Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 1,176 - 1,200 of 3,454 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New Victory Theater on Apr 13, 2011 at 2:25 pm

I have a book that references four screens which showed films but were later used for other purposes such as live shows and sex back-rooms.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New Victory Theater on Apr 13, 2011 at 12:23 pm

Ed, since the Roxy was advertising four screens in the early nineties I am starting to wonder if both were open concurrently.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Winter Garden Theatre on Apr 12, 2011 at 8:25 pm

“GRAND SLAM” was a one week run.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Winter Garden Theatre on Apr 12, 2011 at 10:46 am

Here they are, Ed. Please note that opening dates are not exact as I compiled the info by week.

9/23/1928 THE SINGING FOOL
3/17/1929 NOAH’S ARK
6/2/1929 ON WITH THE SHOW
9/1/1929 GOLD DIGGERS OF BROADWAY
11/24/1929 SHOW OF SHOWS
12/29/1929 SALLY
2/16/1930 THE GREEN GODDESS
4/13/1930 UNDER A TEXAS MOON
5/4/1930 SHOWGIRL IN HOLLYWOOD
5/25/1930 COURAGE
6/8/1930 NUMBERED MEN
7/13/1930 THE DAWN PATROL
9/14/1930 BIG BOY
9/28/1930 THE OFFICE WIFE
11/9/1930 LIFE OF THE PARTY
12/7/1930 MOTHER’S CRY
¼/1931 THE LASH
1/18/1931 ILLICIT
2/22/1931 SIT TIGHT
3/15/1931 MY PAST
3/29/1931 FIFTY MILLION FRENCHMEN
4/12/1931 THE MILLIONAIRE
5/17/1931 PARTY HUSBAND
5/31/1931 THE MALTESE FALCON
6/21/1931 SMART MONEY
8/9/1931 THE STAR WITNESS
9/13/1931 FIVE STAR FINAL
11/8/1931 THE RULING VOICE
11/29/1931 HER MAJESTY LOVE
12/27/1931 MANHATTAN PARADE
1/17/1932 UNION DEPOT
2/7/1932 THE HATCHET MAN
3/6/1932 ALIAS THE DOCTOR
3/27/1932 THE CROWD ROARS
4/24/1932 THE MOUTHPIECE
5/22/1932 TWO SECONDS
6/12/1932 THE DARK HORSE
7/3/1932 THE MYSTERY RANCH
7/10/1932 STRANGER IN TOWN
7/17/1932 RADIO PATROL
7/24/1932 CONGORILLA
8/14/1932 HOLLYWOOD SPEAKS
8/21/1932 THE CROONER
8/28/1932 A PASSPORT TO HELL
9/11/1932 BIG CITY BLUES
9/25/1932 TIGER SHARK
10/23/1932 THEY CALL IT SIN
11/6/1932 SCARLET DAWN
11/20/1932 YOU SAID A MOUTHFUL
12/11/1932 CENTRAL PARK
12/18/1932 AFRAID TO TALK
1/1/1933 LAUGHTER IN HELL
1/15/1933 HYPNOTIZED
1/22/1933 THE VAMPIRE BAT
1/29/1933 FRISCO JENNY
2/5/1933 FOLLOW THE LEADER
2/12/1933 THE KING’S VACATION
2/19/1933 ?
2/26/1933 GRAND SLAM
(Legit)

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Winter Garden Theatre on Apr 11, 2011 at 3:34 pm

From the bookings it looks like Universal used UA films as filler during this period of heavy product outflow.

10/7/1945 BLITHE SPIRIT United Artists
11/18/1945 JOHNNY IN THE CLOUDS United Artists
12/2/1945 THE MAN IN GREY Universal
12/16/1945 ADVENTURE FOR TWO Universal
12/30/1945 THE SEVENTH VEIL Universal
2/24/1946 TOMORROW IS FOREVER RKO
5/5/1946 SO GOES MY LOVE Universal
5/26/1946 MADONNA OF THE SEVEN MOONS Universal
6/9/1946 THE RUNAROUND Universal
6/23/1946 SHE WROTE THE BOOK Universal
6/30/1946 DEAD OF NIGHT Universal
7/28/1946 THEY WERE SISTERS Universal
9/1/1946 THE KILLERS Universal
11/17/1946 NOTORIOUS GENTLEMAN Universal
12/22/1946 THE WICKED LADY Universal
1/27/1947 SWELL GUY Universal
2/22/1947 I’LL BE YOURS Universal
3/15/1947 STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN (Popular prices) Universal
4/12/1947 BUCK PRIVATES COME HOME Universal
5/3/1947 CARNEGIE HALL (dated with Park Ave.) United Artists
6/21/1947 NEW ORLEANS United Artists
7/19/1947 SLAVE GIRL Universal
8/9/1947 GREEN FOR DANGER Eagle-Lion
8/30/1947 SOMETHING IN THE WIND Universal
9/20/1947 SINGAPORE Universal
10/11/1947 RIDE THE PINK HORSE Universal
11/8/1947 THE UPTURNED GLASS Universal
11/22/1947 THE LOST MOMENT Universal
12/6/1947 CAPTAIN BOYCOTT Universal
12/27/1947 THE EXILE Universal
1/18/1948 SECRET BEYOND THE DOOR… Universal
2/1/1948 A WOMAN’S VENGEANCE Universal
2/22/1948 JASSY Universal
3/7/1947 BLACK BART Universal
3/28/1948 MAN OF EVIL United Artists
4/18/1948 ARE YOU WITH IT? Universal
5/9/1948 DEAR MURDERER Universal
5/23/1948 RIVER LADY Universal
6/13/1948 BAD SISTER Universal
7/4/1948 MAN-EATER OF KUMAON Universal
8/1/1948 (No program)
8/8/1948 (No program)
9/5/1948 LARCENY Universal
10/3/1948 (Reconverted to legit)

