Paramount Columbus Circle
15 Columbus Circle,
New York,
NY
10019
15 Columbus Circle,
New York,
NY
10019
12 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 65 comments
Rugoff premiered some of his Cinema 5 releases. I recall seeing the Hellstrom Chronicles at this venue.
Please add to previous chains, it opened under Cinema 5 before Loews took the theatre over in the early 1980’s
The name should be the Paramount. It was only Sony for a short time. I saw The Blue Lagoon here in 70MM
Thank you M for your input about 70mm. Your articles and compilations have always been very enriching. I’m surprised to learn that The Star Chamber and Dead Poets Society benefitted from a 70mm release, quite unexpected in my opinion for films like these.
“Gettysburg” (1993) appears to have been the only 70mm presentation held here during the period it went under the Columbus Circle name. As the Paramount, they ran the following in 70mm: “Patton” (1972 return run), “The Blue Lagoon” (1980), “Divine Madness” (1980), “Quest for Fire” (1982), “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1983 return run), “The Star Chamber” (1983), “Gandhi” (1983 return run), “Amadeus” (1984), “A Chorus Line” (1985), “Spaceballs” (1987), “Willow” (1988), and “Dead Poets Society” (1989 moveover). A history/chronology of 70mm presentations and theaters in New York City can be found here.
Thanks Al. If it was one of the few having Dolby SR for six-track magnetic sound on 70mm then it was truly a well equipped theater and I would assume the screen wasn’t that small vs auditorium size.
Lionel, it was equipped for 70mm with six-track Dolby SR. I don’t know the screen size.
Was this cinema equipped for 70mm? What was the screen size? Which Dolby processor?
I always thought it was such an unique theatre being underground the way it was. But then that is what New York City is all about so it fit in quite well!!
A class act of a theatre…Saw Little Big Man Murder on the Orient Express (Albert Finney) Eight Men Out The Manchurian Candidate (original re-issue) here
Sony had purchased Loews and rebranded to Sony for awhile. When acquired by Cineplex Odeon, the rebranding made no sense, so was changed back to Loews & became part of new Loews Cineplex which eventually itself was acquired by AMC. AMC ran the Tower East until it eventually vacated.
From 1994-1996 some theatres went from Loews to Sony to Loews Cineplex
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loews_Cineplex_Entertainment
I went here a few times. The auditorium was cool! The walls were shaped like bellows of an old camera and the curtain looked like the lens and shutter. As if we were inside the camera! I don’t think the theatre was ever called the Sony Columbus Circle.
Because of vibration from adjacent subway lines the auditorium was built on springs or big rubber shock absorbers.
Please update, theatre closed on March 30, 1995
I saw the Blue Lagoon there and it may have been a 70MM print
Was this film shown in 70mm dolby stereo or just 35mm?
They ran “Star Trek – The Motion Picture” in this theater back in 1979. On a advance-ticket, reserved seat engagement, despite the film opening in 400 other theaters nationwide (including 40-50 in the N.Y. metro area) on the same day – December 7, 1979. After eight weeks, when most theaters dropped the film, the Paramount still ran it. On a general admission basis, though.
I went to see Tootsie on opening day & saw Dustin Hoffman when I was leaving. I do remember the winding staircase. It was nice.
20 years ago today Forrest Gump came out at this theater and others.
I saw The Breakfast club there, it was one of my favorites….
As a teenager in the 80’s, I considered this weird venue a fun place to catch a flick. I have a vague memory of a spiral escalator transporting you downstairs? I didn’t visit often, but I remember going for Making Mr. Right.
Oddly, my usual steel-trap memory recalls nothing innovative about the auditorium at all. Of course, I was only there once, and it was a long time ago; yet I remember everything else about that evening as if it were yesterday.
Actually, the auditorium was more interesting than described above. My predecessor at Radio City, Bill Nafash, did the installation in both the theatre and the two Paramount screening rooms in the offices at the top of the building. All of the projectors were 70mm, and before they were installed Radio City took three of them to get “Airport” opened on time. Three of the machines were in the theatre, and Bill said it was really really unique, at least in concept. The auditorium was designed to look like the bellows of a camera narrowing as it got closer to the screen. The “curtain” at the front was designed to look like a camera lens when the curtain was closed. Bill said originally strobe lights were installed in the coves in the “bellows” designed to look like camera flash bulbs going off. Alas the effect was too successful triggering discomforting effects in the audience. The flashes were soon eliminated. The travelling attraction sign above the entrance was also one of the first in New York to not feature fixed sign letters. That too was an idea who’s time may not have come since they were limited to incandescent bulbs with all their limitations. In all the theatre was probably a result of form over function, and while the design concepts may have worked better on paper than in reality, at least the idea was more interesting than indicated above.
@Tinseltoes I remember that “shadowbox” effect on the recessed screen when the theatre was new.