I can only imagine how incredible the Roxy must have been. 44 years after it’s closing my mother still talks about seeing movies there with my grandmother and the elaborate stage shows. Yes the Astor was a great modern day single screen, but think The Walker made it to the 90’s and now a store sits inside and all the walls and ceiling are intact behind the plaster boards. It was no Roxy but it was damn beautiful. Thanks UA, another place you destroyed.
I remember AMC publicly announcing the new theatre years before it opened, but I am not sure about Loews. It all seemed so strange the way the state opened and was doomed from the start.
I remember going to see a movie at Lynbrook and Studio 1 had a line around the corner for the film From Mayo to Mozart Issac Stern in China". Just from seeing that line made me see the film a few days later. Thats something we dont have anymore with these mass saturation releases. Plus with advance tele-tickets you can usually walk right in.
Guys I’m laughing at this because I thought the matron at The Oasis was a bitter shrew but yours sounds worse. The one I had wore a uniform 2 sizes too tight with those nurses shoes and she was mean. Someone once threw a cup of soda at her from the balcony and she called the police. It was an afternoon and they were showing a revivial of “Twenty Thousand Leauges Under The Sea” & “Dumbo”. The manager tried to calm her down but she called the police from a payphone. The lobby was full of kids and adults laughing at her screaming how she was assaulted, as she stood there dripping in grape juice (remember that stuff from those jet spray machines?). It’s sad that young kids today wont have memories like this in these sterile multiplexes. Boy if the old balconys could talk.
Vincent
Having been a theatre manager for many yers I too hate not seeing curtains open and close between features. One of the theatres I used to manage had a short in the line that ran from the projection booth to the curtain motor. The owners did not want to spend the money to repair it so we had an usher who would go and press the button backstage before and after every show. I know when I was on duty I always made sure he did it as the picture hit the screen and on the rating symbol on the end. In all of the Loews theatres that show the video or slides between features I wish they would close the curtain as the video ends and reopen it on the feature. The Loews Trylon did that till it closed, guess it was an old time manager who ran the place. They had Austrian drapes.
Loosing the Bleecker meant loosing part of the history of Greenwich Village. If any theatre should have lasted it was this one. It had that true shabby chic feel to it that a place like the Film Forum will never have.
I passed by here the other day and recalled many fond days seeing films here. The theatre was a great single but was an awkward twin. Still it had the flavor of a true Greenwich Village cinema.
Barton
Although the Trylons location was debateable as to its location being in Rego Park or Forest Hills the Elmwood was Elmhurst. The Midway and Continental were definately Forest Hills. I grew up going to all of these places but miss the beautiful Forest Hills Theatre the most. Although never fancy it had elegance and class. My neighborhoos has changed alot over the years. Besides the US Open playing 3 blocks from my house, the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium once played incredible concerts. The summer of 64 must have had the most star studded lineup ever. Sinatra played with Count Basie. There was Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee and Chet Baker to name a few. And lets not forget the Beatles who caused so much mania they landed in a helicopter on the courts of the West Side Tennis club. My folks took home movies of the mobs packing Burns Street all the way to Continental Avenue. The other great thing was you could hear the shows from the Street if you could not get tickets. I miss those days.
My friend Richie used to manage this theatre and had a whole photo albums of pictures he took there. I mentioned in an earlier post that UA dumped some money in the place shortly before they closed it. They painted and relit the marquee and he had a great photo of him and his staff posing by it, one in daytime and one at night. Remember the name OASIS was lit with incandesent bulbs like the 15 watt ones? I have not talked to him in years but would love to call him and ask him to scan them for me. Besides the Disney fims does anyone remember the 4 wall runs that played in mass release from Pacific International? Grizzly Addams, In Search of Historic Jesus, The Adventures of the Wilderness Family they would be in mass release and the Oasis played alot of them. One was about the question of life on other planets and narrated by Orson Welles. I cant recall the name. Besides the Oasis they would play The Arion, Drake, Cinemart, Haven and all the other neighborhood houses.
The Casino is a Chase bank.
I know I love hearing about the movies, especially the double bills that played these great old houses.
“I am not sure, but that might be the Monroe Theater, at 4 Howard Avenue, near the RKO Bushwick”
There is not a posting yet for the Monroe, I met the last owner of the theatre once. When he had it they were running porno.
Is the auditorium still intact?
I know the Ridgewood played “House of Wax” on it’s 1971 re-release.
Are the theatres still intact here?
This is awesome news !!!!!! Now lets see if the Kings rises also.
The main auditorium is still used for private screenings , isnt it?
I remember seeing “The Mirror Cracked”, among other things here. The Marquee had “Liz is back” on it.
