Paris Theater
4 W. 58th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
4 W. 58th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
59 people
favorited this theater
Showing 351 - 375 of 406 comments
Well…as predicted, at least to myself, the Saturday Midnight film series at The Paris has been discontinued. I called today because I didn’t see an ad in the Village Voice and was told that the series was yanked a few weeks ago. In a word…BUMMER!! First I want to say to the person or people responsible at the Paris for taking the time to put this series together…thank you!! I wanted it to last longer, but I knew it wouldn’t. And in all fairness, I was only able to make it to one screening of ‘North By Norhtwest’, but I was hoping to see more, and beleive me I was really upset about missing ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ in 70mm. Not to be negative, but this type of entertainment isn’t very popular anymore and that is very unfortunate. Especially here in ‘the arts capital of the world’ (oh really?). L. A. and even San Francisco has more film revival than New york currently does. Not that long ago film revival theaters were the norm in New York City and was something that I completely and thoroughly enjoyed. There were so many of them out there with crazy amazing scedules. There is nothing like seeing a classic film, or any film for that matter up on the big screen the way it was meant to be seen. All those moments when I was sick of this town, I would always say ‘hey..where are you going to go where they have the same amount of film revival as New York?’. I still get sick of this town, but I am still here miraculously. There is still film revival here, but not like it used to be. Thanks again Paris Theater people for giving it a try.
damn! that Renault is a hot lookin car!
Here’s a Showbill from November 1960.
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“Picnic on the Grass†was a minor Jean Renoir film, but a Renoir film nonetheless, with the added glory of having been filmed in glorious color at the Renoir estate near Cannes. The silly plot focuses on an aloof professor who spends a weekend with young people at a country estate, where he unbuttons his collar and learns to enjoy life. It’s not “Rules of the Game,†but it’s nice to look at.
The accompanying essay on dubbing vs. subtitles has Bosley Crowther ludicrously arguing on behalf of dubbing as a “commercially advantageous way of presenting†foreign films, because [in 1960 figures] dubbing would earn a dubber $12,000-25,000 per film whereas subtitling would earn a subtitler only $2,500-4,000 per film. (In all fairness, he also argues that distributors prefer the cheaper method to maximize their profits.)
I include the “Now Showing At†page to recall what was available at these theaters that Thanksgiving-Christmas season in 1960.
Here’s a Showbill from November 1960.
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“Picnic on the Grass†was a minor Jean Renoir film, but a Renoir film nonetheless, with the added glory of having been filmed in glorious color at the Renoir estate near Cannes. The silly plot focuses on an aloof professor who spends a weekend with young people at a country estate, where he unbuttons his collar and learns to enjoy life. It’s not “Rules of the Game,†but it’s nice to look at.
The accompanying essay on dubbing vs. subtitles has Bosley Crowther ludicrously arguing on behalf of dubbing as a “commercially advantageous way of presenting†foreign films, because [in 1960 figures] dubbing would earn a dubber $12,000-25,000 per film whereas subtitling would earn a subtitler only $2,500-4,000 per film. (In all fairness, he also argues that distributors prefer the cheaper method to maximize their profits.)
I include the “Now Showing At†page to recall what was available at these theaters that Thanksgiving-Christmas season in 1960.
What’s the deal with the Saturday midnight shows? ‘North By Northwest’ has been held over for a third week. It’s doing that well? The night I was there it was a good crowd, but it wasn’t sold out. Are these guys having trouble getting a new film to show, or is NxNW doing that well? I’m chompin at the bit to see another film there.
I agree that there is something intangible about seeing a film at the Paris. You almost feel like you are entering a cathedral. I was there for the first time in awhile Friday night for BALZAC AND THE LITTLE SEAMSTRESS and there is an ambiance. I may be imagining it, but the theatre seems almost circular.
Here’s a Showbill from the Paris in April 1960:
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High Culture, this filming of a stage production by the venerable Comédie française. The Franco export evidently aimed to hit school markets around the world as teachers of French might bring their students to it for a cultural experience.
The Paris accommodated such events. Eight years later, in the winter of ‘68-’69, my wife organized an excursion of some 500 high school students to see a showing of Franco Zeffirelli’s “Romeo and Juliet†which had been playing at that theater. That production we had seen live in its stage version at the City Center some five years earlier, and now in this film the director was recreating his magnificent stage effects set against location photography in Verona.
As luck would have it, a huge snowstorm closed NYC schools the day before and day of the showing. Panicked with 500 tickets in our hands, we ran announcements on the major NYC radio stations instructing students to show up at the theater for the scheduled 10:00 am special showing. We set out for the theater from Queens two hours early, snowstorm be damned. About a hundred kids eventually showed up. The school then soaked up the losses.
