Beekman Theatre
1254 2nd Avenue,
New York,
NY
10021
1254 2nd Avenue,
New York,
NY
10021
40 people
favorited this theater
Showing 226 - 250 of 399 comments
That’s funny… I live at 84th and Third, and there are a number of places to eat after midnight around here.
Alas, I went by the Beekman last night, on the way to the ImaginAsian Theatre for a screening, and it was sad to see this grand dame already in a state of disrepair. The beautiful box office had already been removed, a plain and ugly metal desk now sitting in its place. The north facing marquee, as seen in several of DaveBazooka’s photos, has already been partially dismantled, so it now reads TH CL. Thankfully, I was on the M15, so I only saw this for about twenty seconds.
Sad. Very sad.
I stopped by the Beek when I left work tonight – anybody want to buy a chandelier? There is a hand-written sign on the door stating ‘Chandelier for sale – art deco [i imagine it is the one there in the outer lobby] – also candy stand’ – but since all the inside lights were left on at 3:30 am, you could see inside and the stand was already gone, only the soda tubes sticking out of the floor.
“New York is being ripped out of itself. In a weird sort of way I kind of wish Dinkins would get re-elected so the crime rate would sky-rocket and all these transplants from Kansas would stop trying to re-make Manhattan into suburbia with high-rise buildings and get out of here. Did you know that after about midnight on Saturday night you can’t find anyplace to eat on either Third or Lexington Avenues from 86th St. to about 45th? Years ago there were all kinds of places open late…”
I’m with you dave-bronx. I have lived in NYC for 20 years. One of my main objectives for coming here, besides going to school, was to get the hell out of the suburbs that I had grown up in for most of my life. I wanted 24/7 electric weirdness. Cool things to do, interesting experiences and people. I wanted THE city life and for a long time I got it and never looked back. When I would go home to visit I would love the fact that I was so disconnected from what was happening there. New chain stores and franchises would be popping up there that I had never heard of because I lived on planet Manhattan where we were immune from all that crap. It was great! I would go home and drive around and be like ‘Red Lobster? Never saw that before.’
There were no Kmarts, Walmarts, Circuit Citys, Olive Gardens, or any of that crap in NYC. For most of my time here I never even owned a TV. I didn’t need one. I was completely unaware of who any of the ‘Entertainment Tonight’ caliber celebrities were, and I loved it.
It’s hard to beleive that a city as tough as New York would let itself beturned into the panzie palace it is fast becoming. It seems that everything around here is the complete opposite from what it was 10-15 years ago. My neighborhood in the East Village used to be a pretty sleepy place, now it’s like Six Flags Great Adventure around here on the weekends. Where did all of these rich, arrogant, overly primped, overly goodlooking, Starbucks generation people who think they’re ‘slumming it’ come from? I want them outta here…NOW!
More pics of the erstwhile Beekman. The pretty metal door-pushes have been removed from the glass doors at the entrance. In the humid, gray weather, the shuttered theater appears gloomy and a mere shell, now that the life is gone from its screen and seats.
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
I also included a pic of the entire Second Avenue property which included the Beekman. If the whole shebang is going to be demolished, the North Fork Bank on the corner will also have to close soon. The last picture is of the sidewalk that Alvy and Max walked down in “Annie Hall,” when Alvy was meeting Annie at the Beekman.
In general, there is nothing wrong with midnight movies – but this is, after all, the Paris, a place known for nearly 60 years for presenting high-brow foreign films and catering to an upscale audience. If they were running Fellini’s “8 ½”, for instance, or Kurasawa’s “RAN” or even something like “Blood Simple”, I would not question the motive. But general release stuff?? They can do better than that!
New York is being ripped out of itself. In a weird sort of way I kind of wish Dinkins would get re-elected so the crime rate would sky-rocket and all these transplants from Kansas would stop trying to re-make Manhattan into suburbia with high-rise buildings and get out of here. Did you know that after about midnight on Saturday night you can’t find anyplace to eat on either Third or Lexington Avenues from 86th St. to about 45th? Years ago there were all kinds of places open late…
Hey dave-bronx,
What’s wrong with midnight movies? The IFC Center opened a week ago with midnight movies. Midnight movies are great. There would not be a John Waters without midnight movies.
Jeff wants to show movies at midnight. The Village East does it from time to time, as does the Angelika. The Chelsea 9 shows Rocky Horror at midnights. Dog Day Afternoon, 2001: A Space Odyssey and All The President’s Men don’t spell wrecking ball to me. I think I’m missing a puzzle piece here.
