I agree with Brucec that the Loews Kings would be the most spectacular in NYC, in terms of former movie palaces. I haven’t been inside but have seen photos & reviewed Top 10 movie palaces in US lists made long ago by Theatre Historical Society of America founders.
New Amsterdam is an Art Nouveau masterpiece.
Radio City Music Hall is neat, and one of the world’s most famous movie palaces.
Loews 175th is very interesting.
The Hollywood (now a church) is equisite though not as huge as the Loews Kings.
That said, remembering that the style of Loews Kings is a far older style than Art Deco or exotic/atmospheric, the Loews Kings may be one the 2 best of its particular neo-classical styles among movie palaces in the US. (I’m using neoclassical in a broad way, more like ornate opera houses in Europe, with the gilt and marble). The other would be the Uptown in Chicago. Of course, there’s many other wonderful examples such as the Hollywood, and so forth, but in terms of grandeur, the Loews Kings is one of the nation’s greatest.
I’d love to junk the triplex name, but in reading most of the above posts, it seems evident that this theater had its most prestige as the Demille. Some 70mm world premieres are listed in the Intro. The world premiere of Pscyho was here? So, perhaps it should be listed as Demille.
I remember when this opened when I was in law school. Typical 1980s cubbyhole shoebox auditoriums without much rake, plain seats, small screens, and not impressive sound.
Chris, I sent in the name change and since Rave’s website has the new name, I disagree that the new name should be “rolled back” on this website. The small number of comments also implies it would not make a big difference if it was rolled back….until June.
Rave theaters aren’t in the Phila. newspapers anymore, but still in LA Times?
Say goodbye to The Bridge and to the Showcase at the Ritz Center. Rave Motion Pictures, the new operators, is rebranding both theaters.
On Friday, The Bridge Theater at 40th and Walnut will be rechristened. You may call it Rave Motion Pictures U Penn Theater. But I’ll probably just call it The Rave. (Imagine it as a Rave without a mosh pit but with a media room.)
The Showcase at the Ritz Center (formerly the Ritz 16/Voorhees) will be officially known as Rave Motion Pictures Ritz Center 16.
For the time being, ticket prices will remain the same. (The $12.50 weekend ticket at the U Penn theater is the most expensive ducat in the eight-county region, where the average price for a Saturday night admission is $10.) “The price structure is under review, as are many other price points,” says Jeremy Devine, corporate spokesman for Rave, the Dallas-based theater chain that acquired the six-screen Bridge and 16-screen Showcase from National Amusements last year.
“At the present time, [we are] planning to continue with mainstream product” at at Rave U Penn, says Devine.
Rave will continue programming arthouse fare on some of the screens at the Voorhees location. (Today five of the 16 screens have arthouse offerings: Chloe, The Ghost Writer, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Greenberg and When You’re Strange.)
Soda drinkers should know that both theaters will serve Coca-Cola products.
What are the thoughts of the moviegoers who attend these theaters? Any suggestions you’d like Rave to entertain?
Perhaps the site is cursed due to the decision to demolish the apparently wonderful and historic United Artists. /theaters/1015/
I saw the exterior in the 1980s but didn’t get inside.
GrauMann, how large were the screens? You are correct, in that it should be documented. Many of us post photos on flickr or other personal galleries. wwww.cinematour.com seems the best permanent way for people to see such photos. Please consider scanning & posting them. If you don’t have a photo scanner, you can probably find someone who does, or post here & somebody may volunteer.
I’m guessing from Ron’s reply that the only Art Deco interior in the reborn Paramount is the auditorium. Though I’ve never been inside, I’ve always had the impression the original theater indeed was a movie palace.
Where online are vintage photos? There’s one photo above of the auditorium as it originally looked. Where’s photos of the lobbies, foyers, lounges, etc?
Only the new auditorium has replicated the original Art Deco look, right? not the other spaces?
3 above says “other” historic properties. It is not “false” to recreate original historic features to the particular property, including those there for only one third of the life. That’s intended for Philadelphia’s Boyd, and fine via all the historic authorities. (note that I am the volunteer president of the nonprofit Friends of the Boyd, Inc, and in real life, an attorney)
The Boyd’s current marquee, though, isn’t as distinctive & wonderful an example, as your marquee. So, drop the “false” and argue the merits of your current marquee. it HAS merits. Click on my name, send me an email, and I’ll email you the name of a national expert who may say something supportive for you.
