Movieguy718… Have you sampled all 25 screens here (plus the 13 across the street at Loew’s E-Walk)? That must have been quite a project. Thanks for sharing your findings. I’ve only seen a couple of movies here and haven’t been back in a few years. The only film that jumps to mind is the Disney much-belated animated sequel to its own 1967 “Jungle Book” – I had taken my young son and his friend to a show up the block at the New Victory Theater and thought I’d extend the evening’s entertainment with the movie. It was my first opportunity to see a movie here and I was impressed with how they constructed their ticket lobby within the shell of the old Empire auditorium, although its a shame none of the detail under the balcony overhang was preserved. I’ve still not been up to the mezzanine area. Were there two balconies in the original theater? The upper level shown in KenRoe’s photo doesn’t appear to have any facade ornamentation at all. Perhaps it was stripped during its life as a grind house. Anyway, the film was projected nice and bright and the sound was loud and clear – and the stadium seating comfortable with excellent site lines all around. Perhaps things have deteriorated since then or I just wasn’t paying particular attention.
The flow of traffic in the theater is well maintained and – fittingly for the “new” 42nd Street – a bit reminiscent of an attraction at Disney World. The main lobby is basically one way going in to the theater with most of the escalators and exit routes leading patrons into the adjoining space to the east where they can dine at a neighboring restaurant (Applebees) or continue through a gift shop (where they’ll hopefully be stimulated to make an impulse purchase) on their way back to the street. Very calculated.
Interesting davebazooka… Is the bottom portion of the marquee the original canopy – with a new frame built around and over it to accomodate the more modern and boxy marquee?
Wow. Had I but known. I did not catch that April Fools show, but I did see the show a night or two before where John Belushi came out and did cartwheels and took some vocals on the show’s encore. Also caught Jerry Garcia here a few times in the ‘80’s and one or two other shows. It was a really big place, but I don’t remember it being particularly ornate. Perhaps much of the detail work was stripped or thickly painted over (I remember the walls and interior facades were all a sort of dull off-white color) by the early '80’s. I much preferred the Palladium (former Academy of Music) in Manhattan as a concert venue at the time. And Passaic was a pain in the ass to get to (I didn’t drive at the time and always had to bum rides).
I caught the end of an item on the news last night (I think WABC channel 7 here in NYC) about a plan that has been finalized to redevelop the Victoria building. I didn’t catch the details at all, but there will be a building rising above the theater and – while it will not be restored to single screen theatrical use – as much of the architectural elements and detail work will be retained and restored as possible. Not sure if this will prove to be another RKO Keith’s project in the making. I know that they’ve been looking for a developer and taking bids on this site for at least the past year or more. I couldn’t find the story on the net, but I admit I didn’t really search all that hard. I tried the NY Times sight, as well as WABC and WNBC sites. I also Googled a few variations on the topic, but didn’t find anything. Anyone have details on the current plans?
Thanks, Bob. I think someone had commented on this page that some small portion of the theater was still visible toward the rear of the 2nd story in Toys ‘r’ Us. I found this article (from June 2004, so it predates the opening of the Bond 45 Restaurant Warren references above), which contains some history of the so-called Bow Tie building and includes a passage near the very end that refers to the “midnight blue ceiling” and roof trusses of the Criterion still being visible above the huge doll house that is one of the toy store’s various “attractions.” The description “midnight blue” would seem to suggest an atmospheric design (which we know the Criterion did not have) so I’m not sure I’d lend much credence to the reference. But perhaps this exposes truss work is what might have been alluded to in the earlier comments here on this page.
I was going to mention that, Warren… but I figured that should be a discussion for the Criterion site. Not that discussing L.I. malls has much to do with the old Mayfair either!!! The place is called Bond 45 in a nod to the famous clothing store and discothèque than had shared occupancy of the building with the Criterion over the years. The red and blue block neon lettering over the entrance is very much in the spirit of the old Times Square (a welcome respite from the blinding electronic video displays that dominate the area). Sort of reminds me of the old Jack Dempsey’s that occupied a corner of the Brill Building once upon a time.
Yes, it was the one in the Source Mall where Fortunoff’s is. You would have thought with the crowds that gather there waiting for 90 minutes for a table at the Cheesecake Factory or P.F. Chaing’s, there’d be sufficient time for some impulse shopping at Virgin, but it wasn’t to be.
