I’ve seen all the features on the big screen, except Ben-Hur, which I have deliberately avoided on TV and video, just for an occasion like this. I hope it’s not a faded print. Beat-up I could stand, but faded would be hard to watch.
Since it’s for animal love and rescue, I guess they picked movies that address that theme: Dog lovers in Best of Show; Faithful companions in “Old Yeller;” and the issue of hunting wild horses for dog food in “The Misfits.” Seems like a canny (canine?) line-up, and they will be drawing their audiences from a larger pool than mere lovers of the Loews.
As to “Bye Bye Birdie” I saw it at the Chelsea Classics last year with an audience full of anticipation, and I think we mostly agreed that it wasn’t so good. It did have that 11:00 o'clock number (with Ann-Margaret) that lets you leave the theatre feeling good, but it didn’t quite erase the preceding 100 minutes.
I think Bye Bye Birdie is actually kind of dull, except for the va-va-va-voom Ann-Margret numbers at the beginning and the end, which were actually added almost as an afterthought.
Glad to see so many regular contributors adding thrir thoughtful comments here, unlike jnjeisen, who seems to have an agenda, movie theater owner or not. He (she?) hasn’t even commented on one theater at this site. And then uses info from the world net daily, one of the most out-there far right websites, to make his confused points. (Real life and nature itself just aren’t normal enough for him.)
Economically, every theatre that has played BBM has done extrememly well, so jn’s original arguments are a bit weak.
And so what that he loves his gay brother, the loneliest soul in town. Maybe if he did more than just “love” him (love the sinner, hate the sin?) and actually accepted and supported him, perhaps his brother’s self-esteem wouldn’t be so miserable and maybe he could have had a decent life. I know plenty of gay people with loving, supportive family, friends, partners, and yes, children. (And don’t 50% of “straight” marriages end in divorce anyway?)
It seems to me that jn should actually see Brokeback Mountain; it is a heartbreakingly sad indictment of the closet, and how such repression harms not only those in the closet, but the family, friends and loved ones of those suffering people. It truly is an eye-opener.
One last thing: civil rights in this country are not won by opinion polls. If so, we’d still have citizens forced to the back of the bus, women tied to the kitchen, bans on interracial marriage and contraception, and, yes, good men and women forced to deny themselves the right to live and love with those they choose.
And P.S. What theater does jn own? I’d love to visit its page here on Cinema Treasures.
Andreco, I agree with most of your points, but I do wish to point out that the entire Empire Theatre is part of the AMC…facade, lobby and auditorium; the auditorium is now the AMC’s lobby.
I think that the screen seemed so big a few years ago is because it was one of the biggest ones in town. But now that the newest multiplexes (Empire, Lincoln Square, E-walk, Kips Bay) have wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling screens, all the space around the Ziegfeld screen makes it seem smaller.
Columnist Liz Smith today (12/23/2005) chimes in on the Christmas show:
EVERY YEAR I go to the Radio City Christmas Show, and I hear people carping and complaining that Radio City ends its extravaganza of sleighs, dancing bears, tin soldiers, Santas by the stageful, Mrs. Claus, elves, skaters, ballerinas and the fabulous Rockettes by staging a tremendous presentation of the Nativity â€" the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Some object to this religious spectacle with the Magi, the shepherds, the star, the inn with no room, camels, donkeys and sheep all worshipping while over it they run and read aloud the words of James Allan Francis. This pastor of Riverside Baptist Church wrote back in 1926:
“He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. Then for three years, he was an itinerant preacher. He never had a family or owned a home. He never set foot inside a big city. He never traveled 200 miles from the place He was born. He never wrote a book or held an office. He did none of things that usually accompany greatness.
“While He was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends deserted Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had — His coat. When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave.
“Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today, He is the central figure for much of the human race. All the armies that ever marched and all the navies that ever sailed and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this ‘One Solitary Life.’ ”
You can still go to Radio City and leave before the Nativity scene if you feel it’s going to offend you. But how could you ever escape the history of that one solitary life even if you felt it has no meaning for you? Well, I always sit there and cry. And I congratulate Radio City for its determination to keep and give Christmas its ultimate meaning.
I think that the 42nd Steet entrance to the “Hilton” (ugh) is the lobby/entrance of the Lyric. There is another entrance further west that used to be the Apollo entrance, but that is not presently used as an entrance; perhaps it is still used as an exit.
I think that you can see the screen from the end (side?) doors, but the center door views are blocked by the booth. Next time I go I will make some observations.
There is little evidence of the original decor. On the orchestra level the windows are still in the doors, but the wide booth blocks the view of the screens.
I also loved and miss this theater. Saw many Marilyn Monroe double features here and they all seemed clear enough; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes practically leapt off the screen into my lap (if only!); I also enjoyed the long snack bar with the homemade goodies.
Vincent, you must be waiting for the Music Hall to show it AGAIN, right?
Here’s a direct link to the film festival:
View link
I’ve seen all the features on the big screen, except Ben-Hur, which I have deliberately avoided on TV and video, just for an occasion like this. I hope it’s not a faded print. Beat-up I could stand, but faded would be hard to watch.
