The Clearview site now includes “Funny Girl.” BTW, a restored print of “Funny Girl” was shown at the Ziegfeld in September 2001—-I think the engagement was to help promote the imminent DVD release. I attended a screening on the weekend before 9/11. The 35MM print looked terrific, and the Ziegfeld gave it the full roadshow treatment (overture, intermission including entracte music, etc.). Surprising that Clearview decided to book “Funny Girl” again, as I don’t think that the brief reissue in 2001 attracted much of an audience.
According to the Clearview website, the Disney animated feature “The Princess and the Frog” opens exclusively at the Ziegfeld on November 25. Tickets for the reserved seat “Royal” sections: $50 each. General admission: $30. No, those prices are not typos. “Royal” and general admission tickets include admission to the “Ultimate Disney Experience” at Roseland. The number of “Royal” vs. general admission seats vary by performance. Tickets are on sale through December 13.
During the early 1970s the Loews/Sack Natick probably had its share of simultaneous engagements with Boston first-run houses (it wasn’t unusual for B pictures or Disney releases to open day-and-date in Boston and the top suburban cinemas), but “The Way We Were” wasn’t one of them. “The Way We Were” had an exclusive run at the Circle in Brookline during the fall of 1973, which is where I saw it. “The Way We Were” wasn’t a Christmas release; IMDB states that the film opened in October 1973.
Interesting comments MPol; I wasn’t aware of those problems. During the 1970s, I would often bicycle over to the cinema with friends to catch a weekend matinee or go to an evening show with family (with dinner at the Chinese restaurant in the same building as the cinema either before or after the movie). Never felt unsafe.
Not sure I would agree, though, that the Waltham cinema failed for reasons of location or the type of films that played there (unless you are referring to second run films in general). While the cinema was located in a commercial/industrial area, its location by the Winter Street exit off of Route 128 meant that it was easily accessible by car. During the 1970s, sellouts on weekends were not uncommon. I remember that “The Sting” played there for many weeks during the summer of 1974—-more than six months after the film had opened in first run. “Jaws” and “Star Wars” also had extended runs there—-many months (and in the case of “Star Wars,” probably more than a year) after they had debuted in first run.
What caused the Waltham cinema to close probably had more to do with industry trends, such as the sharp reduction in the second run market due to the exponential growth of home video in the 1980s. And theaters with a single screen or few screens were on the decline as well, due to the economics. The placement of the Waltham cinema within that office/retail building made expansion impossible, and the cinema’s two small auditoriums were clearly unsuitable for subdivision into additional screens.
I only went to the old Embassy on Moody Street once (I think the film was “With Six You Get Eggroll”), and remember it as very atmospheric—-it could not have been more different from the mundane cinema by Route 128.
Well, it depends upon how one defines “porn.” The Circle did, on occasion, show soft core X-rated fare. In its single screen days, the Circle had the exclusive Boston run of “Emmanuelle.” Another soft core booking from the 1970s was the X-rated “Alice in Wonderland.”
Curtain will close on two cinemas
Brookline, Lawrence theaters called not financially viable
By Angel Jennings, Globe Correspondent | August 26, 2008
National Amusements Inc. said yesterday that it will shutter two theaters in the Boston area in September because the locations are no longer financially viable.
The Dedham-based movie chain plans to close the Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 on Monday and the Circle Cinemas in Brookline will close for business after the last show on Sept. 7. The private company said it would try to find positions at its other locations for the 51 employees affected by the closings.
“We watch all of our theaters closely,” Wanda Whitson, the company’s spokeswoman, told the Globe yesterday, “and make every effort to keep them as viable operating businesses. Once they are no longer viable, we make the decision to close them.”
The closings come at a time when many Massachusetts movie theaters are hurting as a result of competition from DVDs and the rise of home movie theater systems. According to the National Association of Theatre Owners, there were 112 movie theaters in Massachusetts last year, down from 117 locations in 2005.
To attract moviegoers, some theaters are adding more amenities. For its part, National Amusements is trying to turn some if its theaters into entertainment complexes where people come to do more than just watch movies.
