Bigjoe59… I’ll leave it to others more knowledgeable than myself to answer your question, but I don’t believe an original roadshow print of “Its A Mad Mad Mad Mad World” has existed in many decades. While bits and pieces have shown up here and there, a complete restoration has never been completed. The early “complete” versions of that film released on home video, included outtakes and trims that Stanley Kramer himself never intended to include in the finished product, and was cobbled together to approximate roadshow length.
Damn! A new 70mm print of “2001: A Space Odyssey” on that giant Cinerama screen! Did they strike a custom print for this? One that is suitable for exhibition on the curve without distortion? Or is it an un-rectified print that can be exhibited on any regular sheet? This theater only has the Cinerama screen installed, is that correct? Or does it also have a standard screen for non-Cinerama bookings?
Well, as of yesterday, the studs and beams forming the gabled roof of the Post Avenue mixed-use structure have been removed. This is the first sign of new work to the exterior that I’ve seen in many weeks. That is not to say work has not been proceeding on the interior. In fact, I’ve noticed that the various openings from the auditorium to the street have all recently been closed-off with plywood, suggesting that work is at a point where the builders are concerned about exposure to the elements.
I’m still unable to find any internet news regarding an updated completion or opening date.
That is definitely a view looking east down W. 42nd Street from around Eighth Avenue. In that first pic, the marquee of the Anco Theatre is in the foreground on the right, with Bruce Li on the marquee – as Al points out. The marquee for the Empire can also be seen, just beyond the glimpse of the Roxy Burlesk and behind that the side board of the old billboard signage that used to be mounted on the facade above the Liberty marquee.
On the left (north) side of the block, Modells is indeed a sporting goods store that still dots the landscape in NYC (currently they occupy a site across the street from this old location). And the marquees of the Selwyn, Times Square and Lyric Theatres can be made out going off into the distance. The Apollo marquee is probably in the mix as well, but the image is a bit too murky to make out the detail.
I can’t really distinguish much of the New Amsterdam marquee or vertical, which would be on the right side of the street in this image, and off in the distance at the other end of the block.
Like you, techman, I remain skeptical until workers actually show up and start the renovations. I have a hunch that this plan is legitimate, but the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, as they say. I’ll be thoroughly convinced once I have tickets for the re-opening in my hand!
Here’s a link to that Life Magazine issue. When you open it, just close the pop-up that asks about membership. The photo of the Paramount is on page 60, but the article (on classic movie palaces) begins on page 56. There’s a text box below the date of the magazine (which is February 19, 1971) where you can type the page # and hit “enter” on your keyboard.
Joe, it would probably take a visit to a Nassau County library and a perusal of local papers from that period to see if any advertisements for the Rivoli are to be found.
Speaking of Wonder Theaters, not only do all five of those Loew’s-built palaces still stand, but the Loew’s Jersey City is still open for business as a revival cinema. While it may not have a year-round weekly schedule, and may not be showing first-run films, it is still very much a movie theater. Of the original five, only the Loew’s Kings remains currently closed to the public, but even there, ambitious plans to renovate and restore the theater as a live venue were announced last year, and promise to see a reopening by 2015.
Having said that, techman707, I completely agree with your assessment of New York City’s abysmal attitude towards its movie palace legacy.
This webpage features a plate from a 1908 atlas of Atlantic City that you can magnify in order to get an idea as to where the Savoy Theatre was situated. To get your bearings, the Central Pier is the large yellow structure jutting into the ocean on the right. The Hotel Dunlop and Savoy Theatre are slightly above the pier on the map. You can make out the dividing lines within the property that must define the storefronts within the Hotel structure. The rectangle that marks where the auditorium was situated is clearly labeled “Savoy Theatre,” with one of the narrow spaces obviously representing the lobby and foyer entrance out to the Boardwalk.
Our mystery building on South Carolina appears to have been owned at the time by Young’s Amusement Company, which, no doubt, operated the carousel within and, evidently, owned and operated the Central Pier amusements.
Speaking of Google, the street map for this theater is WAYYY off, placing the marker, for some bizarre reason, more than 75 miles to the north in Ocean Grove, NJ.
