Paramount Theatre

1501 Broadway,
New York, NY 10036

Unfavorite 38 people favorited this theater

Showing 376 - 400 of 508 comments

RobertR
RobertR on July 28, 2005 at 10:52 am

I never knew the Beatles played a benefit here in 1964
View link

The Beatles Perform on Stage in 1964
Original caption: 9/21/1964-New York, NY- England’s famed mop-haired quartet, the Beatles, is in the spotlight during charity performance before an audience of screaming Beatlemaniacs (foreground) and dowdy Park Avenue matrons at New York’s Paramount Theatre here 9/21. The performance by the Beatles, who sang their “swan song” in the U.S., will benefit the United Cerebral Palsy and the Retarded Infants Services. The musicians are (l to r): Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr on drums.

RobertR
RobertR on July 28, 2005 at 10:50 am

Look at this unusal picture, I copied the original caption
View link
Boxing Match Televised on Movie Screen
Original caption: Movie Audience Treated to Television. New York: The audience in the Paramount Theatre was treated to a surprise, April 14, when a Naval boxing program which was held just 66 seconds before was televised and projected on the huge 18 by 24 foot screen. Standard 35 mm film was used for projection. It took 66 seconds to process, dry and project the show.

Vito
Vito on July 27, 2005 at 7:26 am

Thanks Bill, between shows we could see the crowds outside the theatre beginning to form for the big moment.When I try really hard I can still hear fanfare and great main title music in four track stereo. As Mr.Hope would say, “thanks for the memories”

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on July 27, 2005 at 4:27 am

I believe the date of that ad was December 15, which means the movie opened on the 16th. It was a hit so it must have played at least three weeks, which makes it the movie you saw on the 31st (I am really envious!).

Vito
Vito on July 27, 2005 at 3:30 am

Bill Thanks for that ad, actually if memory serves I saw it on new years Eve, we watched it twice then joined the crowd outside in Times Square to ring in the new year. Do you have the date of that ad? Id like to be sure it was the movie we saw that new years eve.
Perhaps Warren knows the playdate

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on July 26, 2005 at 7:31 pm

From December 1959:

View link

Notice the lower left corner. Vito, you were an ear-witness. If I were about 10 years older than I was at the time (5), I would’ve seen it here for sure.

RobertR
RobertR on July 24, 2005 at 5:55 pm

The Paramount was part of this 1964 showcase starring Robert Goulet. It was called “Honeymoon Hotel”. Is it my imagination or were the majority of the 60’s showcases star studded sex comedies?
View link

bruceanthony
bruceanthony on July 21, 2005 at 3:53 pm

I noticed that many Paramount Theatres closed in the mid-1960’s,in NYC,Buffalo,San Francisco,Los Angeles and other cities. Was this a major real estate sell off of United-Paramount. If anyone would know Im sure Warren would.brucec

RobertR
RobertR on July 18, 2005 at 9:15 am

Here is a side view of the present marquee
View link

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on July 18, 2005 at 7:31 am

That’s a great story, thanks for sharing it. Do you have any other recollections of the Paramount, and were you involved with their stage productions?

Many people have said that Martin and Lewis were one of the funniest live shows you would ever see. It’s too bad that their movies never captured that magic on film. About the closest you can get are their appearances on the Colgate Comedy Hour.

craigpark
craigpark on July 17, 2005 at 6:39 pm

The Martin & Lewis stage shows were incredible. The audience was falling out of their seats laughing. We caught them at the Paramount & then later up Broadway at the Capital theatre. I never saw anything like this before or since, just electric & ecstatic.
You never knew who you might run into around the Paramount. One day I was waiting backstage for my sister & decided to step outside. It was daytime and almost no one was on 44th street. A tall thin lady, all dressed in black, started walking towards me from the Sardi’s restaurant. As she got closer I could see that it was Eleanor Roosevelt. She said hello as she passed & I remember there was almost no one on the street. No secret service or anything. Is this a great country or what?

Vito
Vito on July 15, 2005 at 7:45 am

He will deliver the Keynote Address at the opening of VSDA’s Home Entertainment 2005, the annual convention for the home entertainment industry. Ten of the classic Jerry Lewis films(which he owns)were recently released on DVD, Jerry was involved in every aspect of their release from the films' restorations to the creation of the special material. Later this year, “Dean & Me: A Love Story.” written by Jerry will be in bookstores.

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on July 15, 2005 at 7:27 am

Thanks Vincent, I’m glad you enjoyed the Martin and Lewis event. That was my show.

Jerry is recovering from Pulmonary Fibrosis, and has been working to lose all the weight he gained from the steroids which saved his life. He’s been through a lot in the past ten years, but is still plugging along.

VincentParisi
VincentParisi on July 15, 2005 at 6:54 am

Sorry this is off topic but is he well? He seems to have disappeared. The Martin and Lewis program at the Loews Jersey a couple of years back was movie heaven.

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on July 15, 2005 at 6:35 am

Jerry has photos of that publicity stunt in front of the theater. He was wearing the full doorman’s outfit, hat and all!

He had been an usher there in the early 1940’s.

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on July 14, 2005 at 9:02 pm

My mom attended the “My Friend Irma” show at the Paramount. Jerry Lewis took over for the ticket taker and tore her ticket in half.

BoxOfficeBill
BoxOfficeBill on July 12, 2005 at 2:45 pm

“Birth of the Blues” opened on 10 December 1941, just a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The air raid drill that TC mentions must have been one of the first in those panicked days that followed. It’s an eerie and foreboding atmosphere. As the war effort took off, Times Square would become a lively venue for selling war bonds and for entertaining on-leave servicemen-and-women.

ErnieN
ErnieN on July 12, 2005 at 1:55 pm

For me, what stands out in the beautiful photo posted by TC is that the movie was still the primary attraction. Later — and not very much later — the swing band then appearing earned a more prominent place on the marquee.

Ernie Nagy

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on July 12, 2005 at 12:48 pm

That is a great picture, TC. So is the one of “The Robe” at Grauman’s Chinese. Thanks.

I recall ads for the Carol Lynley version of “Harlow” saying it was in Electronovision. I think that’s a fancy way of saying it was shot on videotape.

VincentParisi
VincentParisi on July 12, 2005 at 12:28 pm

What a gorgeous view of Times Square. To have known it then. Sigh.

teecee
teecee on July 12, 2005 at 12:08 pm

I don’t think this photo has been posted yet:
View link

Caption: View from above a subway station facing north on Times Square at 43rd Street showing the Paramount Theater just after an air raid drill, New York City, 1941.

RobertR
RobertR on July 6, 2005 at 7:31 pm

Here is the ad for “Harlow” with the Clay Cole stage show
View link

BklynRob
BklynRob on June 29, 2005 at 3:14 pm

Thanks Ernie. I sort of remember something more from them,I know they weren’t just one hit wonders.

ErnieN
ErnieN on June 29, 2005 at 9:41 am

Harking back to BklynRon’s contribution: Dean & Jean were from Dayton, OH. They had two more chart hits in the ‘60s.

Ernie Nagy

RobertR
RobertR on June 28, 2005 at 8:20 pm

It’s not the greatest copy but here is the ad from the Electronovision version of “Hamlet”. It seems to have opened on Broadway at the RKO Palace. Look how they tried to make it classy by playing it twice a day even in the burbs.

View link