Criterion Theatre
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
23 people
favorited this theater
The B.S. Moss' Criterion Theatre opened September 16, 1936 with Kay Francis in “Give Me Your Heart”. Designed in the Art Moderne style with 1,700 seats on part of the site of the old Olympia entertainment complex. This originally included Loew’s New York Theatre and Roof (Cinema Treasures theater #15178), and the earlier Criterion Theatre (Cinema Treasures theater #16481) which was built in 1895 as the Lyric Theatre.
All were demolished to make way for the Criterion Theatre, retail stores and the International Casino nightclub. B.S. Moss Enterprises built the Criterion Theatre, but in 1938 leased the theatre to Loew’s for 20 years. The first film to open at Loew’s Criterion Theatre was MGM’s “Spring Madness” starring Maureen O'Sullivan, on November 30, 1938.
Due to divestment of theatres because of antitrust litigation, in 1949, the Criterion Theatre reverted back to B.S. Moss Enterprises. The last film to be shown by Loew’s was Richard Basehart in “He Walked By Night”, which opened on February 5, 1949. During that engagement, Loew’s returned management of the Criterion Theatre to B.S. Moss Enterprises who then operated the theatre until the 1980’s, when it was leased to United Artists Theatre Circuit, operating as the Criterion Center.
With George Montgomery in “Fort Ti”, a Columbia movie that opened on May 29th 1953, the Criterion Theatre claimed to be the first theatre in the world to project a 3-D (with glasses) feature on a giant wide screen, with streophonic sound and color by Technicolor.
The Criterion Theatre was host to numerous premieres. After the World Premiere of “The Ten Commandments” on November 8, 1956, that movie was shown (with reserved seats) for 17 months. The US premiere in 70mm of “Lawrence of Arabia” was held on December 15, 1962. World Premieres of other 70mm films included “South Pacific” (March 19, 1958), “My Fair Lady”(October 21, 1964), “Thoroughly Modern Millie”(March 21, 1967), “Funny Girl”(September 19, 1968) and “Patton”(February 5, 1970).
On March 20, 1980, the Criterion Theatre was converted into five screens using some space in the former basement lounge. Operating as the Criterion Center it was taken over by United Artists in 1988. Additional seating was added in the front of the former seating area of the balcony so that a new upstairs auditorium had 1,041 seats. The new auditorium in the former orchestra seating area had 1,037 seats, but was split by United Artists left/right to create two 400 seat auditoriums in early-1990. The basement houses seated 156, 198, 193 and 248.
The Criterion Theatre finally closed in the spring of 2000 and was gutted internally to become a massive Toys R Us store, which itself closed in December 2015. A restaurant occupies the space that held the movie screen and the first rows of the original orchestra seating section.
Contributed by
William Gabel, Don Weber, Howard B. Haas
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Recent comments (view all 562 comments)
Hello-
to vindanpar- I compliment you on your Oct. 23 post.
speaking of souvenir programs. I went to see Star Wars 1st screening opening day May25, 1977 at the Loews Astor Plaza. programs were kind of on the way out but I hoped they’d have one anyway. when i entered theater and didn’t see anyone at a table hawking the program i went “ohm well”. as I approached the refreshment stand what did i see but a huge stack of programs on a counter behind the stand.
interestingly four and a half years later at the 1st screening opening day of Reds they had a person at a table hawking the souvenir program.
Star Wars and Reds are among the several souvenir programs I still have in my possession.
Let’s see ‘em…
Reds had a souvenir program? Didn’t even know Star Wars had one when it opened. In fact last one I remember seeing on sale at a counter was Cabaret at the Ziegfeld.
Hello-
in the case of Star Wars and Reds I’m guessing the souvenir programs might have been sold only at the Loews Astor Plaza. I saw both films again at other 1st run theaters in Manhattan and don’t remember the programs being sold.
also there were films that had exclusive 1st runs at the Ziegfeld after Cabaret that had souvenir programs- The Rose which opened Nov. 1979 and Gandhi which opened Dec. 1982.
the last two souvenir programs I purchased at a theater when I saw the film were The Lion King(June'94) at RCMH and Hercules(June'97)at the New Amsterdam. both were special 2 week engagements were stage shows that played at the theaters noted before the films opened wide. the souvenir program for The Lion King which was beautifully designed is one of the great film souvenir programs ever.
Criterion in 1971 among other in below link.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/21612362@N05/sets/72157629137226648/with/6948877089/?fbclid=IwAR1yqOGPN-v1_cRyUSinKoWV4hCX4HXAmeEfPLKcRvwAq8Q2QU9sBzMfxZk
“Patton” premiered here at the Criterion 50 years ago today. And here is a new retro article celebrating the film which includes (North American) roadshow chronology and historian Q&A.
AlAlvarez explained why this hit roadshow film had such a short run at the Criterion. Had it had a regular run I would have been able to see it here. Frustrating.
Second to last successful roadshow film. Clicking on the My Fair Lady article brings you to a beautiful picture of the Criterion at night playing the film which had to be early ‘65 because no Oscar yet and it looks like a Jan or Feb snow fall. What you of course you cannot tell is the marquee had lights which I believe went on and off from left to right. I saw it very long ago online. On you tube there is a very nice Pathe film of the premiere in London. In black and white with sound. There is also some silent color footage. Beaton writes in his diaries the response was disappointingly not enthusiastic. Well he didn’t think it was very good anyway. I wish as much had survived of the NY premiere. I can’t even remember who the host was. And with typical NY courtesy on one of the professionally most exciting nights of her life he confronts Hepburn about who did her singing in the film. She should have hauled off and flattened him but doesn’t even flinch and responds graciously.
A 20-week run is considered short?
Hello-
I should think The Guns of Navarone had ROADSHOW written all over it. I’m highly surprised Columbia didn’t do so.