The popular photos of the premier of “The Jazz Singer” featuring Al Jolson and the Warner brothers in front of the theatre were for an invitational sold out live performance by Jolson several days before the movie opened, designed as a publicity stunt. The movie was not shown that night.
On the real premier opening night, not only was Al Jolson not present, neither were the Warner brothers who had gone to California for the funeral of Sam Warner, who had died the day before.
More recent research has shown that not only was opening night not a sensation but that the film did not sell out. It was not even the most popular film of the week in Times Square and acceptance of sound hardly an overnight revolution caused by “The Jazz Singerâ€. Not only had “Don Juan†had already played this theatre with sound earlier in the year and done better than “The Jazz Singerâ€, but audiences had already been watching sound newsreels for several years.
The stories that have been repeated since have mostly been fabrications created in later years and fueled by Vitaphone publicity and Warner Bros. multi-picture deal with Al Jolson. “The Jazz Singer†was a mild success in big cities and failed in most smaller markets. The lack of sound theatres (there were only 400 nationwide at the time) made it impossible for it to make much of an impression and the Jewish cantor plot left most audiences outside the larger markets cold. In Boston, for example, the film had to be quickly pulled after a poor opening.
Much of the phenomena repeated today comes from the fictional plot of the movie “Singin’ In the Rainâ€. There was no audience hysteria, no Variety headlines, no sound hoopla in the opening ads, no rush to wire theatres, and no rush to train actors to speak. Silent movies continued to be made for several years and were among the most profitable. Sound caught on because Hollywood pushed it on theatres in order to create demand for weak product during the depression, not unlike the way they push 3D today.
The intro needs to be adjusted. This Adonis was closed in 1994 and demolished and 1995. By 1996 the Adonis concept have moved down to the Cameo, /theaters/7531/
I think the comments from Ed Solero and Lost memory on the Paree page about multiple screening floors at this location and at the Frisco may explain how the Avon 7, Mini, Frisco, and the last incarnation of the Park-Miller may have all operated from this site with overlapping dates.
It became a triplex in late 1976 when it became the Mark Triplex. It became the Embassy 2, 3, 4 in December 1977 when Guild took it over and the Embassy 1, 2, 3 in 1997 after the Embassy 1 on 46th street closed.
Since Embassy 2, 3, 4 was neither its last name nor its most important phase, it should probably be listed as the Mayfair.
The address must have been 732 or 734 Seventh Avenue based on its proximity to the Avon 7, making an almost certainty it was the Mini Cinema before it became the Frisco.
This Mount Morris was already showing movies in 1911 according to the NYT. It is still listed in the Film Daily Yearbook for 1947 as the Teatro Hispano with an address of 1 West 166th street.
The Patio had a separate boxoffice and entrance. When the theatre was tripled, the main boxoffice sold all tickets but the Patio (screen # 3), still had a separate doorman. Wometco did a nice job twinning their main screens. They were not sloppy rush jobs like General Cinema did in Florida.
The West End appears in a Paramount Week ad in 1921. It was already open in 1903 when the Sunset was being constructed next door.
In the 1934 Film Daily Yearbook the West End is listed as closed with 1672 seats. In the 1937 edition a De Luxe theatre at this address is open with 1672 seats, so it must be a name change that went along with renovation and re-opening. By 1941 it was the West End again.
Hollywood hype control.
The popular photos of the premier of “The Jazz Singer” featuring Al Jolson and the Warner brothers in front of the theatre were for an invitational sold out live performance by Jolson several days before the movie opened, designed as a publicity stunt. The movie was not shown that night.
On the real premier opening night, not only was Al Jolson not present, neither were the Warner brothers who had gone to California for the funeral of Sam Warner, who had died the day before.
More recent research has shown that not only was opening night not a sensation but that the film did not sell out. It was not even the most popular film of the week in Times Square and acceptance of sound hardly an overnight revolution caused by “The Jazz Singerâ€. Not only had “Don Juan†had already played this theatre with sound earlier in the year and done better than “The Jazz Singerâ€, but audiences had already been watching sound newsreels for several years.
