It has improved although US sports films such as GRIDIRON and ethnic movies often get missed or dealyed for obvious reasons. The UK holidays do not always match the US so THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is now on previews but STORM BREAKER (it opens the US this month) already came and went. HOODWINKED finally opened this week to fantastic grosses although you can order it from Amazon anytime on DVD.
The DVD day and date DVD release helps no one in the movie food chain. It simply burns movies out quicker. If you produce mindless sequels such a the X-MEN movies you could make it work if cinemas didn’t refuse to play them.
I wonder if the Lorraine was too proud to show those stupid films?
The latest in the UK is no four month window means no wide run. Julie Walters and that red-headed boy from HARRY POTTER means straight to TV for a great film: DRIVING LESSONS.
ROAD TO GUANTANAMO, missed it’s major audience by going straight to DVD here.
As long as someone makes movies such as BORAT, we have an industry that is alive, contemporary, belligerent and exciting. No matter what Bush’s America thinks.
There is no real training. Learn as much as you can about film and start at an entry level assistant job IN THE FILM DEPARTMENT. Most chains like to promote from within or hire from another chain’s Film Department. Crossing over from other departments tends to be difficult as Film Buyers are a clubby bunch who socialise with other Film Buyers and distributors rather than their own company members.
Good heavens! Artistic (hmm) murals and FRISKY HORNY KINKY SLU… just across the street? Maybe someone could recreate a replica of this street on 41st street for the tourist trade.
Obviously it is not just me, but wasn’t this squalor oddly beautiful?
There is more than a little posturing in this act. You can go back to the late sixties/early seventies and find midwestern theatres shutting down instead resorting to such dreck as A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and LAST TANGO IN PARIS while mourning the loss of Jerry Lewis and Doris Day movies.
Now, I am not suggesting JACKASS NUMBER TWO and TALLADEGA NIGHTS rate with those two classics but whatever happened to “The show must go on!” and letting the audience decide if the movie rates a visit?
I assume they already showed LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, THE QUEEN, HOLLYWOODLAND, QUINCEANERA, HOUSE OF SAND, FACTOTUM, SHERYBABY, and any number of other films looking to wean an audience away from mainstream crap.
An exhibitor who remains closed until the next formula movie comes out deserves to fail.
If the Lorraine’s idea of quality film is the next James Bond then say goodbye now. You have already lost this battle to the latest generation with questionable taste.
I think it is stupid for a theatre to accept political or religious advertising. They will be prime targets for law suits when the ACLU, Klu Klux Clan, and the American Communist Party come knocking at their door. They will then advertise or be forced to close for being what they really are. One-party fascists.
I have a theory and perhaps someone with better access to the records can pursue it.
Here is my assumption:
The Levy brothers sold the theatre to Samuel Strausberg who eventually incorporated it into the Small & Strausberg chain. This chain, booked by Fox at least as early as 1925, lost control of it’s assets and was forced to officially lease all it’s theatres to Fox by 1929. After the depression, Strausberg started again but never regained the Fox disposals.
I show the Circus and all male Big top co-existing at 1604 Braodway.
There was a 49th Street Playhouse operating in 1982 that I cannot place.
732 Seventh Avenue is the Mini but I have no proof it was also the Frisco.
This from a NYT raid story, Dec. 9, 1972
“Three sheriff’s deputies and a squad of policemen stood guard, as a crew of movers supervised by an attorney, Mark Belnick, removed the property of "San Francisco Adult Movies” from 1531 Broadway, between 45th and 46th streets, and put it into a avan for shipmentto a warehouse. "
Hi Brian, good to see you on this site! I certainly remember you, your rhymes and how you managed the NYC beaurocrats with their own medicine in order to keep us open.
Ed, LM, could the “San Francisco Sex Cinema” (I love that name, by the way) mentioned above be the infamous FRISCO, record holder for their MISS JONES/DEEP THROAT double feature?
I remember people bringing in their own blankets in the winter due to the holes on the roof making it impossible to keep the place warm. Near the end, how Cineplex Odeon could keep it open under those conditions is unexplicable.
