Radio City Music Hall
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
116 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1,926 - 1,950 of 3,322 comments
Check out the prices for the RCMH Christmas Spectacular from Dec. 1980. This was just a little over a year after the “Showplace of the Nation” had been retired as a movie palace and switched over to “entertainment center” hosting concerts and other special events.
Daily News 12/12/80
How times have changed! $11.50 top dollar ticket! That was only 3 or 4 times the average movie ticket at the time and less than half of what one would expect to pay for a Broadway play! Today, prices for the Christmas show go as high as $200.00 which is DOUBLE most Broadway productions.
Was the Christmas show the only programming to survive the Hall’s transition? I know it is no longer offered, but I can’t recall if they attempted to keep the Glory of Easter stage show (which accompanied DeMille’s seafaring opus in Warren’s 1942 ad) alive for any length of time after the 1979 season.
A few clarifying facts here…
Widescreen features was NOT the work of CinemaScope. Studios and Theaters were prepping for widescreen a full six months before THE ROBE hit the screen in September of 1953. While films that were intended to be seen full frame (1.37:1) were pushed into a widescreen AND stereophonic sound, most every studio switched to real widescreen by the summer of ‘53. And flat widescreen (1.66, 1.75, 1.85 and 2:1) is NOT fake widescreen. It accounts for about 75% of films being widescreen today.
Also, Ansco Color was hardly inferior stock— in fact, the chemistry was far more reliable than Eastman and holds up today as an archival format far better. Simply look at MGM’s KISS ME KATE. MGM shot on Ansco stock, but as stated, usually printed with Technicolor. And having seen original Technicolor prints made from Ansco negatives, I can safely say that there is NOTHING wrong with that combination.
As Warren writes in his terrific book on Lucy and Desi, LLT was filmed in June-July ‘53. By that date, MGM cinematographers routinely allowed for top-and-bottom cropping to fit the wide screens that debuted in May of that year. Instead of installing a modish wide screen, RCMH simply used its magnascope screen (double the previous size, but still with the old 1:1.33 ratio) for full-length features from “Shane” (April '53) until its Christmas show in Dec. '53 (“Easy to Love” in a 1.65 ratio, somewhat narrower than the 1:1.85 ratio favored by other theaters at the time). After “Knights of the Round Table” in CinemaScope (Jan. '54), “LLT” opened on RCMH’s wide screen at 1:1.65 ratio, approx. 32'x53’ across the 70' proscenium opening. (The CinemasScope screen covered 27'x68'; yes, it all seemed a bit small in the vast expanse of that great theater.)
And, yes, Minnelli’s genius and his demands on the technical staff compensated for the disaster that was Ansco Color. As a nutty kid with a camera at the time, I squeezed out whatever pennies I came across for color rather than b&w film (color film cost lots more than b&w then) and a few times went for Ansco rather than Eastman Kodak because MGM had endorsed Ansco. But to my eleven-year-old eyes, it immediately appeared greatly inferior.
In a few weeks, when I get myself out of a deadline mode at work, I’ll resume photo-bucketing my stock of Showplace Programs—I should reach the one for LLT about five weeks into the run.
All that means is the they blew up and cropped the picture. So the patrons who saw that engagement lost image on the top and bottom of each frame, depending on how the projectionist framed the feature.
The aspect ratio for “The Long, Long Trailer” was 1:37. Remember that CinemaScope was introduced in 1953 and there was at that time only a few full production sets of lens available for filming. Fox rented out lens to other studios if they were not using them on their own productions. On the original poster material MGM only credits Ansco color and prints by Technicolor.
in the 70’s the Rockefeeler group Alton Marshal and the gang saw the hall stand in the way of progress the space where it stands is prime real estate. I really belive they did not execpt any one standing in there way, they figured oh there will be tears and some happy memories told to the papers they did not know just what the Hall means to many many people, remember they were buisnessw men not show people. Boy were they wrong!!
in the 70’s the Rockefeeler group Alton Marshal and the gang saw the hall stand in the way of progress the space where it stands is prime real estate. I really belive they did not execpt any one standing in there way, they figured oh there will be tears and some happy memories told to the papers they did not know just what the Hall means to many many people, remember they were buisnessw men not show people. Boy were they wrong!!
Was watching part of the Long, Long, Tailer on TCM the other night.Does anybody know if this was shown in the standard 1:35 frame at the Hall being that this was in the midst of Cinemascope or was it cropped?
Also I was stunned to read that the color was Ansco. Usually when I see Ansco prints they are usually muddy. This was like brilliant beautiful Technicolor.
‘72 was the last year the Hall showed films that were popular and perfect for the place; What’s Up Doc, Play it Again Sam and Butterflies are Free. And considering some of the films the Hall played later(Mame, Mathilda, Girl from Petrovka, Caravans) Cancel My Reservation was practically a masterpiece.
I remember in some stage shows where parts of the stage would go up and down and they didn’t even bother covering the sections so you would see a cutaway of the pistons and revolving stage.
