Good to hear of the reprieve, but it appears obvious that City Cinemas/Reading is more interested in real estate, and not movie exhibition. What became of the suggestion that Harvey Weinstein might offer to purchase & operate both the Beekman & Cinema 1,2,3 – saving them from the wrecking ball?
When first taken over by City Cinemas, it was touted as a successor to the 68th Street Playhouse. A rather dreadful theater with no amenities, it never lived up to the reputation of the former art house. The closing of any theater is a loss, but this one minimally so.
Before becoming an art house venue, in the “60’s the Cinema Studio had a first-run Spanish language policy, attempting to showcase the best of movies from Spain and Latin America.
Has anyone submitted a posting on the Paramount Theatre that occupied the former Gulf & Western building at Columbus Circle from the mid ‘60s before it was taken over by Trump? It was an odd venue operated by Rugoff/Cinema V, and exhibited an odd mix of releases including the Hellstrom Chronicles and Network.
Both Rugoff’s Cinema V distributing arm and WRO’s Continental Distributing had a distinguished library of cutting edge films. Cinema V distributed the Fireman’s Ball, Loves of a Blonde, Putney Swope, the Two of Us, Accident, Z, State of Seige, among others. Continental released Kwaidan. What became of those film collections?
The Gramercy seemed to epitomize the uniqueness of the Rugoff/Cinema V legacy: a small, intimate setting, identified with its neighborhood, and setting a trend in the exhibition and distribution of quality films. Don Rugoff & Walter Reade Jr. were a special breed. Only Dan Talbot and New Yorker films remains. Now that City Cinemas and the Australians are intent on cashing in on real estate rather than show movies, an era will soon come to an end. Does anyone know what became of Rugoff and how he lost control of this remarkable company?
A gem of a neighborhood theater. Perfect for the wide screen epics & musicals of the ‘50s & '60s including Helen of Troy, the Buccaneer, the Greatest Show on Earth, Somebody Up There Likes Me, West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, as well as Psycho.
Glad to know that the old Prospect is alive and well. In the late ‘50’s my family would travel from B'klyn to the So. Bronx to visit relatives and frequently would catch a Spanish language movie at the Prospect. The theatre also presented live stage shows with mariachi bands and stars of the Mexican movies. Too bad that the Loews Paradise, the Loews Kings or even the DeMille have not enjoyed a similar restoration.
Manhattan already has an excess of hospital beds. In addition as a not-for-profit entity, by building a medical facility, it removes a prime real estate site from the tax rolls. Most medical building nowadays involves some degree of government funding. By closing the Beekman, we loose a movie theater, we lose a tax producing real estate parcel, and we lose government funding that could be used elsewhwere. Let NYU assemble anothere site sopmewhere else – I’m sure that the Bronx would welcome them.
First the Sutton and now the Beekman. If real estate redevelopment is inevitable, can’t anyone figure out how to build around the theatre and keep it intact? The orignal concept for Symphony Space on the Upper West Side was to integrate the Symphony theatre into the new structure. I’m not sure that that was the actual result, but the concept deserves exploration. Just what Second Ave. needs, a new faceless tower to add to the congestion.
What would it take to convince exhibitors that there is a market for presenting movies in exclusive runs either at the Ziegfeld, RCMH or even the smaller Cinema I. Phanthom of the Opera, the Aviator, even Return of the Phoenix & Alexander among the current crop of releases deserved an exclusive run. Having seen Mike Nichol’s Closer on opening day at the Loews' 19th St., felt like I was sitting in a bomb shelter during an air raid. Very different from having seen Carnal Knowledge at it’s initial release at the Beekman. Poor Marcus Loew, a sad tribute to Loews on the company’s 100th year anniversary.
Booking day & date may make economic sense. The more screens, the sooner a studio can cash in on a hit. Too bad since not too many years ago, a movie opened as an exclusive and got to build by word of mouth. Chicago may have been the last major release that began as an exclusive at the Ziegfeld, before going into wide release several weeks later. It’s a pity that Cinema I is now also just another neighborhood screen. The hype about seeing a movie in it’s exclusive run at a select (and luxurious) theater is now gone.
Ticket lines for the latest releases are bedlam with customers becoming frustrated and surly because of the confusion and long wait at the box office. Other multiplexes in the burbs run more smoothly. Very much of a factory environment – as soon as a feature lets out, you are corraled out of the theatre, and discouraged from re-entering the lobby. Only redeeming value is that the multiplex is across the road from Jordan’s Seafood House, a one-of-a-kind Brooklyn experience. Sometimes it’s better to skip the hassle in the movie house and start off with some clam chowder. The fried clamari is hard to surpass.
