The New Amsterdam became the first theatre on 42nd Street to present a feature in the CinemaScope process when “The Robe” opened there on December 31st, 1953. Ad for the saturation release which followed the Roxy Theatre premiere can be viewed here
This was the first New Year’s Eve since the USA entered the World War. Despite new restrictions, all outdoor electrical signs including theatre marquees, were permitted to run full blast. In midtown, a reported 1,000,000 people had gathered by midnight, about half on Broadway between 47th and 42nd Streets, and the remainder on side streets.
The Capitol was still in an “Everything On the Screen” phase that started in 1935…The B&W bedroom farce proved to be the final work of Greta Garbo’s legendary career. Despite many offers, she never acted again in movies, theatre, radio, or television.
Some in the turn-away crowds headed across the street to Loew’s Valencia, which had plenty of empty seats with a lackluster double bill of “The Last Hunt” and “The Come On.”
The long shuttered Fox cinema was often broken into by neighborhood kids who’d been told it was haunted by ghosts and monsters. The steel framework of the original marquee provided shelter for commuters waiting for buses that stopped there.
The daring psychological melodrama, in vivid Technicolor, had to contend with religious competition from the B&W “Bells of St. Mary’s” at Radio City Music Hall, but both showplaces did record-breaking business throughout that holiday season.
“Port of Wickedness” was a reissue title for “Barbary Coast,” which was being presented at the Holiday Theatre on a double bill with the vintage “Adventures of Marco Polo.”
With a mediocre B&W romantic comedy on screen, the Roxy’s Christmas holiday presentation focused on Olympic skating champion Barbara Ann Scott, possibly the most admired of all female celebrities of that year.
The biblical epic had just finished a record-breaking premiere run in Manhattan at the Roxy, where it was replaced by “Beneath the 12-Mile Reef.” On Christmas Day, “The Robe” would extend to neighborhood theatres via RKO, Skouras, Randforce, and other circuits.
The Academy Award-winning song went on to become associated with the Christmas holiday season, but is currently mired in controversy. A front-page report in The New York Times can be found here
The New Amsterdam became the first theatre on 42nd Street to present a feature in the CinemaScope process when “The Robe” opened there on December 31st, 1953. Ad for the saturation release which followed the Roxy Theatre premiere can be viewed here
The Paramount’s marquee is barely visible on the middle left side of the news photo.
This was the first New Year’s Eve since the USA entered the World War. Despite new restrictions, all outdoor electrical signs including theatre marquees, were permitted to run full blast. In midtown, a reported 1,000,000 people had gathered by midnight, about half on Broadway between 47th and 42nd Streets, and the remainder on side streets.
The Capitol was still in an “Everything On the Screen” phase that started in 1935…The B&W bedroom farce proved to be the final work of Greta Garbo’s legendary career. Despite many offers, she never acted again in movies, theatre, radio, or television.
All Loew’s sites were presenting the foreign-language ‘Oscar’ winning feature in English.
Some in the turn-away crowds headed across the street to Loew’s Valencia, which had plenty of empty seats with a lackluster double bill of “The Last Hunt” and “The Come On.”
The long shuttered Fox cinema was often broken into by neighborhood kids who’d been told it was haunted by ghosts and monsters. The steel framework of the original marquee provided shelter for commuters waiting for buses that stopped there.
The daring psychological melodrama, in vivid Technicolor, had to contend with religious competition from the B&W “Bells of St. Mary’s” at Radio City Music Hall, but both showplaces did record-breaking business throughout that holiday season.
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the engagement, which opened on December 4th with “Auntie Mame” on screen. Ad displayed here
“Port of Wickedness” was a reissue title for “Barbary Coast,” which was being presented at the Holiday Theatre on a double bill with the vintage “Adventures of Marco Polo.”
This was the first Christmas season for the Riviera Theatre, which opened in October of that year.
During peak holiday seasons, RKO often combined Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens sites, instead of staggered over two weeks.
Jersey and Newark listed with “The Jolson Story” as single feature.
With a mediocre B&W romantic comedy on screen, the Roxy’s Christmas holiday presentation focused on Olympic skating champion Barbara Ann Scott, possibly the most admired of all female celebrities of that year.
Listed in collection with an address of 1 East 116th Street, which is the NE corner of 116th Street and Fifth Avenue.
This shows the Jewel Theatre on Kings Highway in Brooklyn
This shows the Jewel Theatre on Kings Highway in Brooklyn
Reserved seat policy, with two performances daily. On opening night only, all tickets were priced at $5 plus tax.
These were all “live” performances, not films, briefly returning the World to its original policy as the Punch & Judy Theatre.
The biblical epic had just finished a record-breaking premiere run in Manhattan at the Roxy, where it was replaced by “Beneath the 12-Mile Reef.” On Christmas Day, “The Robe” would extend to neighborhood theatres via RKO, Skouras, Randforce, and other circuits.
The Academy Award-winning song went on to become associated with the Christmas holiday season, but is currently mired in controversy. A front-page report in The New York Times can be found here
Exteriors of the adjacent Riviera Theatre and Japanese Roof Garden can be seen in the background.
Photo seems to reveal a secondary marquee and entrance/exit around the corner next to the store with “Jeweler” sign.
An ultra-rare view of the huge double-sided roof sign, which was destined to be dismantled to create “scrap” for wartime construction needs.
This coming Sunday evening, with free admission to all.