Al I wish you had seen Airport in Todd AO or Singing in the Rain in '75 there. You would have seen what a great movie theater it could be.
Also these were times people would be quiet in a house with thousands of seats.
Today people would be talking, text-messaging each other and cels would be going off right and left.
If you look at previous posts, Ron3853 has already covered this 70’s era which included periods with no film at all. The Music Hall got caught between it’s own wholesome image and a slew of bad family films. (I mean wild, sexy 1972 and The Hall is showing a Bob Hope movie!)
There is no excuse for the bad shows unless, as Vincent suggests, the Rockefeller group was trying to justify killing the formula in order to renegotiate better terms with talent agencies.
As you may see from my previous posts, I am not personally fond of the shows or the venue as a cinema, but I love this building.
Nice job, as usual Al… You’re on the cusp of my era of movie going at the Hall – the horrible ‘70’s. Vincent is on to something in his comments. While I truly enjoyed some of the “spectacles” performed on stage, even at my tender age much of it seemed just as garish and trashy as the stuff you’d see on typical network TV variety shows of the day.
Paul Bubny… Yes… I sometimes see some old postings I made and can’t believe I’ve been tagging this site for so long. A lot of the very oldest comments here were removed and incorporated into the introductory paragraphs of some of the theaters on this site when the site was overhauled in late 2003. Back then there was a lot of sketchy information posted here. Anyway… see my much more recent posting above from Feb 20th for some more rumination on that “Crossed Swords” engagement as well as a few images of the souvenir booklets I took home with me the day I saw that flick and the Glory of Easter show.
One of the problems of the 70’s even before distibution patterns changed was that even producers didn’t want their films at the Hall anymore.There were a number of G and GP films that would have been perfect there. The stage shows were so cheap and so bad that they were hard to sit through. I can’t tell you how many amateurish revues with small slip shod sets and bad choreography I had to sit through. I had already stopped sitting through the movies.
There was absolutely no reason for the general public to continue patronizing the Hall. The whole stage show/movie combo was run into the ground. I still can’t understand why they had to be so bad.Let’s just say it was obviously done on purpose. It was that dreadful.
What the hell, it is Radio City after all!
I will need some time to get the rest of the seventies together.
40/01/14 His Girl Friday (1940)
40/01/28 Shop Around the Corner, The (1940)
40/02/11 Swiss Family Robinson (1940)
40/02/18 I Take This Woman (1940)
40/02/25 Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)
40/03/10 Too Many Husbands (1940)
40/03/17 Young Tom Edison (1940)
40/03/31 Rebecca (1940)
40/05/12 My Son, My Son (1940)
40/05/26 Irene (1940)
40/06/02 My Favorite Wife (1940)
40/06/16 Our Town (1940)
40/06/30 Tom Brown’s School Days (1940)
40/07/07 All This, and Heaven Too (1940)
40/08/04 South of Pago Pago (1940)
40/08/11 Pride and Prejudice (1940)
40/09/08 Lucky Partners (1940)
40/09/22 RAMPARTS WE WATCH, THE
40/09/29 Howards of Virginia, The (1940)
40/10/13 They Knew What They Wanted (1940)
40/10/27 Westerner, The (1940)
40/11/03 Escape (1940)
40/11/24 Bitter Sweet (1940)
40/12/08 Thief of Bagdad, The (1940)
40/12/22 NO, NO, NANETTE (1940)
40/12/29 Philadelphia Story, The (1940)
41/02/09 Arizona (1940)
41/02/16 This Thing Called Love (1941)
41/02/23 Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
41/03/02 So Ends Our Night (1941)
41/03/16 Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941)
41/03/30 Adam Had Four Sons (1941)
41/04/06 That Hamilton Woman (1941)
41/05/04 That Uncertain Feeling (1941)
41/05/18 Devil and Miss Jones, The (1941)
41/05/25 Penny Serenade (1941)
41/06/15 Sunny (1941)
41/06/22 SHE KNEW ALL THE ANSWERS
41/06/29 Blossoms In the Dust (1941)
41/07/20 Tom, Dick and Harry (1941)
41/08/10 Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