Astrocks… I was not one of those people dancing in a circle, I can assure you. I was never one of the twirlers, as they were known. I do a fair amount of boogie-ing at a good concert, but I mostly confine it to the space I occupy standing in front of my seat. I was not there for the show where the dude leapt or fell from the mezzanine, but I remember folks buzzing about it on the street and in the lobby when I got there for MY first show of that run.
As for WHT, if you didn’t have the Wometco converter, you could still tune into channel 68 – since it was a regular UHF station – but you would see a scrambled picture and the audio was some laid back guy who basically played music and would talk about how great a WHT subscription would be between tunes. I remember I would tune in just to check this guy out. He played decent music and would talk about the movies playing that month on the service – all in a very warm and charming manner. He probably had an audience that numbered in the dozens at best, but he did his thing as if he really wanted to entertain the people who happened upon the channel. I also remember that the station broadcast regular unscrambled TV during the day and would scramble only at night – around 7 or 8pm. It was an independent channel out of Newak – or somewhere in north Jersey. One of the regular programs was the comedy show of “Uncle Floyd” Vivino. When subscriptions starting reaching further east on Long Island, I remember they had to begin a duplicate broadcast on another UHF channel – 72 perhaps?
Ah well… I digress. I have a habit of doing that. I now return you to your regular programming.
Like I said, PKoch… ABC might have picked up Rock Concert after that first season. You’re probably right about Creature Features' time slot, but I think that show bumped around a lot. I clearly remember watching a Creature Feature presentation of Christopher Lee in “Dracula Has Risen From the Grave” one Saturday afternoon when I was about 10 or 11. As for Chiller Theater, I mostly remember that after Zacherle’s departure when the intro was only the 6-fingered hand and that creepy music in the background – then that eerie voice saying “Chil-ler” – man, that really set the mood for one of those old fright flicks. WOR channel 9 had something called Fright Night which featured a skull with smoke coming out of its eyes and WABC channel 7 had the voice of John Carradine introducing their late night horror movies under the title Haunted Hollywood. Now I’m thinking that Vincent Price might have had a voice over on one of these kind of shows… but I can’t quite nail it down.
Sheesh… quite an addictive thing, this digression stuff!!! Can’t seem to stop it…
I was there this past weekend and Toys ‘R’ Us is definitely still open for business. Besides, most of the building – beyond just the theater itself – was gutted to the outer walls for the conversion. I do recall reading in one of the earlier comments, that some remnant of the theater was visible at the rear of the store’s 2nd level, but I have not made it back to the store to check it out.
I know Toys ‘R’ Us has gone through some financial difficulties and has closed many of its stores, but most of the locations I’m familiar with in the NY area are still up and running (and presumably doing well). I did note that a well located Long Island location of the Virgin Megastore had closed down, but the Times Square branch continues to thrive. I’m sure the extraordinary volume of foot traffic keeps both locations among each company’s most profitable – despite what must be extremely high operating nuts.
When Apple Computer announced it would open a 2nd store in NYC, I was very surprised to learn the location would NOT be in Times Square but up in the GM Building on 5th and 59th. Perhaps CEO Steve Jobs prefers the more elegant company of FAO Schwartz, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany’s, the Plaza Hotel and Central Park to the louder and more obnoxious environs of Times Square!
Astrocks… then you must remember me! I was one of the great many hordes of dirty, hairy Dead Heads that descended upon the Hall for a series of 10 concerts the Grateful Dead played there in October of 1980! I’m joking, naturally. But I was there for 5 of those shows, although I was neither dirty nor hairy – nor did I travel in a horde. As this run (along with a matching set of shows at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater) was an unofficial celebration of the band’s 15 year anniversary, the final show on Halloween was simulcast, I believe, for closed circuit broadcast to other theaters. Either that or it was broadcast live on cable TV. Not too long after the concert, I remember a replay on the old Wometco Home Theater pay-service – remember WHT? You needed a special UHF antenna with a decoder box and tuned into channel 68 in NY to receive the transmission (this was mostly for the outer boroughs, which did not have cable TV like Manhattan did).
