Paris Theater
4 W. 58th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
4 W. 58th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
59 people
favorited this theater
Showing 176 - 200 of 406 comments
Good book and documentary though I don’t remember him talking about those films. But there’s a lot of info and I remember mostly about Steve, Ali and what an ungrateful wretch Ryan was(is.) Who did he blame Great Gatsby on?
Paramount in ‘70 and '71 stayed true to the Music Hall.
According to Evan’s book (THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE), those big budget musicals were already in progress when he took over the studio and he was unable to stop them. Of course, no studio head will admit sole responsibility for a box office flop.
But isn’t it interesting that at the very same time Paramount was investing heavily in roadshow movies? Paint Your Wagon, On a Clear Day and Darling Lili. Though the last two because of the tanking of roadshow presentations were severely cut and released on a continuous perf basis. Beaton finally getting to see Clear Day when it opened in London in ‘71 records in his diary his dismay and anger at the waste. His work in the film that one sees is amazing(I don’t think Streisand has looked more beautiful and her singing is at its best) and yet he laments that his best work was cut out!
I’ve already written about him fleeing Paint Your Wagon during intermission at the world premiere at Loew’s State 2. Well I liked it.
bigjoe, they had dome the same research as for any roadshow but audience behavior was rapidly changing and movies not aimed at the youth market were failing.
Hello-
to Al A.–
I am assuming Paramount must have done some sort of market research before the ads for Romeo and Juliet’s roadshow engagement at this theater first appeared in NYC newspapers.
I wonder how many other people kept the postcard you received when you sent in your reserved ticket order and then the letter you got when they changed the exhibition policy.
“Romeo and Juliet” was removed from a roadshow run when audience studies showed that the film appealed to a core audience of teenagers and college students. That same audience had made a hit out of “2001”, although that film had terrible pre-sales but always seemed to sell out at showtime. Robert Evans targeted the “Goodbye, Columbus” and “If…” audience instead of the “Shrew” audience.
Sorry, I get lazy. Film Forum. Taming of the Shrew.
In Cactus Flower Hawn and Matthau come here to see Romeo and Juliet.
Why write in code? what’s FF? TOTS?
I didn’t care about the Ziegfeld but I care about the Paris. A wonderful intimate and yet not too small theater where the screen is beautifully placed head on. If only FF had a theater like this.
Interesting that R and J was originally supposed to be a roadshow. I wondered why it wasn’t after all it was released at the peak of the craze. TOTS was roadshow albeit an eastside roadshow(which in my mind is kind of like well if it’s not in a downtown theater it’s not a real roadshow presentation!) I had read FZ wanted it released continuous perfs because he was going after a younger market. And here I am reading all these years later in reality it was simply because of a poor advance sale. They probably made a lot more money anyway. Anybody know how many months it played exclusively here? I remember my parents going to see it at a suburban art house in the summer of ‘69.
As long as Chinese, Russian and Arab billionaires are buying them up and keeping them empty and thereby destroying the city while enriching politicians and brokers I guess yes we indeed do need another deluxe condo tower.
Hello-
the Paris has been a gem in NYC’S cultural life for
71 years. it would be obscene for it to close. do we really
need another deluxe condo tower?
The Deadline article that I linked above on June 19 implies that some movies won’t even be made! or will go direct to streaming, not be shown in movie theaters, due to the closure of the Paris because so much of the revenue of many art films came from the long run at the Paris Theatre! So the closing of the Paris is a disaster for anyone anywhere in the US (or elsewhere) who enjoys seeing art movies in a movie theater! see excerpt below from the article-
…“the prospect of not having Paris anymore would be a serious problem, said Tom Bernard, partner in Sony Pictures Classics, who has heard the rumors and counts the Paris Theater as one of the great remaining showcase theaters in Manhattan.
“When you launch a film in the Paris and it is a hit, that could be one-third of the box office because your film would play there for months, sometimes all through an Academy season,” he said.
He said the slow disappearance of theaters willing to play arthouse movies for long stretches will make it harder to see another Green Book or a similar picture succeed in a slow rollout fueled by audience word of mouth."
This article is about NYC becoming a Hollywood East with more production of movies & TV shows especially in Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx. Here are a few sentences from the article: “Last year, 332 movies were filmed in New York City, officials said. In 1980, there were 121. But at least four major studios now operate in the city, returning New York to its roots as a production nexus, similar to the 1920s and ’30s before Hollywood took over.”
