That’s correct regarding POPPINS and BROOMSTICKS. I worked as a film booker for Buena Vista for 25 years, and Disney did not like the Scope process all that much. Just the few mentioned above were photogrpahed in the wide-screen process. BLACK CAULDRON and TRON were filmed in wide-screen as well, but not that many more.
Interesting comment about movies being chosen for the Hall. Which movies of the late 40’s-mid 50’s would you have liked to have played…and which ones that played wish they haden’t.!!! That would be fascinating information.
EXACTLY .. With a choice of essentials or the RCMH, guess what will prevail? A real shame, because the Hall should avail itself to everyone as it’s a “show in itself”. This is the only taste the young people of today of actually seing a showcase of yesteryear. Very few grand palaces that used to show movies are still standing, and of course those that are, are being used for special concerts and events. Feel sorry for those who haven’t had the opportunity of seeing movies in a place where MOVIES SHOULD BE SEEN. Give me the good ole days. Of course, what kids don’t have today they don’t miss. Alas!!
Shelling out &1.000 bucks IS a lot of bucks…but considering the price of everything else today…Theatre, Opera, sporting events etc..PLUS the price of gasoline not to mention RICE. Nothin' is cheap anymore, including the Xmas show!!!
Wow !! I sure do remember those early days of scope. Our Fox and other theatres did the same thing. After the previews, cartoon, news on the regular size screen, the main curtain would close and instantly the projector would switch to the scope film and the curtains would open to reaveal the full screen. Obviously as the main curtain closed the masking unseen to the audience would open. The contrast from the smaller format to the wide format was something to behold. It was especially effective with those old Fox films with that fanfare and logo. The good old days..Nothin' like em'. Of course, everyone, including myself just took all that showmenship for granted. Good-bye to yesterday!!
Very interesting about the no masking in the old days. The Roxys screen does look very small for the venue as pointed out earlier. Does anyone have a picture of the full scope screen? Nice to compare. Also, did masking ever rise and lower in any of the time square theatres? Seems to me in some theatres in the west, the masking both rose and lowered as well as opening and closing for scope and flat films. Flat the masking would come in from the sides but would rise as well. Then with scope the masking would lower as the sides opened? Was that my imagination or did some theatres actually use that method? Maybe I’m thinking Vista vision.
I agree about tickets sold as opposed to actual grosses. Someone should do a report or something on tickets sold for all movies in all eras. Because of the increase in admissions, it’s impossible to compare something that opened last week to something that opened in say 1940. I’m sure GONE WITH THE WIND still had more ticket buyers than any other movie, but if you look at the grosses it falls way below that of any newer release, even if the movie is a bomb. One can’t possibly compare todays admission prices with those of the past, so naturally everything seems higher today. A five million dollar gross in the 40’s was a great big hit. Today it would be a great big flop.
Wow. Lots of interesting info. Nice to know the “inner” workings of such a gigantic corportation. Always nice to hear about what goes on “backstage” of any endeavor, especially the RCMH. Is there a list somewhere of every movie that played there with the number of weeks and gross week by week.? Would be very interesting and informative as well. I’m sure something like this exists SOMEWHERE in the archives. Maybe it’s not for public consumption, however.
I never understood the policy of film and a stage show at the Hall or Roxy or anywhere else. By that I mean, what percentage was paid to the film companiesfor the actual movie itself? At least 50% for the first week I’d imagine. That would leave 50% for operating expenses, PLUS the huge amount of money for the stage show….dancers, orchestra, stage hands…etc.
Wonder what profit margin was left for the Theatre itself.
Talking to a friend of mine who was a Rockette in the late 50’s. She was also in MUSIC MAN and MOST HAPPY FELLA. She told me she attended the Christmas show two weeks ago and was very dissapointed. Not worth the money. While it wasn’t terrible by any means, she was just not happy with the performance or staging. She realizes things do change over the years, but she said this would be the last time she would attend. Even living in Conneticuit, it wasn’t worth the trip. Now this is from someone who PERFORMED AT THE HALL for over a year. Interesting, especially after reading all of the pro and cons from the previous comments.
I wish I would have been there to see those lines and in fact, stood in those lines. Alas, my first trip to New York was in 1998, way past its GLORY DAYS. Love to see any photos or stills of the RCMH that people send..for that matter, would love to see photos of Times Square with all the big movie palaces that were standing up to the 60’s. Does anyone know of a book with photos of the Great White Way during the 40’s-60’s?
Sure is interesting. The average novice film goer would never dream of all the “techical” aspects that went into printing and projecting film. They paid their admission and waited for the film to start. That was it!!! Who knew!!
Now is GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES were shot in 3-D, they could have advertised…JANE RUSSELL and MARILYN MONROE in 4-D !!! Could have and WOULD have spent the entire day at the movies. Let’s see..a 91 mineute runnning time with cartoon etc..That’s a two hour show starting at say 10:00am meaning seven showings. Oh, the eye strain and headache. But whata-way-ta-go!!