Anyway… I recall that many in the crowd were disrespectful of the old gal, but I always thought of her as a Queen and was sure to leave nothing but the proverbial tracks when I left the theater. I was just thrilled that the theater I cherished from childhood had been saved from demolition and that – just a cherry on top of this delicious cake – my favorite band was going to settle in under those magnificent proscenium arches for a nice long run of shows. What was your job there, astrocks?
I forgot to add: Note the message to “Stop Pay TV” on the top of the Victory Theater marquee in that same photo!!! By doing some searchin on imdb.com, I was able to determine that the Victory marquee advertises “The Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill” as the main feature along with “A Smell of Honey, A Swallow of Brine”, both of which are listed with a 1966 release and both starring one Stacey Walker – apparently a high school drop out from Texas who made these two sexploitation flicks and then high-tailed it back to Texas to finish school and resume a life of complete obscurity. The 3rd “extra” attraction appears to be called “The Casting Director” for which imdb has only sketchy information but lists as a short 6 minute striptease film released in Finland (!) in 1968.
The Eva Renzi flick at the Rialto, “That Woman” (in its “13th Big Week”) is also listed for 1966 on imdb. Perhaps the “The Casting Director” was also released in 1966 in the U.S. and that is the year of the photo?
While searching for updates on the renovation of the Times Square Theater, I came across this web page from a site about NY architecture. There are some excellent photos taken over the years of the north side of 42nd Street, including a late ‘60’s image of one of the Rialto marquees proclaiming it to be “New York’s Newest Movie Theater”. I assume this was the new Rialto 2 marquee for the auditorium created in the basement and that the identical adjacent marquee (seen in one of the other photos on the page) was the relocated entrance that led one in behind the screen of the original 1930’s era Rialto Theater auditorium.
Does anyone have an exact date when that work was done? I know the entrance was later relocated back to 7th Ave when the theater was re-dubbed the Warner for a last gasp at life in the ‘80’s.
The Carolina is also less than half the size of the Keith’s and, therefore, probably a lot easier and less costly to build around. I still think these articles should be included in any materials or petitions submitted to Boymelgreen and the proper political offices in the effort to save the Keith’s.
Ha! Glad to be a part of that synchronicity, BobT… I should probably post this on the Rialto site, but the marquee in that photo in my link advertising “That Woman” would seem to be one of the Rialto marquees. Note the decorations above the marquee and the boasting that this is “New York’s Newest Movie Theater”… would that be a result of the “twinning” of the Rialto by opening a 2nd theater in the basement space? There was another identical marquee to the right of that one for the Rialto’s other auditorium – which was the original from 1935 when the theater opened on the very site of a previous and larger Rialto.
I have vague memories of Zacherly’s radio and TV hosting chores. While I was too young to have attended any of those shows, I have a Grateful Dead CD from the Fillmore East where the band is introduced by Zacherly – apparently in full macabre regalia as Phil Lesh is heard in the background saying “Nice to see you, Count Dracula” in an exaggerated Lugosi-like accent!
The only elements that were held aloft on a pedestal for preservation were the legitimate theater and the concept of excessive electronic signage. Surely there must have been some room to tidy up and increase security in the area for tourists while also preserving/restoring at least a few of the remaining movie theaters (such as the Rivoli, State and Strand) in a nod to the area’s identity as a premier showcase for big Hollywood films. I thank the efforts of all involved (both political and corporate) for the beautiful restoration of the New Amsterdam and Victory Theaters and I’m thankful that folks from other parts of the world are once again interested in coming to my city and investing much of their hard earned dollars into the local economy. But I’m supremely disappointed that the architects of the area’s redevelopment had such blatant disregard for its great tradition of cinematic showmanship. In that regard, I think the Koch and Guiliani administration (and all other parties involved) did something significantly less then their best.
Unfortunately, yet another very sad loss in a long line of very sad losses for NYC. I assume they’re storing the cursive Beekman sign that stood atop the front facade parapet wall somewhere safe until it can be integrated into the new building? Or will those famous letters mysteriously “disappear” before then?
Makes sense, Warren… Looks like there was an alley under the balcony fire escape that led to 50th Street as shown in your 2nd photo posted in October. In that same photo, you can see where the stage area sort of notches out towards 6th Ave away from the side auditorium wall. That notch is undoubtedly where the loading bay doors were. With that one story building in the way, I couldn’t make out the alley.