I don’t like the term “false” replica. Historic buildings can have architectural integrity and a cohesive look by using vintage photos to restore their original look.
On the other hand, from the photos, I love the curent Art Moderne marquee which likely dates to the 1930s or 1940s. It looks like much fun, and I’d vote to keep it, just as the New Amsterdam on 42nd Street in New York City did a wonderful restoration, but kept its Art Moderne version.
Not only is it Oscar night in Hollywood on Sunday, it was Oscar night at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.
The Bryn Mawr Film Institute was the setting for the “Bling Fling,” a fundraiser, and as Juliet Goodfriend, the president of the film institute says, a “fun raiser”:
“We’re celebrating the Oscars which coincide with our fifth birthday, and we’re also selling people’s donations of jewelry, so it’s a Bling Fling. I think we’ll be happy if we raise $10,000 to $20,000.”
The patrons were dressed in long black silky dresses with rhinestones, suits, and some jeans and khakis, but mostly dressed up to celebrate the Oscars and to root on their favorite films.
Last night’s Oscar telecast had a montage of horror films. Included was a scene from the 1958 movie “The Blob” showing moviegoers fleeing the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA. In recent years, the community nonprofit organization that rescued the Colonial restored its facade to how it looked in 1958. I’m told the partygoers at the Oscar telecast last night at the Colonial were overjoyed to see the footage broadcast worldwide.
The theater’s website flyer says the downstairs auditorium will be closed for a few days in early March to spruce it up with new chairs, drapes, carpet, lighting and more.
I agree with Brucec that the Loews Kings would be the most spectacular in NYC, in terms of former movie palaces. I haven’t been inside but have seen photos & reviewed Top 10 movie palaces in US lists made long ago by Theatre Historical Society of America founders.
New Amsterdam is an Art Nouveau masterpiece.
Radio City Music Hall is neat, and one of the world’s most famous movie palaces.
Loews 175th is very interesting.
The Hollywood (now a church) is equisite though not as huge as the Loews Kings.
That said, remembering that the style of Loews Kings is a far older style than Art Deco or exotic/atmospheric, the Loews Kings may be one the 2 best of its particular neo-classical styles among movie palaces in the US. (I’m using neoclassical in a broad way, more like ornate opera houses in Europe, with the gilt and marble). The other would be the Uptown in Chicago. Of course, there’s many other wonderful examples such as the Hollywood, and so forth, but in terms of grandeur, the Loews Kings is one of the nation’s greatest.
Part of the roof collapsed today. Article here-
View link
I’d love to junk the triplex name, but in reading most of the above posts, it seems evident that this theater had its most prestige as the Demille. Some 70mm world premieres are listed in the Intro. The world premiere of Pscyho was here? So, perhaps it should be listed as Demille.
here’s link to TV news video on Fred Hermes basement theater & the theater’s Wurlitzer organ (per Comments above)
View link
You keep saying that, but just like the Loew’s Jersey in person, they are such beautiful photos! I’m certainly not going to drop the dime to Ross….
I remember when this opened when I was in law school. Typical 1980s cubbyhole shoebox auditoriums without much rake, plain seats, small screens, and not impressive sound.
Chris, I sent in the name change and since Rave’s website has the new name, I disagree that the new name should be “rolled back” on this website. The small number of comments also implies it would not make a big difference if it was rolled back….until June.
Rave theaters aren’t in the Phila. newspapers anymore, but still in LA Times?
April 14, 2010 from Philadelphia Inquirer movie critic Carrie Rickey’s blog
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/flickgrrl/
Rave Rechristens Bridge and Showcase at the Ritz
Say goodbye to The Bridge and to the Showcase at the Ritz Center. Rave Motion Pictures, the new operators, is rebranding both theaters.
On Friday, The Bridge Theater at 40th and Walnut will be rechristened. You may call it Rave Motion Pictures U Penn Theater. But I’ll probably just call it The Rave. (Imagine it as a Rave without a mosh pit but with a media room.)
The Showcase at the Ritz Center (formerly the Ritz 16/Voorhees) will be officially known as Rave Motion Pictures Ritz Center 16.
For the time being, ticket prices will remain the same. (The $12.50 weekend ticket at the U Penn theater is the most expensive ducat in the eight-county region, where the average price for a Saturday night admission is $10.) “The price structure is under review, as are many other price points,” says Jeremy Devine, corporate spokesman for Rave, the Dallas-based theater chain that acquired the six-screen Bridge and 16-screen Showcase from National Amusements last year.