From all I’ve heard nothing is happening to the Paris. The man that owns the property likes the theater. When you’ve got a few million in the bank, you buy things you like like gigantic sculptures made of gold that sit on the front lawn behind closed gates and giant hedge walls. If I had a few million in the bank, I would buy the Mayfair, or build my own, maybe even at Bar Code next to the Virgin store and do a bad recreation of the Loews State, complete with marquee and premieres. I’m not certain where the paranoia about the Paris is coming from. It’s a fine place with a fine audience and I’m sure the people who went to 66th and 2nd can go an extra few blocks to 58th and 5th and check out a show at the Paris.
And after all that, I still am just not understanding how the Beekman is really going away. It’s not ‘just’ a theater. It’s New York. New York itself is being ripped out of itself. Yuck.
Shade – you left the endangered and now-degraded Cinema 1 2 3 off your list. One also has to worry about the Paris – if they have resorted to midnight shows after all these years, it may be the handwriting on the wall. BTW, the relatively new Loews State quad will be closing by the end of the year, certain non-essential equipment is being removed.
Not being a New Yorker, I have never patronized the Beekman Theatre. I too feel it is a shame for another classic theatre to bite the dust. However, New Yorkers are now only experiencing what most of the country has gone through. We went from the decent sized single screen theatres, to having a wall added down the middle and the theatre “having twins.” Then we went to the triplexes, quads, etc. etc. Then all those bit the dust in favor of the shoebox megaplexes we have today. Add insult to injury, the moviegoing public has gotten this attitude that they are still sitting in their living rooms and have no one else to bother with their behavior! All total, moviegoing today is not what it used to be. Never mind that many of the films are not worth the price of admission! Seems for every good entertaining film, there is at least four turkeys. Well, I just wanted to add my two cents to this thread. New York moviegoers, unfortunately, welcome to the “reel world!”
Anthology does not seem to be listed here at CinemaTreasures. Someone want to add it?
There are only six single screen first-run theaters in Manhattan:
Clearview’s Ziegfeld Theater
UA 85th
Loews 72nd Street East
Clearview’s 62nd and Broadway
The Paris
Two Boots Pioneer Theater (99 seats)
There are other single screens, but special events or specialty films only:
Florence Gould Hall (French films)
The Lighthouse
DGA Theater
ImaginAsian (first run Asian and Indian films)
Walter Reade theater at Lincoln Center
(and Avery Fisher Hall during NY Film Festival)
Then the two-screeners
Metro Twin
Beekman One and Two
Anthology Film Archives
Symphony Space and Thalia
And the three-screeners:
Cinema Village
Film Forum
UA 64th and 2nd (formerly Gemini)
IFC Center
Cinema Village was once a single screen. As was the Metro Twin, many moons ago.
If you love the Paris, try some of the Saturday night offerings at midnight. This weekend, July 2, it’s Dog Day Afternoon. The Paris has REAL curtains that OPEN before the movie!
What I’m saying then is the next single screener to go, we should plan a sit in.
Yes thank goodness for Jane Jacobs, finally someone stood up to Robert Moses' megalomaniacal, power-mad weirdness.
I agree a sit-in would have been effeective and would probably have made movie theater/entertainment history. Now that it is too late a vigil to show respect for our dead friend the Beekman might still give pause…if not to developers, then perhaps to New Yorkers and others who love older theaters and might protest futures closings and demolitions.
Sorry, re-reading my post, I didn’t mean to sound so pompous “No, a sit in is the only thing that would work.”
No, a sit in is the only thing that would work. They’d have to get the cops in the get the people out. Want to punch it up a notch or two? Handcuff ourselves to seats. Make the cops really work at it. This is going to continue to happen as long as New Yorkers (and other people living in the classin urban environs) take matters into their own hands and become pains in the asses.
Ever hear of Jane Jacobs? SHE was more than willing to make herself more than a bit of a nuisance. And New Yorkers have her to thank for NOT having a monstrous interstate connector highway running through lower Manhattan.