Earlier this month, National Amusements opened the Showcase Cinema de Lux at Patriot Place, a 14-screen upscale theater in Foxborough that offers a lounge with a full bar and in-seat dining. Another theater following this same concept is being built in Dedham at Legacy Place and is slated to open next year. And a 12-screen theater is being built at the vacated Macy’s building at the Westgate Mall in Brockton.
National Amusements, which operates more than 1,500 theaters worldwide, including 15 locations in Massachusetts, also plans to expand overseas.
Employees at the two theaters that are closing received a short, four-sentence memo Friday about the closings. In the memo passed out at Circle Cinemas, Jose M. Perez, the theater’s managing director, wrote with a “heavy heart” about the closing of Circle Cinemas.
“Please note that this decision is in no way a reflection of the hard work and dedication you have all shown over the years,” Perez wrote.
The six-screen Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 opened in June 1965, and is located a short distance from its counterpart, Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 7-14. The larger, eight-screen theater will remain open. Circle Cinemas, which has seven screens, opened in November 1965.
Circle Cinemas employs 21 workers and Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 has 30 employees.
“Our employees are very important to us, and this is not a decision we make lightly,” Whitson said.
Even though I lived less than 10 miles away from the Showcase Dedham in the 70s and 80s, I typically bypassed it in favor of more comfortable multiplexes such as the GC Chestnut Hill or GC Shoppers World.
One of my rare visits to the Showcase Dedham was in January 1982 for a sneak preview of “Victor/Victoria.” This was a true old-style sneak preview—-for example, the newspaper advertisement didn’t reveal the title (if memory serves, the ad mentioned a sneak preview of the new film from the director of “10”). The sneak was only at the Showcase Dedham—-not in Boston or at any other suburban location. The audience response seemed favorable, but nothing compared to when I saw the film again a couple of months later early in its exclusive run at the Ziegfeld in NYC.
Sadly, the only time I visited RCMH prior to the end of the film/stage show era in 1979 was for a weekday matinee of “Smokey and the Bandit” in May 1977. I was in the front mezzanine, and I recall that the performance was very sparsely attended—-probably no more than several hundred people.
Regarding that “fourth auditorium”—-sounds as if you are referring to one of the two original lower level auditoriums. The lower level auditorium on the right side was subdivided in 1989. The lower level auditorium on the left side, which I assume is that “fourth auditorium,” was never subdivided. The left wall of that auditorium was immediately adjacent to Scotia Street.
Following up on the above comments about there being another theater on Winter Street in Waltham in addition to the General Cinema “buck house.” I am familiar with the area, having grown up in Weston during the 60s and 70s and my family still lives there (the Waltham/Weston border is very close to Winter Street). There was only one theater on Winter Street: the “buck house.” Unless the Globe article is in error, the only possible explanation that I can think of is that the “buck house” was acquired by the Flick chain from General Cinema, probably no more than a few years before it closed in the 80s. The only other theater closing in Waltham in the past 40 years or so was the old Embassy theater on Moody Street.
The Ziegfeld’s “nut.” Years ago, Variety listed weekly grosses for Manhattan theaters as well as the estimated weekly “nut” for each. The Ziegfeld’s “nut” was among the highest, and was, if memory serves, in the $15k to $20k range in the Variety listings during the 1980s. It’s reasonable to assume that the “nut” would be much higher today.
“Sweeney Todd” release pattern. As discussed in the trades, a limited release was initially announced for December 21 with an expansion in early January. Those plans have been changed; a broader national release beginning on December 21 is planned (I believe to a minimum 1,000 screens). If those reports are accurate, I assume that means that the Ziegfeld will not have a Manhattan exclusive (and no “Dreamgirls”-style roadshow).
I am not certain as to the year of the twinning of the Norwood theater, but it occurred by no later than 1972. I only visited this theater once, for a screening of “Modern Times” (one of the Chaplin films that was re-released around the time of his return to the US in 1972 to receive an honorary Oscar). “Modern Times” was shown in the upstairs auditorium.