Since Bruce Ratner is rebuilding Brooklyn in his own image, can anyone interest him and Marty Markowitz into restoring the Brooklyn Paramount? It makes sense with all the developement from Metrotech to Atlantic terminal.
Was torn down in the mid-60’s for the building of the Woodhull Hospital eyesore. Had been primarily showing Mexican double features, primarily of the Columbia Picture’s mariachi westerns type. Probably a Randforce theater, had been showing sub-run American films until the post-war period. Ornate plaster interior with a large dome ceiling. Instead of a balcony, the theater had a raised seating area with several rows that served as the smoking section; the snack bar, lounge and bathrooms were under this raised platform. The bright marquee illuminated the busy intersection of Broadway & Flushing Ave., usually shadowed by the BMT el tracks of the Jamaica line.
At the time that “I Am Curious Yellow” played there, the NYTimes noted that the box office take outgrossed Radio City Music Hall showing of “Mayerling”, the remake with Omar Sharif.
Having started out as an outlet for Joseph E. Levine as stated above it was part of his mini-chain which included the Lincoln Art further west on 57th St., and the fairly dreadful AvcoEmbassy East, on 58th St. It passed on to the Walter Reade chain, and came under the City Cinemas banner before it closed.
A true jewel box and its closure has been a major loss. A miniature movie palace that like its bigger cousins transported you into the movie world, shutting out the outside. The walnut paneling made it feel like a private club. Under the Rugoff stewardship there was some updating, particularly the installation of state of the art sterophonic sound when Gimme Shelter (a Cinema 5 release)was presented. Somehow, this did not detract from the special ambiance. Seeing both Amarcord & Garden of the Finzi Continis there added to the uniqueness of both films. Before becoming a Rugoff venue, wasn’t the Plaza under the ownership of Ilya Lopert?
With Regal building the 15 screen Atlas in Glendale, what does this mean for the future of the Ridgewood?
Good to hear of the reprieve, but it appears obvious that City Cinemas/Reading is more interested in real estate, and not movie exhibition. What became of the suggestion that Harvey Weinstein might offer to purchase & operate both the Beekman & Cinema 1,2,3 – saving them from the wrecking ball?
I believe Walter Reade Organization headquarters were in offices above the theatre.
Ben Hur is being shown on the big screen at the Loews Jersey on March 5th. Didn’t Ben Hur premiere at the Loews State?
When first taken over by City Cinemas, it was touted as a successor to the 68th Street Playhouse. A rather dreadful theater with no amenities, it never lived up to the reputation of the former art house. The closing of any theater is a loss, but this one minimally so.
Before becoming an art house venue, in the “60’s the Cinema Studio had a first-run Spanish language policy, attempting to showcase the best of movies from Spain and Latin America.
Has anyone submitted a posting on the Paramount Theatre that occupied the former Gulf & Western building at Columbus Circle from the mid ‘60s before it was taken over by Trump? It was an odd venue operated by Rugoff/Cinema V, and exhibited an odd mix of releases including the Hellstrom Chronicles and Network.
Both Rugoff’s Cinema V distributing arm and WRO’s Continental Distributing had a distinguished library of cutting edge films. Cinema V distributed the Fireman’s Ball, Loves of a Blonde, Putney Swope, the Two of Us, Accident, Z, State of Seige, among others. Continental released Kwaidan. What became of those film collections?
The Gramercy seemed to epitomize the uniqueness of the Rugoff/Cinema V legacy: a small, intimate setting, identified with its neighborhood, and setting a trend in the exhibition and distribution of quality films. Don Rugoff & Walter Reade Jr. were a special breed. Only Dan Talbot and New Yorker films remains. Now that City Cinemas and the Australians are intent on cashing in on real estate rather than show movies, an era will soon come to an end. Does anyone know what became of Rugoff and how he lost control of this remarkable company?
A gem of a neighborhood theater. Perfect for the wide screen epics & musicals of the ‘50s & '60s including Helen of Troy, the Buccaneer, the Greatest Show on Earth, Somebody Up There Likes Me, West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, as well as Psycho.
Glad to know that the old Prospect is alive and well. In the late ‘50’s my family would travel from B'klyn to the So. Bronx to visit relatives and frequently would catch a Spanish language movie at the Prospect. The theatre also presented live stage shows with mariachi bands and stars of the Mexican movies. Too bad that the Loews Paradise, the Loews Kings or even the DeMille have not enjoyed a similar restoration.