Vincent… judging from the photo, I wonder if the theater was rented out for some kind of business meeting. There seems to be a lecturn (a rather ornate one) on stage to the right of that screen, and the screen itself might have been matted (or even a drop down) for a slide show or 16mm industrial-film presentation. There might be an overhead or small slide projector on a platform behind the small audience we see seated in the photo. I agree, its a shame they hid the proscenium behind that drapery.
Here’s an excellent but dated web page that features a 2004 NY Times article about the (then) newly announced plans for Ecko to take over the Times Square Theater plus a number of great photos of the north side of 42nd Street from various years – most notably a few shots from the mid ‘90’s that more or less document a chronology (albeit one that is out of sequence on the page) of the block.
I’m still wondering if Ecko has opened yet. Can’t find anything about it yet on the web – even on Ecko’s own site. Anyone walk by here on a routine basis?
This is where I saw “My Dinner with Andre” in 1981. Funny, back then, I was just jazzed to be going into Manhattan to see these kinds of movies that rarely made it out to the neighborhood cinemas and I hardly ever noticed the deficiencies in design or decor. I could certainly appreciate when I entered a stunning space like the Rivoli or Keith’s, but it wasn’t until later that I became so discerning about the theatrical space. I was just enthralled by the quality of films available only in Manhattan. I guess over the years as that quality has spiraled downward with every new film squeezed into a narrow funnel of PG-13 mediocrity based on ideas that basically re-hash every old movie and sitcom that ever attained a modicum of popularity, I was able to focus my attention on the quality of the theatrical decor and presentation. I’m sure if I walked into Lincoln Plaza Cinema’s today, I’d be pretty unenthusiastic.
Movieguy718… Have you sampled all 25 screens here (plus the 13 across the street at Loew’s E-Walk)? That must have been quite a project. Thanks for sharing your findings. I’ve only seen a couple of movies here and haven’t been back in a few years. The only film that jumps to mind is the Disney much-belated animated sequel to its own 1967 “Jungle Book” – I had taken my young son and his friend to a show up the block at the New Victory Theater and thought I’d extend the evening’s entertainment with the movie. It was my first opportunity to see a movie here and I was impressed with how they constructed their ticket lobby within the shell of the old Empire auditorium, although its a shame none of the detail under the balcony overhang was preserved. I’ve still not been up to the mezzanine area. Were there two balconies in the original theater? The upper level shown in KenRoe’s photo doesn’t appear to have any facade ornamentation at all. Perhaps it was stripped during its life as a grind house. Anyway, the film was projected nice and bright and the sound was loud and clear – and the stadium seating comfortable with excellent site lines all around. Perhaps things have deteriorated since then or I just wasn’t paying particular attention.
The flow of traffic in the theater is well maintained and – fittingly for the “new” 42nd Street – a bit reminiscent of an attraction at Disney World. The main lobby is basically one way going in to the theater with most of the escalators and exit routes leading patrons into the adjoining space to the east where they can dine at a neighboring restaurant (Applebees) or continue through a gift shop (where they’ll hopefully be stimulated to make an impulse purchase) on their way back to the street. Very calculated.
Interesting davebazooka… Is the bottom portion of the marquee the original canopy – with a new frame built around and over it to accomodate the more modern and boxy marquee?
It also appears that anything posted during the time of the outages did not make it on to the site.
Wow. Had I but known. I did not catch that April Fools show, but I did see the show a night or two before where John Belushi came out and did cartwheels and took some vocals on the show’s encore. Also caught Jerry Garcia here a few times in the ‘80’s and one or two other shows. It was a really big place, but I don’t remember it being particularly ornate. Perhaps much of the detail work was stripped or thickly painted over (I remember the walls and interior facades were all a sort of dull off-white color) by the early '80’s. I much preferred the Palladium (former Academy of Music) in Manhattan as a concert venue at the time. And Passaic was a pain in the ass to get to (I didn’t drive at the time and always had to bum rides).
I caught the end of an item on the news last night (I think WABC channel 7 here in NYC) about a plan that has been finalized to redevelop the Victoria building. I didn’t catch the details at all, but there will be a building rising above the theater and – while it will not be restored to single screen theatrical use – as much of the architectural elements and detail work will be retained and restored as possible. Not sure if this will prove to be another RKO Keith’s project in the making. I know that they’ve been looking for a developer and taking bids on this site for at least the past year or more. I couldn’t find the story on the net, but I admit I didn’t really search all that hard. I tried the NY Times sight, as well as WABC and WNBC sites. I also Googled a few variations on the topic, but didn’t find anything. Anyone have details on the current plans?
