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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
techman707, I don’t like it much myself but Times Square is thriving with tourist traffic like never before. LA, like most other US cities' downtown areas, is still mostly empty and crime-ridden at night. Whether the aesthetics please us or not, Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen have benefited greatly economically by the Disney mall concept.
techman707, the Liberty was not demolished, gutted or mothballed as originally planned. Famous Dave’s BBQ uses the interior of the Liberty auditorium the way AMC uses the Empire auditorium as part of the multiplex’s lobby. It is a far more thoughtful way to keep up with the times than the Regal E-Walk across the street which totally replaced several historic buildings.
The Sunshine is a mess of uncomfortable seats and tiny screens playing the latest mainstream crap and trying to market it as trendy before it plays in Brooklyn and Queens ‘arthouses’ a week later.
The Lincoln Plaza has obstructed column views and noisy seniors chatting throughout the basement tube screen auditoria. AMC in the seventies at best.
The Film Forum plays the best films under the worst circumstances with obstructed columns and tiny uncomfortable seats. Wait for the DVD which is usually out a week after this venue shows it to promote its release.
New York has the Lincoln Square, 34th Street East, Kips Bay and Regal 42nd Street E-walk. All the rest are crap and the Ziegfeld is a lottery as it is closed when you least expect it.
NYC theatres are in a self created crisis and the boxoffice grosses show it.
It has no stage, no back stage and no dressing rooms.
Closed in 1968 as the Carver. The building is still there.
OBLIVION.
This was a small issue at the Sutton as it didn’t even have a concession stand until the eighties.
A shadow would depend on the time of day. On all counts, the Lyric was a small house.
Well deserved. This chain is very profitable and this is political posturing. Shame on regal for exploiting its employees!
bigjoe59, the Lyric is here: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8371
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.
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.
It was carved out of the existing space by the original architect for Christmas 1988.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Without tourists and day trippers there would be no Times square. I live in Hell’s Kitchen in an area I would never venture into at night before 1999.
techman707, I don’t like it much myself but Times Square is thriving with tourist traffic like never before. LA, like most other US cities' downtown areas, is still mostly empty and crime-ridden at night. Whether the aesthetics please us or not, Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen have benefited greatly economically by the Disney mall concept.
techman707, the Liberty was not demolished, gutted or mothballed as originally planned. Famous Dave’s BBQ uses the interior of the Liberty auditorium the way AMC uses the Empire auditorium as part of the multiplex’s lobby. It is a far more thoughtful way to keep up with the times than the Regal E-Walk across the street which totally replaced several historic buildings.
dannyboy, I think it was called the Central Shopping Plaza.
It is, another run of the mill bad tourist nasty BBQ place.
You would think a decent Midtown BBQ place would eventually emerge. But not so far.
But it does have the historic classic setting and kudos for that.
The entrance for Dave’s was on 47th street but the interior looked like it still had remnants of the old lobby waiting areas.
I think I know what bigjoe59 is asking.
Famous Dave’s BBQ moved to 42nd street where it now occupies the interior of the former Liberty Theatre auditorium.
Another stupid and unfair list.
The Sunshine is a mess of uncomfortable seats and tiny screens playing the latest mainstream crap and trying to market it as trendy before it plays in Brooklyn and Queens ‘arthouses’ a week later.
The Lincoln Plaza has obstructed column views and noisy seniors chatting throughout the basement tube screen auditoria. AMC in the seventies at best.
The Film Forum plays the best films under the worst circumstances with obstructed columns and tiny uncomfortable seats. Wait for the DVD which is usually out a week after this venue shows it to promote its release.
New York has the Lincoln Square, 34th Street East, Kips Bay and Regal 42nd Street E-walk. All the rest are crap and the Ziegfeld is a lottery as it is closed when you least expect it.
NYC theatres are in a self created crisis and the boxoffice grosses show it.
Great stuff, Lloyd38. Thanks!
That is a fantastic story and a great link to some rare photos.