I really miss the Glory of Easter pageant as done during the movie/stage show era. It was done later during a spring stage show only. But they must have lost the original lighting charts because it was not as beautifully lit. Also there were no religious statues along the choral stairs. Now the sets must be long gone along with those of Leonidoff’s Nativity. Anyway during the 70s the secular part of the seasonal show got pretty amateurish and cheap.
Marc Platt eventually became director of the ballet at the Music Hall. He was the original Dream Curly in Oklahoma on stage.
In this film he does a Jack Cole choreographed dance to a Hitler speech.
Seeing a movie here if you were halfway back in the orchestra or in the mezz or balc must have been like watching TV albeit in the most luxurious of environments like most palaces over 3,000 seats.
This is a very wide theater so I’m surprised it showed hit movies. It’s too wide even for stage productions. Unless of course you’re not on the side. It’s where I saw the original production of Ain’t
Misbehavin after it moved from off Broadway. I was to see it many more times at the Plymouth when it was revived with the original cast. I think it is no longer considered politically correct. But that’s because today people find everything incomprehensively politically incorrect.
You’re welcome. Sadly Loew’s State 1 was never to show another roadshow movie and after PYW neither did Loew’s State 2. It was the end of the roadshow era. There were a few more sporadic films like Song of Norway, Fiddler, and Nicholas and Alexandra even bewilderingly Man of La Mancha but as a form of exhibition it was dead. Except for Fiddler they were very brief runs.
Oliver! was no longer roadshow. It had already ended its roadshow run and gone wide. I saw it in the suburbs at this time. Paint Your Wagon was the Paramount roadshow at Loew’s State 2.
The Cine-Teatro Aguia was opened in the 1950’s. It was the largest cinema in the town of Quelimane. It was destroyed by fire in the 1980’s.
When you list a theater like this could you tell us where it is exactly? The above info needs to be more specific. What country and what continent. MZ? Mozambique? There is a lot of this with foreign theaters. You have no idea about these theaters of different countries and continents.
Lucky you! How lucky that you were able to see those films in those theaters. I remember passing them with my parents but my parents would never pay roadshow prices for a movie. I was too young to go on my own and certainly did not have the money. Loew’s State was twinned in ‘68. I wish I could have seen it as a single screen theater.
Clear Day was a perfect Music Hall movie and should have played there.
Looks like the kind of film that would have opened at the Astor or Victoria and one of the less prestigious east side houses. But the film to follow was pretty bad. That one I did see.
I saw the June in January finale with Promise at Dawn.
The Roxyettes of course became the Rockettes. I said once there were initially 46 Rockettes not 36. Somebody on this site insisted it wasn’t true there were always 36. Now I see I was wrong, it was 48!
The Hall seemed to have been a city unto itself. Not when I was working there. At times it seemed like a ghost town.
What a beautiful wide screen theater. On another site I found a Sound of Music ad for it so I looked it up here. This is what I wished the Ziegfeld was like in New York. Wow 105 weeks for SOM. It didn’t even run that long in NY at the Rivoli. A lot of repeat viewings. I would have been one of them in a 70MM house like that.
I wonder if “H.M.Pulham,Esq” was a disappointment which is why they didn’t hold it through the New Year. The New York Times calls it a dull film but says the Christmas stage show is quite spectacular. Babes on Broadway should have been the Christmas film and would have definitely played through the holidays.
The finale is one of the best things Berkeley and Garland ever did but will never receive the recognition it deserves or possibly even a bluray because it is in blackface.
Well if she did there is no record of it. She’s never mentioned it despite talking about going for the first time to the Hall to see The Jolson Story and her excitement at BBB opening there and seeing herself on the screen. I saw her live show there. She also I believe did a TV special including the Rockettes.
Alex Baldwin representing PETA is calling for the elimination of all animals from The Nativity. Not that I care because it’s not Leonidoff’s. It’s a pale cheap imitation looking like it belongs in the midwest somewhere. I saw it once and that was enough. Where I always looked forward to it during its stage show/film period, beautiful. I remember the delight of the audience of the Magi on the horse and the camel.
Breaking a cycle of movie musicals for the Christmas Music Hall show returning the following Christmas which would continue until ‘55 after which musicals would not return until '61 and then play on and off.
I really miss the Glory of Easter pageant as done during the movie/stage show era. It was done later during a spring stage show only. But they must have lost the original lighting charts because it was not as beautifully lit. Also there were no religious statues along the choral stairs. Now the sets must be long gone along with those of Leonidoff’s Nativity. Anyway during the 70s the secular part of the seasonal show got pretty amateurish and cheap.
Beautiful.
Marc Platt eventually became director of the ballet at the Music Hall. He was the original Dream Curly in Oklahoma on stage. In this film he does a Jack Cole choreographed dance to a Hitler speech.
