One of the 3 or 4 repeat viewings of “Star Wars” for me that summer was at the RKO Keith’s. Another was the Fox Theater out in East Setauket, LI, where I took the film in with my older cousins (a pair of identical twins named Phillip and James). The two of them were into the movie even more than I was and had seen it numerous times already. We sat way up front, as I recall, and I can remember Phillip pointing out to me a fleeting shot of R2D2 ambling down a flight of stairs during – I believe – the sequence where Obi Wan, Luke and the Droids make their way through Mos Eisley on Tatooine.
I shared this already a couple of years back on the Loew’s Orpheum page, but it’s apropos here. The theater was on 3rd Ave at E. 86th Street in NYC’s upper east side and had, by this time, been twinned into two separate theaters – the Loew’s Orpheum on the orchestra level and the Loew’s Cine up in the former balcony.
The only time I had ever visited the theater was to see “Star Wars” during its initial run in June, 1977. My Dad took me. We lived in Queens, so had to trek in to the City. I think he chose this theater rather than the Astor Plaza because he worked nearby and was more familiar with the Orpheum. I remember we were shut out of one screening and purchased tickets for the following show a couple of hours later. To kill time, we went across the street to a diner/restaurant which had big windows that looked directly across to the theater marquee. I can’t recall the details too vividly. I think the marquee was on 3rd Ave and I recall after eating that my dad and I rushed back across the street to get a decent spot on the rapidly growing ticket-holder’s line.
As there was so much time before they would start letting us in, my Dad agreed to let me take a stroll around the neighborhood while he held our place on line – I was 12 years old and this was the first time I would be taking a stroll in the City all by myself. So, I headed east on 86th Street with a goal of making it all the way to the East River. Ultimately, I found a park stood in my way of getting to the water’s edge (Carl Schurz Park where the mayor’s residence at Gracie Mansion is located, I would later learn) and had to make a retreat back towards the theater. When I got back to 3rd Ave and could see the line was moving into the theater, I got a bit nervous. When I made my way to the entrance, I found my Dad waiting there and a bit peeved that he had to let a lot of people in ahead of him as he waited for me. I remember accepting his anger and being thankful that he was more upset that I mosied around oblivious to time then he was nervously wondering whether I had gone missing somewhere in the big bad City (he may well have fretted over that prospect, but if so, he certainly didn’t let on to me about it).
Once inside, I recall the theater was quite large with a center orchestra section and two narrower sections on either side. I don’t recall the decor, but the hues were dark and I seem to recall a red curtain in front of the screen. The seats were plush and we wound up sitting on the right aisle in the center section about ¾ of the way back. There may have been a break in the sections with a cross-aisle closer to the screen, but I can’t recall exactly as we sat more to the rear. I thought there was a balcony, but I realize now this might have just been the lower ceiling former by the former loge/mezzanine that had been converted to the separate Loew’s Cine auditorium.
As for the film, I remember similar reactions to the sequences mentioned by Chris Utley in his post. Most memorable was the cheer from the audience when Luke carried Leah across the chasm between the retracted foot bridge landings on a rope – like something out of an old Errol Flynn movie. Also the great eruption of laughter at Han Solo’s line to Luke, “Great shot, kid. Don’t get cocky!” during the dog fight between the Millenium Falcon and the Empire fighters. Ah, yes, and more laugther when the camera cut to C-3PO on the deck of the Falcon tangled up in wires and calling for help!
The memories are flooding in… That’s why I love this site so much!
Warren has a fair point. The function “stage shows” here on CT currently applies to listings that are currently devoted to legitimate theater, such as the Broadway and Winter Garden Theaters, as well as listings that serve a variety of live events, such as Radio City Music Hall. While it may not be the most pressing of issues, in the interests of accuracy, a new function for, say, “playhouse” might might be created and applied to theaters like the Broadway and Winter Garden, while “concerts/live events” might be assigned to venues such as RCMH, or New York’s Beacon and Paradise Theaters. “Stage shows” might reasonably be abandoned as a function, if only because – as Warren indicated – that phrase already has its own specific definition in relation to the history of cinematic presentation.