The October 16, 1969 date of the “Hello, Dolly” world premiere as recently added to the Rivoli summary is probably incorrect. I remember “Dolly” as a holiday season release, and the NY Times review is dated December 18, 1969. I assume the correct date is December 16, 1969.
Today’s Variety reported the top 10 theater engagements for last weekend. The “Blade Runner” engagement at the Ziegfeld came in seventh, with a gross of $55,455.
There have been a few changes to the main auditorium since that photo (attached to the entry dated May 14) was taken in 2004. I have been to the main auditorium twice recently to attend screenings of “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “Superbad.” On the positive side: new seating has been installed. On the negative side: no curtain (which of course means that the brief sound and light show that accompanied the rising curtain has been discontinued).
A quick clarification about the above reference to the “Cabaret” engagement in Boston. “Cabaret” opened at the Gary on a general admission basis in February 1972; it was not a roadshow. Although the Gary continued to operate for another 5 years or so, “Cabaret” was probably the last high profile film to play there exclusively.
“NEW YORK — It was a much-touted, much-seen and in some quarters much-admired motion picture in its time, with four Oscar nominations (and one win) to its credit and a cast filled with talented people who, if not yet icons, certainly became so in the years after: Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey, Sammy Davis Jr. and Diahann Carroll. We’re talking Samuel Goldwyn’s mammoth 1959 musical "Porgy and Bess,” a film that has not — except in a few rare instances — rolled through a projector in decades but will again Sept. 26-27 at the Ziegfeld in Manhattan…"
According to the Film Society of Lincoln Center website, the Walter Reade will be closed for renovations from August 20 to September 6, and the upgrades will include new seats and carpeting. Not a bad idea; the auditorium has been looking increasingly run down during the last few years.
Another temporary closure, apparently for the next two weeks. The Clearview website has no listings for the Ziegfeld until June 29 (when “Ratatouille” opens).
I disagree that the 70MM engagement of “My Fair Lady” at the Ziegfeld in 1994 was a box office disaster. I attended an opening weekend afternoon screening and recall a line at the box office stretching to 6th Avenue and a nearly full house (and quite enthusiastic too; when the names of Harrison and Hepburn appeared during the opening credits there was a round of applause—-ditto for the credit for Super Panavision 70).
Also, the Ziegfeld appears to be temporarily closed again. No listing in today’s NY Times or on the Clearview website.
The setting of the new Broadway musical “Curtains” is none other than this wonderful theater. I saw “Curtains” last month—-a mildly entertaining show about a (fictional) Broadway-bound musical trying out at the Colonial in the late 1950s. David Hyde Pierce plays a Boston detective (and musical theater buff) investigating the murder of the show’s leading lady.
I attended a screening of “Zodiac” at the Ziegfeld last Saturday afternoon. Absorbing film; a shame that it doesn’t appear to be attracting much of an audience—-there couldn’t have been more than several dozen people at that screening.
I received a flyer at the box office for the next attraction, beginning March 30: “Meet the Robinsons” (to be presented in digital 3-D).
Thanks for those comments; I haven’t thought of the Chateau Restaurant in years (is it still in business?). I grew up in Weston about four miles or so from the Waltham cinema, which I visted often as a youngster.
I used the term “shopping center” a bit loosely when describing the building in which the cinema was located. The other major tenants in the building were a bank (located in the southeast corner with an entrance to the right of the cinema) and a Chinese restaurant with an entrance on the east side of the building facing Route 128. Instant Replay, one of the first video stores in the Boston area, opened next to the Chinese restaurant in 1980. The remainder of the building was, if memory serves, used for office space.
I don’t believe that Clearview is part of the proposed sale to Liberty Media. Liberty intends to purchase Rainbow, which is the cable programming subsidiary of Cablevision (AMC, WE, regional sports networks such as MSG, Mag Rack, etc.). Clearview is a separate subsidiary of Cablevision.