Seeing a movie here if you were halfway back in the orchestra or in the mezz or balc must have been like watching TV albeit in the most luxurious of environments like most palaces over 3,000 seats.
The Bobo and this are when the Music Hall started getting films from hunger.
This is a very wide theater so I’m surprised it showed hit movies. It’s too wide even for stage productions. Unless of course you’re not on the side. It’s where I saw the original production of Ain’t Misbehavin after it moved from off Broadway. I was to see it many more times at the Plymouth when it was revived with the original cast. I think it is no longer considered politically correct. But that’s because today people find everything incomprehensively politically incorrect.
Shouldn’t these people be at work? They must have called in sick. Like I would have. The weekend lines for this film must have been a nightmare.
You’re welcome. Sadly Loew’s State 1 was never to show another roadshow movie and after PYW neither did Loew’s State 2. It was the end of the roadshow era. There were a few more sporadic films like Song of Norway, Fiddler, and Nicholas and Alexandra even bewilderingly Man of La Mancha but as a form of exhibition it was dead. Except for Fiddler they were very brief runs.
Oliver! was no longer roadshow. It had already ended its roadshow run and gone wide. I saw it in the suburbs at this time. Paint Your Wagon was the Paramount roadshow at Loew’s State 2.
Mr Roe can you be more specific about where these theaters are? Martyrs Avenue, Asmara is pretty meaningless to us unless you expect us to google it.
The Cine-Teatro Aguia was opened in the 1950’s. It was the largest cinema in the town of Quelimane. It was destroyed by fire in the 1980’s.
When you list a theater like this could you tell us where it is exactly? The above info needs to be more specific. What country and what continent. MZ? Mozambique? There is a lot of this with foreign theaters. You have no idea about these theaters of different countries and continents.
Lucky you! How lucky that you were able to see those films in those theaters. I remember passing them with my parents but my parents would never pay roadshow prices for a movie. I was too young to go on my own and certainly did not have the money. Loew’s State was twinned in ‘68. I wish I could have seen it as a single screen theater. Clear Day was a perfect Music Hall movie and should have played there.
I wonder if this included the Sunflower segment or if it was cut by then. It certainly was in no print from the 70s on.
Paramount changed its policy on R&J. Frank told Paramount no to a roadshow run and it was done continuous performances at the Paris.
Looks like the kind of film that would have opened at the Astor or Victoria and one of the less prestigious east side houses. But the film to follow was pretty bad. That one I did see. I saw the June in January finale with Promise at Dawn.
The Roxyettes of course became the Rockettes. I said once there were initially 46 Rockettes not 36. Somebody on this site insisted it wasn’t true there were always 36. Now I see I was wrong, it was 48!
The Hall seemed to have been a city unto itself. Not when I was working there. At times it seemed like a ghost town.
Wait Warner Bros opened this one at Loew’s Capitol and not at the Strand? MGM had nothing and the Strand was overbooked? Mighty strange.
What a beautiful wide screen theater. On another site I found a Sound of Music ad for it so I looked it up here. This is what I wished the Ziegfeld was like in New York. Wow 105 weeks for SOM. It didn’t even run that long in NY at the Rivoli. A lot of repeat viewings. I would have been one of them in a 70MM house like that.
How would anyone have gotten to the entrance of the Criterion in the evening if the crowds are anything like they are today.
There used to be a plaque in the lobby of the theater commemorated this momentous event but it was taken down.
I wonder if “H.M.Pulham,Esq” was a disappointment which is why they didn’t hold it through the New Year. The New York Times calls it a dull film but says the Christmas stage show is quite spectacular. Babes on Broadway should have been the Christmas film and would have definitely played through the holidays.
The finale is one of the best things Berkeley and Garland ever did but will never receive the recognition it deserves or possibly even a bluray because it is in blackface.
They superimposed a photo of Namath in ‘69 over a 1965 picture of Times Square which is understandable as it was a more glamorous brightly lit area.
Well if she did there is no record of it. She’s never mentioned it despite talking about going for the first time to the Hall to see The Jolson Story and her excitement at BBB opening there and seeing herself on the screen. I saw her live show there. She also I believe did a TV special including the Rockettes.
Alex Baldwin representing PETA is calling for the elimination of all animals from The Nativity. Not that I care because it’s not Leonidoff’s. It’s a pale cheap imitation looking like it belongs in the midwest somewhere. I saw it once and that was enough. Where I always looked forward to it during its stage show/film period, beautiful. I remember the delight of the audience of the Magi on the horse and the camel.
Breaking a cycle of movie musicals for the Christmas Music Hall show returning the following Christmas which would continue until ‘55 after which musicals would not return until '61 and then play on and off.