I can only imagine how incredible the Roxy must have been. 44 years after it’s closing my mother still talks about seeing movies there with my grandmother and the elaborate stage shows. Yes the Astor was a great modern day single screen, but think The Walker made it to the 90’s and now a store sits inside and all the walls and ceiling are intact behind the plaster boards. It was no Roxy but it was damn beautiful. Thanks UA, another place you destroyed.
I remember AMC publicly announcing the new theatre years before it opened, but I am not sure about Loews. It all seemed so strange the way the state opened and was doomed from the start.
The entire Midway lobby is the same just jazzier with another staircase and an elevator added.
I remember going to see a movie at Lynbrook and Studio 1 had a line around the corner for the film From Mayo to Mozart Issac Stern in China". Just from seeing that line made me see the film a few days later. Thats something we dont have anymore with these mass saturation releases. Plus with advance tele-tickets you can usually walk right in.
Guys I’m laughing at this because I thought the matron at The Oasis was a bitter shrew but yours sounds worse. The one I had wore a uniform 2 sizes too tight with those nurses shoes and she was mean. Someone once threw a cup of soda at her from the balcony and she called the police. It was an afternoon and they were showing a revivial of “Twenty Thousand Leauges Under The Sea” & “Dumbo”. The manager tried to calm her down but she called the police from a payphone. The lobby was full of kids and adults laughing at her screaming how she was assaulted, as she stood there dripping in grape juice (remember that stuff from those jet spray machines?). It’s sad that young kids today wont have memories like this in these sterile multiplexes. Boy if the old balconys could talk.
Sadly the exterior is getting worse by the day. I dont know if vandals have gotten inside or not.
Vincent
Having been a theatre manager for many yers I too hate not seeing curtains open and close between features. One of the theatres I used to manage had a short in the line that ran from the projection booth to the curtain motor. The owners did not want to spend the money to repair it so we had an usher who would go and press the button backstage before and after every show. I know when I was on duty I always made sure he did it as the picture hit the screen and on the rating symbol on the end. In all of the Loews theatres that show the video or slides between features I wish they would close the curtain as the video ends and reopen it on the feature. The Loews Trylon did that till it closed, guess it was an old time manager who ran the place. They had Austrian drapes.
BoxofficeBill
For the Russian Cinerama film did they drape the screen or just let it float like the Ziegfeld did with This is Cinerma?
Can anyone tell me what The Wagner was like inside? My grandmother went every week when they had German films there.
I thought they closed it because they were tearing down the whole block?
Loosing the Bleecker meant loosing part of the history of Greenwich Village. If any theatre should have lasted it was this one. It had that true shabby chic feel to it that a place like the Film Forum will never have.
I passed by here the other day and recalled many fond days seeing films here. The theatre was a great single but was an awkward twin. Still it had the flavor of a true Greenwich Village cinema.
My friend recently found a flyer from a 24hr Russ Myer festival that played here in the 70’s. Where did those fun days go?
Someone should be brave and open this as a $2 house.
Barton
Although the Trylons location was debateable as to its location being in Rego Park or Forest Hills the Elmwood was Elmhurst. The Midway and Continental were definately Forest Hills. I grew up going to all of these places but miss the beautiful Forest Hills Theatre the most. Although never fancy it had elegance and class. My neighborhoos has changed alot over the years. Besides the US Open playing 3 blocks from my house, the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium once played incredible concerts. The summer of 64 must have had the most star studded lineup ever. Sinatra played with Count Basie. There was Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee and Chet Baker to name a few. And lets not forget the Beatles who caused so much mania they landed in a helicopter on the courts of the West Side Tennis club. My folks took home movies of the mobs packing Burns Street all the way to Continental Avenue. The other great thing was you could hear the shows from the Street if you could not get tickets. I miss those days.
My friend Richie used to manage this theatre and had a whole photo albums of pictures he took there. I mentioned in an earlier post that UA dumped some money in the place shortly before they closed it. They painted and relit the marquee and he had a great photo of him and his staff posing by it, one in daytime and one at night. Remember the name OASIS was lit with incandesent bulbs like the 15 watt ones? I have not talked to him in years but would love to call him and ask him to scan them for me. Besides the Disney fims does anyone remember the 4 wall runs that played in mass release from Pacific International? Grizzly Addams, In Search of Historic Jesus, The Adventures of the Wilderness Family they would be in mass release and the Oasis played alot of them. One was about the question of life on other planets and narrated by Orson Welles. I cant recall the name. Besides the Oasis they would play The Arion, Drake, Cinemart, Haven and all the other neighborhood houses.