Baronet and Coronet Theatre
993 3rd Avenue,
New York,
NY
10022
993 3rd Avenue,
New York,
NY
10022
17 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 193 comments
Fifty years ago today, CHINATOWN opened a world premiere engagement at the Coronet (and at the Loew’s State 1).
jwmovies, the theatre you’re thinking of that has three screens is not the Baronet and Coronet (which is actually further to the right in the picture, displaying the banner featuring the movie Shrek on its front above the theatre’s marquee (which identifies it at this point as Coronet I & II).
ride the train the Coronet opened in late 1962.
The Coronet had the exclusive showing of The Deer Hunter.
milanp, the Baronet Coronet was part of The Walter Reade Organization, a chain of approximately 10 theater. Several of the films, you mentioned played at their other locations, most notably the Little Carnegie. They were great films, with SRO crowds, all weekend.
themazin you must have managed under Cineplex Odeon. I have also been a Theater Manager too. It was one of my most fondest times.
The introduction to this article, leaves out an important piece of history, that the theater was owned by the Walter Reade Organization, circa 1960s through approximately 1989. I remember the “Dollar Trilogy ” with Clint Eastwood playing
there in the early to mid sixties. They were great movies.
The screen in The Coronet was huge. They had great tan curtains that rolled up.
The Coronet opened in late 1962. It was still under construction when Boxoffice of September 3 mentioned the project in an article about twin cinemas, several of which were slated to open or begin construction over the next several months. Rugoff’s Cinema I and II down the block from the Baronet had already opened on July 25.
Re the dave-bronx post: Thanks! Until now, I’d heard about that 35/70mm projector, but I didn’t know it had a name (Cinemeccanica). Back in 1982 I had a meeting with Nestor Almendros about a project he was trying to get off the ground, but he had just come from viewing “Sophie’s Choice”(he was the DP) at the Cinema I and was screaming bloody murder about these awful dual 35/70 projectors which he thought made both formats look terrible. (It was the first I’d heard about them.)
Ahhhh, the Coronet. Sigh. Along with Cinema 1, it was arguably the most prestigious location in NYC–maybe America–to open a movie back in the ‘60s and '70s. Just consider some of the now-classic films that had their “exclusive” Manhattan engagement there back in the day: “Taxi Driver,” “Shampoo,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “The Last Detail,” “The Deer Hunter,” “The Turning Point,” “Paper Moon,” “Harold and Maude,” “The Landlord,” “Zabriskie Point,” “Five Easy Pieces,” “Brewster McCloud,” “Where’s Poppa?,” “Being There,” “Bound for Glory” (I guess you could say it was the “Ashby House”), etc., etc. I’d include “The Graduate,” of course, but it played day-and-date with Walter Reade’s Lincoln Art on 57th Street for most of its run. And “Chinatown” which was d&d with a B'way house.
Please update, Cineplex Odeon renovated the theatre and combinded the entrances on June 16, 1989 after they renovated the theatre. Grand opening ad in photos. Seating capacity is Baronet 418 and Coronet 600. Total seats 918 Couldn’t locate when the Coronet opened, it probadly open during the newspaper strike in winter of 1963
“Bugsy Malone” had it’s U.S. premiere at the Baronet on September 15, 1976. Print ad added to gallery.
The official name was Baronet and Coronet
I managed this theater back in the late 80s. Great location. Lots of celebs came by. One of the best times of my life.
Maybe Midnight Cowboy?
“The Graduate” opened here fifty years ago today. The film went on to play one week shy of a full year. (Anyone know of a film that played here for a longer period of time?) And here’s a retrospective article to commemorate the film’s golden anniversary.
That’s what we thought, but we asked Eddie that evening how he pulled it off and he told us he had been engaged by Orion Classics to handle the theatre, arrange the Kleig light and supply enough carpet. He said he was told the road closure would be handled ‘by others’, but not who specifically. I suspected maybe Bloomingdales management got it done, but never found out for sure. At that time of the evening traffic was still heavy, and the event threw it into chaos blocks and blocks south. Now that I think about it, I remember Mayor Koch (at that time) was a BIG movie fan, he may have given the order after a conversation with the brass from Bloomingdales.
Ed LaPidus, stagehand at the Ziegfeld, could get that done. Don’t ask how. He never actually did anything, but he got paid every week. This scraggly mess of a man often escorted stars down the red carpet at the Ziegfeld. I never quite understood his position. Stagehand Union politics.
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/26/style/the-man-who-rolls-out-the-red-carpet.html
I think the last theatre in Manhattan with Todd-AO was the old Loews State, the original State, not the quad. When it closed the Todd-AO pedestals were taken to Loews 84th where they stayed behind the #3 screen until about 2006 when during a massive clean-out they were dispached to a 40 yd. dumpster sitting in the street in front of the place. I have no idea where the lamphouses, projector and sound heads ended up, but none of the Loews houses in New York had them in 90s forward. Also, for the record, Cinema I had Cinemeccanica Victoria 8 35-70s from at least the early 1980s until they went digital a few years ago, including during the 70mm run of Kurosawa’s RAN in 1985. RAN, btw, had the big splash premiere at Cinema I in conjunction with the Japan promotion that was happening simultaneously at Bloomingdales. The pre-film reception was held inside Bloomingdales and someone had enough juice with the City of New York to get Third Avenue btwn 59th & 60th closed down and have the red carpet laid from Bloomingdales main Third Ave. entrance across the street to the entrance of Cinema I. The 700 invitees sauntered casually across the street when it was getting close to show time, while a gang of cops were turning all the Third Ave. traffic off at 57th, 58th & 59th Streets. Nobody in the theatre business had that kind of influence. I never found out who did.
Hello fellow movie theater lovers,
I’m doing a project for my photojournalism class at NYU about closed down independent movie theaters in New York. I hope to gain information about people’s past experiences at these movie theaters, recollections of favorite memories or not so great experiences, perhaps economical insight, contacts with owners/managers, etc. On a larger level, I hope my project is able to show the significance of the role that these establishments play in our city and the importance of keeping them afloat.
If anyone would be willing to answer a few questions via email about your personal memories at the theater, please let me know! It could be as simple as recounting a favorite movie you remember seeing back when it was open. I would greatly appreciate your insight.
You can contact me at:
Thanks,
Gabi
Perhaps then I saw at Cinema 1 a preview of Bullets over Broadway and did see MMM at the Beekman. I was only in the Coronet once and I believe I saw either Gallipoli or Breaker Morant there. I’d go with Cinema 1 for Days of Heaven but at this point I wouldn’t bet on it.
I did see Interiors at the Baronet at a first showing on the first Sat of the run. A line outside and the place was packed. I remember I liked it enormously when everyone from the critics to the audience hated it. Went again a short while later and found it just as good.
I know personally that time clouds memories, vindanpar. The “OKLAHOMA!” 1983 re-release was at Cinema 1 and the “MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY” previews were at the Beekman.
Samuel Goldwyn Co. acquired the rights to Oklahoma and re-released it in both Todd-AO and 35mm formats in 1982.
Tri-Star ran nationwide sneak previews of Manhattan Murder Mystery the weekend prior to its release on Wednesday, August 18, 1993. A weekend ad for the theater running the preview might have an announcement about the event.
When I referred to Ran and OK I was continuing the Cinema 1 discussion. When I mentioned MMM I specifically said sneak preview. I’m sorry I’ve confused you but as I said that photo initially threw me.
My memories are not false. There is no need for research I was there. Sometimes memories run together and I apologize for that. Especially when its 35 years ago and you’ve got 5 theaters on the same small city block.