41/08/24 Little Foxes, The (1941)
41/09/21 Lydia (1941)
41/10/05 It Started With Eve (1941)
41/10/19 All That Money Can Buy, The (Devil and Daniel Webster) (1941)
41/10/26 You’ll Never Get Rich (1941)
41/11/09 Appointment for Love (1941)
41/11/16 One Foot in Heaven (1941)
41/11/23 Suspicion (1941)
41/12/14 Men in Her Life, The (1941)
41/12/21 H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941)
42/01/04 Babes on Broadway (1941)
42/01/18 Ball of Fire (1941)
42/02/08 Woman of the Year (1942)
42/03/22 Bedtime Story (1941)
42/03/29 Reap the Wild Wind (1942)
42/05/03 We Were Dancing (1942)
42/05/10 Saboteur (1942)
42/05/24 Tortilla Flat (1942)
42/06/07 Mrs. Miniver (1942)
42/08/16 Bambi (1942)
42/08/30 Talk of the Town, The (1942)
42/09/27 Tales of Manhattan (1942)
42/10/25 My Sister Eileen (1942)
42/11/15 Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942)
42/12/06 You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
42/12/20 Random Harvest (1942)
43/03/07 They Got Me Covered (1943)
43/03/21 Keeper of the Flame (1942)
43/04/18 Flight for Freedom (1943)
43/05/16 More the Merrier, The (1943)
43/06/27 Youngest Profession, The (1943)
43/07/25 Mr. Lucky (1943)
43/09/12 So Proudly We Hail! (1943)
43/10/10 Lassie Come Home (1943)
43/11/07 Claudia (1943)
43/12/05 What a Woman! (1943)
43/12/19 Madame Curie (1943)
44/02/06 Jane Eyre (1944)
44/03/05 Up in Arms (1944)
44/04/02 Cover Girl (1944)
44/05/14 White Cliffs of Dover, The (1944)
44/07/02 Once Upon a Time (1944)
44/07/23 Dragon Seed (1944)
44/09/17 Casanova Brown (1944)
44/10/15 Mrs. Parkington (1944)
44/11/26 Together Again (1944)
44/12/17 National Velvet (1944)
45/01/28 Song to Remember, A (1945)
45/03/11 Tonight and Every Night (1945)
45/03/25 Without Love (1945)
45/05/06 Valley of Decision, The (1945)
45/07/08 Bell for Adano, A (1945)
45/08/19 Over 21 (1945)
45/09/09 Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945)
45/10/07 Weekend at the Waldorf (1945)
45/12/09 Bells of St. Mary’s, The (1945)
46/02/10 Adventure (1945)
46/03/17 Gilda (1946)
46/04/07 Green Years, The (1946)
46/05/26 To Each His Own (1946)
46/06/23 Anna and the King of Siam (1946)
46/08/18 Notorious (1946)
46/10/13 Jolson Story, The (1946)
46/12/08 Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)
47/01/26 Yearling, The (1946)
47/03/02 Sea of Grass, The (1947)
47/03/23 Late George Apley, The (1947)
47/04/27 Egg and I, The (1947)
47/05/25 Great Expectations (1946)
47/06/29 Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The (1947)
47/07/27 Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, The (1947)
47/09/14 Down to Earth (1947)
47/10/12 Song of Love (1947)
47/11/09 Cass Timberlane (1947)
47/12/07 Good News (1947)
48/01/11 Paradine Case, The (1948)
48/02/22 Double Life, A (1947)
48/03/14 I Remember Mama (1948)
48/04/25 State of the Union (1948)
48/05/23 Pirate, The (1948)
48/06/20 Emperor Waltz, The (1948)
48/08/08 Date With Judy, A (1948)
48/09/19 Good Sam (1948)
48/10/10 Julia Misbehaves (1948)
48/11/07 You Gotta Stay Happy (1948)
48/11/28 Hills of Home (1948)
48/12/12 Words and Music (1948)
49/01/23 Letter to Three Wives, A (1949)
49/02/27 Family Honeymoon (1948)
49/03/13 Little Women (1949)
49/04/10 Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, A (1949)
49/05/15 Stratton Story, The (1949)
49/06/05 Edward, My Son (1949)
49/06/26 Look for the Silver Lining (1949)
49/08/07 In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
49/09/11 Under Capricorn (1949)
49/10/09 Heiress, The (1949)
49/11/13 That Forsyte Woman (1949)
49/12/11 On the Town (1949)
50/01/22 My Foolish Heart (1949)
50/02/12 Young Man With a Horn (1950)
50/02/26 Stage Fright (1950)
50/03/19 Woman of Distinction, A (1950)
50/04/01 Daughter of Rosie O'Grady, The (1950)
50/04/28 No Sad Songs for Me (1950)
50/05/19 Father of the Bride (1950)
50/06/30 Next Voice You Hear, The (1950)
50/07/21 Men, The (1950)
50/08/11 Sunset Blvd. (1950)
50/09/29 Glass Menagerie, The (1950)
50/10/27 Miniver Story, The (1950)
50/11/10 King Solomon’s Mines (1950)
50/12/08 Kim (1950)
51/01/19 Magnificent Yankee, The (1950)
51/02/02 September Affair (1950)
51/02/16 Payment on Demand (1951)
51/03/09 Royal Wedding (1951)
