Al, one of the great many unfinished research items I wanted complete for this site was to trace down the history of that particular Roxy, located just one door east of the New Amsterdam. I don’t think I got very far in that endeavor.
The pic DavidZornig posted is of the Roxy Burlesk that operated between the Empire and the Anco in the 1970’s. I believe this location would later become the short lived Movie-Plex 42 that is listed elsewhere on Cinema Treasures. The marquee with Riot is the Empire’s.
Well… You can definitely change the status on this to demolished. All that remains standing as of this morning is the stage house structure. You can see the old proscenium opening, which is entirely obstructed by the cinder block wall they constructed for the screen they had added there some years back. I’ll be uploading a few pictures I took with my cell phone over the last week or two, showing a few stages of demolition. I’ll post back when the are all up.
Well, this was certainly the last Calderone theater still in operation. The Westbury auditorium was completely gutted to the bare brick walls and the lobby and storefronts were stripped down to the wooden framing members. That leaves the namesake Calderone in Franklin Ave in Hempstead as the sole physically intact (or as close as can be) survivor – or at least it will be once the Lynbrook is demolished.
I’m going to try to contact Lynbrook historian Arthur Mattson with the suggestion that he see if he can get permission to take photographs of any existing original interior decoration, once the false ceilings and partition walls are taken down, and before they are pounded to dust and forever lost. No interior photography or artistic renderings of the original lobby and auditorium appear to be extant. If he’s in the least bit interested, I figure he’d have sufficient prominence or clout with the village to be able to facilitate such an endeavor. Worth a shot.
First film I saw here was That’s Entertainment, followed soon thereafter by Earthquake! I was 9 years of age at the time, and going into the city for a movie or show was always a treat, and my parents (and extended adult family) were great about giving me those experiences on a fairly regular basis. I’m not 100% sure, but my dad may have also taken me here to see 2001, at one of tie mid to late ‘70’s engagements. The family also took in Fantasia here during that same era.
First time I ever be tired into Manhattan on my own, at age 14, was to see Hair at the Ziegfeld on St Patty’s day, 1979. And later that year, Apocalypse Now, which ran without any beginning or end credits – these were distributed in a souvenir handout given to patrons by the ticket taker. I still bemoan the loss of that item from my memorabilia. A few years later I remember coming in with some high school classmates to see Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
More recently – as in THIS century – I can remember seeing Chicago, The Producers, and the Bond reboot Casino Royale. Of course, among my favorite experiences here were the Classic series they ran during slow weeks. I caught Blade Runner, Close Encounters, and 2001 – those last two on the same day. Also Ben-Hur, and West Side Story.
I’m sure I’m forgetting a few titles, but I’ll certainly never forget the Ziegfeld, it’s friendly staff, nor its expert film presentation. She may not be a classic movie palace of the sort this site was designed to celebrate, but the not-so-old gal certainly went before her time and will be missed!
Just uploaded a pic of the theater I took yesterday morning, on the way to work. When I drove past again last night, the marquee was dark. I presume prep work for demolition will be starting any day, if it hasn’t already begun. Glass entrance doors had not yet been whitewashed as of last night. I wonder if I’d be able to persuade a worker to let me in when all the partitions and false ceilings are down, just to see if anything remains of the original interior design, before it’s all eradicated for good! Might be tough with my work schedule, to arrange for that, so if anyone else cares to try…
I was hoping for the same, theatrefan. The Village responded to worries about how the new ugly box will fit in with the architectural “charm” of Lynbrook by saying that the renderings seen thus far are only suggestions, and that the finished facade would have to meet with their approval. They also claimed that they will have considerable input on the final exterior design.
However, that really doesn’t offer much solace. If you take a look at the new Zwanger Peseri Radiology facility that recently opened on Sunrise Hwy, between Atlantic and Union, you’ll realize that the Village doesn’t give a good damn about a structure blending in with the rest of the local environs. I’d also point to the newer portion of the Lynbrook Public Library as contrasted with the original building to which it is appended.
The Keith’s was triplexed by dividing the orchestra level in half right down the middle. The balcony was left intact with a false floor added in front of the first row railing to enclose the twinned orchestra level below and a screen hung from the top of the original proscenium. The balcony was definitely the auditorium of choice in those days, as it was massive and still had the majority of the theater’s architectural features and decor left intact.
As for comparing what is happening with theaters in Brooklyn to the fate of the Keith’s… Hasn’t Queens always received short shrift in matters of preservation???
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
The venue is listed as “a forgotten Broadway theatre” which is then further clarified on the ticketing page as “a long hidden Broadway theatre” at 233 West 41st Street. Looks like they’re using one of the old auditorium exit doors, since the Liberty’s lobby was demolished for an eatery.
Here’s the website that includes ticket info for the new production. The show, billed as an “immersive event” is called Ziegfelds Midnight Frolic and will begin in April for a very limited engagement.