Seems to me that this might be part of some larger project to be undertaken by the editors of this site, with careful consideration given to how categories of “function” should be organized. For instance, what to do regarding a venue like the former Loew’s 175th Street – which currently functions as a church yet is now starting to see a number of bookings for rock concerts? A distinction should probably be made between a theater such as the Loew’s 175th and one like, say, the former Loew’s Metropolitan in Brooklyn which is exclusively used for religious services.
Hey Lost. What timing! I found the same site, but clicked one level deeper. Anyway… Guess we should close this topic since this page belongs to the Loew’s Paradise.
Thanks for leading me in the right direction, Warren.
I found this website that identifies the building in question as the former Jamaica Arena. Not a definitive resolution to the building’s identity, but it makes perfect sense.
‘Tonino… If you click the link and then open the window fully, you can close the map that obscures the image by clicking on the small up-arrowhead next to “2D 3D”. You can alos close the “Welcome” pane at left by clicking the “X”. That should offer you a clear view of the image.
Thanks, Scott. I’m almost positive that the pair had a similar run here at the Frisco, but I’ve been having difficulty nailing that down as the gospel truth. I made a leap of faith when writing the introductory comments above, based on recollections from folks on this site and elsewhere – but also based in some measure by the “circa 1973” date for the exterior photo that Warren now pretty much confirms to be in error. That casts some doubt on whether this theater did play the double feature for as long as I initially thought.
Thanks, Warren. Though, the two films were paired on a grind throughout the 70’s at several theaters in NYC (and elsewhere, I’d presume). I don’t think the porn industry followed quite the same distribution policies as did the mainstream industry. In any event, when I first saw this photo, I wasn’t entirely sure that Ebert’s date caption was accurate. I think I’d put more trust in the AP to get the date right so I’ll assume May ‘80 is correct.
Hey Lost. Interesting in that 2nd photo of the three you just posted, there’s absolutely no canopy or signage on the facade to advertise the current engagement. I note two display cases, but one would have needed to be directly in front of the theater entrance doors before they could make out what the attraction was. Perhaps the photo dates to just after construction was complete and before a canopy was installed?
If you click on the link provided by AlexNYC (and have a free account to the NYT website), you’ll see a nice cutaway rendering of the new theater. Interesting how the majority of the theater is subterranean. The street level entrance is actually on grade with the last row of the balcony. I gather from the rendering and the article that none of the original theater’s interior elements will be incorporated into the new design – putting to rest at least that lingering question.
If you zoom in on the photo Lost posted, you’ll see at the bottom of the “Scarlet Street” poster in the first display case to the right of the entrance, a small sign seems to read “USHERETTES WANTED.” Great photo.
Thanks for sharing, Warren – regardless of your estimation of the Frisco as either a theater or treasure. May I ask about your source for the photo and how you were able to date it? It is a larger version of the very same photo I posted above that had been dated “circa 1973” on Roger Ebert’s website.
‘Tonino, you bring up a point that I’ve been mulling over regarding this theater. Is the “Loew’s Paradise Theater” sunburst sign covered by the building’s landmark designation? The name “Loew’s” is now owned by AMC… I thought that signage that included company brands were exempt from landmark protection. Just wondering if the name “Loew’s” will ever be physically removed from the building. I presume that the owners would be able to replace the name on the sign, provided they did so in a manner that was consistent with the original design and met with the LPC’s satisfaction.
I agree with Warren that “Utopia’s Paradise” is a clumsy and ill-advised moniker. It sounds very fly-by-night.
Not to go off-topic here, but this is a well attended page and I’d like to beg the indulgence of all by inquiring about a building on 144th Place just north of Archer Ave in Jamaica, Queens. I noticed it from the window of an LIRR train as I was pulling into Jamaica station and it appeared very much to be a former theater building. My curiosity piqued, I took a drive to the area and discovered that it was a nightclub/performance space currently knows as the Amazura Music Hall. The building itself is old and has a peaked roof very much like those of most old theaters and the facade is ornamented in a way that also suggests it might have been a theater or perhaps ballroom? The address is 91-12 144th Place and all I can find is a build date of 1968 (the structure is certainly much older than that) and info that shows it was converted from a warehouse in the 1990’s.