The stories that have been repeated since have mostly been fabrications created in later years and fueled by Vitaphone publicity and Warner Bros. multi-picture deal with Al Jolson. “The Jazz Singer†was a mild success in big cities and failed in most smaller markets. The lack of sound theatres (there were only 400 nationwide at the time) made it impossible for it to make much of an impression and the Jewish cantor plot left most audiences outside the larger markets cold. In Boston, for example, the film had to be quickly pulled after a poor opening.
Much of the phenomena repeated today comes from the fictional plot of the movie “Singin’ In the Rainâ€. There was no audience hysteria, no Variety headlines, no sound hoopla in the opening ads, no rush to wire theatres, and no rush to train actors to speak. Silent movies continued to be made for several years and were among the most profitable. Sound caught on because Hollywood pushed it on theatres in order to create demand for weak product during the depression, not unlike the way they push 3D today.
Encore Worldwide Cinemas is an aka here.
The intro needs to be adjusted. This Adonis was closed in 1994 and demolished and 1995. By 1996 the Adonis concept have moved down to the Cameo, /theaters/7531/
I think the comments from Ed Solero and Lost memory on the Paree page about multiple screening floors at this location and at the Frisco may explain how the Avon 7, Mini, Frisco, and the last incarnation of the Park-Miller may have all operated from this site with overlapping dates.
Operating as the all-male Spartan theatre in 1978 with male dancers and “3 male erotic films” while Eastworld was the other screen.
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This location most likely became the Pussycat 2 in later years.
The intro needs some adjusting.
It became a triplex in late 1976 when it became the Mark Triplex. It became the Embassy 2, 3, 4 in December 1977 when Guild took it over and the Embassy 1, 2, 3 in 1997 after the Embassy 1 on 46th street closed.
Since Embassy 2, 3, 4 was neither its last name nor its most important phase, it should probably be listed as the Mayfair.
A police report of adult establishment in 1995 lists the LAP MOVIE THEATRE at 204 West 47th Street. Has anyone heard of that one?
It looks like it was demolished.
That photo also shows the Frisco outlasting the Avon 7.
Nice shot, Ken.
The address must have been 732 or 734 Seventh Avenue based on its proximity to the Avon 7, making an almost certainty it was the Mini Cinema before it became the Frisco.
This Mount Morris was already showing movies in 1911 according to the NYT. It is still listed in the Film Daily Yearbook for 1947 as the Teatro Hispano with an address of 1 West 166th street.
“So what’s the story?”
It was big hit at the time.
The Patio had a separate boxoffice and entrance. When the theatre was tripled, the main boxoffice sold all tickets but the Patio (screen # 3), still had a separate doorman. Wometco did a nice job twinning their main screens. They were not sloppy rush jobs like General Cinema did in Florida.
The orange awning next door was an Arbys. The China Club across the street just had a stabbing in January.
Stopped showing films in 1976.
The West End appears in a Paramount Week ad in 1921. It was already open in 1903 when the Sunset was being constructed next door.
In the 1934 Film Daily Yearbook the West End is listed as closed with 1672 seats. In the 1937 edition a De Luxe theatre at this address is open with 1672 seats, so it must be a name change that went along with renovation and re-opening. By 1941 it was the West End again.
It stopped showing films in 1975.
A theatre adjoining the West End Theatre was being constructed in 1903 according to the NYT.
This theatre opened on March 15, 1985 and the intro needs to be corrected.
Looking at this again, the De Luxe must be the West End.
The Rio closed in March 1957. The last movies were “Abandon Ship!‘ and "The Strange One”.
In March 1969, the 175th Street stopped showing movies after a run of “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
In March 1964, the Inwood closed.
Still playing the RKO subrun in 1957.
This theatre dates back to 1913.
A motion picture theatre was already at this location in 1917 according to the NYT.