Now from me- in addition to the showcasing of new movies, the Paris has hosted premieres & previews, including this year, of many movies & some TV shows including “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” So it is very unfortunate that after the movie “Pavarotti” finishes this month or August at the Paris, that the wonderful Paris Theatre will cease forever! https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/nyregion/robert-de-niro-studio-queens.html?mc_cid=d9e92fdaa2&mc_eid=91acd9b937
Correct link for Howard’s July 6th post
The Paris Theatre, in my opinion, is the most elegant, historic daily movie theater in Manhattan, but very sadly, indications are that its time will soon end as this article asserts its owner is closing it https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/07/paris-theatre-new-york-city-closing-rumors
Hello-
I remember when Paramount first announced Romeo and Juliet would be opening here exclusively it was on a roadshow engagement. I sent in my order right away and within a week received a postcard thanking me for my order. I still have the postcard. but within a week or so since the pre-sale wasn’t very strong they sent out a letter stating they were switching to a continuous performance engagement. I cashed the refund check and still have the letter.
Photos of 1948 exterior, auditorium, and lower lounge with some description from 1948 herehttps://theatretalks.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/paris-theatre-4-w-58th-st-new-york-ny-10019/
Surely this can’t be possible. After a lifetime of wanting to visit NYC this was my favourite cinema. Friendly staff, a balcony, beautiful presentation – screen tabs that were used. Please NY'ers, don’t let this gem close. The Ziegfeld closure was sad, but I much preferred this beautiful cinema.
Yesterday, I enjoyed the really fun doc “Pavorotti” in its 3rd week here. It will run at least thru the end of the month. Also in the balcony’s 3rd row was a man also upset about the theater’s reported possible closing. He had traveled from 50 miles up the Hudson Valley to see the movie, and said the Paris is his favorite NY movie theater & the best NY movie theater. I’ve long visited from Philadelphia, because the Paris is such a wonderful theater. Yesterday as always, top notch projection & surround sound.
My heart can’t take any more theater closings.
Another story here: https://ny.curbed.com/2019/6/19/18691756/nyc-movies-paris-theater-closing
I hope the Paris does not close! It is my favorite NYC movie theater & I love seeing movies there. https://deadline.com/2019/06/paris-theater-closing-new-york-film-community-laments-losing-another-prestige-picture-palace-1202634176/maz/
I enjoyed Mary Queen of Scots yesterday at the Paris. The brochure is not like the roadshow programs but is very nice. Along with a postcard which specifies that the movie is at the Paris, copies are on the table before the orchestra (main floor) seating, for audience members to take if they wish. Most people don’t seem to go to the table, so the Paris had not run out of the nice items! Exiting the lobby, staffers give an invite to the nearby Plaza Hotel for a deluxe dessert, a regal one inspired by Queen Mary, with the purchase of a cocktail or evening fare. This epic movie, wonderfully acted & filmed, is worthy of seeing at the Paris!
Over this past weekend, looking online, the majority of seats at the Paris were selling out for Mary Queen of Scots, so if a brochure was provided, the theater would need boxes of them! Bigjoe, how many pages is the brochure? is it as large as the Phantom Thread and Hateful Eight programs which are similar to old roadshow books?
Hello-
it was more convenient for me to see MQOS at the Amgelika Film Center yesterday Sat. 12/8. they were passing out a rather nicely done brochure for the film. did this theater have it as well?
At other movie theaters, sometimes I must complain as house lights area left on during feature or even at a prestige area Philadelphia movie theater recently the movie didn’t fill the top, bottom or sides of the screen because staff had failed to check the setting before starting the movie! But, never ever do I need to worry about the Paris. Sunday, I enjoyed “Gauguin-Voyage de Tahiti” at the Paris & as always, everything was perfect- staff, air conditioning, bathrooms, concessions, seats, projection, sound, masking, and use of curtain before & after the movie. THIS is the way a movie theater is supposed to be run, for a proper presentation and the reason why this is one of my favorite movie theaters anywhere. Thanks to the owner, Mr. Solo, and the movie operator, City Cinemas. Website says “The Wife” starts Aug 17, “Colette” (wonderful poster in theater) starts Sept 21. “Mary Queen of Scotts” trailer was shown- I hope the Paris gets that.