Does anyone know of this building’s history and/or any possible affiliation with movie or theatrical presentation?
Warren… Back on May 7th, you posted an ad that for an engagement you described as being “RCMH’s first (and possibly only) employment of famous headliners for its stage shows.” Since that link no longer works, would you kindly tell us who those headliners were? Thanks.
What a gorgeous canopy the Winter Garden had in that 1915 shot! Even the marquee from the 1930’s had those lanterns on either corner to lend some charm.
In the very first photo in the series that Lost Memory posted, you can make out the Rivoli Theater to the south on B'way, just under the Camel cigarette billboard.
It was not uncommon for film titles to be suitably “spiced-up” for their Duece engagements – though, I wasn’t aware that the practice dated back as early as the 1930’s! Therefore, the matter-of-fact “Biography of a Bachelor Girl” became the more lurid “Bachelor Girl Confesses!”
The marquee advertising the Jack Benny-Patsy Kelly-Gene Raymond feature was that of the Liberty Theater, which was actually located to the west of the Harris heading towards Eighth Avenue.
Michael… I remember the two theaters in simultaneous operation for a brief time with very similar names. I think newspaper ads and listings always referred to this theater as Syosset Triplex (or just “Triplex” under the town name “Syosset.” For a while, the Cinema 150 was listed as Syosset in listings and ads as well, as I recall. I was never at the Syosset Triplex and only attended a few films at the 150, so when looking up the theater for times, I do remember some confusion and double checking to make sure I was looking at the right listing. Am I way off base or was the 150 listed under Woodbury in some papers?
Perhaps, Warren, but the “Prince of Pitkin Ave” is far more euphonious!
One of the 3 or 4 repeat viewings of “Star Wars” for me that summer was at the RKO Keith’s. Another was the Fox Theater out in East Setauket, LI, where I took the film in with my older cousins (a pair of identical twins named Phillip and James). The two of them were into the movie even more than I was and had seen it numerous times already. We sat way up front, as I recall, and I can remember Phillip pointing out to me a fleeting shot of R2D2 ambling down a flight of stairs during – I believe – the sequence where Obi Wan, Luke and the Droids make their way through Mos Eisley on Tatooine.
I shared this already a couple of years back on the Loew’s Orpheum page, but it’s apropos here. The theater was on 3rd Ave at E. 86th Street in NYC’s upper east side and had, by this time, been twinned into two separate theaters – the Loew’s Orpheum on the orchestra level and the Loew’s Cine up in the former balcony.
The only time I had ever visited the theater was to see “Star Wars” during its initial run in June, 1977. My Dad took me. We lived in Queens, so had to trek in to the City. I think he chose this theater rather than the Astor Plaza because he worked nearby and was more familiar with the Orpheum. I remember we were shut out of one screening and purchased tickets for the following show a couple of hours later. To kill time, we went across the street to a diner/restaurant which had big windows that looked directly across to the theater marquee. I can’t recall the details too vividly. I think the marquee was on 3rd Ave and I recall after eating that my dad and I rushed back across the street to get a decent spot on the rapidly growing ticket-holder’s line.
As there was so much time before they would start letting us in, my Dad agreed to let me take a stroll around the neighborhood while he held our place on line – I was 12 years old and this was the first time I would be taking a stroll in the City all by myself. So, I headed east on 86th Street with a goal of making it all the way to the East River. Ultimately, I found a park stood in my way of getting to the water’s edge (Carl Schurz Park where the mayor’s residence at Gracie Mansion is located, I would later learn) and had to make a retreat back towards the theater. When I got back to 3rd Ave and could see the line was moving into the theater, I got a bit nervous. When I made my way to the entrance, I found my Dad waiting there and a bit peeved that he had to let a lot of people in ahead of him as he waited for me. I remember accepting his anger and being thankful that he was more upset that I mosied around oblivious to time then he was nervously wondering whether I had gone missing somewhere in the big bad City (he may well have fretted over that prospect, but if so, he certainly didn’t let on to me about it).