Ed, they seem to have moved to the Elgin full time by 1969 and the Anthology Film Archives on Wooster Street by 1970. The last sign of operating at the New Cinema Playhouse was in July 1968.
It appears that in 1970 they were also booking the Elgin, Garrick and Orpheum (Lower East Side) as well as they ran block ads for all three.
By 1970, 120 W. 42nd Street had live sex shows where you could see 8mm porn films being made. I have found no sign of it actually showing porn films.
Ed, the appearance of Andy Warhol films at the Elgin in mid 1968 implies he succeeded. The moving around of prints would also explain the patchwork bookings at the New Cinema Playhouse.
The Cinema Playhouse repeated films for some reason. Hence, WINTER KEPT US WARM played for two weeks in February, then came back for four weeks in April. The Warhol films had similar patchwork runs.
PORTRAIT OF JASON ran for over seven weeks, skipped a week, then came back for two more in 1967.
It has improved although US sports films such as GRIDIRON and ethnic movies often get missed or dealyed for obvious reasons. The UK holidays do not always match the US so THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is now on previews but STORM BREAKER (it opens the US this month) already came and went. HOODWINKED finally opened this week to fantastic grosses although you can order it from Amazon anytime on DVD.
The DVD day and date DVD release helps no one in the movie food chain. It simply burns movies out quicker. If you produce mindless sequels such a the X-MEN movies you could make it work if cinemas didn’t refuse to play them.
I wonder if the Lorraine was too proud to show those stupid films?
The latest in the UK is no four month window means no wide run. Julie Walters and that red-headed boy from HARRY POTTER means straight to TV for a great film: DRIVING LESSONS.
ROAD TO GUANTANAMO, missed it’s major audience by going straight to DVD here.
BUBBLE. What BUBBLE?
If Mark Cuban thinks cinema is over he should sell Landmark and start producing TV reality shows like UGLY BETTY. Derivative cliché is his best mode.
As long as someone makes movies such as BORAT, we have an industry that is alive, contemporary, belligerent and exciting. No matter what Bush’s America thinks.
There is no real training. Learn as much as you can about film and start at an entry level assistant job IN THE FILM DEPARTMENT. Most chains like to promote from within or hire from another chain’s Film Department. Crossing over from other departments tends to be difficult as Film Buyers are a clubby bunch who socialise with other Film Buyers and distributors rather than their own company members.
Good heavens! Artistic (hmm) murals and FRISKY HORNY KINKY SLU… just across the street? Maybe someone could recreate a replica of this street on 41st street for the tourist trade.
Obviously it is not just me, but wasn’t this squalor oddly beautiful?
There is more than a little posturing in this act. You can go back to the late sixties/early seventies and find midwestern theatres shutting down instead resorting to such dreck as A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and LAST TANGO IN PARIS while mourning the loss of Jerry Lewis and Doris Day movies.
Now, I am not suggesting JACKASS NUMBER TWO and TALLADEGA NIGHTS rate with those two classics but whatever happened to “The show must go on!” and letting the audience decide if the movie rates a visit?
I assume they already showed LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, THE QUEEN, HOLLYWOODLAND, QUINCEANERA, HOUSE OF SAND, FACTOTUM, SHERYBABY, and any number of other films looking to wean an audience away from mainstream crap.
An exhibitor who remains closed until the next formula movie comes out deserves to fail.
If the Lorraine’s idea of quality film is the next James Bond then say goodbye now. You have already lost this battle to the latest generation with questionable taste.
I think it is stupid for a theatre to accept political or religious advertising. They will be prime targets for law suits when the ACLU, Klu Klux Clan, and the American Communist Party come knocking at their door. They will then advertise or be forced to close for being what they really are. One-party fascists.
I have a theory and perhaps someone with better access to the records can pursue it.
Here is my assumption:
The Levy brothers sold the theatre to Samuel Strausberg who eventually incorporated it into the Small & Strausberg chain. This chain, booked by Fox at least as early as 1925, lost control of it’s assets and was forced to officially lease all it’s theatres to Fox by 1929. After the depression, Strausberg started again but never regained the Fox disposals.