Thanks, Bob. I think someone had commented on this page that some small portion of the theater was still visible toward the rear of the 2nd story in Toys ‘r’ Us. I found this article (from June 2004, so it predates the opening of the Bond 45 Restaurant Warren references above), which contains some history of the so-called Bow Tie building and includes a passage near the very end that refers to the “midnight blue ceiling” and roof trusses of the Criterion still being visible above the huge doll house that is one of the toy store’s various “attractions.” The description “midnight blue” would seem to suggest an atmospheric design (which we know the Criterion did not have) so I’m not sure I’d lend much credence to the reference. But perhaps this exposes truss work is what might have been alluded to in the earlier comments here on this page.
I was going to mention that, Warren… but I figured that should be a discussion for the Criterion site. Not that discussing L.I. malls has much to do with the old Mayfair either!!! The place is called Bond 45 in a nod to the famous clothing store and discothèque than had shared occupancy of the building with the Criterion over the years. The red and blue block neon lettering over the entrance is very much in the spirit of the old Times Square (a welcome respite from the blinding electronic video displays that dominate the area). Sort of reminds me of the old Jack Dempsey’s that occupied a corner of the Brill Building once upon a time.
Interesting, Joe. I wonder if they still have some of the material in their Chelsea store.
Yes, it was the one in the Source Mall where Fortunoff’s is. You would have thought with the crowds that gather there waiting for 90 minutes for a table at the Cheesecake Factory or P.F. Chaing’s, there’d be sufficient time for some impulse shopping at Virgin, but it wasn’t to be.
Astrocks… I was not one of those people dancing in a circle, I can assure you. I was never one of the twirlers, as they were known. I do a fair amount of boogie-ing at a good concert, but I mostly confine it to the space I occupy standing in front of my seat. I was not there for the show where the dude leapt or fell from the mezzanine, but I remember folks buzzing about it on the street and in the lobby when I got there for MY first show of that run.
As for WHT, if you didn’t have the Wometco converter, you could still tune into channel 68 – since it was a regular UHF station – but you would see a scrambled picture and the audio was some laid back guy who basically played music and would talk about how great a WHT subscription would be between tunes. I remember I would tune in just to check this guy out. He played decent music and would talk about the movies playing that month on the service – all in a very warm and charming manner. He probably had an audience that numbered in the dozens at best, but he did his thing as if he really wanted to entertain the people who happened upon the channel. I also remember that the station broadcast regular unscrambled TV during the day and would scramble only at night – around 7 or 8pm. It was an independent channel out of Newak – or somewhere in north Jersey. One of the regular programs was the comedy show of “Uncle Floyd” Vivino. When subscriptions starting reaching further east on Long Island, I remember they had to begin a duplicate broadcast on another UHF channel – 72 perhaps?
Ah well… I digress. I have a habit of doing that. I now return you to your regular programming.
Like I said, PKoch… ABC might have picked up Rock Concert after that first season. You’re probably right about Creature Features' time slot, but I think that show bumped around a lot. I clearly remember watching a Creature Feature presentation of Christopher Lee in “Dracula Has Risen From the Grave” one Saturday afternoon when I was about 10 or 11. As for Chiller Theater, I mostly remember that after Zacherle’s departure when the intro was only the 6-fingered hand and that creepy music in the background – then that eerie voice saying “Chil-ler” – man, that really set the mood for one of those old fright flicks. WOR channel 9 had something called Fright Night which featured a skull with smoke coming out of its eyes and WABC channel 7 had the voice of John Carradine introducing their late night horror movies under the title Haunted Hollywood. Now I’m thinking that Vincent Price might have had a voice over on one of these kind of shows… but I can’t quite nail it down.
Sheesh… quite an addictive thing, this digression stuff!!! Can’t seem to stop it…
I was there this past weekend and Toys ‘R’ Us is definitely still open for business. Besides, most of the building – beyond just the theater itself – was gutted to the outer walls for the conversion. I do recall reading in one of the earlier comments, that some remnant of the theater was visible at the rear of the store’s 2nd level, but I have not made it back to the store to check it out.