Hey Joe… I think you meant to say that the Hotel Poinsettia (which was evidently the Schlitz Hotel in 1911, and Green’s Hotel in 1905) was on South Ocean and the Boardwalk, across from the Dunlop. The building we’re talking about as being adjacent to the Dunlop was on the corner of South Carolina. In the 1915 image I linked to, it houses the Merry Go Round, Billiard Hall, a candy shop and The Post Card Store. There’s also an entrance that appears to advertise Venice Park.
In any event, it clearly isn’t the same building that now sits on South Carolina. As you suggested, the current structure appears to date from the 1920’s. Curious as to what the purpose of that building was. While there is no streetview available on google, if you zoom in as close as possible, you are able to view images taken and uploaded by google users. A few of these show the facade of the building as it faces the Boardwalk. It seems to house a shopping arcade plus a variety of touristy stores selling salt water taffy, funnel cake or souvenirs.
Here’s another remarkable glass-negative image from 1915, found on shorpy.com. You can see signage on the Savoy advertising a “grand concert” and other amusements. You can also clearly see the building that had occupied the corner of S. Carolina Avenue and the Boardwalk (where the building from Plaid’s photo is situated), which appears to have housed a carousel, billiard hall and stores, in addition to apartments or hotel rooms above.
The photograph uploaded today by Plaid doesn’t appear to be the same building from the earlier images. I know the building in the vintage pictures is really the Hotel Dunlop and that one entered through the Hotel to get to the Savoy, but I would have thought that the auditorium sat behind the hotel, away from the Boardwalk, rather than adjacent to it, along the Boardwalk. Further, the current building does not seem to be the same one that was immediately adjacent to the hotel, as can just be made out along the right edge of the 1911 photo from DEFG.
The structure in Plaid’s photo, while it has the ornamentation of a building constructed for amusements, doesn’t necessarily look like an old theater, particularly one with stage facilities and 1500 seats. It looks like it might have been a shopping arcade or another amusement hall of some sort.
I believe it is seen along the Boardwalk in this postcard view, taken from the sun deck of the Central Pier sometime in the mid-20th Century. Scroll down when the page opens to see a bigger version of the image. The building will be on the left in the postcard image.
Thanks, Ron. There’s a website nominally about Old Fulton New York that contains scanned images from thousands of old newspapers that were published in cities and villages across New York State. The old editions of the Holley Standard found on that site were invaluable sources of information regarding the five Holley, NY, theaters I’ve been able to add to Cinema Treasures over the past few weeks. It should also be noted that Holley is a town situated along the Erie Canal.
I found editions of The Billboard, as Billboard Magazine was once known, from the early 1900’s and 1910’s, that listed the capacity for the Opera House at 650 seats to as high as 700 seats.
I would love to see a list of movies that played here, particularly in the ‘80’s. I know I saw at least a couple. Also, seems that enough verification has been provided over the years to correct the name to Cinema 3 (as opposed to Cinema III).
A bit more detailed information about the renovations to the theater in this article. Sounds very promising.
The Harris remains the most notable casualty on the block, in terms of the New 42nd Street Org’s charter to preserve and restore the Duece’s historic theaters. Coming up close behind would be the Lyric and Apollo, the interiors of which only bits and pieces remain within the Foxwoods Theatre. Lamentable as those losses may be, I think I’d have to heave a sigh and consider the overall success ratio, in terms of theater preservation on 42nd Street, to be much better than the norm. By comparison, the collective fates of the old movie houses around the corner on Broadway and Seventh Avenue would evidence a monumental FAIL on the part of the City, with respect to preserving its storied legacy of cinematic exhibition.
Very encouraging to know that the architects have much experience in theater design and restoration, as evidenced by their official website. Hopefully, any redesigns of the Times Square will be respectful of theater’s history and retain as much of the original interior and exterior decor as possible (even more than the LPC’s requirements of keeping only the dome and proscenium intact).
Here’s a clickable version of the link posted by bicyclereporter. An amazing image.
There’s also a link below that photo with three more shots from the same Doors show, starting with this image. Just click on the thumbnail pics below the photo to see the other shots in the series.