Manhattan already has an excess of hospital beds. In addition as a not-for-profit entity, by building a medical facility, it removes a prime real estate site from the tax rolls. Most medical building nowadays involves some degree of government funding. By closing the Beekman, we loose a movie theater, we lose a tax producing real estate parcel, and we lose government funding that could be used elsewhwere. Let NYU assemble anothere site sopmewhere else – I’m sure that the Bronx would welcome them.
First the Sutton and now the Beekman. If real estate redevelopment is inevitable, can’t anyone figure out how to build around the theatre and keep it intact? The orignal concept for Symphony Space on the Upper West Side was to integrate the Symphony theatre into the new structure. I’m not sure that that was the actual result, but the concept deserves exploration. Just what Second Ave. needs, a new faceless tower to add to the congestion.
What would it take to convince exhibitors that there is a market for presenting movies in exclusive runs either at the Ziegfeld, RCMH or even the smaller Cinema I. Phanthom of the Opera, the Aviator, even Return of the Phoenix & Alexander among the current crop of releases deserved an exclusive run. Having seen Mike Nichol’s Closer on opening day at the Loews' 19th St., felt like I was sitting in a bomb shelter during an air raid. Very different from having seen Carnal Knowledge at it’s initial release at the Beekman. Poor Marcus Loew, a sad tribute to Loews on the company’s 100th year anniversary.
Booking day & date may make economic sense. The more screens, the sooner a studio can cash in on a hit. Too bad since not too many years ago, a movie opened as an exclusive and got to build by word of mouth. Chicago may have been the last major release that began as an exclusive at the Ziegfeld, before going into wide release several weeks later. It’s a pity that Cinema I is now also just another neighborhood screen. The hype about seeing a movie in it’s exclusive run at a select (and luxurious) theater is now gone.
Did the Bijou have a retrospective screening of Todd Browning’s Freaks in the late 60’s? I remember the weird movie but very little of the venue.
Ticket lines for the latest releases are bedlam with customers becoming frustrated and surly because of the confusion and long wait at the box office. Other multiplexes in the burbs run more smoothly. Very much of a factory environment – as soon as a feature lets out, you are corraled out of the theatre, and discouraged from re-entering the lobby. Only redeeming value is that the multiplex is across the road from Jordan’s Seafood House, a one-of-a-kind Brooklyn experience. Sometimes it’s better to skip the hassle in the movie house and start off with some clam chowder. The fried clamari is hard to surpass.
Since Bruce Ratner is rebuilding Brooklyn in his own image, can anyone interest him and Marty Markowitz into restoring the Brooklyn Paramount? It makes sense with all the developement from Metrotech to Atlantic terminal.
Saw Monterey Pop at the Kips Bay in ‘68. It was incredible to experience both Janis Joplin & Jimi Hendrix on that big screen
Was torn down in the mid-60’s for the building of the Woodhull Hospital eyesore. Had been primarily showing Mexican double features, primarily of the Columbia Picture’s mariachi westerns type. Probably a Randforce theater, had been showing sub-run American films until the post-war period. Ornate plaster interior with a large dome ceiling. Instead of a balcony, the theater had a raised seating area with several rows that served as the smoking section; the snack bar, lounge and bathrooms were under this raised platform. The bright marquee illuminated the busy intersection of Broadway & Flushing Ave., usually shadowed by the BMT el tracks of the Jamaica line.
At the time that “I Am Curious Yellow” played there, the NYTimes noted that the box office take outgrossed Radio City Music Hall showing of “Mayerling”, the remake with Omar Sharif.
Having started out as an outlet for Joseph E. Levine as stated above it was part of his mini-chain which included the Lincoln Art further west on 57th St., and the fairly dreadful AvcoEmbassy East, on 58th St. It passed on to the Walter Reade chain, and came under the City Cinemas banner before it closed.
The Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA) now occupies the upper level of the theater, with it’s entrance on Avenue H.
Thanks lost memeory, Astyanaax and myself are indeed two different people. I accept no imitators, and limit the number of a’s in my name to three.
A true jewel box and its closure has been a major loss. A miniature movie palace that like its bigger cousins transported you into the movie world, shutting out the outside. The walnut paneling made it feel like a private club. Under the Rugoff stewardship there was some updating, particularly the installation of state of the art sterophonic sound when Gimme Shelter (a Cinema 5 release)was presented. Somehow, this did not detract from the special ambiance. Seeing both Amarcord & Garden of the Finzi Continis there added to the uniqueness of both films. Before becoming a Rugoff venue, wasn’t the Plaza under the ownership of Ilya Lopert?