The club that you mention is actually underneath the Paris auditorium. Originally, the Paris had a big lounge in the lower level, similar to the 57th St. Playhouse. In a lease negotiation about 30 years ago, Pathe Cinema gave up that space in lieu of a rent increase, leaving the theatre with only the microscopic restrooms and lobby-ette downstairs. The space given up became a restaurant, and now, apparently, a night club.
Just came back from tonight’s screening of ‘North By Northwest’ at the Paris. GREAT! I hadn’t been there for quite sometime, and it was great to be back. It was really cool to be watching ‘North By Northwest’ only steps away from one of the film’s locations. There’s Cary Grant hanging out at The Oak Room at The Plaza….literally right around the corner from the Paris. COOL!
These Saturday Midnight shows seem to be pretty successful. The place wasn’t full, but I counted at least 60 or so people in the floor seats, and there must have been more in the mezz. Not bad for a midnight revival screening in Mid-town on a Saturday night. After the show there was a guy in the lobby who works for the Paris talking to people about the midnight shows. I overheard that they showed ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ in 70mm a few weeks ago. DAMN! I wish I was there for that one. When I asked what was on deck for next week, he told me there is no schedule, just check the New York Times or the Village Voice for the midnight show advertisements. The Paris is a great theater, my only complaint which has nothing really to do with the theater itself, was that the music from the club next door, Frederick’s can be heard thudding through the walls from time to time during the film. Not too overwhelming, but even though it was noticeable it didn’t take anything away from the experience of seeing the film there.
If tonight is any indication it looks like the midnight Saturday shows will be happening for at least the foreseeable future, and that my friends, is a very cool thing.
Does anybody know where to find a listing of the upcoming Saturday night revivals at the Paris? By the time the Village Voice comes out, it’s usually too late for me to pull something together with friends; I’d be there early and often if I knew what was showing… I’m still kicking myself for not making “Rebel Without a Cause.”
This happened to me during the engagement of ‘Doña Flor And Her Two Husbands’ here.
A friend and I were seated in the balcony’s front row watching the film and I was smoking a cigarette I dropped onto the orchestra.
We went downstairs immediately and encountered an irate couple in the lobby.
I apologized over and over and offered to pay for salon services.
They wanted to call the police. They observed our sincere concern
and all returned to their seats.
The Paris on a Taiwan site
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saw many fun art/foreign films here
If anybody has any info on further Saturday Midnight screenings at the Paris, please post them here. I was unable to go tonight to see ‘Rebel Without A Cause’, but I want to start going to these Midnight screenings to support the theater and this kind of program. Hey Paris Theater management, keep up the good work and continue to do the Saturday midnight screenings!! If you need some assistance in programming the screenings, let em know!! I would be more than happy to get involved.
The Paris continues its 2005 Saturday midnight screening series with Rebel Without a Cause.
There was a Fine Arts Theatre farther east on 58th Street:
/theaters/6371/
“It’s probably worth pointing out that the Paris is one of the few remaining theaters in the city equipped for 70MM. ‘Howard’s End’ and Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Hamlet’ were both presented in 70MM at the Paris.” (ErikH, Mar 21, 2005)
During the time of the “Howards End” engagement, the theater was called the Fine Arts.
Shade, you sound bitter.
Nope, and after the smaller turnout for Dog Day Afternoon last Saturday, it’s not certain whether the midnights will be continuing.
I love this site, but boy, it sure would be nice to see people LEAVE THEIR COMPUTERS and GO TO THE THEATERS AND SUPPORT THEM from time to time…
Is there a schedule posted somewhere for the midnight Paris shows?
Does the PAris have curtains or do they use those tacky slides?
This weekend is DOG DAY AFTERNOON, Saturday at midnight.
First weekend of All the President’s Men had about 90 in attendance. 2001 had about 80. Not bad at all for being in dead just west of east side midtown next to a dead hotel. It’s great fun seeing real movies in a real theater with real fans of film. Almost feels like the mid-‘80s.
I heard that The Paris played Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ this past weekend at midnight. Damn! I hate when I miss stuff like that. Anybody have any idea what they are going to show this weekend at midnight?
I noticed that the Paris has started a midnight screening on Saturday nights. They screened ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN this past weekend and had a fairly big ad in the times trumpeting the screening. The ad was no doubt placed to trigger awareness because I doubt the outlay for an ad of that size in the Times could be recouped with ticket revenue from one screening.
That is a tad too late for me, but I’ll keep tabs on it.
In May of 1969 Paramount took a huge ad for Zeffirelli’s “Romeo & Juliet” which was then in its 34th week at The Paris.