Hey, what great memories. That’s something no one can take away. I didn’t realize, but yes, anyone could stay in a theatre all day if they so wanted. Unlike today when the house is cleared before the next showing. With those huge breaks between showings, it wouldn’t be possible to just go in when convenient and “stay til the part you came in on”. Those days are so long gone….So strange that people, including myself, never gave a second thought about entering a movie after it’s started or even mid point.
Wow. All of the planning and timing was a production in itself. I had no idea. Must have taken lots of professionls to carry this off day after day, especially when a hit film was booked. Interesting.
I was thinking the same thing regarding the show times. I wonder why they didn’t start the shows (both stage and movie) at even times. I guess we’re just used of todays showtimes with sometimes an hour between show times. But it does seem impossible how people could run the the bathrooms and buy concessions with 5 or 8 minute intermissions. Of course in the “old” days there would be a cartoon, newsreel, previews and sometimes a short before the main feature started. In the old days the feature would start at say 7:00 followed by a 3 min intermission, the the news etc. then the second feature. Then another short intermission and the first feature would be shown again. This was on week-nights in our neighborhood theatres. Sometimes no intermission at all. Just one feature running into the next. My, my how times have changed.
Thanks for sharing those “glory” days. Wish I would have been in Manhattan those days. Wish there was a book, say coffee table size, with loads of pictures of the Great White Way of the 40’s and 50’s. By the 60’s things seemed to have gone down hill. Oh for those glorious movie palaces again, not to mention the automats etc.
Every once in a while I do run accross a picture or two of Times Square, but I wish there were more. Also, every so often I see an old film where there are shots of the way as well. I like to freeze frame them. Must have been so exciting with all the hustle and bustle of all the eating establishments, bakeries, drug stores open all the time. I know there is hustle and bustle now, but it’s so different. Those glaring neons and ads are a killer. MOre like Las Vegas than New York. Tis' a pity.
Yes, I heard about the opening with Ms. Merman. Would have loved to have been there and to have seen the film with that great finale as you say. Must have been quite something to see. I saw it at the Fox in San Francisco, at I remember being quite impressed. I was in my teens. I remember my parents saying something like WOW and there was applause at the conculsion. PEYTON PLACE is another film I’d like to know how long and how many weeks it played. I went to school with the girl who played Allison…Diane Varsi. When she got the role she was non too excited. However, at the premier in Hollywood, she past out from being overwhelmed with seeing herself and hearing her voice at Graumans. Wonder how she would have felt seeing herself at the Roxy!!!!
Interesting about the test reel for CinemaScope and Stereo. In San Francisco there was a special reel of THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS for scope and sound purposes as well. This might have been for the smaller theatres..not sure..even though scope had been out a while, they still had a test reel of SHOW BUSINESS. By the way, wonder what SHOW BUSINESS did gross wise at the Roxy and how many weeks it played.
Would anyone have a list of all the films that played the Hall and how many weeks each one played? I’m sure thousands of people would be interested. Would one have to go the NY Times or some other journal to find out? Someone, somewhere must have a list.
Gee, I think CRASH is over rated. Story was too contrived and all that happening in the course of two nights with the same people involved seemed a bit much. A little too coincedental for my taste. Good acting though. I’m NOT gay, but BROKEBACK should win.
Amen to taking the old Theatres for granted. When I was a kid living in San Francisco, my family would take me downtown on Market St to the Palaces. At the time that’s all there was and no reason to believe that would all change. There was the granddaddy of them all the Fox, then the Orpheum, the St. Francis, the Golden Gate, the Warfield, the United Artists and the wonderful Paramount. Today only the Warfield survies as a concert venue, the Golden Gate and Orpheum for legit shows. But alas, no movies have played there since the 60’s. If I only appreciated what I had then. What a shame the younger generation will never see the likes of those again.
to Jnjetsen. For your info, yes I booked Theatres in California for over 20 years….to great success I might add. A friend of mine is still booking independent Theatres accross the country and he as or will (when prints become available) book BROKEBACK..everywhere…as he does all films that are popular and profitable. I think you are living in the stone age. It’s dollars and cents my friend. If it sells tickets (which means good concessions as well) .. book it even if your totally against what ever the film is about. You cannot censor the public. They will do it themselves with no help from you.
I would like to clarify my comment. They should play any movie that is a money maker, regardless of it’s content. They should also feel free NOT to book a loser, regardless of it’s content. A persons moral likes or dislikes of judgements should not enter into booking a film. If BROKEBACK was a loser and had horrible notices, no I would not book it. But for THAT reason, not because of what it’s about. Am I clear on this?
