, and behind that in red letter is Automat, and further behind that is at least 2 movie marquees that I can’t make out. Would this be 45th Street? and if so I don’t recall there being an Automat still in business in the 1980s. The only that I recall stillbeing in business was at 42nd Street and 3rd Avenue.

Anybody know if this is the Loews State theater, or perhaps there was another Loews State?

Whats going on in that space? Anyone know?

Would not be surprised if the whole lower level is turned into another high priced theme eatery for the torist that frequent Time Square. The Virgin Store seems to keep shrinking.

Maybe Clearview will ocme in and reopen the State. I know the NY Twin was closed by Loews and after a while it was reopened as Crown NY Twin. How Clearview obtained it and why I am not sure.

Here are some quotes from AMC Chairman Peter Brown which appeared in Variety:

While the merger was seen as a signpost in the wave of consolidation sweeping exhibition, AMC chief exec Peter Brown, who will lead the new company, said, “We’ve never been fixated on the bigger concept as much as we’ve been fixated on the better concept.”

Brown said current Loews theaters will continue to operate under their current name, but added, “Over time, we’ll end up with just one brand”

Anyone care to guess just which brand that will be?

Here’s an interesting quote from that article:

<<Bell said the venerable Loews name would gradually be phased out in favor of AMC, “though in some cases there may be an opportunity for the Loews brand to remain. It’s an evolving process that takes place over time.”>>

I guess there’s still some hope that the tradition of the Loew’s name will be honored to some degree. For AMC to do otherwise would evidence a lack of respect and appreciation for the proud history of movie exhibition, particularly in NYC. To have the Loew’s name besmirched in such a manner would be beyond the pale.

Today’s NY Post has an article about the closing of Loews State. The article goes into some history of Times Square movie theatres.

It quotes Ross Melnick but says that he “runs the Web site movietreasures.com”. Oops.

Clearview would be a likely buyer but who wants The State with all of its problems (bad location, ect) and the fact your compeating against bigger and better theatres. Clearview probably could not afford E-Walk – it’s likely a national theater chain will grab that one (probably Regal but maybe Cinemark as they were previously interested in Loews). As for the Loews/Loew’s name – I doubt Loew’s is tradmarked anymore (Loew’s Jersey uses it, but it’s diffinatly not a Loews Cineplex Entertainment house). All this controversy about 100 Years of Loew’s is invalid, the name changed when the Loews Corporation was formed and the theaters were no longer urban palaces. Loew’s held some creadability but the Loews name holds as much nastalgic value as AMC Theaters. And most sites were poorly managed. I’m not sad to see the name go, AMC always ran a better theater if you ask me.

I just went to AMC/Loews web site and it is definately not listed. Any chance Clearview or another chain would take it over? Also, I noticed the AMC web site is showing AMC/Loews,Magic JOhnson. Any chance they are keeping the Loews name?

How sad. The Loew’s State name on Broadway is now gone.