Roxy Theatre
153 W. 50th Street,
New York,
NY
10020
153 W. 50th Street,
New York,
NY
10020
83 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1,051 - 1,075 of 1,225 comments
You’re right about “clearance.” As a kid visiting family in Quincy MA in the late ‘40s and early '50s, I remember a billboard at the local train station (the Red Line to Boston) advertising current attractions at RCMH (“Look For the Silver Lining,” “On the Town,” “Sunset Boulevard”) in the usual austere format (no pictorials, except for an abstract sketch of the proscenium arch and a single Rockette) with a starred notice: “Now playing at RCMH. Coming soon to Boston.”
I’ve got to agree with Vito about better screen and sound at the Roxy. Its screen was a tad smaller (60' seems about right), but it was gently curved, and the projection was sharp as a tack. And its stereo sound was perfect. On the RCMH page at this site, I’ve remarked about horizontal lines on its screen where the panels joined (and on a resolutely flat screen, too), along with a persistent echo (especially in a less-than-full house) and evident lack of magnetic stereophonic sound. Fly space at RCMH was too narrow for a curved screen and a multiple sound system. But because the Roxy sacrificed fly space for its film presentation, its stage shows offered fewer elaborate sets and a more static display. Win some, lose some.
Brucec,I would have to agree with Warren. As a tourists, the Music Hall was high on the must see list of attractions to see. I don’t ever remember seeing lines at The Roxy that compared to those wraped around RCMH. Of course the Christmas shows were on everyones santa list, including us locals. One of the few exceptions was when
“The Robe” played the Roxy, everyone flocked to see
CinemaScope “the Miracle you could see with glasses”.
AS to film presentation, I always felt the CinemaScope screen and stereo sound at the Roxy was more impressive than RCMH. I was always bothered by the echo watching movies at RCMH.
How did the Music Hall and the Roxy compare in boxoffice during the Golden Era into the mid 1950’s. I noticed the Music Hall played a lot of MGM product during the 1950’s and the Roxy showed mostly Fox films. It seemed the Roxy was more progressive in 1950’s than the Music Hall,when Hollywood developed the wide screen format.I would also like to hear how the theatres compared in film presentaion and what theatre was more enjoyable to watch a film.I know the Music Hall had the better stage presentations by the comments I have read.I would love to hear your comments.brucec
The Hotel Taft has not been demolished. It’s just renamed “The Michaelangelo”. I know because I work right next to it. The TGIFridays resides where the entrance lobby to the Roxy was. In old photographs, you can clearly see the moorish arches above the entrance that are still there.
Actually, I have no idea what the hell the building is used for. I think part of it is the Michaelangelo. Other parts of it seem to be used for apartments or something.
I did research and found that the Hotel Taft, the neighbor of the Roxy was demolished,too, if that’s any consolation. It has been replaced by a new hotel, “The Michelangelo”!
RoxyDon—Thanks for acknowleding my research. It was a sweat-free effort: the info comes from “The NY Times Directory of the Film,” ed. Arthur Knight, Arno Press/Random House, 1971, an index to the first six volumes of the complete multi-volume “NY Times Film Reviews,” currently compiled through the early 1990s. It’s cool to know that you were ushering at the Roxy when I saw a bunch of films there as a kid—betcha we encountered each other!
Vito through Box Office Bill’s efforts I stand corrected. I remember having the album from the movie and thought it came from the Roxy. Thanks for the correction
Concurrently, the Roxy was showing “Carousel” (16 Feb, eight weeks) and “The King and I” (28 June, nine weeks).
“Picnic” began a five-week run at RCHM on 16 Feb ‘56, and “Duchin” played at RCMH for seven weeks beginning on 22 June '56.
Vito for some reason I recall the Eddie Duchin Story playing at the Roxy not at RCMH. I could be wrong after all its been a few years.
As I recall, Columbia and RCMH agreed on a two picture deal of
“Picnic” and “Eddie Duchin Story” playing back to back.
I just remembered it’s the Clearview Chelsea Cinemas.
That’s one of her favorite movies and I think she said she saw that there also. I guess the years mixes alot of things up. It shows how memorable theatres were in addition to the films that they showed. Nobody will remember twenty years from now seeing The Aviator at Cineplex Chelsea Cinemas.
My mother remembers seeing “Picnic” at the Roxy, is her memory correct?
Thanks for the kind words. Have sent my post to other ushers and usherettes who were there when I was. Maybe they will post their memories.
Roxydon, Thanks for the post, it gave me chills. What wonderful memories, you make it sound like it was just yesterday….
If only it were. Please keep posting, your writing is what this web site is all about.
MEMORIES OF A ROXY USHER (1950-1954)
I started there as an usher , hired by Chernof at 35 cents per hour. We had to go through a training class and learn a manual. The manual was devoted to How many seats are there? How many Lightbulbs are there in the Crystal Chand in the Routonda? How do they replace the light bulbs or clean it.