“At the present time, [we are] planning to continue with mainstream product” at at Rave U Penn, says Devine.
Rave will continue programming arthouse fare on some of the screens at the Voorhees location. (Today five of the 16 screens have arthouse offerings: Chloe, The Ghost Writer, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Greenberg and When You’re Strange.)
Soda drinkers should know that both theaters will serve Coca-Cola products.
What are the thoughts of the moviegoers who attend these theaters? Any suggestions you’d like Rave to entertain?
Exterior photo in May here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcl/3578582482/
Perhaps the site is cursed due to the decision to demolish the apparently wonderful and historic United Artists. /theaters/1015/
I saw the exterior in the 1980s but didn’t get inside.
GrauMann, how large were the screens? You are correct, in that it should be documented. Many of us post photos on flickr or other personal galleries. wwww.cinematour.com seems the best permanent way for people to see such photos. Please consider scanning & posting them. If you don’t have a photo scanner, you can probably find someone who does, or post here & somebody may volunteer.
4 years ago, at the Loews Jersey, I saw their presentation in flat (1.85), not cropped. I think it was a collector’s print from the original issue.
Ken Roe added the Scala in reply to your request
/theaters/32281/
No need to think that far back. In 1998, I enjoyed “Titantic” in 70 mm at the Chinese, and that was after seeing it in 70 mm at the Westwood Village.
I’m guessing from Ron’s reply that the only Art Deco interior in the reborn Paramount is the auditorium. Though I’ve never been inside, I’ve always had the impression the original theater indeed was a movie palace.
Where online are vintage photos? There’s one photo above of the auditorium as it originally looked. Where’s photos of the lobbies, foyers, lounges, etc?
Only the new auditorium has replicated the original Art Deco look, right? not the other spaces?
3 above says “other” historic properties. It is not “false” to recreate original historic features to the particular property, including those there for only one third of the life. That’s intended for Philadelphia’s Boyd, and fine via all the historic authorities. (note that I am the volunteer president of the nonprofit Friends of the Boyd, Inc, and in real life, an attorney)
The Boyd’s current marquee, though, isn’t as distinctive & wonderful an example, as your marquee. So, drop the “false” and argue the merits of your current marquee. it HAS merits. Click on my name, send me an email, and I’ll email you the name of a national expert who may say something supportive for you.
I don’t like the term “false” replica. Historic buildings can have architectural integrity and a cohesive look by using vintage photos to restore their original look.
On the other hand, from the photos, I love the curent Art Moderne marquee which likely dates to the 1930s or 1940s. It looks like much fun, and I’d vote to keep it, just as the New Amsterdam on 42nd Street in New York City did a wonderful restoration, but kept its Art Moderne version.
Today’s news:
Bryn Mawr Film Institute Celebrates on Oscar Night
View link
by KYW’s Kim Glovas
Not only is it Oscar night in Hollywood on Sunday, it was Oscar night at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.
The Bryn Mawr Film Institute was the setting for the “Bling Fling,” a fundraiser, and as Juliet Goodfriend, the president of the film institute says, a “fun raiser”:
“We’re celebrating the Oscars which coincide with our fifth birthday, and we’re also selling people’s donations of jewelry, so it’s a Bling Fling. I think we’ll be happy if we raise $10,000 to $20,000.”
The patrons were dressed in long black silky dresses with rhinestones, suits, and some jeans and khakis, but mostly dressed up to celebrate the Oscars and to root on their favorite films.
AP Oscar Coverage
Last night’s Oscar telecast had a montage of horror films. Included was a scene from the 1958 movie “The Blob” showing moviegoers fleeing the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA. In recent years, the community nonprofit organization that rescued the Colonial restored its facade to how it looked in 1958. I’m told the partygoers at the Oscar telecast last night at the Colonial were overjoyed to see the footage broadcast worldwide.
The musical movie “Nine” a scene in the auditorium, with the Art Deco panels on the side walls on view.
The theater’s website flyer says the downstairs auditorium will be closed for a few days in early March to spruce it up with new chairs, drapes, carpet, lighting and more.
Vince Young’s research also included that “Casino Royale” and “Cool Hand Luke” were shown 1967 at the Goldman.
Vince Young informs me that the new Theatre 1812 opened 7/7/67 with “The Jokers”
Vnce Young informs me that “Dirty Dozen” opened 7/13/67 at the Goldman and “Bonnie and Clyde” was also shown that year there.