Palladium Times Square
1515 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1515 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
33 people
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A lot people are trying to preserve this entertainment district. But progress has been slow in getting a real night life into the Broadway area. The Staples Center has brought sports and people into the area. But no one stays late or goes over to Broadway really late at night. It looks like people that stay in the downtown area stay just west of Pershing Square, which is two blocks from Broadway. Metropolitan Theatres ran all of those theatres, till the profits were gone. Its hard to keep large single screen theatres operating with only 10-12 people for each show. When I worked in Los Angeles, I saw all those houses full every weekend and busy during the week.
But with cable/video/DVD’s and parking in the area, just costs to
much.
In Times Square people are here to sight see and eat and go to a show. The night life in Los Angeles is mainly in Hollywood, Sunset Blvd (West Hollywood), Westwood and Santa Monica areas. People have gone west for their entertainment. But when they program those Best
Remaining Seats series into the palaces of downtown they sell out
every series each year. Another problem is that these theatres are no longer owned by the chains that operated them. That was the case with some Fox West Coast operated theatres. The theatre was owned by
the chain but was later sold and the chain leased the theatre during
the 50’s & 60’s at long term and low leases. So maybe that was the
case with a lot of those single Times Square theatres. The property
owners saw all those extra zero’s on those checks. More than he
could make with a leased theatre. In those years it was easier to
get permits to raze a building. In Westwood, California, two of Mann
Theatre’s jewels the Village and Bruin theatres are not owned by the
chain. They are leased to them by the Skouras Family.
Its to bad the movie palaces in Times Square didn’t get the attention that the Astor Plaza is receiving. I heard very little when the Rivoli,Warner and State were torn down in the 1980’s. By the way Loews State was very successful right to the end. The best collection of movie palaces is on the the other broadway in LA. There are about 12 historic movie palaces still standing and many are in pretty good condition. The city of LA has designated this area as an historic theatre district. Here are the following historic theatres on Broadway in LA
1. United Artists
2. Orpheum
3 Rialto
4. Loews State
5. Globe
6. Los Angeles
7. Palace
8. Roxie
9. Arcade
10.Cameo
11.Million Dollar
12.Tower
Note: The Warner Downtown,Mayan,and Belasco are a few blocks away
Loews State was the most successful movie palace on the street and the Los Angeles the most beautiful. The Orpheum is in the best shape having finished a 4 million renovation a couple of years ago. The least successful movie palace on the street was the United Artists. The largest Downtown movie palace the Paramount was torn down in the 1960’s but wasn’t located on Broadway. It was the hispanic population that kept these theatres humming during 1960’s thru the 1980’s. I think a major focus should be in preserving this entertainment district that has survived all these years.brucec
The stereo prints of “Hindenburg” were presented in 4-Track Magnetic stereo. The Los Angeles engagement at the Bruin Theatre was 4-track Mag. “Tommy” is a harder one research sound formats. Because the first run engagements were presented in Quintaphonic Sound which used a 4-track Mag print. But you need a special decoder for the playback of the full soundtrack. The Los Angeles engagement was at the Fox Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills in Quintaphonic Sound and also Orange Cinedome in Orange, Ca.. They only made a limited number of decoders for that format. “Tommy” was released in 70mm (blow-up) 6-Track Stereo Sound, a year or two after the first run.
Rhett:
“Re: Tommy and the Hindenburg. I can’t say they were 70MM (I didn’t either) I was commenting on the sound.”
My response isn’t meant to be sarcastic, but a movie playing in “6-Track” in the mid-‘70s would imply it being from a 70mm print.
“I don’t recall 70MM presentations from the Cinema 46, but in 1975 those 2 films (Tommy being the first) introduced me to a whole new level of moviegoing…being a stereophinic track.They had 4 track stereo presentations or possibly 6 track.”
“Tommy” was more than likely presented in Quintaphonic Sound a 4-channel stereo mix. A buddy of mine recalls seeing it at the old Orange (CA) Cinedome and being blown away by the soundtrack.