Since it’s for animal love and rescue, I guess they picked movies that address that theme: Dog lovers in Best of Show; Faithful companions in “Old Yeller;” and the issue of hunting wild horses for dog food in “The Misfits.” Seems like a canny (canine?) line-up, and they will be drawing their audiences from a larger pool than mere lovers of the Loews.
As to “Bye Bye Birdie” I saw it at the Chelsea Classics last year with an audience full of anticipation, and I think we mostly agreed that it wasn’t so good. It did have that 11:00 o'clock number (with Ann-Margaret) that lets you leave the theatre feeling good, but it didn’t quite erase the preceding 100 minutes.
I think Bye Bye Birdie is actually kind of dull, except for the va-va-va-voom Ann-Margret numbers at the beginning and the end, which were actually added almost as an afterthought.
Here’s the website: http://clearviewcinemas.com/
And holy cow! What a line-up!
The vast majority of the audiences for this film seem to be straight. Economics 101 indeed.
Glad to see so many regular contributors adding thrir thoughtful comments here, unlike jnjeisen, who seems to have an agenda, movie theater owner or not. He (she?) hasn’t even commented on one theater at this site. And then uses info from the world net daily, one of the most out-there far right websites, to make his confused points. (Real life and nature itself just aren’t normal enough for him.)
Economically, every theatre that has played BBM has done extrememly well, so jn’s original arguments are a bit weak.
And so what that he loves his gay brother, the loneliest soul in town. Maybe if he did more than just “love” him (love the sinner, hate the sin?) and actually accepted and supported him, perhaps his brother’s self-esteem wouldn’t be so miserable and maybe he could have had a decent life. I know plenty of gay people with loving, supportive family, friends, partners, and yes, children. (And don’t 50% of “straight” marriages end in divorce anyway?)
It seems to me that jn should actually see Brokeback Mountain; it is a heartbreakingly sad indictment of the closet, and how such repression harms not only those in the closet, but the family, friends and loved ones of those suffering people. It truly is an eye-opener.
One last thing: civil rights in this country are not won by opinion polls. If so, we’d still have citizens forced to the back of the bus, women tied to the kitchen, bans on interracial marriage and contraception, and, yes, good men and women forced to deny themselves the right to live and love with those they choose.
And P.S. What theater does jn own? I’d love to visit its page here on Cinema Treasures.
Andreco, I agree with most of your points, but I do wish to point out that the entire Empire Theatre is part of the AMC…facade, lobby and auditorium; the auditorium is now the AMC’s lobby.
CConnolly, you really have a bug up you ass about this place.
I think that the screen seemed so big a few years ago is because it was one of the biggest ones in town. But now that the newest multiplexes (Empire, Lincoln Square, E-walk, Kips Bay) have wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling screens, all the space around the Ziegfeld screen makes it seem smaller.
We treasure all cinemas.
Columnist Liz Smith today (12/23/2005) chimes in on the Christmas show:
EVERY YEAR I go to the Radio City Christmas Show, and I hear people carping and complaining that Radio City ends its extravaganza of sleighs, dancing bears, tin soldiers, Santas by the stageful, Mrs. Claus, elves, skaters, ballerinas and the fabulous Rockettes by staging a tremendous presentation of the Nativity â€" the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Some object to this religious spectacle with the Magi, the shepherds, the star, the inn with no room, camels, donkeys and sheep all worshipping while over it they run and read aloud the words of James Allan Francis. This pastor of Riverside Baptist Church wrote back in 1926:
“He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. Then for three years, he was an itinerant preacher. He never had a family or owned a home. He never set foot inside a big city. He never traveled 200 miles from the place He was born. He never wrote a book or held an office. He did none of things that usually accompany greatness.
“While He was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends deserted Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had — His coat. When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave.
“Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today, He is the central figure for much of the human race. All the armies that ever marched and all the navies that ever sailed and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this ‘One Solitary Life.’ ”
You can still go to Radio City and leave before the Nativity scene if you feel it’s going to offend you. But how could you ever escape the history of that one solitary life even if you felt it has no meaning for you? Well, I always sit there and cry. And I congratulate Radio City for its determination to keep and give Christmas its ultimate meaning.
Will Clearview or United Artists take over the E-Walk?
I think that the 42nd Steet entrance to the “Hilton” (ugh) is the lobby/entrance of the Lyric. There is another entrance further west that used to be the Apollo entrance, but that is not presently used as an entrance; perhaps it is still used as an exit.
They paved Paradise, and put up a parking lot…not! Thank God.
By the time I first came here it was already a twin; then slowly but surely further carved up; the basement was a carnival of lost souls.
This is an amazing theatre from the outside, too. When I drive by I can only stare in wonder.
Lets hope they get some bookings now!
jkjk
La Dolce Vita is from 1960; when did the newsreels stop?
Chic is chic.
I think that you can see the screen from the end (side?) doors, but the center door views are blocked by the booth. Next time I go I will make some observations.
There is little evidence of the original decor. On the orchestra level the windows are still in the doors, but the wide booth blocks the view of the screens.
I re-posted some of these comments on the Chelsea Theater page.
I also loved and miss this theater. Saw many Marilyn Monroe double features here and they all seemed clear enough; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes practically leapt off the screen into my lap (if only!); I also enjoyed the long snack bar with the homemade goodies.