That’s correct regarding POPPINS and BROOMSTICKS. I worked as a film booker for Buena Vista for 25 years, and Disney did not like the Scope process all that much. Just the few mentioned above were photogrpahed in the wide-screen process. BLACK CAULDRON and TRON were filmed in wide-screen as well, but not that many more.
Interesting comment about movies being chosen for the Hall. Which movies of the late 40’s-mid 50’s would you have liked to have played…and which ones that played wish they haden’t.!!! That would be fascinating information.
EXACTLY .. With a choice of essentials or the RCMH, guess what will prevail? A real shame, because the Hall should avail itself to everyone as it’s a “show in itself”. This is the only taste the young people of today of actually seing a showcase of yesteryear. Very few grand palaces that used to show movies are still standing, and of course those that are, are being used for special concerts and events. Feel sorry for those who haven’t had the opportunity of seeing movies in a place where MOVIES SHOULD BE SEEN. Give me the good ole days. Of course, what kids don’t have today they don’t miss. Alas!!
Shelling out &1.000 bucks IS a lot of bucks…but considering the price of everything else today…Theatre, Opera, sporting events etc..PLUS the price of gasoline not to mention RICE. Nothin' is cheap anymore, including the Xmas show!!!
Wow !! I sure do remember those early days of scope. Our Fox and other theatres did the same thing. After the previews, cartoon, news on the regular size screen, the main curtain would close and instantly the projector would switch to the scope film and the curtains would open to reaveal the full screen. Obviously as the main curtain closed the masking unseen to the audience would open. The contrast from the smaller format to the wide format was something to behold. It was especially effective with those old Fox films with that fanfare and logo. The good old days..Nothin' like em'. Of course, everyone, including myself just took all that showmenship for granted. Good-bye to yesterday!!
Very interesting about the no masking in the old days. The Roxys screen does look very small for the venue as pointed out earlier. Does anyone have a picture of the full scope screen? Nice to compare. Also, did masking ever rise and lower in any of the time square theatres? Seems to me in some theatres in the west, the masking both rose and lowered as well as opening and closing for scope and flat films. Flat the masking would come in from the sides but would rise as well. Then with scope the masking would lower as the sides opened? Was that my imagination or did some theatres actually use that method? Maybe I’m thinking Vista vision.
I agree about tickets sold as opposed to actual grosses. Someone should do a report or something on tickets sold for all movies in all eras. Because of the increase in admissions, it’s impossible to compare something that opened last week to something that opened in say 1940. I’m sure GONE WITH THE WIND still had more ticket buyers than any other movie, but if you look at the grosses it falls way below that of any newer release, even if the movie is a bomb. One can’t possibly compare todays admission prices with those of the past, so naturally everything seems higher today. A five million dollar gross in the 40’s was a great big hit. Today it would be a great big flop.
Wow. Lots of interesting info. Nice to know the “inner” workings of such a gigantic corportation. Always nice to hear about what goes on “backstage” of any endeavor, especially the RCMH. Is there a list somewhere of every movie that played there with the number of weeks and gross week by week.? Would be very interesting and informative as well. I’m sure something like this exists SOMEWHERE in the archives. Maybe it’s not for public consumption, however.
I never understood the policy of film and a stage show at the Hall or Roxy or anywhere else. By that I mean, what percentage was paid to the film companiesfor the actual movie itself? At least 50% for the first week I’d imagine. That would leave 50% for operating expenses, PLUS the huge amount of money for the stage show….dancers, orchestra, stage hands…etc.
Wonder what profit margin was left for the Theatre itself.
Talking to a friend of mine who was a Rockette in the late 50’s. She was also in MUSIC MAN and MOST HAPPY FELLA. She told me she attended the Christmas show two weeks ago and was very dissapointed. Not worth the money. While it wasn’t terrible by any means, she was just not happy with the performance or staging. She realizes things do change over the years, but she said this would be the last time she would attend. Even living in Conneticuit, it wasn’t worth the trip. Now this is from someone who PERFORMED AT THE HALL for over a year. Interesting, especially after reading all of the pro and cons from the previous comments.
I agree with both sides, but I think it’s time to get off the subject and onto something else!!!
I wish I would have been there to see those lines and in fact, stood in those lines. Alas, my first trip to New York was in 1998, way past its GLORY DAYS. Love to see any photos or stills of the RCMH that people send..for that matter, would love to see photos of Times Square with all the big movie palaces that were standing up to the 60’s. Does anyone know of a book with photos of the Great White Way during the 40’s-60’s?
Sure is interesting. The average novice film goer would never dream of all the “techical” aspects that went into printing and projecting film. They paid their admission and waited for the film to start. That was it!!! Who knew!!