Any takers?
Brigitteg, this was published in May:
For sale or lease by owner, Bill Ogden, please call 305-663-5860.
Warren, Ed,
I am so glad this unravelling series porn mystery is bringing us together.
Lost Memory, can we have a (very heterosexual, of course) group hug?
Hi Guys, I have been out of town.
I show the Circus and all male Big top co-existing at 1604 Braodway.
There was a 49th Street Playhouse operating in 1982 that I cannot place.
732 Seventh Avenue is the Mini but I have no proof it was also the Frisco.
This from a NYT raid story, Dec. 9, 1972
“Three sheriff’s deputies and a squad of policemen stood guard, as a crew of movers supervised by an attorney, Mark Belnick, removed the property of "San Francisco Adult Movies” from 1531 Broadway, between 45th and 46th streets, and put it into a avan for shipmentto a warehouse. "
That address is the old Astor also. (???)
Hi Brian, good to see you on this site! I certainly remember you, your rhymes and how you managed the NYC beaurocrats with their own medicine in order to keep us open.
No I don’t have the Frisco address but I expected it to be around 720 Seventh Avenue, not Broadway.
Ed, LM, could the “San Francisco Sex Cinema” (I love that name, by the way) mentioned above be the infamous FRISCO, record holder for their MISS JONES/DEEP THROAT double feature?
Thank you for sharing that bit of mental vomit, Art. I hope you feel superior now.
I will explain.
The Ridgewood is still a viable business. Loews Kings is an war zone where the Kenmore was shot out of operation just a few years ago.
That’s why.
Thank you for sharing that bit of mental vomit, Art. I hope you feel superior now.
I will explain.
The Ridgewood is still a viable business. Loews Kings is an war zone where the Kenmore was shot out of operation just a few years ago.
That’s why.
I remember people bringing in their own blankets in the winter due to the holes on the roof making it impossible to keep the place warm. Near the end, how Cineplex Odeon could keep it open under those conditions is unexplicable.
Ed, the Rialto East was the Pix.
MAROONED
View link
Ed, the Film-makers Cooperative booked for Warhol so it may have been Mekas booking the Elgin on films such as THE CHELSEA GIRLS.
The Andy Warhol Garrick theatre was at 152 Bleecker Street.
Ed, they seem to have moved to the Elgin full time by 1969 and the Anthology Film Archives on Wooster Street by 1970. The last sign of operating at the New Cinema Playhouse was in July 1968.
It appears that in 1970 they were also booking the Elgin, Garrick and Orpheum (Lower East Side) as well as they ran block ads for all three.
By 1970, 120 W. 42nd Street had live sex shows where you could see 8mm porn films being made. I have found no sign of it actually showing porn films.
Ed, the appearance of Andy Warhol films at the Elgin in mid 1968 implies he succeeded. The moving around of prints would also explain the patchwork bookings at the New Cinema Playhouse.
The Cinema Playhouse repeated films for some reason. Hence, WINTER KEPT US WARM played for two weeks in February, then came back for four weeks in April. The Warhol films had similar patchwork runs.
PORTRAIT OF JASON ran for over seven weeks, skipped a week, then came back for two more in 1967.
Ed, I’m afraid I don’t know how to do that but here is the line-up.
TEH HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD STARTS MAY 12, 1971
Manhattan
(while continuing at) RKO 59th St. TWINS
RKO 23RD ST.
RKO COLISUEM
NEW AMSTERDAM
ROOSEVELT 145TH ST.
Brooklyn
RKO ALBEE
RKO DYKER
RKO KENMORE
RKO MADISON
GEORGETOWN TWIN 2
KINGSWAY
Queens
RKO ALDEN
RKO KEITHS
BOULEVARD
ELMWOOD
Bronx
RKO FORDHAM
WHITESTONE DRIVE-IN
No signs of porn here, ed although it did show “Andy Warhol’s f***” (aka BLUE MOVIE).
Ed, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD went wide around on May 11, 1971 including the the RKO Madison. There is no mention of a second feature.