In its early days it was mostly an art house and Cinemascope was not an issue but by 1956 this was South Florida’s first Cinerama house that proscenium obsolete.
This theatre has always closed between bookings when the boxoffice did not meet the house nut. Only Cineplex Odeon kept it open all year round, no matter what and ate the loss.
I think Mary Henderson did not consider the Hammerstein Victoria since the building itself was still there in 1935 and indeed not on 42nd street. The American fire and demolition were in 1930 which would make it the first opened and first closed on the block. It may have re-opened after the depression had it not been for the fire.
A May 15, 1935 NYT article on the demolition of the Rialto states that three walls of the old Hammerstein’s theatre were part of the new theatre and that it was built into the same shell within the Hammerstein Building roof structure shared by the Republic and still standing in 1935.
bigjoe59, if you pick up Ross Melnick’s book AMERICAN SHOWMAN I think you will better understand why an answer to your question is a problem. The movie was just a small part of the program so no major theatre would be designed primarily for film until perhaps the thirties. Now you would need to define what constitutes a ‘major theatre’.
I wonder if Wometco used the old marquee when the Harlem became the Capitol in 1972 and it is the Harlem you are actually remembering.
I always felt 1-95 should have been located further west to provide better access in and out of the Orange Bowl. The airport access on the other two made more sense although they did indeed help kill the inland Miami River.
Bigjoe, no one has implied otherwise but the National was always successful. The landlord just wanted the theatre out, hence the closing.
The ethnic make-up of Times Square audiences was a huge box office bonus for all the theatres, especially on Sunday nights when many other midtown theatres were dead and it does need to be mentioned. Without such audiences many of the smaller sites would have failed.
The Plaza was very successful as a subrun theatre. The conversion to art house took place only because a distributor desperate for an east side outlet for his films took over the lease. The location, near other art houses, and down the street from the Paris was perfect.
This is a case of “nobody went there because it was too crowded.” The large National was often sold out on both screens during weekends with lines down the block and around the corner. The ethnic audience from the boroughs provided bonus Sunday night sell-outs. Even the midnight shows often sold out.
In its early days it was mostly an art house and Cinemascope was not an issue but by 1956 this was South Florida’s first Cinerama house that proscenium obsolete.
We always called them ‘hawkers’. I had never heard the term ‘candy butcher’ before.
A candy butcher?
The Madison theatre referred to in the article must be the Caribe.
This theatre has always closed between bookings when the boxoffice did not meet the house nut. Only Cineplex Odeon kept it open all year round, no matter what and ate the loss.
The 1935 Rialto was a completely new structure.
I think Mary Henderson did not consider the Hammerstein Victoria since the building itself was still there in 1935 and indeed not on 42nd street. The American fire and demolition were in 1930 which would make it the first opened and first closed on the block. It may have re-opened after the depression had it not been for the fire.
The Republic is the Victory.
A May 15, 1935 NYT article on the demolition of the Rialto states that three walls of the old Hammerstein’s theatre were part of the new theatre and that it was built into the same shell within the Hammerstein Building roof structure shared by the Republic and still standing in 1935.
I think the building was gutted but the remaining basic four walls were reused.
No. This location did not play movies until 1930.
According to the NY Times, the Rialto (1916) was the first non-nickelodeon built without a stage and primarily for film.
bigjoe59, if you pick up Ross Melnick’s book AMERICAN SHOWMAN I think you will better understand why an answer to your question is a problem. The movie was just a small part of the program so no major theatre would be designed primarily for film until perhaps the thirties. Now you would need to define what constitutes a ‘major theatre’.
It was the Southland in 1972.
He’s going to run into trouble with that ‘no kids under 6’ policy. Cineplex Odeon was sued for attempting that in New York.
As Joseph mentioned, the Roxy had some first rate product. They just weren’t big hits.
The last film was “THE WIND CANNOT READ”.
I am not sure what qualifies as ‘A’ level but the “THE WRECK OF THE MARY DEARE” played in late 1959.
The theatres were contracted to the studios. The Roxy was aligned to 20th Century Fox who produced flop after flop during this period.
I wonder if Wometco used the old marquee when the Harlem became the Capitol in 1972 and it is the Harlem you are actually remembering.
I always felt 1-95 should have been located further west to provide better access in and out of the Orange Bowl. The airport access on the other two made more sense although they did indeed help kill the inland Miami River.
I think around 1966. Is this the original Capitol (WTVJ) you are referring to?
I-95 killed the black community in Downtown Miami and I believe it was by design.
The Carver was the renamed Center, Louis.
Mickey Knox?
Knox
Bigjoe, no one has implied otherwise but the National was always successful. The landlord just wanted the theatre out, hence the closing.
The ethnic make-up of Times Square audiences was a huge box office bonus for all the theatres, especially on Sunday nights when many other midtown theatres were dead and it does need to be mentioned. Without such audiences many of the smaller sites would have failed.
The Plaza was very successful as a subrun theatre. The conversion to art house took place only because a distributor desperate for an east side outlet for his films took over the lease. The location, near other art houses, and down the street from the Paris was perfect.
This is a case of “nobody went there because it was too crowded.” The large National was often sold out on both screens during weekends with lines down the block and around the corner. The ethnic audience from the boroughs provided bonus Sunday night sell-outs. Even the midnight shows often sold out.
That is actually 11 Times Square, Ed. The NY Times Tower is one block south.