“The Hindenburg” is one of those mystery titles in regards to its soundtrack. I don’t remember seeing any indications of “4-track” stereo presentations in the papers of the day…at least not yet. I spoke to director Robert Wise a few years ago, and he said there were no 70mm prints made of the film. That of course doesn’t mean that possibly 35mm mag stereo prints were made.
“In my research there’s really no advertising of the audio.”
The 1970s was a strange time for presentation notations in the newspapers, as you’ve seen. Every once in a while, you could see an indication of what a film was being played in, i.e. “4-track” or _“4-channel” 35mm presentations. Most of the time, presentation was left to 70mm or Universal’s Sensurround (for a short time).
The first 70mm presentation that I can remember was “Star Wars” at the Orange Plitt City Center Theater. I saw “Gone With The Wind” in the mid-‘70s when there were a number of 70mm re-releases of that film, but I don’t recall when I exactly saw it or which theater. I was pretty young at the time.
These are a few of the last true 70MM photographed feature films.
“Airport” 1970
“Ryan’s Daughter” 1970
“The Last Valley” 1971
“Tron” 1982 (live action only)
“Brainstorm” 1983
“Far and Away” 1992
“Baraka” 1993
“Hamlet” 1997
Everything else that has been released has been a blow-up from 35mm photography.
The Astor Plaza was meant to open as the Reade around December 1971 -the title board for Such Good Friends was on the marquee…Walter Reade lost the lease I believe either to cash flow issues or problems with the union and Loews took the space over opening it I believe with Barbra Streisand in For Pete’s Sake, following it up with Death Wish in mid 1973…I can’t tell you what happened in between and would be happy to be filled in
But Mike that was a blow-up. Maybe somebody could provide a list of the films in the last 35 years that were actually filmed in 70mm.
Vincent
I think that the Virgina played Hello Dolly in 35mm becuase by the time it hit Atlantic City on June 24, 1970, it was not doing well in the rest of the country becuase of the bad reviews. Also, that summer the other movies houses along with the Virgina showed Dolly as a regular continuous performance show. The show played in Phila(center city) in 70 mm at the now long gone Randolph (which is where I saw it on their cinerama screen) and in NYC at the Rivoli also in 70 mm.
Does anyone else feel like I do about filme not being made in the 70mm format? I hate it. I think the last movie I remeber advertised in 70mm was Titanic at the Astor Plaza.
rhett. the premiere (excuse the spelling if it’s incorrect) the premiere of the Damon Wayons movie “MO MOney” was there and I don’t know of hand but there were many more there.
Re: Astor Plaza…what was the first showing at the theater? what was the date?? They did show premieres. I remember in 87, I believe The Untouchables had the premeire there.
Bill, I have an extensive collection from microfilm research also as I am collecting all of my movie memories (well not all, it’s impossible) I mostly go to the Montclair State University college library.
Re: Tommy and the Hindenburg. I can’t say they were 70MM (I didn’t either) I was commenting on the sound. I don’t recall 70MM presentations from the Cinema 46, but in 1975 those 2 films (Tommy being the first) introduced me to a whole new level of moviegoing…being a stereophinic track.They had 4 track stereo presentations or possibly 6 track.In my research there’s really no advertising of the audio. The opening of Tommy is still something I remember today.
The first 70MM film I saw was Star Wars at Stanley Warner paramus.
Original Post: “There was a theater by me in NJ called the Cinema 46 and in 1975 they played Tommy and The Hindenburg in 6 track. I still never heard anything like it since.”
posted by rhett on Apr 29, 2004 at 7:26am
Response: Recently, I’ve been doing microfilm research on the New York City/New Jersey areas. My focus has been on 70mm presentation, mainly in Manhattan.
It seems that the Cinema 46 was a premiere house for certain major films, with the Bellevue being the other one. There were 70mm runs of “The Sound Of Music” and “Logan’s Run” at the Bellevue, for instance. However, I’ve found no record of “Tommy” or “The Hindenburg” having played in 70mm in 1975—especially “The Hindenburg.” “Tommy” was re-released in 70mm in 1977.