I know Toys ‘R’ Us has gone through some financial difficulties and has closed many of its stores, but most of the locations I’m familiar with in the NY area are still up and running (and presumably doing well). I did note that a well located Long Island location of the Virgin Megastore had closed down, but the Times Square branch continues to thrive. I’m sure the extraordinary volume of foot traffic keeps both locations among each company’s most profitable – despite what must be extremely high operating nuts.
When Apple Computer announced it would open a 2nd store in NYC, I was very surprised to learn the location would NOT be in Times Square but up in the GM Building on 5th and 59th. Perhaps CEO Steve Jobs prefers the more elegant company of FAO Schwartz, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany’s, the Plaza Hotel and Central Park to the louder and more obnoxious environs of Times Square!
Astrocks… then you must remember me! I was one of the great many hordes of dirty, hairy Dead Heads that descended upon the Hall for a series of 10 concerts the Grateful Dead played there in October of 1980! I’m joking, naturally. But I was there for 5 of those shows, although I was neither dirty nor hairy – nor did I travel in a horde. As this run (along with a matching set of shows at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater) was an unofficial celebration of the band’s 15 year anniversary, the final show on Halloween was simulcast, I believe, for closed circuit broadcast to other theaters. Either that or it was broadcast live on cable TV. Not too long after the concert, I remember a replay on the old Wometco Home Theater pay-service – remember WHT? You needed a special UHF antenna with a decoder box and tuned into channel 68 in NY to receive the transmission (this was mostly for the outer boroughs, which did not have cable TV like Manhattan did).
Anyway… I recall that many in the crowd were disrespectful of the old gal, but I always thought of her as a Queen and was sure to leave nothing but the proverbial tracks when I left the theater. I was just thrilled that the theater I cherished from childhood had been saved from demolition and that – just a cherry on top of this delicious cake – my favorite band was going to settle in under those magnificent proscenium arches for a nice long run of shows. What was your job there, astrocks?
I forgot to add: Note the message to “Stop Pay TV” on the top of the Victory Theater marquee in that same photo!!! By doing some searchin on imdb.com, I was able to determine that the Victory marquee advertises “The Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill” as the main feature along with “A Smell of Honey, A Swallow of Brine”, both of which are listed with a 1966 release and both starring one Stacey Walker – apparently a high school drop out from Texas who made these two sexploitation flicks and then high-tailed it back to Texas to finish school and resume a life of complete obscurity. The 3rd “extra” attraction appears to be called “The Casting Director” for which imdb has only sketchy information but lists as a short 6 minute striptease film released in Finland (!) in 1968.
The Eva Renzi flick at the Rialto, “That Woman” (in its “13th Big Week”) is also listed for 1966 on imdb. Perhaps the “The Casting Director” was also released in 1966 in the U.S. and that is the year of the photo?
While searching for updates on the renovation of the Times Square Theater, I came across this web page from a site about NY architecture. There are some excellent photos taken over the years of the north side of 42nd Street, including a late ‘60’s image of one of the Rialto marquees proclaiming it to be “New York’s Newest Movie Theater”. I assume this was the new Rialto 2 marquee for the auditorium created in the basement and that the identical adjacent marquee (seen in one of the other photos on the page) was the relocated entrance that led one in behind the screen of the original 1930’s era Rialto Theater auditorium.
Does anyone have an exact date when that work was done? I know the entrance was later relocated back to 7th Ave when the theater was re-dubbed the Warner for a last gasp at life in the ‘80’s.
Can you describe the theater’s original decor, Jay58? A very early post here from RobertR recalls more wood detail than plaster.
The Carolina is also less than half the size of the Keith’s and, therefore, probably a lot easier and less costly to build around. I still think these articles should be included in any materials or petitions submitted to Boymelgreen and the proper political offices in the effort to save the Keith’s.
Ha! Glad to be a part of that synchronicity, BobT… I should probably post this on the Rialto site, but the marquee in that photo in my link advertising “That Woman” would seem to be one of the Rialto marquees. Note the decorations above the marquee and the boasting that this is “New York’s Newest Movie Theater”… would that be a result of the “twinning” of the Rialto by opening a 2nd theater in the basement space? There was another identical marquee to the right of that one for the Rialto’s other auditorium – which was the original from 1935 when the theater opened on the very site of a previous and larger Rialto.