Shade, thank you so much for sharing the wonderful interior photos! They must be kept on view for all to see so we never forget the Beekman. Though I have not been there for a movie since seeing “Manhattan Murder Mystery” on August 26, 1993 (heehee yes I keep a movie log of all movies I see in theatres), most of the images are very familiar. Especially the views of the screen from the upper left of the auditorium, from which I saw “Little Shop of Horrors” during the last 2 hours of December 31, 1986. Later I would see “The Witches of Eastwick,” “The Princess Bride,” “Empire of the Sun,” “Frantic,” and “Gorillas in the Mist.” Funny I always sat in the same area. I love the shots of the carpeted steps in the auditorium, on several occasions I tripped and fell while climbing them. Thank goodness I didn’t fall down them while descending! Well if I had broken my neck at least it would have been in the Beekman.
CConnolly, I like the idea of a vigil instead of a sit-in. Imagine the Second Avenue jammed with hundreds of people standing there silently in all weather, as they do when well-known persons are passing away. In fact there is still time for one, when demolition starts perhaps…hundreds standing outside to pay final respects. Candles maybe? Songs?
I am so glad I got up there to take those last 4 pictures on Saturday morning, it was a poignant moment for me in spite of the fact that I was sweating propulsively. A big “you’re welcome!!” to all who liked my pics. Glad you enjoyed them. And thanks again to Shade!
re the enraged woman: if she attended movies regularly at The Beekman her whole life and it was as familiar to her as her own home, she must truly be suffering the pain and grief of loss.
The award for best coverage of the wake of a landmark theatre goes to Dave and Shade. Thanks guys for the great memorial, I appreciate the time and effort.
Yes, CConnolly, you are nuts :))
But we can never have enough people who are as committed as you are about saving our theatres.
Thank you Dave and Shade for sharing your photos. It is a great record of what was one of New York’s finest theaters. Some wonderful memories which no one can ever take away.
Which NYC theater does everyone here think is next to close? The Paris?
We’re all sick to death over The Beekman’s closing and I’m wondering (obviously too late) that maybe we all should’ve had a mass sit-in. I mean, we could’ve gone to the theater during the last showing and simply refused to leave, let the cops arrest us and I’d bet we’d be on the news and average New Yorkers and others in the metro area would be drawn to the cause. We probably would’ve been too late to save The Beekman but maybe it would give other developers pause. Even if it was just twenty or so people.
Am I nuts?
Thank you, Dave and Shade – the Beekman will never be 100% dead and gone as long as we can look at your pictures.
LAST NIGHT AT THE BEEKMAN â€" JUNE 26, 2005
The Beekman screened its last film, The Interpreter, at 10:00 pm, Sunday, June 26, 2005. There were about 40 or so attendees of the grand lady’s death. Several knew it was the last show. Others arrived with video cameras, digital cameras, and nice 35mm setups also. It felt good that others felt the need to keep her alive as much as I did.
No curtains opening. Hasn’t happened in years, according to what I assume was a projectionist. The mens room sign light was out. They said it burnt out during a recent screening though I saw one on during the first weekend of The Interpreter. The concessions area chairs and tables had already been removed. So had all the French posters on the walls. I did manage to grab a few pics during Melinda and Melinda’s time, and during the first weekend of The Interpreter when I took shots of the near sold-out audience in line in front, which was a heartening site, seeing so much life going on in what was to be a tomb, and then demolished, so soon after.
I noticed for the first time that there were sawed-off pieces of metal at the base of all three banisters on the stairs, mostly like suggesting an entirely different support system was removed at some point.
One really nice thing was seeing couples of many ages come in and snuggle. It was obvious some had come here on their first date. Also, during the show, an enraged woman came in screaming, “You can’t do this! This is MY theater! I live here! You can’t do this!â€
The theater’s doors were closed and locked at 1 am, June 27, 2005.
Here’s a link to some pics I took:
View link
Hi Frankie: You’re welcome for the pictures! It’s great that you went to the Beekman one last time. You can email me from the member directory, if you have any spare pics that came out I will gladly scan them and post them here…crediting you as the photog, of course! Take care
Davebazooka
Dear Davebazooka: Many thanks for the wonderful pictures ! I went there yesterday and took some inside shots along with the outside shots. I haven’t had them developed them yet, but yours may be even better. I have no way to post mine on the web, but I’d be more than happy to mail you copies of any that turn out, if you like. Even the movie was good ! Best, frankie from Brooklyn
I detest theatres named after streets.
In response to Ron Newman, Rugoff/Cinema 5, named the Beekman, the Sutton, the Murray Hill and the Gramercy after the NY neighborhoods that they were situated in, and became a source of community pride and identification. This is in sharp contrast to sterile theater names like UA’s 64th & 2nd movie house, among others.
If Clearview was smart they would take the marquee and use it in the new location.