The Clearview site now includes “Funny Girl.” BTW, a restored print of “Funny Girl” was shown at the Ziegfeld in September 2001—-I think the engagement was to help promote the imminent DVD release. I attended a screening on the weekend before 9/11. The 35MM print looked terrific, and the Ziegfeld gave it the full roadshow treatment (overture, intermission including entracte music, etc.). Surprising that Clearview decided to book “Funny Girl” again, as I don’t think that the brief reissue in 2001 attracted much of an audience.
According to the Clearview website, the Disney animated feature “The Princess and the Frog” opens exclusively at the Ziegfeld on November 25. Tickets for the reserved seat “Royal” sections: $50 each. General admission: $30. No, those prices are not typos. “Royal” and general admission tickets include admission to the “Ultimate Disney Experience” at Roseland. The number of “Royal” vs. general admission seats vary by performance. Tickets are on sale through December 13.
During the early 1970s the Loews/Sack Natick probably had its share of simultaneous engagements with Boston first-run houses (it wasn’t unusual for B pictures or Disney releases to open day-and-date in Boston and the top suburban cinemas), but “The Way We Were” wasn’t one of them. “The Way We Were” had an exclusive run at the Circle in Brookline during the fall of 1973, which is where I saw it. “The Way We Were” wasn’t a Christmas release; IMDB states that the film opened in October 1973.
Contact info for John Rigas: Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina. According to Wikipedia, his release date is 09-04-2017.
Interesting comments MPol; I wasn’t aware of those problems. During the 1970s, I would often bicycle over to the cinema with friends to catch a weekend matinee or go to an evening show with family (with dinner at the Chinese restaurant in the same building as the cinema either before or after the movie). Never felt unsafe.
Not sure I would agree, though, that the Waltham cinema failed for reasons of location or the type of films that played there (unless you are referring to second run films in general). While the cinema was located in a commercial/industrial area, its location by the Winter Street exit off of Route 128 meant that it was easily accessible by car. During the 1970s, sellouts on weekends were not uncommon. I remember that “The Sting” played there for many weeks during the summer of 1974—-more than six months after the film had opened in first run. “Jaws” and “Star Wars” also had extended runs there—-many months (and in the case of “Star Wars,” probably more than a year) after they had debuted in first run.
What caused the Waltham cinema to close probably had more to do with industry trends, such as the sharp reduction in the second run market due to the exponential growth of home video in the 1980s. And theaters with a single screen or few screens were on the decline as well, due to the economics. The placement of the Waltham cinema within that office/retail building made expansion impossible, and the cinema’s two small auditoriums were clearly unsuitable for subdivision into additional screens.
I only went to the old Embassy on Moody Street once (I think the film was “With Six You Get Eggroll”), and remember it as very atmospheric—-it could not have been more different from the mundane cinema by Route 128.
Well, it depends upon how one defines “porn.” The Circle did, on occasion, show soft core X-rated fare. In its single screen days, the Circle had the exclusive Boston run of “Emmanuelle.” Another soft core booking from the 1970s was the X-rated “Alice in Wonderland.”
From the Boston Globe:
Curtain will close on two cinemas
Brookline, Lawrence theaters called not financially viable
By Angel Jennings, Globe Correspondent | August 26, 2008
National Amusements Inc. said yesterday that it will shutter two theaters in the Boston area in September because the locations are no longer financially viable.
The Dedham-based movie chain plans to close the Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 on Monday and the Circle Cinemas in Brookline will close for business after the last show on Sept. 7. The private company said it would try to find positions at its other locations for the 51 employees affected by the closings.
“We watch all of our theaters closely,” Wanda Whitson, the company’s spokeswoman, told the Globe yesterday, “and make every effort to keep them as viable operating businesses. Once they are no longer viable, we make the decision to close them.”
The closings come at a time when many Massachusetts movie theaters are hurting as a result of competition from DVDs and the rise of home movie theater systems. According to the National Association of Theatre Owners, there were 112 movie theaters in Massachusetts last year, down from 117 locations in 2005.
To attract moviegoers, some theaters are adding more amenities. For its part, National Amusements is trying to turn some if its theaters into entertainment complexes where people come to do more than just watch movies.