SOME OF THE MOVIES THAT PLAYED THERE WHILE I WAS THERE
Prince Valiant
Titanic ( Clifton Webb)
Theres No Business Like Show Business
With a Song In My Heart ( Jane Froman story)
Bus Stop ( Marilyn Monroe classic)
What Price Glory ( Dan Dailey and James Cagney)
12 Mile Reef ( Robert Wagner)
Peter Pan
The Thief ( Silent Movie)
The Robe ( and start of a new sound system and Ice Stage)
Gentlemen Perfer Blondes
Three Coins In The Fountain
Rains of Ranchipur
STAFF OF THE ROXY
Sydney Katz ( Managing Director)
Arthur Knoor ( Producer)
Bob Bouche ( Orchestra Leader)
William ( Big Bill) Moclair ( General Manager)
Jack Galloway
Steve Banovich
Zeke Miller ( all Assistant Managers)
Al Kaufman ( Captain of Ushers)
Don O'Connell ( Chief of Staff)
Mr. Levy ( Concession Manager)
Mr. Levy (2) who sold programs and dolls for each performance at the main lobby.
SOME ADDITIONAL SERVICE STAFF NAMES
Al Frick
Connie Wagner
Suzie Mc Cluskey
Mary Ann Tenbrink
Charlie Roe
Ray Beckett ( another Captain)
Gladys Sweeney
Bob Myers
Don Pollack ( another Captain)
Lynn Fradnick
The Roxy closed down for two weeks to install the Ice Stage and run tests of the new sound system. I remember sitting in the orchestra when they ran the tests and had movies of racing cars, with the sound startig at one side of the theater and going around to the other side.
I also remeber standing for inspection by the Captains at the time, checking to make sure that our shoes were shined, hair trimmed, and white gloves were white. We then started a formation in the upper balcony and marched down the rotunda staircase and took our positions. We also wore cardboard dickeys for the front of our shirts and white cardboard cuffs. this would cover out tee shirts. We had our own tailer who cleaned the uniforms ( as shown in pictures of the staff in other parts of this site)
IN THE STAGE SHOW AREA
I remember the UNITED STATES MARINE CORP BAND coming through the Orchestra Doors and down the Aisles to the main stage.I also remember some names of the stars that appeared TONY BENNET, THE HARMONICATS, ELLIOT REED, ROCHESTER, KAY STARR, MEL TORME, just to name a few. They were all gracious and gave autographed photographs ( Oh where are they now… the pictures)
Most of all I remember the beautiful building that I had the pleasure of working in, the Chinese Restaurant across from the Stage Door as well as the Greek Diner. Also remember being a House Checker where we went out every four hours to the Movie Theaters on Broadway and estimated the number of patrons.Of seeing On The Waterfront, as well as Judy Garlands Farewell at the Palace.
THOSE TRULY WERE THE DAYS.
Hi Myron:
Both those movies played in Cinerama at the Loew’s Capitol in New York. It was on Broadway between 50th and 51st Sts. When “How the West Was Won” played there, it was known as the Loew’s Cinerama, but it later reverted to its original name, the Capitol. It was torn down and replaced by an office tower in 1968.
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I don’t know where else to post this, in the 60’s we saw Cinerama films “How The West Was Won” and “2001: A Space Odyssey”. They were both at a Cinerama Theatre but I can’t remember the name, can you help ?
What was the dimensions of the Roxy’s Cinemascope screen? I always felt their screen was longer in length than the Radio City Music Halls'. Also the Roxy’s had a curvature for Cinemascope; while the Music Halls’s screen screened almost flat. Maybe it was just an illusion. However, the RCMH’s screen looked higher than the Roxy’s. I can’t find the dimensions of the Roxy’s screen for Cinemascope; yet the Music Hall screen’s dimensions are given on this website. Does anybody know?
