Looks like more changes coming to the bland facade. Construction shedding is up above the entrance and sidewalk for the entire length of the building. The cinema is still open for business. Photos uploaded I took just today.
It has long been a staple of this site that members discuss the movies that played or premiered at a certain theater within comments on that theater’s page. And while bigjoe’s question may have been earnestly looking for an answer, I also took it as being somewhat rhetorical, looking to instigate a conversation on the page about the matter. Sometimes you get better information from the people in this forum, then you might from going down the dead-ended rabbit holes Google might take you.
Loved this theater when it was a single screen. Super big screen and great sound. Saw a few Bond films here, all 3 Sensurround movies, Lion Of The Desert with Anthony Quinn, The Right Stuff, Tess, a double bill of Animal Crackers and WC Feilds & Me, and several others. It was first rate theater back then!
Was that D-150 hidden behind a flat screen? Because I remember seeing both 1941 (in 70mm) and Dawn of the Dead (35mm) at the Rivoli in 1979, and I don’t remember either being projected on a deeply curved screen.
Forgive me for trying to shine a tiny sliver of light on a bleak subject matter. The 42nd St theaters may not have been the opulent palaces that Loews, Fox, and RKO gave us, but the Beacon is magnificent, as is the former Hollywood. And my only point was that several of these remarkable buildings (yes, including all 5 Wonder Theaters) are still standing, and have benefited from the care of those who currently occupy them. No one here would rather see the Keith’s still standing in all its splendor as a church than see it pounded into rocks and dust? Optimist? Maybe… though I’m not optimistic that any of these buildings will ever be put back to their intended use. Cockeyed? Oh, well, yes… without a doubt!
Well, sad as it is - and it is extraordinarily sad for us who so loved these great palaces - the fact is that not ALL is entirely lost. Thanks to repurposing as churches and live venues, there are still many such buildings to enjoy in NYC and it’s surroundings. All 5 of the Loews Wonder Theatres are still extant and open to the public - and one was actually still exhibiting films before the pandemic. In addition to the Loews Jersey, the RKO Stanley is still intact across Journal Square. That’s not to mention the theatres on 42nd Street that are still with us, or the Hollywood/Mark Hellinger, and Beacon.
Hey Bigjoe… Happens all the time. And when it does, it typically means some spam account posted some nonsense comment on the page, just trying to bait people, and the administrator quickly removed it.
Glad to see a name without corporate sponsorship shoehorned in!! And it’s a name that has a fair amount of history in NYC. I believe the original Palladium Ballroom was located in the Times Square area.
Exislander, my wife’s first concert was Stamos at this theater! She’s 9 years younger than me, so our “firsts” are offset accordingly! I saw Bob Weir of the Dead here, but that was several years after my first concert!
Corrupt politicians are corrupt politicians, no matter which political flag they fly. Donald Manes certainly fit that bill and is deserving of all the slings and arrows. But to broaden the target to an entire political party is an insult to anyone who aligns themselves with that party. It also turns the argument into a political one - and I’m just tired of all the ugly trash talking that “political discourse” has devolved into over the last decade or so. You just can’t seem to get away from it on social medi, but I just don’t think it belongs in this forum. And I’m not a democrat - in fact I’ve never belonged to either party and have voted independently ever since I first registered.
I’m curious about that too. I’m going to guess that back in the ‘20’s that ordinance was not yet enacted, and load ins were done from 42nd Street. The stage doors would have been at the far right of the theater, adjacent to the Lyric entrance. As it reads in the intro, soon after the Times Square was converted to a cinema, the stage was demolished and the area (including backstage) was converted to retail space.
Of course it could have gone bargain prior to this, but the policy of matching the ticket price to the last two digits of the year started with the bicentennial in 1976. Ticket price for this (and several other Century’s houses) was reduced to 76 cents, and went up a penny each year thereafter right up to its closing in 1982.
Another in a long list of folks here who, unless allowed to post without questioning the authoritative basis of their proclamations, have opted to take their ball and go home!
Al, let me also say thanks, without any hint of sarcasm at all, for posting that vid! I enjoyed seeing the glimpses of Times Square marquees and even the sledding in Central Park! Judging by the movie titles displayed and the sandwich board outside the one shop proclaiming “363 days to Christmas” the date would be December 28, 1976. No need to thank me, hdtv267, for my incredible detective work. And I guess “In Search of Noah’s Ark” was a hot ticket to occupy two screens at the Mark that holiday season!
The entire interior of the Music Hall was designated – landmark status by the LPC in 1978. That designation would have to be appealed and reversed before any such conversion, as described above, would be allowed.
That McDonalds, which occupies the main floor of the Candler Building, was not there since 1984. Back in the 80’s that space would have encompasses a few storefronts between the Cine 42nd and the Harris Theatre. The McDonalds I remember from the 80’s was next to the Embassy I, on Seventh Ave. The 42nd St McD’s didn’t open until sometime in the 90’s – maybe even the early 2000’s – after the New Amsterdam and New Victory were reborn.
Looks like more changes coming to the bland facade. Construction shedding is up above the entrance and sidewalk for the entire length of the building. The cinema is still open for business. Photos uploaded I took just today.
It has long been a staple of this site that members discuss the movies that played or premiered at a certain theater within comments on that theater’s page. And while bigjoe’s question may have been earnestly looking for an answer, I also took it as being somewhat rhetorical, looking to instigate a conversation on the page about the matter. Sometimes you get better information from the people in this forum, then you might from going down the dead-ended rabbit holes Google might take you.