Earlier this month, National Amusements opened the Showcase Cinema de Lux at Patriot Place, a 14-screen upscale theater in Foxborough that offers a lounge with a full bar and in-seat dining. Another theater following this same concept is being built in Dedham at Legacy Place and is slated to open next year. And a 12-screen theater is being built at the vacated Macy’s building at the Westgate Mall in Brockton.
National Amusements, which operates more than 1,500 theaters worldwide, including 15 locations in Massachusetts, also plans to expand overseas.
Employees at the two theaters that are closing received a short, four-sentence memo Friday about the closings. In the memo passed out at Circle Cinemas, Jose M. Perez, the theater’s managing director, wrote with a “heavy heart” about the closing of Circle Cinemas.
“Please note that this decision is in no way a reflection of the hard work and dedication you have all shown over the years,” Perez wrote.
The six-screen Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 opened in June 1965, and is located a short distance from its counterpart, Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 7-14. The larger, eight-screen theater will remain open. Circle Cinemas, which has seven screens, opened in November 1965.
Circle Cinemas employs 21 workers and Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 has 30 employees.
“Our employees are very important to us, and this is not a decision we make lightly,” Whitson said.
Even though I lived less than 10 miles away from the Showcase Dedham in the 70s and 80s, I typically bypassed it in favor of more comfortable multiplexes such as the GC Chestnut Hill or GC Shoppers World.
One of my rare visits to the Showcase Dedham was in January 1982 for a sneak preview of “Victor/Victoria.” This was a true old-style sneak preview—-for example, the newspaper advertisement didn’t reveal the title (if memory serves, the ad mentioned a sneak preview of the new film from the director of “10”). The sneak was only at the Showcase Dedham—-not in Boston or at any other suburban location. The audience response seemed favorable, but nothing compared to when I saw the film again a couple of months later early in its exclusive run at the Ziegfeld in NYC.
Sadly, the only time I visited RCMH prior to the end of the film/stage show era in 1979 was for a weekday matinee of “Smokey and the Bandit” in May 1977. I was in the front mezzanine, and I recall that the performance was very sparsely attended—-probably no more than several hundred people.
Regarding that “fourth auditorium”—-sounds as if you are referring to one of the two original lower level auditoriums. The lower level auditorium on the right side was subdivided in 1989. The lower level auditorium on the left side, which I assume is that “fourth auditorium,” was never subdivided. The left wall of that auditorium was immediately adjacent to Scotia Street.
Following up on the above comments about there being another theater on Winter Street in Waltham in addition to the General Cinema “buck house.” I am familiar with the area, having grown up in Weston during the 60s and 70s and my family still lives there (the Waltham/Weston border is very close to Winter Street). There was only one theater on Winter Street: the “buck house.” Unless the Globe article is in error, the only possible explanation that I can think of is that the “buck house” was acquired by the Flick chain from General Cinema, probably no more than a few years before it closed in the 80s. The only other theater closing in Waltham in the past 40 years or so was the old Embassy theater on Moody Street.
A couple of followup comments to the above:
The Ziegfeld’s “nut.” Years ago, Variety listed weekly grosses for Manhattan theaters as well as the estimated weekly “nut” for each. The Ziegfeld’s “nut” was among the highest, and was, if memory serves, in the $15k to $20k range in the Variety listings during the 1980s. It’s reasonable to assume that the “nut” would be much higher today.
“Sweeney Todd” release pattern. As discussed in the trades, a limited release was initially announced for December 21 with an expansion in early January. Those plans have been changed; a broader national release beginning on December 21 is planned (I believe to a minimum 1,000 screens). If those reports are accurate, I assume that means that the Ziegfeld will not have a Manhattan exclusive (and no “Dreamgirls”-style roadshow).
I am not certain as to the year of the twinning of the Norwood theater, but it occurred by no later than 1972. I only visited this theater once, for a screening of “Modern Times” (one of the Chaplin films that was re-released around the time of his return to the US in 1972 to receive an honorary Oscar). “Modern Times” was shown in the upstairs auditorium.
