Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 726 - 750 of 3,427 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Fine Arts Theatre on Jun 6, 2013 at 11:20 pm

The Paris became Loews Fine Arts and then Loews Paris from 1990-1992.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Fine Arts Theatre on Jun 6, 2013 at 9:08 pm

My understanding is that the zoning laws for the areas around Park Avenue had been changed and Walter Reade was unable to re-open it when their sublease ran out on the archdiocese the first time. Pathe would have faced the same problem even if the location had been available.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Sunny Isles Twin on Jun 1, 2013 at 7:29 pm

This was never multiplexed. The Intracoastal-8 is a separate theatre further east off 163rd street.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Gateway Theatre on May 25, 2013 at 4:46 pm

News footage from the “WHERE THE BOYS ARE” world premiere can be seen here.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Lyric Theatre on May 13, 2013 at 4:47 pm

The Lyric went back and forth with movies and plays from 1915 to 1925. In the early twenties it spent more time as a cinema than as a playhouse.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Lyric Theatre on May 13, 2013 at 3:57 pm

A silent movie with Douglas Fairbanks.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on May 12, 2013 at 6:48 pm

By the way Howard, ROBIN HOOD(1922) opened at the Lyric on 42nd street.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on May 12, 2013 at 6:37 pm

Typo on GATSBY.

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/great-gatsby-trailer-not-great-typo-190839370.html

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on May 4, 2013 at 3:43 am

Not necessarily 1933, Mike, but throughout the early thirties as the live shows closed, the cheaper movie options were more attractive to audiences as well as less risky to put on.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about CMX New York East 62nd Street on May 1, 2013 at 3:28 pm

Sounds like rent negotiation to me. The landlord can’t do much with this building unless it is used to show movies. And the New York Post should NEVER be taken very seriously. This guy had all his facts wrong last time when he wrote about the Ziegfeld.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on May 1, 2013 at 3:03 pm

It has no stage, no back stage and no dressing rooms.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Carver Theatre on Apr 27, 2013 at 4:02 pm

Closed in 1968 as the Carver. The building is still there.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Kips Bay 15 on Apr 27, 2013 at 1:01 am

OBLIVION.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Sutton Theater on Apr 26, 2013 at 12:46 am

This was a small issue at the Sutton as it didn’t even have a concession stand until the eighties.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Carnegie Hall Cinema on Apr 25, 2013 at 8:30 pm

A shadow would depend on the time of day. On all counts, the Lyric was a small house.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Regal faces boycotts as cuts employees hours to avoid Obamacare on Apr 25, 2013 at 3:48 am

Well deserved. This chain is very profitable and this is political posturing. Shame on regal for exploiting its employees!

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Carnegie Hall Cinema on Apr 23, 2013 at 9:44 pm

bigjoe59, the Lyric is here: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8371

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Carnegie Hall Cinema on Apr 21, 2013 at 7:17 pm

During the 1974-1975 period the Lincoln Art down the street was showing hard core porn, the Paris was showing the x-rated “EMMANUELLE: and the Fine Arts was showing the controversial hard R "THE NIGHT PORTER”. The line between art and smut was very murky then.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Gables Triple on Apr 21, 2013 at 4:03 pm

I found a way of posting the opening day ad in the photo section although now I can’t figure out how I did it. Hmmm.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Cinema 1, 2 & 3 by Angelika on Apr 17, 2013 at 9:11 pm

It was carved out of the existing space by the original architect for Christmas 1988.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Trianon Twin on Apr 14, 2013 at 2:52 pm

dannyboy, although the shopping center in these photos is identified as being in Pinecrest, the Central Shopping Plaza looked very similar with a Zayre store and garage.

http://pleasantfamilyshopping.blogspot.com/2008/09/zayre-in-miami.html

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Apr 13, 2013 at 2:54 am

techaman707, it was pretty bad, as I witnessed myself. Although hookers and drug dealers don’t bother me (they still exist here), I would not have moved here back then when they were in control.

Today the West Side in the upper thirties is a great area to walk the dog. Pier 84 is no longer a great place to dump dead bodies but a great fishing area, water taxi, boat ride, restaurant and dog park.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Apr 13, 2013 at 12:43 am

39th Street to 36th Street wet of 9th Avenue to eleventh was mostly brothels and crack houses. Most of the area west of ninth avenue from 36th Street to 54th Street was full of street walkers and drug dealers. The locals stayed indoors after dark while the Westies gang ran their trade. Since the locals rented and never owned, they were the first to go when the slum lords sold out.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Apr 12, 2013 at 11:11 pm

There are no “bad blocks” in Hell’s Kitchen anymore. Without cleaning up 42nd street, nothing else would have happened and the area would still be a slum today. Giuliani didn’t cause the Disney effect, that pre-dated him, but he made sure his friends had first dibs on prime real estate.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Apr 12, 2013 at 9:55 pm

I don’t know if we will ever get an honest answer as to why each theatre was treated as it was. There were political machinations behind the scenes including the legit theatre owners wanting to limit competition, multiplex operators in financial straits, and the 42nd street redevelopment people trying to make room for large new tenants like Madame Tussauds and Ripleys.