Probably take some work to restore stage facilities at the Times Square. If I’m not mistaken, the stage was converted to retail space decades ago. The fly tower still seems to be intact – at least from exterior views. Not sure if that would require work and possible expansion to suit modern day theatrical needs.
Robboehm… The lobby is no longer in existence for the Liberty. Only the auditorium was saved, and is available for event rentals. There is an “immersive” show centered around the Ziegfeld Follies that is booked for the Liberty this spring. I’ll post about it on the Liberty page (if someone hasn’t beaten me to it).
Uploaded a cell phone pic my buddy took of the marquee. He tagged me in the photo after uploading to Facebook, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me sharing here. The sign actually refers patrons to the either the Linden Blvd or Jamaica multiplex locations (both National Amusement cinemas, naturally).
Best wishes to all in the new year… At the very least, we can look forward to the opening of the restored Loew’s Kings in Brooklyn! Hard to believe CT has been in my life for nearly 12 years!
In winter, the sun sets in these parts between 4:30 and 5pm. Plenty dark for a movie by 5:30. Sometimes, in summer, movies didn’t start late enough so that the first 15 minutes of the program weren’t washed out by remaining daylight!
I don’t recall theaters immediately adjacent to Show World, GeorgeCheeksSr. Up along Eighth Avenue about a block up was the Cameo (which became the Playpen), and further up from there at 47th Street was the Hollywood Twin, and then the Adonis further still, around 50th Street. All of these were on the same side of Eighth Ave as the Show World, but not on the same block.
Aside from the theaters, I remember tons of bars, cabarets, novelty stores, peep shops, and adult book shops. Possible you may be thinking of some cabarets, where they may have had live sex shows on stage? They probably featured marquees above the entrance, like the cinemas did.
Unless you’re thinking of the Venus, Eros, and Capri, theaters, which were all on the same block between 45th and 46th Streets, but on the other Eighth Ave – same side as Show Palace.
Bigjoe59… Sorry for the delayed response, but I don’t have notifications set up for this cinema. The answer to your question is in the description at the top of the page. The single screener was divided, first in two, and then, later, into its current quartet format. All within the same structure original structure. Had the original building been torn down, with a new edifice erected in its place – as with the old Loew’s State on Broadway – then we’d have two separate listings on CT (again, see the seperate entries for the Loew’s State and the replacement Loew’s State Theatre 4 herein.)
Al, one of the great many unfinished research items I wanted complete for this site was to trace down the history of that particular Roxy, located just one door east of the New Amsterdam. I don’t think I got very far in that endeavor.
The pic DavidZornig posted is of the Roxy Burlesk that operated between the Empire and the Anco in the 1970’s. I believe this location would later become the short lived Movie-Plex 42 that is listed elsewhere on Cinema Treasures. The marquee with Riot is the Empire’s.
Well… You can definitely change the status on this to demolished. All that remains standing as of this morning is the stage house structure. You can see the old proscenium opening, which is entirely obstructed by the cinder block wall they constructed for the screen they had added there some years back. I’ll be uploading a few pictures I took with my cell phone over the last week or two, showing a few stages of demolition. I’ll post back when the are all up.
Well, this was certainly the last Calderone theater still in operation. The Westbury auditorium was completely gutted to the bare brick walls and the lobby and storefronts were stripped down to the wooden framing members. That leaves the namesake Calderone in Franklin Ave in Hempstead as the sole physically intact (or as close as can be) survivor – or at least it will be once the Lynbrook is demolished.
I’m going to try to contact Lynbrook historian Arthur Mattson with the suggestion that he see if he can get permission to take photographs of any existing original interior decoration, once the false ceilings and partition walls are taken down, and before they are pounded to dust and forever lost. No interior photography or artistic renderings of the original lobby and auditorium appear to be extant. If he’s in the least bit interested, I figure he’d have sufficient prominence or clout with the village to be able to facilitate such an endeavor. Worth a shot.
First film I saw here was That’s Entertainment, followed soon thereafter by Earthquake! I was 9 years of age at the time, and going into the city for a movie or show was always a treat, and my parents (and extended adult family) were great about giving me those experiences on a fairly regular basis. I’m not 100% sure, but my dad may have also taken me here to see 2001, at one of tie mid to late ‘70’s engagements. The family also took in Fantasia here during that same era.
First time I ever be tired into Manhattan on my own, at age 14, was to see Hair at the Ziegfeld on St Patty’s day, 1979. And later that year, Apocalypse Now, which ran without any beginning or end credits – these were distributed in a souvenir handout given to patrons by the ticket taker. I still bemoan the loss of that item from my memorabilia. A few years later I remember coming in with some high school classmates to see Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
More recently – as in THIS century – I can remember seeing Chicago, The Producers, and the Bond reboot Casino Royale. Of course, among my favorite experiences here were the Classic series they ran during slow weeks. I caught Blade Runner, Close Encounters, and 2001 – those last two on the same day. Also Ben-Hur, and West Side Story.