The roadshow reserved seat movie was at its height in the mid 1960’s. Every studio wanted to produce two event films with large budgets released on a long run basis so the studio could receive profits over a long period of time.I remember Radio City wanted Fiddler on the Roof for there holiday attraction but United Artists wanted the Rivoli for a long run. Fiddler was the last successful Roadshow presentation in the early 1970’s.The studios had so many large big budget flops between 1968-1970 that the studios gave up on the reserved seat roadshow film. After 1970 the average budget at MGM and Warner Bros dropped to 1.5 million things were so bad.“Love Story” released in 1970 saved Paramount and was produced on a small budget.Paramount during this period tried to sell the studio lot to the cemetery next door. MGM sold off its back lots and held a huge studio auction selling off its props,sets and costumes.Every studio was in bad shape except Columbia and Disney. Then Columbia got in trouble a couple of years later and was saved by Ray Stark.Columbia sold off its studio lot and moved to the Warner Bros lot and the studio was renamed the Burbank Studios. The studios at this time thought the youth market and low budget films that didn’t require a studio lot was the way to go, like “Easy Rider”. I remember when Paramount was going to make the “Godfather” with a budget of 6 million the studio was nervous. The Godfather became the biggest hit in Paramount history and played many exlusive runs downtown in 1972.It broke records at the Savoy(Opera HOUse} in Boston,the Chicago Theatre in the loop,the Fox in Downtown Philidelphia,Loew’s State 1 in NYC,Paramount in Hollywood and the Village in Westwood. As the studios release patterns got wider and wider through the years there was no longer the need for the deluxe movie theatres that played exclusive run films.The Roxy was just to large to house the big roadshow films of the 1960’s.The Capitol reduced its seating in 1960 to become a Cinerama roadshow house. Radio City was a rare example and became a modern day presentation showcase that lasted until 1967-68 until it could no longer book the major films which were no longer family oriented,and went into a steady decline. Julie Andrews who had been the number 1 box office attraction since the mid 1960’s was washed up in films by 1970 and would only make the “Tamarind Seed” in 1974 and “10” in 1979. The women in film fared very badly after 1970, only Barbra Streisand and Jane Fonda were considered box office for most of the 1970’s. Most of the stars and directors produced from the studio system weren’t able to get a job after 1970. The old Hollywood was dead and the new Hollywood was born. I remember a line from Mickey Rooney who said the old Hollywood had died but wasn’t given its last rights.The old MGM with help of Kirk Kerkorian was reduced to a meow by 1970 and released its last big budget film David Lean’s “Ryans Daughter”.Hollywood was a disaster area during this time it was television that kept many of studio lots going.brucec
What killed movie musicals(and roadshow pictures in general) in the late 1960’s was twofold: the decline of the many urban downtowns and the rise of X-rated pictures. In 1969 & 1970, it was not unusual to see theaters showing films like Vixen, Fanny Hill, Female Animal, Midnight Cowboy, Succubus, and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls(all of which were released with an X-rating) simply because they made more profit for theater owners (and in some instances, X-rated films were the only draw to downtown theaters after dark). Some of the theaters would wind up showing XXX product within another 2-3 years due to the popularity of films such as Deep Throat and The Devil in Miss Jones.
I’m just curious: re-reading Warren’s synopsis above dated Feb 13, 2004 of the Roxy’s final downfall. When the final first run movie ended it’s run, was there ANY outcry from the public over it’s closing? Was there any notice or discussion…ANYTHING??? Articles in the Times or any other paper telling people about it? Or did the public simply not care (in general, I mean. I assume some people did care…) I remember my Mother saying that she nearly cried the day she heard the Roxy was destroyed. She said she never expected it to go away. She thought it would last forever. Then she got another shock when Pennsylvania Station was demolished. Again, she thought it could never be destroyed….
There have been countless articles about what killed the movie musical and the best arguement is that it was “The Sound of Music.” Now, now…all you “Sound of Music” fans, don’t get your panties in a bind over that statement. It’s not a reflection on that film. Whether you like it or not is a matter of taste. It’s what the studios saw in the HUGE $$$$ that movie made. Instead of creating interesting, thought provoking adult musicals like they did in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s along with the family fare musicals, the studios sank all their money into rather nauseating family musical films like the ones you cite above (and you left out “Song of Norway” and “Half a Sixpence”). The end result was a flood of awful, family oriented musicals. And their collective awful-ness completely turned the movie going public against this kind of movie. In addition, the “new American wave” of movies was beginning which also didn’t help this kind of stuff.
Star Wars which was released after Jaws still opened on a rather exclusive basis. Many theatres played this film from 6 months to a year. I managed a theatre which played “Star Wars” on an exlusive run for more than 6 months. The wide saturation started with the building of the megaplex 14-25 screen theatres. Most films released today drop almost 50% by the second week because they are showing on 3000 screens. I think the year 1967 was a year where the old Hollywood met the new Hollywood. All the studios were very profitable in 1967. Studios such as Fox and MGM were showing profits from the long runs and wide release of both “The Sound of Music” and “Dr Zhivago”. MGM enjoyed the re-release of “Gone With The Wind” on a roadshow reserved seat which was a huge hit. Attendance had climbed in 1967. Starting in 1968-1970 the studios started releasing one big budget bomb after another with a few exceptions. The following movies almost forced the studios out of business,“Star”,“Hello Dolly”,On a Clear Day,Paint Your Wagon,Darling Lili,Goodbye Mr Cips,Sweet Charity,Ice Station Zebr,Finean’s Rainbow and many more. This period pretty much killed the movie musical for more than 30 years.brucec