The October 16, 1969 date of the “Hello, Dolly” world premiere as recently added to the Rivoli summary is probably incorrect. I remember “Dolly” as a holiday season release, and the NY Times review is dated December 18, 1969. I assume the correct date is December 16, 1969.
Today’s Variety reported the top 10 theater engagements for last weekend. The “Blade Runner” engagement at the Ziegfeld came in seventh, with a gross of $55,455.
There have been a few changes to the main auditorium since that photo (attached to the entry dated May 14) was taken in 2004. I have been to the main auditorium twice recently to attend screenings of “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “Superbad.” On the positive side: new seating has been installed. On the negative side: no curtain (which of course means that the brief sound and light show that accompanied the rising curtain has been discontinued).
A quick clarification about the above reference to the “Cabaret” engagement in Boston. “Cabaret” opened at the Gary on a general admission basis in February 1972; it was not a roadshow. Although the Gary continued to operate for another 5 years or so, “Cabaret” was probably the last high profile film to play there exclusively.
From today’s Hollywood Reporter:
“NEW YORK — It was a much-touted, much-seen and in some quarters much-admired motion picture in its time, with four Oscar nominations (and one win) to its credit and a cast filled with talented people who, if not yet icons, certainly became so in the years after: Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey, Sammy Davis Jr. and Diahann Carroll. We’re talking Samuel Goldwyn’s mammoth 1959 musical "Porgy and Bess,” a film that has not — except in a few rare instances — rolled through a projector in decades but will again Sept. 26-27 at the Ziegfeld in Manhattan…"
According to the Film Society of Lincoln Center website, the Walter Reade will be closed for renovations from August 20 to September 6, and the upgrades will include new seats and carpeting. Not a bad idea; the auditorium has been looking increasingly run down during the last few years.
Another temporary closure, apparently for the next two weeks. The Clearview website has no listings for the Ziegfeld until June 29 (when “Ratatouille” opens).
I disagree that the 70MM engagement of “My Fair Lady” at the Ziegfeld in 1994 was a box office disaster. I attended an opening weekend afternoon screening and recall a line at the box office stretching to 6th Avenue and a nearly full house (and quite enthusiastic too; when the names of Harrison and Hepburn appeared during the opening credits there was a round of applause—-ditto for the credit for Super Panavision 70).
Also, the Ziegfeld appears to be temporarily closed again. No listing in today’s NY Times or on the Clearview website.
The setting of the new Broadway musical “Curtains” is none other than this wonderful theater. I saw “Curtains” last month—-a mildly entertaining show about a (fictional) Broadway-bound musical trying out at the Colonial in the late 1950s. David Hyde Pierce plays a Boston detective (and musical theater buff) investigating the murder of the show’s leading lady.
I attended a screening of “Zodiac” at the Ziegfeld last Saturday afternoon. Absorbing film; a shame that it doesn’t appear to be attracting much of an audience—-there couldn’t have been more than several dozen people at that screening.
I received a flyer at the box office for the next attraction, beginning March 30: “Meet the Robinsons” (to be presented in digital 3-D).
Thanks for those comments; I haven’t thought of the Chateau Restaurant in years (is it still in business?). I grew up in Weston about four miles or so from the Waltham cinema, which I visted often as a youngster.
I used the term “shopping center” a bit loosely when describing the building in which the cinema was located. The other major tenants in the building were a bank (located in the southeast corner with an entrance to the right of the cinema) and a Chinese restaurant with an entrance on the east side of the building facing Route 128. Instant Replay, one of the first video stores in the Boston area, opened next to the Chinese restaurant in 1980. The remainder of the building was, if memory serves, used for office space.
I don’t believe that Clearview is part of the proposed sale to Liberty Media. Liberty intends to purchase Rainbow, which is the cable programming subsidiary of Cablevision (AMC, WE, regional sports networks such as MSG, Mag Rack, etc.). Clearview is a separate subsidiary of Cablevision.