I’m sure I’m forgetting a few titles, but I’ll certainly never forget the Ziegfeld, it’s friendly staff, nor its expert film presentation. She may not be a classic movie palace of the sort this site was designed to celebrate, but the not-so-old gal certainly went before her time and will be missed!
Photo added, to illustrate that development.
Just uploaded a pic of the theater I took yesterday morning, on the way to work. When I drove past again last night, the marquee was dark. I presume prep work for demolition will be starting any day, if it hasn’t already begun. Glass entrance doors had not yet been whitewashed as of last night. I wonder if I’d be able to persuade a worker to let me in when all the partitions and false ceilings are down, just to see if anything remains of the original interior design, before it’s all eradicated for good! Might be tough with my work schedule, to arrange for that, so if anyone else cares to try…
I was hoping for the same, theatrefan. The Village responded to worries about how the new ugly box will fit in with the architectural “charm” of Lynbrook by saying that the renderings seen thus far are only suggestions, and that the finished facade would have to meet with their approval. They also claimed that they will have considerable input on the final exterior design.
However, that really doesn’t offer much solace. If you take a look at the new Zwanger Peseri Radiology facility that recently opened on Sunrise Hwy, between Atlantic and Union, you’ll realize that the Village doesn’t give a good damn about a structure blending in with the rest of the local environs. I’d also point to the newer portion of the Lynbrook Public Library as contrasted with the original building to which it is appended.
Wrong Victoria. This is the Victoria in Times Square, not the Loew’s on 125th Street.
The Keith’s was triplexed by dividing the orchestra level in half right down the middle. The balcony was left intact with a false floor added in front of the first row railing to enclose the twinned orchestra level below and a screen hung from the top of the original proscenium. The balcony was definitely the auditorium of choice in those days, as it was massive and still had the majority of the theater’s architectural features and decor left intact.
As for comparing what is happening with theaters in Brooklyn to the fate of the Keith’s… Hasn’t Queens always received short shrift in matters of preservation???
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
I know this is late notice, but tonight, April 7th, at 8:30, WNYE-TV channel 25 will be airing an episode of their Blueprint NYC series devoted to the Loew’s Wonder Theaters. If you miss it, you may be able to watch the episode at their website after it has aired.
That article references the Times Square Theatre on 42nd Street as being gutted. Is that right?
The venue is listed as “a forgotten Broadway theatre” which is then further clarified on the ticketing page as “a long hidden Broadway theatre” at 233 West 41st Street. Looks like they’re using one of the old auditorium exit doors, since the Liberty’s lobby was demolished for an eatery.
Here’s the website that includes ticket info for the new production. The show, billed as an “immersive event” is called Ziegfelds Midnight Frolic and will begin in April for a very limited engagement.
Probably take some work to restore stage facilities at the Times Square. If I’m not mistaken, the stage was converted to retail space decades ago. The fly tower still seems to be intact – at least from exterior views. Not sure if that would require work and possible expansion to suit modern day theatrical needs.
Robboehm… The lobby is no longer in existence for the Liberty. Only the auditorium was saved, and is available for event rentals. There is an “immersive” show centered around the Ziegfeld Follies that is booked for the Liberty this spring. I’ll post about it on the Liberty page (if someone hasn’t beaten me to it).
Uploaded a cell phone pic my buddy took of the marquee. He tagged me in the photo after uploading to Facebook, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me sharing here. The sign actually refers patrons to the either the Linden Blvd or Jamaica multiplex locations (both National Amusement cinemas, naturally).
Best wishes to all in the new year… At the very least, we can look forward to the opening of the restored Loew’s Kings in Brooklyn! Hard to believe CT has been in my life for nearly 12 years!
In winter, the sun sets in these parts between 4:30 and 5pm. Plenty dark for a movie by 5:30. Sometimes, in summer, movies didn’t start late enough so that the first 15 minutes of the program weren’t washed out by remaining daylight!
I don’t recall theaters immediately adjacent to Show World, GeorgeCheeksSr. Up along Eighth Avenue about a block up was the Cameo (which became the Playpen), and further up from there at 47th Street was the Hollywood Twin, and then the Adonis further still, around 50th Street. All of these were on the same side of Eighth Ave as the Show World, but not on the same block.
Aside from the theaters, I remember tons of bars, cabarets, novelty stores, peep shops, and adult book shops. Possible you may be thinking of some cabarets, where they may have had live sex shows on stage? They probably featured marquees above the entrance, like the cinemas did.
Unless you’re thinking of the Venus, Eros, and Capri, theaters, which were all on the same block between 45th and 46th Streets, but on the other Eighth Ave – same side as Show Palace.
Bigjoe59… Sorry for the delayed response, but I don’t have notifications set up for this cinema. The answer to your question is in the description at the top of the page. The single screener was divided, first in two, and then, later, into its current quartet format. All within the same structure original structure. Had the original building been torn down, with a new edifice erected in its place – as with the old Loew’s State on Broadway – then we’d have two separate listings on CT (again, see the seperate entries for the Loew’s State and the replacement Loew’s State Theatre 4 herein.)