Once inside, I recall the theater was quite large with a center orchestra section and two narrower sections on either side. I don’t recall the decor, but the hues were dark and I seem to recall a red curtain in front of the screen. The seats were plush and we wound up sitting on the right aisle in the center section about ¾ of the way back. There may have been a break in the sections with a cross-aisle closer to the screen, but I can’t recall exactly as we sat more to the rear. I thought there was a balcony, but I realize now this might have just been the lower ceiling former by the former loge/mezzanine that had been converted to the separate Loew’s Cine auditorium.
As for the film, I remember similar reactions to the sequences mentioned by Chris Utley in his post. Most memorable was the cheer from the audience when Luke carried Leah across the chasm between the retracted foot bridge landings on a rope – like something out of an old Errol Flynn movie. Also the great eruption of laughter at Han Solo’s line to Luke, “Great shot, kid. Don’t get cocky!” during the dog fight between the Millenium Falcon and the Empire fighters. Ah, yes, and more laugther when the camera cut to C-3PO on the deck of the Falcon tangled up in wires and calling for help!
The memories are flooding in… That’s why I love this site so much!
Warren has a fair point. The function “stage shows” here on CT currently applies to listings that are currently devoted to legitimate theater, such as the Broadway and Winter Garden Theaters, as well as listings that serve a variety of live events, such as Radio City Music Hall. While it may not be the most pressing of issues, in the interests of accuracy, a new function for, say, “playhouse” might might be created and applied to theaters like the Broadway and Winter Garden, while “concerts/live events” might be assigned to venues such as RCMH, or New York’s Beacon and Paradise Theaters. “Stage shows” might reasonably be abandoned as a function, if only because – as Warren indicated – that phrase already has its own specific definition in relation to the history of cinematic presentation.
Seems to me that this might be part of some larger project to be undertaken by the editors of this site, with careful consideration given to how categories of “function” should be organized. For instance, what to do regarding a venue like the former Loew’s 175th Street – which currently functions as a church yet is now starting to see a number of bookings for rock concerts? A distinction should probably be made between a theater such as the Loew’s 175th and one like, say, the former Loew’s Metropolitan in Brooklyn which is exclusively used for religious services.
Hey Lost. What timing! I found the same site, but clicked one level deeper. Anyway… Guess we should close this topic since this page belongs to the Loew’s Paradise.
Thanks for leading me in the right direction, Warren.
I found this website that identifies the building in question as the former Jamaica Arena. Not a definitive resolution to the building’s identity, but it makes perfect sense.
‘Tonino… If you click the link and then open the window fully, you can close the map that obscures the image by clicking on the small up-arrowhead next to “2D 3D”. You can alos close the “Welcome” pane at left by clicking the “X”. That should offer you a clear view of the image.
Thanks Warren… Must have been a technical problem (or perhaps a user problem?) when I first clicked on the link. As the tagline goes – “Holy Mackel!”
Thanks, Scott. I’m almost positive that the pair had a similar run here at the Frisco, but I’ve been having difficulty nailing that down as the gospel truth. I made a leap of faith when writing the introductory comments above, based on recollections from folks on this site and elsewhere – but also based in some measure by the “circa 1973” date for the exterior photo that Warren now pretty much confirms to be in error. That casts some doubt on whether this theater did play the double feature for as long as I initially thought.
Thanks, Warren. Though, the two films were paired on a grind throughout the 70’s at several theaters in NYC (and elsewhere, I’d presume). I don’t think the porn industry followed quite the same distribution policies as did the mainstream industry. In any event, when I first saw this photo, I wasn’t entirely sure that Ebert’s date caption was accurate. I think I’d put more trust in the AP to get the date right so I’ll assume May ‘80 is correct.
Sorry… meant to say “was NOT”…
Hey Bloop… this theater was the Calderone Concert Hall. The Calderone Theater you’re thinking of has its own separate listing here on CT.
Hey Lost. Interesting in that 2nd photo of the three you just posted, there’s absolutely no canopy or signage on the facade to advertise the current engagement. I note two display cases, but one would have needed to be directly in front of the theater entrance doors before they could make out what the attraction was. Perhaps the photo dates to just after construction was complete and before a canopy was installed?
