Comments from Al Alvarez

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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about RKO 23rd Street Theatre on May 20, 2008 at 12:50 pm

As the Grand Opera House this was showing films at least as early as January 1923 when it ran TESS OF THE STORM COUNTRY.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Cinepolis Chelsea Cinemas on May 20, 2008 at 12:26 pm

The Squat Theatre, mentioned in the introduction at this location, showed movies in 1984, prior to being razed for this multiplex.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Irving Place Theatre on May 18, 2008 at 2:50 pm

The Irving Place was a double features subrun arthouse from 1941 to 1950 with a heavy emphasis on Russian films during the war years.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Cinema XXX on May 17, 2008 at 9:11 pm

Ken, thanks for keeping London history real.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about RKO Proctor's Twenty-Third Street Theatre on May 17, 2008 at 8:15 am

According to the NYT it did just that while the 14th Street location still ran Vaudeville. The article specific states “Keith & Proctors Twenty Third Street”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 5th Avenue Cinema on May 16, 2008 at 7:50 pm

This stopped showing films in 1973.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Charles Theatre on May 16, 2008 at 7:18 pm

In 1952 Brandt sold the Palestine and Charles to Samuel Friedman who then sold them in 1956 to an unnamed company willing to install wide screens and air conditioning.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Village East by Angelika on May 16, 2008 at 6:50 pm

Does anyone know which years this operated as the Stuyvesant and whether it showed movies as that?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Acme Theatre on May 16, 2008 at 5:00 pm

A 1908 NYT article names the Keith & Proctor on 23rd Street as being renamed Bijou Dream, not this one.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Cinema Village on May 16, 2008 at 10:26 am

The Cinema Village opened on October 5, 1964 with Ingmar Bergman’s “All These Women”, not 1963 as previously stated.

Like the Quad, it spent much of the late seventies blurring the lines between porn and arthouse.

It is operating as a twin in January 1999 and a triplex by March 1999.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about M & S Waco Theatre on May 16, 2008 at 7:55 am

Thanks for the wonderful insight into the neighborhood, Judith!

I would imagine the Golden Rule was one of the blinking fronts but the Ruby was not yet open in 1908. Any ideas on what the third house may have been?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Metropolitan Theatre on May 16, 2008 at 7:37 am

During the leasing of the New Law in March 1922, a blurb in the NYT lists two Mayers and a Schneider as the directors of M & S.

E. Mayer, C. Mayer and L. Schneider.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Jean Renoir Cinema on May 15, 2008 at 7:35 am

The Gate showed movies here for two years (1967-68), probably longer than the Jean Renoir or the Camelot ever operated.

Gate should be added as an aka and 162 Second Avenue should finally be added as the best likely address.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Regal Battery Park Stadium 11 on May 14, 2008 at 5:35 pm

This from the New York Times July 12, 1927:

…The Cortlandt and West Street corporation in conjuction with Solomon & Khan, builders, have altered their plans, drawn by Gronenburg & Leuchtag, architects, and are now erecting on their plot at the southeast corner of Cortlandt and West Street a moving picture theatre of approximately 5,000 square feet with exits on West and Washington Street…

Does anyone have any idea what theatre this may have eventually been?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Theatre 80 St. Marks on May 13, 2008 at 10:37 am

For the sake of consistency, this name should be changed to The Pearl Theatre Company.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 8th Street Playhouse on May 12, 2008 at 9:10 pm

It ran as the Film Guild for a little over a year, changing to the 8th Street Playhouse in May 1930.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Teatro Latino on May 12, 2008 at 12:19 pm

According to a New York Times June 1991 article, theatre historian Michael R, Miller claims this opened as the Pastime in 1908 and was designed by a Henry G. Harris. It was demolished in 1958.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about El Teatro of El Museo del Barrio on May 12, 2008 at 12:17 pm

According to a New York Times June 1991 article this was designed by Hoppin & Koen.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Show Palace Theatre on May 12, 2008 at 7:51 am

This link provides some insight into this socially unique “treasure” as well as Show World across the street.

http://dilettantepress.com/BOASNEWYORKSEX.html

The address was once the popular Oyster Restaurant but that may have been a previous building or the 8th Avenue back of the old Astor Hotel.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about London Experience on May 12, 2008 at 7:44 am

There was also a short-lived IMAX inside the Trocadero that may have used this same space.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Greenwich Theatre on May 12, 2008 at 7:07 am

Advertised as the Village Theatre in a Paramount Week ad for 1919.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on May 12, 2008 at 6:59 am

If Manhattan theatres still get paid house nuts, it would cost Paramount more to stay on screen at the Zieg after week four than the box office could bring in. It makes more sense to stay on two or three screens on 42nd Street with staggered show times and pull the Ziegfeld print. This is reason it often goes dark between engagements.

During the Cineplex Odeon days there were several distributors willing to support keeping it open, hence the exclusives and the long runs to empty seats.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Film Center on May 11, 2008 at 10:47 am

This intro should be corrected as follows;

The Art opened on October 7, 1940 with the first-run of the 1933 French film “Whirlpool” (“Remous”) which was allegedly based on the banned novel LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about London Experience on May 11, 2008 at 9:10 am

There was also the small cinema on the side street.

/theaters/2582/

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about London Experience on May 11, 2008 at 9:07 am

The Trocadero still has a cinema.

/theaters/16993/