51/04/13 Father’s Little Dividend (1951)
51/05/11 Great Caruso, The (1951)
51/07/20 Show Boat (1951)
51/09/14 Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)
51/10/05 American in Paris, An (1951)
51/11/23 Too Young to Kiss (1951)
51/12/07 I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951)
52/01/11 Greatest Show on Earth, The (1952)
52/03/28 Singin' in the Rain (1952)
52/05/09 Scaramouche (1952)
52/05/30 Lovely To Look At (1952)
52/06/27 Where’s Charley? (1952)
52/08/01 Ivanhoe (1952)
52/09/26 Because You’re Mine (1952)
52/10/31 Happy Time, The (1952)
52/11/14 Plymouth Adventure (1952)
52/12/05 Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)
53/01/16 Bad and the Beautiful, The (1952)
53/02/13 Tonight We Sing (1953)
53/03/06 Story of Three Loves, The (1953)
53/03/27 By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953)
53/04/24 Shane (1953)
53/05/22 Young Bess (1953)
53/06/19 Dangerous When Wet (1953)
53/07/10 Band Wagon, The (1953)
53/08/28 Roman Holiday (1953)
53/10/02 Mogambo (1953)
53/11/06 Kiss Me Kate (1953)
53/12/04 Easy to Love (1953)
54/01/08 Knights of the Round Table (1953)
54/02/19 Long, Long Trailer, The (1954)
54/03/12 Rhapsody (1954)
54/04/02 Rose Marie (1954)
54/05/07 Executive Suite (1954)
54/06/18 Student Prince, The (1954)
54/07/23 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
54/09/17 Brigadoon (1954)
54/10/15 White Christmas (1954)
54/12/10 Deep in My Heart (1954)
55/01/21 Bridges at Toko-Ri, The (1954)
55/02/18 Jupiter’s Darling (1955)
55/03/04 Hit the Deck (1955)
55/03/25 Glass Slipper, The (1955)
55/05/06 Interrupted Melody (1955)
55/05/27 Love Me or Leave Me (1955)
55/07/15 Mister Roberts (1955)
55/09/16 It’s Always Fair Weather (1955)
55/10/14 Trial (1955)
55/11/11 Tender Trap, The (1955)
55/12/09 Kismet (1955)
56/01/13 I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
56/02/17 Picnic (1955)
56/03/23 Serenade (1956)
56/04/27 Swan, The (1956)
56/05/25 Bhowani Junction (1956)
56/06/22 Eddy Duchin Story, The (1956)
56/08/10 High Society (1955)
56/09/28 Tea and Sympathy (1956)
56/11/02 Friendly Persuasion (1956)
56/11/30 Teahouse of the August Moon, The (1956)
57/01/18 Barretts of Wimpole Street, The (1957)
57/02/01 Wings of Eagles, The (1957)
57/02/22 Spirit of St. Louis, The (1957)
57/03/29 Funny Face (1957)
57/05/17 Designing Woman (1957)
57/06/14 Prince and the Showgirl, The (1957)
57/07/19 Silk Stockings (1957)
57/08/30 Pajama Game, The (1957)
57/10/04 Les Girls (1957)
57/11/15 Don’t Go Near the Water (1957)
57/12/06 Sayonara (1957)
58/01/31 Seven Hills of Rome (1958)
58/02/21 Brothers Karamazov, The (1958)
58/03/21 Merry Andrew (1958)
58/04/25 Marjorie Morningstar (1958)
58/05/30 No Time for Sergeants (1958)
58/06/27 Indiscreet (1958)
58/08/15 Reluctant Debutante, The (1958)
58/09/19 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
58/11/07 Home Before Dark (1958)
58/12/05 Auntie Mame (1958)
59/01/23 Some Came Running (1958)
59/02/20 Journey, The (1959)
59/03/20 Green Mansions (1959)
59/04/24 Count Your Blessings (1959)
59/05/22 Ask Any Girl (1959)
59/06/19 Nun’s Story, The (1959)
59/08/07 North by Northwest (1959)
59/09/25 FBI Story, The (1959)
59/10/23 Summer Place, A (1959)
59/11/13 Miracle, The (1959)
59/12/04 Operation Petticoat (1959)
60/01/22 Never So Few (1959)
60/02/12 Once More, With Feeling (1960)
60/03/04 Home From the Hill (1960)
60/04/01 Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960)
60/05/20 Pollyanna (1960)
60/06/24 Bells Are Ringing (1960)
60/08/12 Song Without End (1960)
60/09/23 Dark at the Top of the Stairs, The (1960)
60/10/14 Midnight Lace (1960)
60/11/11 World of Suzie Wong, The (1960)
60/12/09 Sundowners, The (1960)
61/01/20 Where the Boys Are (1960)
61/02/17 Cimarron (1960)
61/03/17 Absent Minded Professor, The (1961)
61/05/05 Parrish (1961)
61/06/02 Pleasure of His Company, The (1961)
61/07/07 Fanny (1961)
61/09/08 Come September (1961)
61/10/06 Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
61/11/10 Flower Drum Song (1961)
61/12/15 Babes in Toyland (1961)
62/01/12 Majority of One, A (1962)
62/02/09 Lover Come Back (1961)
62/03/16 Rome Adventure (1962)
62/04/06 Moon Pilot (1962)
62/05/18 Bon Voyage! (1962)
62/06/15 That Touch of Mink (1962)
