Loew's State Theatre
1540 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1540 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
39 people
favorited this theater
Showing 251 - 275 of 535 comments
William (or someone)– can you tell me what the RKO Warner Twin is listed under on this website? I tried RKO, I tried Warner… can’t seem to find it. Thanks.
It was the Warner Twin, then. Thanks!!
It was the Warner Twin, then. Thanks!!
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome opened on July 10th, 1985.
RKO Century’s Warner Twin In Times Square in 70MM
Loew’s 84th Street Six in 70MM
Cinema 5’s Beekman in 70MM
Cinema 5’s Murray Hill in 70MM
This is random, but does anyone know if Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome played at this theater in the summer of 1985? I was going to summer school in Manhattan (up from Florida) and we used to go to the movies after we got out school for the day. The only two movies I saw in TS were Mad Max and Fright Night. Cannot remember where Fright Night was but it was surrounded by a bunch of porn theaters around 47-49th streets, but I have a feeling Mad Max may have been at the State. If anyone knows if it played there, I’d appreciate it.
On March 26, Swann Auction Galleries will be selling the original design for the neon sign built to advertise the Ben Hur premiere at the Loew’s State in 1959. I thought you might be interested in this image on the Swann site:
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Here’s a look at an old postcard from 1963 with the Loew’s (still) playing MUTINY AT THE BOUNTY: View link
I agree with Rory, this place should have NEVER been split. My greatest memory of this place was just before it was twinned. I was on a school trip to see “Doctor Doolittle” with Rex Harrison, and our school was seated in the balcony. What a grand place that was. And to dave-bronx, I think they may refer to it as a ‘cross-section’, but I’m not sure.
One of my clearest memories of Loew’s State 2, aside from the movies I saw there, were the enormous tassels they had on the show curtain. Those tassels were bigger than today’s average multiplex theater :)
I think Warrens blue drawing is what architects call a ‘section-through’.
It was a sin it got split!
Blue, red, whatever. I always find both Warren G’s and Lost Memories posts fascinating. The point here is, and always will be, that it was a SIN that this place was ever demolished in the first place. And that goes double for the Capitol.
I remember going to see “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” at the Loew’s in June 1970 when I was ten years old. I also recall it was the upstairs auditorium — I remember the climb — and that “Beneath” was at Loew’s State 2, so that means State 1 was the lower, I guess. I would have thought it was the other way around.
Fascinating illustration, Warren.
And a footnote on earlier postings: It’s interesting that when Loew’s State was twinned and reopened with two roadshow family musicals, “Oliver” went into State 1 and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” into 2.
“Oliver” was a conspicuously better movie in every respect and yet it went into the auditorium that was slightly smaller in capacity and significantly less impressive in ambiance and decor.
Maybe Loew’s anticipated the quicker fade of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and decided that the smaller auditorium would be a better fit for a long run of “Oliver.” Newer releases then would have the benefit of the extra seating upstairs.
Here’s a photo of the Loew’s Stat 1 & @ taken in 1976
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You are right Al, a new quad did sound great. Only problem was it was done all wrong.
It barely lasted 14 years, but at the time a state-of the-art quad in Times Square sounded pretty good. I remember Richard Branson trying to get it away from Loews in order to launch his Virgin Cinemas in the states.
Whats an even bigger waste is the fact that they tore down a grand old palace (even after twinning) for something that barely lasted 20 years total. And after the 4-plex opened, all it accomplished was insulting the great name “Loews State”.
Yes but it was reborn as one of the citys great roadshow houses.
In its heydey
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First visited here for “Somebody Up There Likes Me.” When I saw “Love Story” for the first time here, I think I went in with a bit of an “OK, show me” attitude. Gotta admit: It got to me.
Or ROBBY, from “Forbidden Planet”. As far as I’m concerned, he’s tied with Gort (“The Day the Earth Stood Still”) for Best Movie Robot.
I know what it means, Warren, but when somebody says ‘robot’ most of us over a certain age think of Rosie from The Jetsons, or that thing on Lost in Space (DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!) or R2D2.
The concept of robot-controlled air conditioning just sounds so cool, ‘50’s style. I hope the new Indiana Jones movie, which takes place in 1957, has some of that same kind of '50’s feel.
The 3/59 ad for ‘Some Like It Hot’ linked above is touting the remodeled Loew’s State. The small print at the bottom of the ad states, “New ‘Easy Chair’ Orchestra Lounger Seats Properly Spaced * New Multi-Channel HI-FI Stereo Sound * New Screen Magic * New Robot-Controlled All Weather Air Conditioning”. That last point brings to mind images of Rosie, the maid from ‘The Jetsons’, rolling down the aisle and adjusting the thermostat :–)