I happened to be passing through the neighborhood today and noticed the facade underwent a bit of a remodeling job by the church, including new entrance, awning and brick-facing. I snapped this quick cell-cam photo from my car window.
I didn’t not pull over and check it out, but I’m guessing this work probably involved the removal of the “VICTORY” cement floor inlay that remained from the old outer foyer – depicted in this photo from 2005.
Just to clarify some of the history on the construction of the New Delancey, the actual theater structure itself was built new on Eldridge Street. The entrance and lobby/foyer were converted from an older building at 62 Delancey Street, with offices on the 2 floors above. At the same time, a 2 story building with store and offices was erected on Allen Street, directly behind the theater. The Certificates of Occupancy for the two buildings that comprised the theater were issued March 28, 1922, while the Allen Street structure was issued April 18, 1922. Delancey Theatre Inc was the owner of all three buildings.
In 1981, the offices above the lobby were legally converted to residential apartments. In January, 1990, a complaint was filed against the property as being “vacant, open and unguarded.” A follow-up inspection found “first floor construction in progress without permits.” In early 1993, a roof collapse was reported, followed by a report that a section of the Delancey Street facade was “out of plumb” by about 4 inches and the east facade on Allen Street had cracks along the first and second floors. The building was noted as being in danger of collapsing. A 1994 unsafe building violation noted failure of the owner to maintain the roof and wall that had collapsed a year earlier.
In August, 2001, a Certificate of Occupancy was issued for a new building, constructed in the combined footprint of the three original lots. The building, which houses and is owned by the Chinese Alliance Church, appears to follow the old footprint of the New Delancey Theatre. Street views show that the Allen Street portion of the lot is being used for church parking.
Adjusted the street view to point at the current 118 Rivington Street, which is a bar called The Magician. It is the second storefront from the corner – in brick with red trim around the recessed entrance. NYC Dept of Building records indicate this structure was erected as a new building, with a completion date of April 16, 1940.
Thanks for the info, CSWalczak!
Bigjoe59… I’ll leave it to others more knowledgeable than myself to answer your question, but I don’t believe an original roadshow print of “Its A Mad Mad Mad Mad World” has existed in many decades. While bits and pieces have shown up here and there, a complete restoration has never been completed. The early “complete” versions of that film released on home video, included outtakes and trims that Stanley Kramer himself never intended to include in the finished product, and was cobbled together to approximate roadshow length.
…And how!
Damn! A new 70mm print of “2001: A Space Odyssey” on that giant Cinerama screen! Did they strike a custom print for this? One that is suitable for exhibition on the curve without distortion? Or is it an un-rectified print that can be exhibited on any regular sheet? This theater only has the Cinerama screen installed, is that correct? Or does it also have a standard screen for non-Cinerama bookings?
Well, as of yesterday, the studs and beams forming the gabled roof of the Post Avenue mixed-use structure have been removed. This is the first sign of new work to the exterior that I’ve seen in many weeks. That is not to say work has not been proceeding on the interior. In fact, I’ve noticed that the various openings from the auditorium to the street have all recently been closed-off with plywood, suggesting that work is at a point where the builders are concerned about exposure to the elements.
I’m still unable to find any internet news regarding an updated completion or opening date.
That is definitely a view looking east down W. 42nd Street from around Eighth Avenue. In that first pic, the marquee of the Anco Theatre is in the foreground on the right, with Bruce Li on the marquee – as Al points out. The marquee for the Empire can also be seen, just beyond the glimpse of the Roxy Burlesk and behind that the side board of the old billboard signage that used to be mounted on the facade above the Liberty marquee.
On the left (north) side of the block, Modells is indeed a sporting goods store that still dots the landscape in NYC (currently they occupy a site across the street from this old location). And the marquees of the Selwyn, Times Square and Lyric Theatres can be made out going off into the distance. The Apollo marquee is probably in the mix as well, but the image is a bit too murky to make out the detail.
I can’t really distinguish much of the New Amsterdam marquee or vertical, which would be on the right side of the street in this image, and off in the distance at the other end of the block.