62/08/24 Music Man, The (1962)
62/09/28 Gigot (1962)
62/11/02 Gypsy (1962)
62/12/07 Jumbo (Billy Rose’s) (1962)
63/01/18 Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
63/02/15 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
63/03/15 Girl Named Tamiko, A (1962)
63/04/05 Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
63/05/17 Spencer’s Mountain (1963)
63/06/07 Come Blow Your Horn (1963)
63/08/02 Thrill of It All, The (1963)
63/09/20 V.I.P.s, The (1963)
63/10/25 Mary, Mary (1963)
63/11/15 Wheeler Dealers, The (1963)
63/12/06 Charade (1963)
64/01/24 Prize, The (1963)
64/02/21 Captain Newman, M.D. (1963)
64/03/20 World of Henry Orient, The (1964)
64/04/24 Pink Panther, The (1964)
64/05/22 Chalk Garden, The (1964)
64/07/17 Unsinkable Molly Brown, The (1964)
64/09/25 Mary Poppins (1964)
64/11/13 Send Me No Flowers (1964)
64/12/11 Father Goose (1964)
65/01/29 36 Hours (1964)
65/03/05 Dear Heart (1964)
65/04/02 Operation Crossbow (1965)
65/05/14 Yellow Rolls-Royce, The (1964)
65/07/16 Sandpiper, The (1965)
65/09/17 Great Race, The (1965)
65/11/05 Never Too Late (1965)
65/12/03 That Darn Cat (1965)
66/01/21 Judith (1966)
66/02/18 Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
66/03/18 Singing Nun, The (1966)
66/05/06 Arabesque (1966)
66/06/10 Glass Bottom Boat, The (1966)
66/07/15 How to Steal a Million (1966)
66/09/23 Kaleidoscope (1966)
66/10/14 Any Wednesday (1966)
66/11/11 Penelope (1966)
66/12/02 Follow Me, Boys! (1966)
67/01/20 Hotel (1967)
67/02/17 25th Hour, The (1967)
67/03/10 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)
67/04/28 Two for the Road (1967)
67/05/26 Barefoot in the Park (1967)
67/08/18 Up the Down Staircase (1967)
67/09/29 Bobo, The (1967)
67/10/27 Wait Until Dark (1967)
67/12/01 Happiest Millionaire, The (1967)
68/01/19 How to Save a Marriage (And Ruin Your Life) (1968)
68/02/09 Sweet November (1968)
68/03/01 Secret War of Harry Frigg, The (1968)
68/03/22 One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, The (1968)
68/05/03 Odd Couple, The (1968)
68/08/09 Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968)
68/09/20 Hot Millions (1968)
68/10/18 Bullitt (1968)
68/12/06 Impossible Years, The (1968)
69/01/17 Brotherhood, The (1968)
69/02/14 Mayerling (1968)
69/03/14 Love Bug, The (1969)
69/04/25 IF ITS TUESDAY THIS MUST BE BELGIUM
69/05/23 WINNING
69/06/18 TRUE GRIT
69/08/29 GYPSY MOTHS, THE
69/09/26 CHRISTMAS TREE, THE
69/10/24 HAIL, HERO!
69/11/14 BRAIN, THE
69/12/05 BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN, A
70/01/23 VIVA, MAX!
70/02/13 TICK…TICK…TICK
70/03/06 AIRPORT
70/05/29 OUT-OF-TOWNERS, THE
70/07/24 DARLING LILI
70/09/25 SUNFLOWER
70/10/30 PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE
70/11/20 SCROOGE
My first RCMH experience comes in at the other end of the area charted by AlAlvarez’s list: the aforementioned cheesy, “all-star” version of “The Prince and the Pauper” that was lamely retitled “Crossed Swords.” It opened in 1978 as the Hall’s Easter attraction, and as EdSolero’s comment from three years ago (!) suggests, the news at the time was that this would be the last movie shown in a premiere engagement there, so the idea in going was to catch a final glimpse of New York history. Of course the presentation was spectacular, even if the movie itself was terrible. As EdSolero and RobertR pointed out, “Crossed Swords” wasn’t actually the final engagement, but it was my first and only time experiencing RCMH as a movie house. Any time I’ve been back there since then, I’ve gone as a concertgoer.
Ha! You could probably drop the entirety of the Lincoln Square multiplex and Imax theater on 68th and Broadway very comfortably into the confines of the Hall’s vast auditorium with some room to spare!
Nice list, AlAlvarez. And I can’t think of a better place to share it than right here amongst the comments. On a quick glance, looks like most features changed after a week or two. A three week run must have meant a pretty big success. The one that pops out looks to be Disney’s 1937 “Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs” which looks like it ran for over a month! Give or take the 5 day margin of error Al notes in his post.