Yikes! Life, if you view this satellite image, the damage to the roof is even more evident!
Doesn’t look good.
What a classy move!
Tkinz… this must have definitely been the Deuce movie-going experience at its very nadir! Mercifully, the theater’s existence was very short-lived.
If you click on the link provided by AlexNYC (and have a free account to the NYT website), you’ll see a nice cutaway rendering of the new theater. Interesting how the majority of the theater is subterranean. The street level entrance is actually on grade with the last row of the balcony. I gather from the rendering and the article that none of the original theater’s interior elements will be incorporated into the new design – putting to rest at least that lingering question.
If you zoom in on the photo Lost posted, you’ll see at the bottom of the “Scarlet Street” poster in the first display case to the right of the entrance, a small sign seems to read “USHERETTES WANTED.” Great photo.
Thanks for sharing, Warren – regardless of your estimation of the Frisco as either a theater or treasure. May I ask about your source for the photo and how you were able to date it? It is a larger version of the very same photo I posted above that had been dated “circa 1973” on Roger Ebert’s website.
‘Tonino, you bring up a point that I’ve been mulling over regarding this theater. Is the “Loew’s Paradise Theater” sunburst sign covered by the building’s landmark designation? The name “Loew’s” is now owned by AMC… I thought that signage that included company brands were exempt from landmark protection. Just wondering if the name “Loew’s” will ever be physically removed from the building. I presume that the owners would be able to replace the name on the sign, provided they did so in a manner that was consistent with the original design and met with the LPC’s satisfaction.
I agree with Warren that “Utopia’s Paradise” is a clumsy and ill-advised moniker. It sounds very fly-by-night.
Not to go off-topic here, but this is a well attended page and I’d like to beg the indulgence of all by inquiring about a building on 144th Place just north of Archer Ave in Jamaica, Queens. I noticed it from the window of an LIRR train as I was pulling into Jamaica station and it appeared very much to be a former theater building. My curiosity piqued, I took a drive to the area and discovered that it was a nightclub/performance space currently knows as the Amazura Music Hall. The building itself is old and has a peaked roof very much like those of most old theaters and the facade is ornamented in a way that also suggests it might have been a theater or perhaps ballroom? The address is 91-12 144th Place and all I can find is a build date of 1968 (the structure is certainly much older than that) and info that shows it was converted from a warehouse in the 1990’s.
Does anyone know of this building’s history and/or any possible affiliation with movie or theatrical presentation?
Here’s an aerial image of the building looking west towards the entrance.
Warren… Back on May 7th, you posted an ad that for an engagement you described as being “RCMH’s first (and possibly only) employment of famous headliners for its stage shows.” Since that link no longer works, would you kindly tell us who those headliners were? Thanks.
What a gorgeous canopy the Winter Garden had in that 1915 shot! Even the marquee from the 1930’s had those lanterns on either corner to lend some charm.
In the very first photo in the series that Lost Memory posted, you can make out the Rivoli Theater to the south on B'way, just under the Camel cigarette billboard.
It was not uncommon for film titles to be suitably “spiced-up” for their Duece engagements – though, I wasn’t aware that the practice dated back as early as the 1930’s! Therefore, the matter-of-fact “Biography of a Bachelor Girl” became the more lurid “Bachelor Girl Confesses!”
The marquee advertising the Jack Benny-Patsy Kelly-Gene Raymond feature was that of the Liberty Theater, which was actually located to the west of the Harris heading towards Eighth Avenue.
Michael… I remember the two theaters in simultaneous operation for a brief time with very similar names. I think newspaper ads and listings always referred to this theater as Syosset Triplex (or just “Triplex” under the town name “Syosset.” For a while, the Cinema 150 was listed as Syosset in listings and ads as well, as I recall. I was never at the Syosset Triplex and only attended a few films at the 150, so when looking up the theater for times, I do remember some confusion and double checking to make sure I was looking at the right listing. Am I way off base or was the 150 listed under Woodbury in some papers?
I wonder if they’re cutting up an existing auditorium or expanding into adjacent space.