I have vague memories of Zacherly’s radio and TV hosting chores. While I was too young to have attended any of those shows, I have a Grateful Dead CD from the Fillmore East where the band is introduced by Zacherly – apparently in full macabre regalia as Phil Lesh is heard in the background saying “Nice to see you, Count Dracula” in an exaggerated Lugosi-like accent!
CConnolly… Just my two cents:
I love the Times Square area, even though I have great nostalgia for the way things were and have a number of criticisms about the direction its OVERdevelopment has taken in the last 10 years. I wouldn’t consider it “bashing” to wax nostalgic for bygone days. Yes, there was a dangerous and forbidding element to the area, say 15 or 20 years ago, but there was also a sense of honky-tonk and wickedness that lent an air of adventure to the place. Perhaps I’m looking back through the naiveté of my youth, but the redevelopment of the district has squashed most of the atmosphere that defined the Square to begin with and has all but completely eradicated its cinematic legacy in favor of corporate-vanity projects, like the towering and overwhelming Reuters and Conde Naste skyscrapers.
The only elements that were held aloft on a pedestal for preservation were the legitimate theater and the concept of excessive electronic signage. Surely there must have been some room to tidy up and increase security in the area for tourists while also preserving/restoring at least a few of the remaining movie theaters (such as the Rivoli, State and Strand) in a nod to the area’s identity as a premier showcase for big Hollywood films. I thank the efforts of all involved (both political and corporate) for the beautiful restoration of the New Amsterdam and Victory Theaters and I’m thankful that folks from other parts of the world are once again interested in coming to my city and investing much of their hard earned dollars into the local economy. But I’m supremely disappointed that the architects of the area’s redevelopment had such blatant disregard for its great tradition of cinematic showmanship. In that regard, I think the Koch and Guiliani administration (and all other parties involved) did something significantly less then their best.
Unfortunately, yet another very sad loss in a long line of very sad losses for NYC. I assume they’re storing the cursive Beekman sign that stood atop the front facade parapet wall somewhere safe until it can be integrated into the new building? Or will those famous letters mysteriously “disappear” before then?
Makes sense, Warren… Looks like there was an alley under the balcony fire escape that led to 50th Street as shown in your 2nd photo posted in October. In that same photo, you can see where the stage area sort of notches out towards 6th Ave away from the side auditorium wall. That notch is undoubtedly where the loading bay doors were. With that one story building in the way, I couldn’t make out the alley.
Vincent… judging from the photo, I wonder if the theater was rented out for some kind of business meeting. There seems to be a lecturn (a rather ornate one) on stage to the right of that screen, and the screen itself might have been matted (or even a drop down) for a slide show or 16mm industrial-film presentation. There might be an overhead or small slide projector on a platform behind the small audience we see seated in the photo. I agree, its a shame they hid the proscenium behind that drapery.
Here’s an excellent but dated web page that features a 2004 NY Times article about the (then) newly announced plans for Ecko to take over the Times Square Theater plus a number of great photos of the north side of 42nd Street from various years – most notably a few shots from the mid ‘90’s that more or less document a chronology (albeit one that is out of sequence on the page) of the block.
I’m still wondering if Ecko has opened yet. Can’t find anything about it yet on the web – even on Ecko’s own site. Anyone walk by here on a routine basis?
I can’t recall if it was here or at the Little Carnegie around the corner where I saw the film “Imagine” about John Lennon in 1988 or so.
This is where I saw “My Dinner with Andre” in 1981. Funny, back then, I was just jazzed to be going into Manhattan to see these kinds of movies that rarely made it out to the neighborhood cinemas and I hardly ever noticed the deficiencies in design or decor. I could certainly appreciate when I entered a stunning space like the Rivoli or Keith’s, but it wasn’t until later that I became so discerning about the theatrical space. I was just enthralled by the quality of films available only in Manhattan. I guess over the years as that quality has spiraled downward with every new film squeezed into a narrow funnel of PG-13 mediocrity based on ideas that basically re-hash every old movie and sitcom that ever attained a modicum of popularity, I was able to focus my attention on the quality of the theatrical decor and presentation. I’m sure if I walked into Lincoln Plaza Cinema’s today, I’d be pretty unenthusiastic.