I don’t think there were ever any serious consideration of multiplexing the Hall even during the crisis when it looked as if the Hall were closing in the late ‘70’s. There was also talk of putting supports through the roof of the auditorium to support a high rise structure above the auditorium and stage house, but again these were largely ideas bandied about in the press of the “how do we save the Music Hall” category. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts one of the Vice-Presidents who had lunch years later with the former head of Rockefeller Center told me that Alton Marshall told him that there never was a real consideration of destroying the Hall, but rather it was a ploy to allow them to change the format to something economically more feasible. Whether or not that was the case I don’t know (after the Center did destroy both the Center Theatre and the Roxy), but the only times I heard mention of multiplexing the theatre was by the stage hands joking about how many screens could be squeezed in.
Ron, I have been reluctant to take up so much space but here are the thirties. Surely someone will let me know of a better way to share these…
Opening dates are within five days:
33/01/15 Bitter Tea of General Yen, The (1933)
33/01/15 Sign of the Cross, The (1932)
33/01/22 King’s Vacation, The (1933)
33/01/29 State Fair (1933)
33/02/05 Sign of the Cross, The (1932)
33/02/12 Topaze (1933)
33/02/19 GREAT JASPER, THE
33/02/26 Our Betters (1933)
33/03/05 King Kong (1933)
33/03/12 Christopher Strong (1933)
33/03/19 Sailor’s Luck (1933)
33/03/26 Sweepings (1933)
33/04/02 YOUNG KING, THE
33/04/09 Cavalcade (1933)
33/04/23 Working Man, The (1933)
33/04/30 Zoo in Budapest (1933)
33/05/07 Silver Cord, The (1933)
33/05/14 WARRIOR’S HUSBAND, THE
33/05/21 ADORABLE
33/05/28 Elmer the Great (1933)
33/06/04 COCKTAIL HOUR
33/06/11 ANN CARVER’S PROFESSION
33/06/18 I LOVED YOU WEDNESDAY
33/06/25 Melody Cruise (1933)
33/07/02 Bed of Roses (1933)
33/07/09 PRIVATE DETECTIVE 62
33/07/16 Professional Sweetheart (1933)
33/07/23 DOUBLE HARNESS
33/07/30 Devil’s in Love, The (1933)
33/08/06 NO MARRIAGE TIES
33/08/13 Pilgramage
33/08/20 Morning Glory (1933)
33/08/27 PADDY, THE NEXT BEST THING
33/09/03 ONE MAN’S JOURNEY
33/09/10 Lady for a Day (1933)
33/09/10 Power and the Glory, The
33/09/24 MY WEAKNESS
33/10/01 Ann Vickers (1933)
33/10/08 Dr. Bull (1933)
33/10/15 Private Life of Henry VIII, The (1933)
33/10/22 AGGIE APPLEBY, MAKER OF MEN
33/10/29 Berkeley Square
33/11/05 AFTER TONIGHT
33/11/12 Only Yesterday (1933)
33/11/19 Little Women (1933)
33/12/10 Counsellor-at-Law (1933)
33/12/17 RIGHT TO ROMANCE, THE
33/12/24 Flying Down to Rio (1933)
34/01/07 If I Were Free (1933)
34/01/14 MAN OF TWO WORLDS
34/01/21 I AM SUZANNE
34/01/28 AS HUSBANDS GO
34/02/04 Nana (1934)
34/02/18 CAROLINA
34/02/25 It Happened One Night (1934)
34/03/04 David Harum (1934)
34/03/11 Spitfire (1934)
34/03/18 George White’s Scandals (1934)
34/03/25 BOTTOMS UP
34/04/01 WILD CARGO
34/04/15 This Man Is Mine (1934)
34/04/22 Stand Up and Cheer (1934)
34/05/06 Twentieth Century (1934)
34/05/13 CHANGE OF HEART
34/05/20 STINGAREE
34/05/27 WHERE SINNERS MEET
34/06/03 Little Man, What Now? (1934)
34/06/10 SISTERS UNDER THE SKIN
34/06/17 Life of Vergie Winters, The (1934)
34/06/24 LET’S TRY AGAIN
34/07/01 Of Human Bondage (1934)
34/07/15 WHOM THE GODS DESTROY
34/07/22 GRAND CANARY
34/07/29 HAT, COAT AND GLOVE
34/08/05 World Moves On, The
34/08/12 One More River (1934)
34/08/19 Cat’s Paw, The (1934)
34/09/02 Fountain, The (1934)
34/09/09 One Night of Love (1934)
34/09/23 Richest Girl in the World, The (1934)
34/09/30 Caravan (1934)
34/10/07 POWER (1934)
34/10/14 Judge Priest (1934)
34/10/21 Age of Innocence, The (1934)
34/10/28 PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, THE
34/11/04 We Live Again (1934)
34/11/18 Gay Divorcee, The (1934)
34/12/02 Broadway Bill (1934)
34/12/16 Music in the Air (1934)
34/12/23 Bright Eyes (1934)
34/12/30 Little Minister, The (1934)
35/01/13 Evergreen (1934)
35/01/20 Romance in Manhattan (1934)
35/01/27 Iron Duke, The (1935)
35/02/03 Good Fairy, The (1935)
35/02/10 Scarlet Pimpernel, The (1935)