Like you, techman, I remain skeptical until workers actually show up and start the renovations. I have a hunch that this plan is legitimate, but the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, as they say. I’ll be thoroughly convinced once I have tickets for the re-opening in my hand!
Here’s a link to that Life Magazine issue. When you open it, just close the pop-up that asks about membership. The photo of the Paramount is on page 60, but the article (on classic movie palaces) begins on page 56. There’s a text box below the date of the magazine (which is February 19, 1971) where you can type the page # and hit “enter” on your keyboard.
Joe, it would probably take a visit to a Nassau County library and a perusal of local papers from that period to see if any advertisements for the Rivoli are to be found.
Speaking of Wonder Theaters, not only do all five of those Loew’s-built palaces still stand, but the Loew’s Jersey City is still open for business as a revival cinema. While it may not have a year-round weekly schedule, and may not be showing first-run films, it is still very much a movie theater. Of the original five, only the Loew’s Kings remains currently closed to the public, but even there, ambitious plans to renovate and restore the theater as a live venue were announced last year, and promise to see a reopening by 2015.
Having said that, techman707, I completely agree with your assessment of New York City’s abysmal attitude towards its movie palace legacy.
This webpage features a plate from a 1908 atlas of Atlantic City that you can magnify in order to get an idea as to where the Savoy Theatre was situated. To get your bearings, the Central Pier is the large yellow structure jutting into the ocean on the right. The Hotel Dunlop and Savoy Theatre are slightly above the pier on the map. You can make out the dividing lines within the property that must define the storefronts within the Hotel structure. The rectangle that marks where the auditorium was situated is clearly labeled “Savoy Theatre,” with one of the narrow spaces obviously representing the lobby and foyer entrance out to the Boardwalk.
Our mystery building on South Carolina appears to have been owned at the time by Young’s Amusement Company, which, no doubt, operated the carousel within and, evidently, owned and operated the Central Pier amusements.
Speaking of Google, the street map for this theater is WAYYY off, placing the marker, for some bizarre reason, more than 75 miles to the north in Ocean Grove, NJ.
Hey Joe… I think you meant to say that the Hotel Poinsettia (which was evidently the Schlitz Hotel in 1911, and Green’s Hotel in 1905) was on South Ocean and the Boardwalk, across from the Dunlop. The building we’re talking about as being adjacent to the Dunlop was on the corner of South Carolina. In the 1915 image I linked to, it houses the Merry Go Round, Billiard Hall, a candy shop and The Post Card Store. There’s also an entrance that appears to advertise Venice Park.
In any event, it clearly isn’t the same building that now sits on South Carolina. As you suggested, the current structure appears to date from the 1920’s. Curious as to what the purpose of that building was. While there is no streetview available on google, if you zoom in as close as possible, you are able to view images taken and uploaded by google users. A few of these show the facade of the building as it faces the Boardwalk. It seems to house a shopping arcade plus a variety of touristy stores selling salt water taffy, funnel cake or souvenirs.
Here’s another remarkable glass-negative image from 1915, found on shorpy.com. You can see signage on the Savoy advertising a “grand concert” and other amusements. You can also clearly see the building that had occupied the corner of S. Carolina Avenue and the Boardwalk (where the building from Plaid’s photo is situated), which appears to have housed a carousel, billiard hall and stores, in addition to apartments or hotel rooms above.
The photograph uploaded today by Plaid doesn’t appear to be the same building from the earlier images. I know the building in the vintage pictures is really the Hotel Dunlop and that one entered through the Hotel to get to the Savoy, but I would have thought that the auditorium sat behind the hotel, away from the Boardwalk, rather than adjacent to it, along the Boardwalk. Further, the current building does not seem to be the same one that was immediately adjacent to the hotel, as can just be made out along the right edge of the 1911 photo from DEFG.
The structure in Plaid’s photo, while it has the ornamentation of a building constructed for amusements, doesn’t necessarily look like an old theater, particularly one with stage facilities and 1500 seats. It looks like it might have been a shopping arcade or another amusement hall of some sort.