Loved this theater when it was a single screen. Super big screen and great sound. Saw a few Bond films here, all 3 Sensurround movies, Lion Of The Desert with Anthony Quinn, The Right Stuff, Tess, a double bill of Animal Crackers and WC Feilds & Me, and several others. It was first rate theater back then!
Nice piece, Howard!
Oh yeah! Wally where are you??
Was that D-150 hidden behind a flat screen? Because I remember seeing both 1941 (in 70mm) and Dawn of the Dead (35mm) at the Rivoli in 1979, and I don’t remember either being projected on a deeply curved screen.
Forgive me for trying to shine a tiny sliver of light on a bleak subject matter. The 42nd St theaters may not have been the opulent palaces that Loews, Fox, and RKO gave us, but the Beacon is magnificent, as is the former Hollywood. And my only point was that several of these remarkable buildings (yes, including all 5 Wonder Theaters) are still standing, and have benefited from the care of those who currently occupy them. No one here would rather see the Keith’s still standing in all its splendor as a church than see it pounded into rocks and dust? Optimist? Maybe… though I’m not optimistic that any of these buildings will ever be put back to their intended use. Cockeyed? Oh, well, yes… without a doubt!
Well, sad as it is - and it is extraordinarily sad for us who so loved these great palaces - the fact is that not ALL is entirely lost. Thanks to repurposing as churches and live venues, there are still many such buildings to enjoy in NYC and it’s surroundings. All 5 of the Loews Wonder Theatres are still extant and open to the public - and one was actually still exhibiting films before the pandemic. In addition to the Loews Jersey, the RKO Stanley is still intact across Journal Square. That’s not to mention the theatres on 42nd Street that are still with us, or the Hollywood/Mark Hellinger, and Beacon.
Hey Bigjoe… Happens all the time. And when it does, it typically means some spam account posted some nonsense comment on the page, just trying to bait people, and the administrator quickly removed it.
Glad to see a name without corporate sponsorship shoehorned in!! And it’s a name that has a fair amount of history in NYC. I believe the original Palladium Ballroom was located in the Times Square area.
Exislander, my wife’s first concert was Stamos at this theater! She’s 9 years younger than me, so our “firsts” are offset accordingly! I saw Bob Weir of the Dead here, but that was several years after my first concert!
Corrupt politicians are corrupt politicians, no matter which political flag they fly. Donald Manes certainly fit that bill and is deserving of all the slings and arrows. But to broaden the target to an entire political party is an insult to anyone who aligns themselves with that party. It also turns the argument into a political one - and I’m just tired of all the ugly trash talking that “political discourse” has devolved into over the last decade or so. You just can’t seem to get away from it on social medi, but I just don’t think it belongs in this forum. And I’m not a democrat - in fact I’ve never belonged to either party and have voted independently ever since I first registered.
Oh brother, here we go. Another safe haven from partisan politics falls!
I’m curious about that too. I’m going to guess that back in the ‘20’s that ordinance was not yet enacted, and load ins were done from 42nd Street. The stage doors would have been at the far right of the theater, adjacent to the Lyric entrance. As it reads in the intro, soon after the Times Square was converted to a cinema, the stage was demolished and the area (including backstage) was converted to retail space.
Agree, Chris. Sunrise Cinemas opened 12/7/1979 (Star Trek The Motion Picture on multiple screens), and the Five Towns closed within 3 years of that.
Of course it could have gone bargain prior to this, but the policy of matching the ticket price to the last two digits of the year started with the bicentennial in 1976. Ticket price for this (and several other Century’s houses) was reduced to 76 cents, and went up a penny each year thereafter right up to its closing in 1982.
Another in a long list of folks here who, unless allowed to post without questioning the authoritative basis of their proclamations, have opted to take their ball and go home!
I always thought it was the most popular (most often viewed) photo that becomes the default image on the main page for each theater.
Not sure if the name FANTASY on the blade had been removed back when I posted 12/30/2019, but it is gone now. Photo added.
Al, let me also say thanks, without any hint of sarcasm at all, for posting that vid! I enjoyed seeing the glimpses of Times Square marquees and even the sledding in Central Park! Judging by the movie titles displayed and the sandwich board outside the one shop proclaiming “363 days to Christmas” the date would be December 28, 1976. No need to thank me, hdtv267, for my incredible detective work. And I guess “In Search of Noah’s Ark” was a hot ticket to occupy two screens at the Mark that holiday season!
And a bit off on the fringe was the Cinemart.
The entire interior of the Music Hall was designated – landmark status by the LPC in 1978. That designation would have to be appealed and reversed before any such conversion, as described above, would be allowed.
That’s great info, Archive! Mind if I ask what the source is? Just curious.
That McDonalds, which occupies the main floor of the Candler Building, was not there since 1984. Back in the 80’s that space would have encompasses a few storefronts between the Cine 42nd and the Harris Theatre. The McDonalds I remember from the 80’s was next to the Embassy I, on Seventh Ave. The 42nd St McD’s didn’t open until sometime in the 90’s – maybe even the early 2000’s – after the New Amsterdam and New Victory were reborn.
Hope we get through this situation before the 2001:A Space Odyssey exhibit moves on!