Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 251 - 275 of 3,434 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rialto Theatre on Jun 18, 2019 at 7:16 pm

Thank you, buddy.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Grand Pussycat Cinema on Jun 18, 2019 at 6:14 pm

David, although the marquee was next door I believe the theatre was upstairs and shared the same address as the Pussycat.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rialto Theatre on Jun 18, 2019 at 6:11 pm

David, the Rialto 2 had an entrance on 42nd street and was in the basement of this same theatre. Once inside you could go from one to the other without being harassed. There is no reason to remove the 42nd street photos since this was basically a twin with two boxoffices and two entrances until Cineplex Odeon mothballed the fully remodelled twin two due to subway noise.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's Capitol Theatre on Jun 16, 2019 at 5:51 pm

You saw it at the Rivoli?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Jun 5, 2019 at 7:09 pm

Movies were about fifteen minutes long in 1910. No theatre was ever built for that. As bigjoe has often been told, Regency and Rialto are the answer.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Kips Bay 15 on May 30, 2019 at 7:41 pm

What kind of theatre closes during summer for conversions? They obviously do not need 15 screens.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Palladium Times Square on May 19, 2019 at 8:22 pm

Perhaps posting a movie premiere Trump did NOT attend may be more worthy. He was a Ziegfeld regular with a pregnant Marla Maples while still married to Ivana. I saw him there many times when my office was there.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Roxy Cinema Tribeca on May 3, 2019 at 3:13 pm

This is now called the Tribeca Grand.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Regal Times Square on Apr 24, 2019 at 1:40 pm

Cineworld bought Regal.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Empire 25 on Apr 23, 2019 at 6:16 pm

moviebuff82, the Regal across the street is just as bad and I own stock in Cineworld.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Regal Times Square on Apr 23, 2019 at 6:14 pm

What new logo signage? Nothing has been changed.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Silverspot Cinemas Miami on Apr 22, 2019 at 6:50 pm

When I asked them how many screens were open (only eight movies in the listings), their nasty answer was “How many do you want open?”.

When I asked if this was an example of their customer service to a simple question, they blocked me.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Apr 20, 2019 at 3:37 pm

There were some other missteps in that range such as “CHEYENNE AUTUMN” and “THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Apr 20, 2019 at 1:50 pm

“HALF A SIXPENCE” ran for 11 weeks as a Road Show at the Criterion.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Apr 19, 2019 at 6:07 am

My mistake on “FORUM”. Did not Road Show, at least not in NY. There in an issue between not recouping costs and “disappointing” runs. Some films like “CLEOPATRA” were labeled flops although they eventually showed a profit.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Apr 18, 2019 at 6:13 pm

“The Lion In Winter”, “A Funny Thing Happened…”, “Can-Can”, “How the West Was Won”, and “Mutiny on the Bounty” all ran under 44 weeks first run on Road Show. Define “successes”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Apr 18, 2019 at 4:15 pm

And this series.

http://cinematreasures.org/blog/2008/9/9/remembering-cinerama

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Apr 18, 2019 at 4:06 pm

bigjoe, I think the Broadway run was supported by church groups traveling to town from all over the country.

I think the site you are looking for is based on Michael Coate’s excellent research.

https://www.in70mm.com/news/2018/story/index.htm

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Apr 16, 2019 at 2:39 pm

It sounds like they didn’t have a house nut guarantee and simply broke the contract and waited to be sued. Under Walter Reade, when the Ziegfeld couldn’t get an extended house nut deal or a new film, they also closed. Most first run film contracts included a minimum number of showings per week.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Apr 15, 2019 at 3:17 pm

bigjoe, there was usually an advance payment made by the theatre with a promise for a minimum run of x weeks. If the box office dropped below a certain point, the distributor guaranteed to keep paying the pre-agreed overhead costs (“house nut”) to stay on screen or the theatre could pull the film if the distributor did not want to keep paying. In Manhattan, even non-roadshow films were often handled this way. Many long runs at the Ziegfeld were subsidized by the distributor just to stay on screen long after they were profitable.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Times Square Theatre on Apr 14, 2019 at 6:12 pm

Another lift and switch project.

https://rew-online.com/2019/04/developer-ready-to-lift-and-tuck-old-theater-in-bold-move-to-create-times-square-star/?fbclid=IwAR3OHLde0xy6i3zsD6-N-nk2CO9Rqa2m_hTUAOIdZh4IrDL6vOhTY9Hsu_Y

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Abbeygate Cinema on Apr 9, 2019 at 10:16 am

Manager/Projectionist Patrick Church wrote a book with details on his days at this theatre. It is called THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Lincoln Plaza Cinemas on Apr 8, 2019 at 5:33 pm

bigjoe, the ads you’re seeing are for the New Plaza.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7894

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Carver Theatre on Mar 16, 2019 at 7:12 am

I am not sure what you are upset about. We seem to agree that documentation on these cinemas is possibly gone forever. I think that is sad.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Mar 15, 2019 at 7:11 pm

And my DVD blu ray of “SOLO” seemed to be filmed through Clam Chowder.