Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 1,526 - 1,550 of 3,427 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New Amsterdam Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 7:50 pm

Of course not. There used to be over a dozen classic theatres there. Only the New Amsterdam and the Empire lobby remain viable. The others were gutted or demolished.

For this effort New York State tax payers paid billions to the private investors who finance Cuomo and Guliani’s political campaigns.

There were only about six porno businesses on 42nd street, the red light district. There are now over 200 in Manhattan alone although few are theatres. It was win/win for everyone except movie theatres.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New Amsterdam Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 5:50 pm

I guess you haven’t been to Show World on 42nd street, or 38th street and eighth where there are five porn shops on one block, or the Fair in Queens, or the China Club and brothel on 47th street.

Moved, yes. Destroyed, hardly.

What Guliani (and Cuono) achieved was remove poor “ethnic” audiences from Times Square. It used to be called Urban Re-niggering by the Black Panthers.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Arrow Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 11:52 am

Featured in a 1920 Paramount Week ad.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 44th Street Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 11:32 am

The last movie shown here was “Maedchen in Uniform” in 1933.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Lauderdale Drive-In on Feb 23, 2010 at 10:14 am

The Lauderdale Drive-In is already listed in the 1953 Film Daily Yearbook.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Hi-Way Airport 9 Drive-In on Feb 23, 2010 at 10:12 am

The Hi-Way is already listed in the 1953 Film Daily Yearbook.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Bijou Cinema on Feb 23, 2010 at 9:45 am

The city was still trying to close this down in 1995 and may have succeeded then.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 49th Street Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 8:58 am

The New Embassy 49 name lasted from 1982 to April 1987 when it closed with a re-release of “The Aristocats”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Grand Pussycat Cinema on Feb 23, 2010 at 8:51 am

This was the Embassy 49 for only one year in 1976. By 1977 it was the Pussycat.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Coliseum Cinemas on Feb 23, 2010 at 6:53 am

Ace, I scanned through my collection of movie time clocks and counted the number of films playing Saturday night at 8:00pm.

In 1989 the Coliseum was either closed all year or playing Spanish language films only and not advertising outside the Spanish language press. Does anyone know?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New Amsterdam Theatre on Feb 22, 2010 at 6:32 pm

All the 42nd street theatres were evicted outright against their will.

The Brandt action houses, in particular, proved they were profitable in court. The porno sites were even more profitable, but all lost their court cases. The Guliani administration evicted them and made a deal with the pornographers (Guliani’s buddies) so they could open anywhere in the city as long as they stayed clear of 42nd street.

Both current high-grossing multiplexes lose money and ego will only go so far when the economy is bad.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about CMX New York East 62nd Street on Feb 22, 2010 at 3:38 pm

The seventh screen lasted from 1996 to 2002.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Angelika 57 on Feb 22, 2010 at 3:21 pm

New Carnegie needs to be added as an aka name and the map link now goes to Queens.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Coliseum Cinemas on Feb 22, 2010 at 3:09 pm

I did some research and found these multiplexing dates:

Single screen until 1978 when it is remodeled as a triplex.
1981 – Loses a screen and becomes a twin.
1989 – closes
1991 – Re-opens as a Quad.
2001 – closes
2004 – Re-opens as a Quad.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's Lincoln Square Theatre on Feb 22, 2010 at 2:28 pm

Nice find. I have only seen photos of this place when it is on fire.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New Amsterdam Theatre on Feb 22, 2010 at 2:25 pm

..and those old decaying dumps were all profitable. The two new remaining complexes both lose money.

How do you think that will go on with the new Disneyscape real estate prices?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Nova Theatre on Feb 22, 2010 at 8:10 am

I can’t find any signs of a twin prior to 1987. It became a triple in late 1993.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Park & 86th Street Cinemas on Feb 21, 2010 at 10:16 pm

This opened in October 1989 with “When Harry Met Sally” and “Welcome Home”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about RKO Marble Hill Theatre on Feb 21, 2010 at 8:54 pm

This theatre was/is located in Manhattan, not The Bronx.

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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about RKO Proctor's 125th Street Theatre on Feb 21, 2010 at 7:55 pm

The RKO Proctor’s 125th street on a postcard view here:

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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Anderson Theatre on Feb 21, 2010 at 6:35 pm

As the Anderson.

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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Feb 21, 2010 at 11:47 am

I should also point out that Spyros himself was still head of Skouras Theatres in 1963 and like most Hollywood big shots, he got around any anti-trust actions with creative accounting.

In some cases the anti-trust agreement required that certain distributors not run their theatres. It did keep them from still owning them.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Delmar Theatre on Feb 21, 2010 at 11:29 am

Gotham was an interesting name for a 1920’s theatre since the name originated from early nineteenth century satires of New York and Batman comics (1940)had yet to be written.

The Delmar was still listed as a Harris Theatre in the 1959 edition of the Film Daily Yearbook.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Feb 21, 2010 at 11:08 am

The president and chief stockholder of United Artists Theatres in 1963 was George P. Skouras, who fronted for his brother Spyros when he gained control of Fox.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New Amsterdam Theatre on Feb 20, 2010 at 7:59 pm

Still can be unless MARY POPPINS, “Valentines Day”, Applebees and McDonalds turn you on when it is cold, gloomy and gray.

Perhaps you don’t have the extra $12.50 to see a movie or $130.00 to see a show or the $5.00 it takes to get something awful to eat these days.

Times Square is always bad without money and glorious with it. It is the best example of unbridled capitalism in the world.