I looked up the ads and one of the reasons for the long run may have been that for much of it, the film ran a Broadway show schedule with matinees only on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday with three shows on Saturdays. So for much of the run, there was only one show per day.
After the huge success of M.A.S.H, 20th Century-Fox realized that they could market PATTON to the anti-war youth market by rushing it out into wide release. They took it out of roadshow early and cashed in. The “A Salute to a Rebel” catch line had already been abandoned earlier in the run. They later re-released them as a double feature.
The other three theatres were the RKO 23rd St., Trans-Lux 85th St., and the RKO Albee in Brooklyn. Judging by the show times at the Trans-Lux, I suspect there was no intermission.
According to Variety, LA MANCHA made 3.8 million in studio rentals (double that for the total gross). MUSIC made only 3 million in the 1973 re-release.
In 1991-1992, this briefly became known as ‘Cinema 12th street’ as the ‘Cinema Village’ name moved to the Bijou. By 1993 they were know as the ‘Cinema Village’ and the ‘Cinema Village on 3rd Avenue’, respectively.
The X was the only rating that could be self imposed without even submitting the film. Studios fought the rating in the late seventies and eighties, but they sought it in the early days when it was box office bait. Once you advertised the film as ‘X’ you could not change it for a year even if you had been awarded an R. Variety says “COWBOY” originally got an R and UA went with an X anyway. They eventually went back to the R when many malls started banning X films. “A CLOCKWORK ORANGE”, for example, was cut and re-submitted a year after the first release.
“MIDNIGHT COWBOY” never got an “X”. It received an “R” rating and decided to go with the “X” instead. It was allowed to revert to the “R” rating a year later, as per the rules.
“MIDNIGHT COWBOY” had a self imposed X rating and became a big hit. Jack Valenti did more for X-rated films by attacking this film than he could have possibly imagined. After this film became a hit, mainstream Hollywood studios (Universal & Fox), self imposed X-ratings on many of their movies and were greatly rewarded for it by the boxoffice.
David, there were groups that did that back then, but they mostly rented existing theatres. The old Grove Movie on Virginia Street and the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Coral Gables before it became the Cinematheque, often played film society shows.
I looked up the ads and one of the reasons for the long run may have been that for much of it, the film ran a Broadway show schedule with matinees only on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday with three shows on Saturdays. So for much of the run, there was only one show per day.
In Miami Beach it was sold as light comedy, so go figure!
Variety stated back then that THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK had bombed everywhere except New York and Miami Beach.
After the huge success of M.A.S.H, 20th Century-Fox realized that they could market PATTON to the anti-war youth market by rushing it out into wide release. They took it out of roadshow early and cashed in. The “A Salute to a Rebel” catch line had already been abandoned earlier in the run. They later re-released them as a double feature.
The roadshow run of LAST TANGO IN PARIS at the Gotham (Trans Lux East)outgrossed YOUNG WINSTON, NICHOLAS & ALEXANDRA and MAN OF LA MANCHA.
MAN OF LA MANCHA played for about 18 weeks. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF played for a year and outgrossed both FUNNY GIRL and OLIVER!.
The other three theatres were the RKO 23rd St., Trans-Lux 85th St., and the RKO Albee in Brooklyn. Judging by the show times at the Trans-Lux, I suspect there was no intermission.
I just remembered that I have a souvenir programs for THE ROSE and TOMMY.
bigjoe, it was not a roadshow. It actually opened at four locations in NYC.
According to Variety, LA MANCHA made 3.8 million in studio rentals (double that for the total gross). MUSIC made only 3 million in the 1973 re-release.
Except MAN OF LA MANCHA did better than that SOUND OF MUSIC re-release and movie musicals were all failing.
As per the NY Times article, Thursday April 21, 1955. The Roxy screen was 64 ½ x 26 ½ and curved. The Paramount VistaVision was 64 x 35 and curved.
The Warner Cinerama was 67 and 24 ½ and seriously curved.
I don’t think I have ever been in their men’s room.
In 1991-1992, this briefly became known as ‘Cinema 12th street’ as the ‘Cinema Village’ name moved to the Bijou. By 1993 they were know as the ‘Cinema Village’ and the ‘Cinema Village on 3rd Avenue’, respectively.
bigjoe, why aren’t you commenting about this on the Orpheum page?
That was pretty great NYer!
The X was the only rating that could be self imposed without even submitting the film. Studios fought the rating in the late seventies and eighties, but they sought it in the early days when it was box office bait. Once you advertised the film as ‘X’ you could not change it for a year even if you had been awarded an R. Variety says “COWBOY” originally got an R and UA went with an X anyway. They eventually went back to the R when many malls started banning X films. “A CLOCKWORK ORANGE”, for example, was cut and re-submitted a year after the first release.
“MIDNIGHT COWBOY” never got an “X”. It received an “R” rating and decided to go with the “X” instead. It was allowed to revert to the “R” rating a year later, as per the rules.
“MIDNIGHT COWBOY” had a self imposed X rating and became a big hit. Jack Valenti did more for X-rated films by attacking this film than he could have possibly imagined. After this film became a hit, mainstream Hollywood studios (Universal & Fox), self imposed X-ratings on many of their movies and were greatly rewarded for it by the boxoffice.
“WITHOUT A STITCH” opened at the State and the Cine (Orpheum 2) in January 1970. It was rated X at the time.
David, I seem to recall something called ‘Intermedia’ that ran Andy Warhol and other avant garde films back in the early seventies.
David, there were groups that did that back then, but they mostly rented existing theatres. The old Grove Movie on Virginia Street and the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Coral Gables before it became the Cinematheque, often played film society shows.
Miami’s longest-running 35mm film screening series. Really? How is that really possible?
http://www.miamitodaynews.com/2018/05/08/city-of-miami-may-buy-renovate-former-theater/
If you scroll all the way down on that site, it says it is closed.