35/02/24 ONE MORE SPRING
35/03/03 Whole Town’s Talking, The (1935)
35/03/10 Roberta (1935)
35/03/24 Little Colonel, The (1935)
35/04/07 Life Begins at Forty (1935)
35/04/14 Star of Midnight (1935)
35/04/21 Cardinal Richelieu (1935)
35/05/05 Scoundrel, The (1935)
35/05/12 Informer, The (1935)
35/05/19 Break of Hearts (1935)
35/05/26 ESCAPE ME NEVER
35/06/02 UNDER THE PAMPAS MOON
35/06/09 Our Little Girl (1935)
35/06/16 Becky Sharp (1935)
35/06/30 Love Me Forever (1935)
35/07/21 GINGER
35/07/28 She (1935)
35/08/04 Curly Top (1935)
35/08/11 Farmer Takes a Wife, The (1935)
35/08/18 Alice Adams (1935)
35/09/01 Top Hat (1935)
35/09/22 Steamboat ‘Round the Bend (1935)
35/09/29 She Married Her Boss (1935)
35/10/06 Return of Peter Grimm, The (1935)
35/10/13 Gay Deception, The (1935)
35/10/20 Metropolitan (1935)
35/10/27 FEATHER IN HER HAT, A
35/11/03 Three Musketeers, The (1935)
35/11/10 Peter Ibbetson (1935)
35/11/17 Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo, The (1935)
35/11/24 Crime and …Punishment (1935)
35/12/01 I Dream Too Much (1935)
35/12/15 In Person (1935)
35/12/22 Littlest Rebel, The (1935)
35/12/29 Magnificent Obsession (1935)
36/01/12 Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
36/01/19 Strike Me Pink (1936)
36/02/02 Next Time We Love (1936)
36/02/09 Petrified Forest, The (1936)
36/02/23 Follow the Fleet (1936)
36/03/15 COUNTRY DOCTOR, THE
36/03/29 Sutter’s Gold (1936)
36/04/05 Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)
36/04/19 Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
36/05/03 Under Two Flags (1936)
36/05/17 Show Boat (1936)
36/05/31 King Steps Out, The (1936)
36/06/14 Private Number (1936)
36/06/21 SINS OF MAN
36/06/28 Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)
36/07/12 Bride Walks Out, The (1936)
36/07/19 Green Pastures, The (1936)
36/08/02 Mary of Scotland (1936)
36/08/23 MY AMERICAN WIFE
36/08/30 Swing Time (1936)
36/09/20 My Man Godfrey (1936)
36/10/04 Craig’s Wife (1936)
36/10/11 Gay Desperado, The (1936)
36/10/25 Adventure in Manhattan (1936)
36/11/01 Woman Rebels, A (1936)
36/11/08 As You Like It (1936)
36/11/15 Theodora Goes Wild (1936)
36/11/22 Garden of Allah, The (1936)
36/12/06 Winterset (1936)
36/12/13 More Than a Secretary (1936)
36/12/20 RAINBOW ON THE RIVER
37/01/03 That Girl from Paris (1936)
37/01/10 Lloyds of London (1936)
37/01/31 Plough and the Stars, The (1936)
37/02/07 On the Avenue (1937)
37/02/21 When You’re in Love (1937)
37/03/07 Fire Over England (1937)
37/03/14 Wings of the Morning (1937)
37/03/21 When’s Your Birthday? (1937)
37/03/28 Seventh Heaven (1937)
37/04/11 Quality Street (1937)
37/04/18 WOMAN I LOVE, THE
37/04/25 Star Is Born, A (1937)
37/05/16 Shall We Dance (1937)
37/05/30 This Is My Affair (1937)
37/06/13 Woman Chases Man (1937)
37/06/20 Another Dawn (1937)
37/06/27 Ever Since Eve (1937)
37/07/04 New Faces of 1937 (1937)
37/07/11 Knight Without Armour (1937)
37/07/25 Toast of New York, The (1937)
37/08/08 Stella Dallas (1937)
37/08/22 Vogues of 1938 (1937)
37/09/05 Prisoner of Zenda, The (1937)
37/09/26 Lost Horizon (1937)
37/10/10 Stage Door (1937)
37/10/31 Victoria the Great (1937)
37/11/07 Awful Truth, The (1937)
37/11/21 Stand-In (1937)
37/11/28 Nothing Sacred (1937)
37/12/19 I’ll Take Romance (1937)
38/01/02 Tovarich (1937)
38/01/16 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
38/02/20 Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The (1938)
38/03/06 Bringing Up Baby (1938)
38/03/13 Jezebel (1938)
38/03/27 Fools for Scandal (1938)
38/04/03 Divorce of Lady X, The (1938)
38/04/10 Adventures of Marco Polo, The (1938)
38/05/01 There’s Always a Woman (1938)
38/05/08 Joy of Living (1938)
38/05/15 Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)
38/06/05 Vivacious Lady (1938)
38/06/19 Blockade (1938)
38/06/26 Holiday (1938)
38/07/10 Having Wonderful Time (1938)
38/07/17 Algiers (1938)
38/08/07 Mother Carey’s Chickens (1938)
38/08/14 Four’s a Crowd (1938)
38/08/21 Four Daughters (1938)
38/09/04 You Can’t Take It With You (1938)
38/09/25 Carefree (1938)
38/10/02 Drums (1938)
38/10/16 There Goes My Heart (1938)
38/10/23 Mad Miss Manton, The (1938)