I believe it is seen along the Boardwalk in this postcard view, taken from the sun deck of the Central Pier sometime in the mid-20th Century. Scroll down when the page opens to see a bigger version of the image. The building will be on the left in the postcard image.
Thanks, Ron. There’s a website nominally about Old Fulton New York that contains scanned images from thousands of old newspapers that were published in cities and villages across New York State. The old editions of the Holley Standard found on that site were invaluable sources of information regarding the five Holley, NY, theaters I’ve been able to add to Cinema Treasures over the past few weeks. It should also be noted that Holley is a town situated along the Erie Canal.
I found editions of The Billboard, as Billboard Magazine was once known, from the early 1900’s and 1910’s, that listed the capacity for the Opera House at 650 seats to as high as 700 seats.
Thanks so much, DEFG. And thank you for all the great images you’ve been posting!
I would love to see a list of movies that played here, particularly in the ‘80’s. I know I saw at least a couple. Also, seems that enough verification has been provided over the years to correct the name to Cinema 3 (as opposed to Cinema III).
A bit more detailed information about the renovations to the theater in this article. Sounds very promising.
The Harris remains the most notable casualty on the block, in terms of the New 42nd Street Org’s charter to preserve and restore the Duece’s historic theaters. Coming up close behind would be the Lyric and Apollo, the interiors of which only bits and pieces remain within the Foxwoods Theatre. Lamentable as those losses may be, I think I’d have to heave a sigh and consider the overall success ratio, in terms of theater preservation on 42nd Street, to be much better than the norm. By comparison, the collective fates of the old movie houses around the corner on Broadway and Seventh Avenue would evidence a monumental FAIL on the part of the City, with respect to preserving its storied legacy of cinematic exhibition.
Very encouraging to know that the architects have much experience in theater design and restoration, as evidenced by their official website. Hopefully, any redesigns of the Times Square will be respectful of theater’s history and retain as much of the original interior and exterior decor as possible (even more than the LPC’s requirements of keeping only the dome and proscenium intact).
Here’s a clickable version of the link posted by bicyclereporter. An amazing image.
There’s also a link below that photo with three more shots from the same Doors show, starting with this image. Just click on the thumbnail pics below the photo to see the other shots in the series.
I happened to be passing through the neighborhood today and noticed the facade underwent a bit of a remodeling job by the church, including new entrance, awning and brick-facing. I snapped this quick cell-cam photo from my car window.
I didn’t not pull over and check it out, but I’m guessing this work probably involved the removal of the “VICTORY” cement floor inlay that remained from the old outer foyer – depicted in this photo from 2005.
Just to clarify some of the history on the construction of the New Delancey, the actual theater structure itself was built new on Eldridge Street. The entrance and lobby/foyer were converted from an older building at 62 Delancey Street, with offices on the 2 floors above. At the same time, a 2 story building with store and offices was erected on Allen Street, directly behind the theater. The Certificates of Occupancy for the two buildings that comprised the theater were issued March 28, 1922, while the Allen Street structure was issued April 18, 1922. Delancey Theatre Inc was the owner of all three buildings.
In 1981, the offices above the lobby were legally converted to residential apartments. In January, 1990, a complaint was filed against the property as being “vacant, open and unguarded.” A follow-up inspection found “first floor construction in progress without permits.” In early 1993, a roof collapse was reported, followed by a report that a section of the Delancey Street facade was “out of plumb” by about 4 inches and the east facade on Allen Street had cracks along the first and second floors. The building was noted as being in danger of collapsing. A 1994 unsafe building violation noted failure of the owner to maintain the roof and wall that had collapsed a year earlier.
In August, 2001, a Certificate of Occupancy was issued for a new building, constructed in the combined footprint of the three original lots. The building, which houses and is owned by the Chinese Alliance Church, appears to follow the old footprint of the New Delancey Theatre. Street views show that the Allen Street portion of the lot is being used for church parking.
Adjusted the street view to point at the current 118 Rivington Street, which is a bar called The Magician. It is the second storefront from the corner – in brick with red trim around the recessed entrance. NYC Dept of Building records indicate this structure was erected as a new building, with a completion date of April 16, 1940.
Garbo talks!