During my research with Michael Coate, we haven’t found proof that “The Hindenburg” played in 70mm. Do you have access to an ad in the New Jersey newspapers of 1975 that might show what format these two films played in? Thanks.
Saw that at the Fox in Hackensack NJ in Sensurround!
Add “Midway” to the Sensurround list of features.
Part of discussing theatres is not just the architectural styles or how big or were it was located. It should inclue some of the history of what was shown there and presentations that are long gone in this day and age of movie going. The things that made these theatres special.
They blew up a few episodes of Battle Star Galactica from TV and added Sensurround, also Rollercoaster.
Since a lot of technical information seems to be discussed on this board, were any films other than Earthquake (1974) presented in Sensurround sound?
But William Song of Norway played roadshow at the Warner Cinerama in ‘70 in 70 mm. Was that the only place it played roadshow or are you saying that it was not in Cinerama. And could you tell what the difference of the print would be for Krakatoa and Norway? I think Norway was Ultra or Super Panavision. Do any of these prints exist?
Mike I’m surprised that the Virginia showed Dolly in 35mm. Maybe at that point Fox felt that deluxe roadshow entertainment was dead and thought that a Todd AO print was a waste of money. I guess then when I saw it at the St James in Asbury park that summer it was also 35mm.
Krakatoa, East of Java was the last film given a official Cinerama release. But the last three films that Cinerama Releasing with ABC were “Custer of the West”, “Krakatoa, East of Java” and “Song of Norway”. “Song of Norway” played some Cinerama houses but was not a official Cinerama Roadshow release.
rhett
That print of “Rocky 3”, by this time has been destroyed by the studio. Not all studios keep a lot of 70MM prints anymore. There might be 1 or 2 (East/West coast), but since not many theatres play that format anymore. The studio destroys the extra prints, instead of pay storage on them.
William and Vincent
I spent 13 years during the summer in Atlantic City. Yes, the Virgina was the big 70mm, reserved seat house. The last film to play there in 1973 the last year the theater operated was the re release of The Sound Of Music. In 1969 they showed Krakatova East of Java in 70 mm not cinerama. I think that was the last cinerama film made. In 1970 theyshowed Hello Dolly in 35mm.
Bill and Pete: It seems we have the same experiences.. I saw Altered States at the Bellevue in 81 and was knocked out of my seat and I saw Outland at Cinema 46, it was something. At the same time, Poltergeist played at Cinema 46 and was the same knockout experience.
The first big stereophonic sound film I ever saw was Tommy in 75 at Cinema 46, never heard anything like it. And the Hindenburg was tremendous. They played with 4 track stereo also with The Car in 77.
Now it seems that 6 track is taken for granted as all movies are in stereo so it has to be a real awesome experience to be appreciated. I will tell you one that was great as of recent.. and that was the 40th Anniversary of Lawrence of Arabia last year at the Ziegfeld.
Warner Bros. used Megasound on four 70MM releases during that time.
Altered States
Outland
Superman II
Wolfen (only in select engagements)
Thanks, Pete, for remembering it was MegaSound, and thanks to Rhett and Vincent and everybody on here for all these great movie memories about things I haven’t thought about for many years. I tell ya, this website functions as a sort of time machine for me.
Bill is correct – the Bellevue’s presentation of Altered States was incredible. The process was called “MegaSound” and was also used on Outland (which was very nice at the Cinema 46).
Rhett: the most amazing, mind-blowing soundtrack I’ve ever heard in a theater was at the Bellevue. They were showing Ken Russell’s Altered States in 70mm and something called MagnaSound (I think that’s what it was called anyway – this was in 1981). Like I said, there was never anything else like it before or since. I saw the same movie at the Astor Plaza in 70mm but the sound wasn’t the same knockout experience it was at the Bellevue.