38/10/30 Young Dr. Kildare (1938)
38/11/06 Young in Heart, The (1938)
38/11/20 Sixty Glorious Years (1938)
38/11/27 Cowboy and the Lady, The (1938)
38/12/11 Dramatic School (1938)
38/12/18 Duke of West Point, The (1938)
38/12/25 Christmas Carol, A (1938)
39/01/01 Topper Takes a Trip (1939)
39/01/08 THERE’S THAT WOMAN AGAIN
39/01/15 Trade Winds (1938)
39/01/22 Great Man Votes, The (1939)
39/01/29 Gunga Din (1939)
39/02/19 Made For Each Other (1939)
39/03/05 Stagecoach (1939)
39/03/19 Love Affair (1939)
39/04/02 Story of Vernon & Irene Castle, The (1939)
39/04/23 Dark Victory (1939)
39/05/07 East Side of Heaven (1939)
39/05/14 Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
39/05/28 Captain Fury (1939)
39/06/11 Sun Never Sets, The (1939)
39/06/18 CLOUDS OVER EUROPE
39/06/25 Good Girls Go to Paris (1939)
39/07/02 Bachelor Mother (1939)
39/07/16 Man in the Iron Mask, The (1939)
39/07/30 Winter Carnival (1939)
39/08/06 In Name Only (1939)
39/08/27 5th Ave. Girl (1939)
39/09/10 Golden Boy (1939)
39/09/24 Nurse Edith Cavell (1939)
39/10/08 Intermezzo (1939)
39/10/22 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
39/11/12 Ninotchka (1939)
39/12/03 We Are Not Alone (1939)
39/12/17 Balalaika (1939)
39/12/31 Hunchback of Notre Dame, The (1939)
1970 Radio City prices were $1.50-$3.50 and considered a bargain even then, even if much of the audience travelled in from the burbs.
My first experience with RCMH was back in the early or mid 60’s, whenever “Come Blow Your Horn” played there! My parents took a trip to NY City and took me along, saw all the regular tourist attractions but my fondest memory was that night at the Music Hall, it also began my life-long love affair with pipe organs. I’m pretty sure it was the first time I ever heard a theatre organ, (I was about 11 or 12) and in the years that followed I made it a point to always visit the Hall when I was in town. Over the years I met several of the staff organists, Ashley Miller & Jack Ward, who were kind enough to give me a personal tour of some of the pipe chambers and also gave me a short personal “concert” and best yet, LET ME PLAY THE THING! Unfortunately, these days, the organ isn’t heard all that often, at least in a concert setting, my understanding is that the cost to use the hall for an organ concert rivals the cost of a NASA space launch. That’s really too bad, it’s a wonderful treasure as part of a great historic theatre, maybe one day the hall management will figure that out.
That was 1970 ticket prices. The price of Broadway shows were in the $15.00-$20.00 range. The payroll costs were much cheaper to run shows. What was the cost of a ticket to Radio City at that time?
The 1970 article mentions “the sanctum” of Gus Eyssell, President of Rockefeller Inc., as the source, citing the rising costs of live shows and the lack of popular G and GP films. It also states that RCMH needs to sell 6 million tickets a year in order to stay to in business but had been operating at just over 5 million.
I think Warren is right. It would have been highly impractical anyway, due to the theater’s immense size. REndres didn’t join the RCMH family until a few years later, but perhaps he could shed some light as to whether he had ever heard any stories of the like.
I wonder what that configuration would have looked like! A left/right split with some rows up front removed? Or some kind of up/down segregation (hard to imagine with the multiple balconies, though they may have planned on ripping them out altogether as part of the conversion). Thankfully, whatever the plans might have been, they are left only to supposition.
For those of you so inclined, the July 15, 1970 issue of Variety,(Music Hall has Mulled Twins) covers the possibilty that Radio City may have been twinned with one screen showing R rated “now” films.
Whew!
The radio show started in ‘33 or '34. I don’t know when they ended the series, but it was quite popular and selections from them were available on 78s for a while.
Erno Rapee was the Hall’s first conductor, and had finished previously working as head of the Rivoli, Capitol and Roxy. He died in 1945.