Now is GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES were shot in 3-D, they could have advertised…JANE RUSSELL and MARILYN MONROE in 4-D !!! Could have and WOULD have spent the entire day at the movies. Let’s see..a 91 mineute runnning time with cartoon etc..That’s a two hour show starting at say 10:00am meaning seven showings. Oh, the eye strain and headache. But whata-way-ta-go!!
Hey, what great memories. That’s something no one can take away. I didn’t realize, but yes, anyone could stay in a theatre all day if they so wanted. Unlike today when the house is cleared before the next showing. With those huge breaks between showings, it wouldn’t be possible to just go in when convenient and “stay til the part you came in on”. Those days are so long gone….So strange that people, including myself, never gave a second thought about entering a movie after it’s started or even mid point.
Wow. All of the planning and timing was a production in itself. I had no idea. Must have taken lots of professionls to carry this off day after day, especially when a hit film was booked. Interesting.
I was thinking the same thing regarding the show times. I wonder why they didn’t start the shows (both stage and movie) at even times. I guess we’re just used of todays showtimes with sometimes an hour between show times. But it does seem impossible how people could run the the bathrooms and buy concessions with 5 or 8 minute intermissions. Of course in the “old” days there would be a cartoon, newsreel, previews and sometimes a short before the main feature started. In the old days the feature would start at say 7:00 followed by a 3 min intermission, the the news etc. then the second feature. Then another short intermission and the first feature would be shown again. This was on week-nights in our neighborhood theatres. Sometimes no intermission at all. Just one feature running into the next. My, my how times have changed.
Thanks for sharing those “glory” days. Wish I would have been in Manhattan those days. Wish there was a book, say coffee table size, with loads of pictures of the Great White Way of the 40’s and 50’s. By the 60’s things seemed to have gone down hill. Oh for those glorious movie palaces again, not to mention the automats etc.
Every once in a while I do run accross a picture or two of Times Square, but I wish there were more. Also, every so often I see an old film where there are shots of the way as well. I like to freeze frame them. Must have been so exciting with all the hustle and bustle of all the eating establishments, bakeries, drug stores open all the time. I know there is hustle and bustle now, but it’s so different. Those glaring neons and ads are a killer. MOre like Las Vegas than New York. Tis' a pity.
Yes, I heard about the opening with Ms. Merman. Would have loved to have been there and to have seen the film with that great finale as you say. Must have been quite something to see. I saw it at the Fox in San Francisco, at I remember being quite impressed. I was in my teens. I remember my parents saying something like WOW and there was applause at the conculsion. PEYTON PLACE is another film I’d like to know how long and how many weeks it played. I went to school with the girl who played Allison…Diane Varsi. When she got the role she was non too excited. However, at the premier in Hollywood, she past out from being overwhelmed with seeing herself and hearing her voice at Graumans. Wonder how she would have felt seeing herself at the Roxy!!!!
Interesting about the test reel for CinemaScope and Stereo. In San Francisco there was a special reel of THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS for scope and sound purposes as well. This might have been for the smaller theatres..not sure..even though scope had been out a while, they still had a test reel of SHOW BUSINESS. By the way, wonder what SHOW BUSINESS did gross wise at the Roxy and how many weeks it played.
Would anyone have a list of all the films that played the Hall and how many weeks each one played? I’m sure thousands of people would be interested. Would one have to go the NY Times or some other journal to find out? Someone, somewhere must have a list.
Gee, I think CRASH is over rated. Story was too contrived and all that happening in the course of two nights with the same people involved seemed a bit much. A little too coincedental for my taste. Good acting though. I’m NOT gay, but BROKEBACK should win.
Amen to taking the old Theatres for granted. When I was a kid living in San Francisco, my family would take me downtown on Market St to the Palaces. At the time that’s all there was and no reason to believe that would all change. There was the granddaddy of them all the Fox, then the Orpheum, the St. Francis, the Golden Gate, the Warfield, the United Artists and the wonderful Paramount. Today only the Warfield survies as a concert venue, the Golden Gate and Orpheum for legit shows. But alas, no movies have played there since the 60’s. If I only appreciated what I had then. What a shame the younger generation will never see the likes of those again.
to Jnjetsen. For your info, yes I booked Theatres in California for over 20 years….to great success I might add. A friend of mine is still booking independent Theatres accross the country and he as or will (when prints become available) book BROKEBACK..everywhere…as he does all films that are popular and profitable. I think you are living in the stone age. It’s dollars and cents my friend. If it sells tickets (which means good concessions as well) .. book it even if your totally against what ever the film is about. You cannot censor the public. They will do it themselves with no help from you.
I would like to clarify my comment. They should play any movie that is a money maker, regardless of it’s content. They should also feel free NOT to book a loser, regardless of it’s content. A persons moral likes or dislikes of judgements should not enter into booking a film. If BROKEBACK was a loser and had horrible notices, no I would not book it. But for THAT reason, not because of what it’s about. Am I clear on this?