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Deerfield Cinema 5 on Apr 9, 2011 at 7:12 pm

LOL.

Muslims from all over the world enjoy Bollywood movies. Although their religion forbids such frivolous entertainments, I also know many Christians and Jews who enjoy having sex, although that is also forbidden.

Deerfield Beach has a significant American-Muslim population.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Film Row in Memphis on Apr 8, 2011 at 4:56 pm

I don’t think platters even existed yet in 1969.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Deerfield Cinema 5 on Apr 8, 2011 at 7:29 am

This theatre appears to have shut down. Does anyone know when?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Carnegie Hall Cinema on Apr 7, 2011 at 9:21 pm

I recently saw a 1979 film called “SOMETHING SHORT OF PARADISE” starring David Steinberg and Susan Sarandon that appears to have several lobby scenes filmed at this location before the Cineplex Odeon renovation.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's Victoria Theatre on Apr 3, 2011 at 7:09 am

Josephine Baker performed here in 1973.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Moral hits rockbottom at the Colonial Twin! on Apr 2, 2011 at 8:42 pm

I am glad you think this stuff is amusing. I can’t say I find your ‘follies’ about a financially struggling independent operator with incompetent employees a hoot. Especially as he is now out of business. What was your role in that?

If you were not the managers, who was managing this place? Aren’t you all a bit old to be hourly paid staff? And did you not play a role in making that manager lose his job?

I have never worked for an independent, but I did fire many employees who acted just like you did and hurt our industry. YOU killed this theatre.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Moral hits rockbottom at the Colonial Twin! on Apr 1, 2011 at 1:28 pm

Did you consider walking out instead?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Apr 1, 2011 at 10:53 am

Walter Reade bought the 1910 burlesque house in 1928 and rebuilt it into a movie theatre, which RKO operated. It opened in October 1930.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Apr 1, 2011 at 10:28 am

techman, the 1931 German film “M” did not open in the U.S. until 1933.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Apr 1, 2011 at 8:28 am

Walter Reade died in 1952 at age 68. The son died in 1973 on a ski trip at age 57.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Moral hits rockbottom at the Colonial Twin! on Mar 31, 2011 at 9:23 pm

Asshole employees destroy cinema. Yeah, thanks for sharing.

I hope you are all unemployed.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Mar 31, 2011 at 9:05 pm

techman, the American “M” run didn’t occur until 1933.

The Mayfair became the DeMille in December 1959 with the Aromarama run of “Behind the Great Wall”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Mar 31, 2011 at 3:29 pm

The Mayfair foreign phase was very short lived. Even “M” was dubbed into English by the third week and mainstream films were mostly the norm.

RKO had been the previous operator.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Trianon Twin on Mar 30, 2011 at 3:49 pm

You are going to have to give us more than that. That sounds like just about every movie that played here.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Vintage stills of 1930s theaters for sale on Mar 29, 2011 at 8:28 pm

Sorry Rudy, those links don’t work. Aside from the Winter Garden photos I can’t make out anything else.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 28, 2011 at 3:55 pm

All I remember was the velour wall covering replacement and carpet in both the lobby and inside. If you recall, the whole auditorium was once fully carpeted.

In terms of projection, platters were added after much negotiation with the union who didn’t want them here. All this happened about four years into the Cineplex period.

Sound was constantly being upgraded, but usually at the expense of the movie being premiered, as they always found fault with what was there when they did a test run. The showing of restored prints of classic films were always a touchy subject for the sound techs.

In traditional Cineplex Odeon style, prices went up every year.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 28, 2011 at 2:44 pm

Cineplex Odeon took over Walter Reade Theatres in 1987. The landlord refused CO’s attempt to multiplex the Ziegfeld.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Alpine Cinema on Mar 28, 2011 at 4:57 am

WTVJ, Channel FOUR was the CBS affiliate when I lived there. Channel six was independent.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's Metropolitan Theatre on Mar 27, 2011 at 7:03 pm

The Cineplex Odeon take-over was in the late eighties. There was no Cineplex Odeon in 1978.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 27, 2011 at 6:33 pm

Kids who stutter should have a responsible parent take them and explain the language.

PATHETIC is the right word for ratings changes that compensate for parents who have no business raising children and expect movie theatres to do their work for them.