In reference to this Daily News story, as found as part of a Newsreel post on this site’s main page earlier this week – View link – the progress being made on redeveloping (and restoring, where possible) the Keith’s site is fantastic, but there’s one thing I’m not clear on: do those future plans include rehabbing the auditorium? From what I’ve read previously, including Ed Baxter’s post from this past February 27th, it had been essentially destroyed beyond hope, but this article, if I’m reading it correctly, seems to indicate otherwise. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Does anyone know who ran the Hollywood Twin as a rep house? That seems like a curious business choice to have made, especially considering just how ‘lively’ that stretch of 8th Avenue – and the Times Square area in general – was during that time.
It might be a case, Warren, of the lease on the 62nd and Broadway nearing its end and Clearview not caring much how much revenue, if any, the property generates. One thing which inarguably hurt them greatly was Fox lifting its self-imposed ban on booking their product into Manhattan Loews Cineplex theatres; without those films to fall back on, and with its operating chain apparently thinking little of it (not that Cablevision, Clearview’s parent company, doesn’t have bigger items on its plate at the moment, but still… ), it seems fairly safe to say the 62nd and Broadway is living on borrowed time.
One of the funkiest, most enjoyable places to catch a flick in the city; in the spirit of its programming at least, the closest thing around to the lamented and long-closed Bleecker Street Cinemas.
Granted, the Esquire has a rather remarkable exterior, but given its bland, late-‘80s, post-renovation interior, it’s a bit stunning how this theatre was allowed to stay open and Loews instead opted to close the McClurg Court Cinemas.
What’s the overall interior decor of the 3 Penny? Does it have a heavy ‘70s vibe (i.e., the twinning of the auditorium space during that era) or does it bespeak something more current?
I’d double Bway’s comment, chance. Property values in Williamsburg are skyrocketing, commensurate with the hot spots at the Bedford Avenue L stop (to use just one example) and the steady outburst of upscale condos and luxury apartments throughout Billburg. If you’re able to or have arranged the likely amount of financing needed to purchase the Commodore and have a solid business plan, you could find yourself sitting on a gold mine, in more ways than one.
Based on my knowledge – as it is – of the Landmark chain, my best guess on three of the five theatres to be a part of the initial digital projection roll-out would focus on the Sunshine in NYC, the Kendall Square Cinemas in Cambridge, Ma., and the NuArt in LA; beyond those likely sites, I’d suppose they’d target some of their other top-grossing venues (not sure if their theatres in D.C. would fall into that category).
The Commodore is up for sale? Wow, what a pleasant surprise, given the current ownership’s seemingly hellbent plans to either demolish or gut the property.
Nowhere near the record, Theatrefan. The since-demolished Movieplex 42 on 42nd between 7th and 8th stayed in business for 21 months, from June of 1994 through March of ‘96 while, in the Pittsburgh suburb of North Versailles, Pennsylvania, a 20-screen, all-stadium seating Loews theatre lasted 16 months, closing in February of '01 as part of Loews Cineplex’ bankruptcy reorganization, and having seen most of its business siphoned away by a nearby megaplex operated by rival chain Destinta.
Great exterior photo, but I seriously doubt that Catatonia, as the person who posted the image lostmemory linked to, was scheduled to play the Music Palace; the Music Palace was strictly a film venue, with perhaps (and I’m only guessing) an occasional stint as a host to various live Chinese cultural performances.
Those were great days for the Somerville Theatre, Ian – working for Garen, the double features, the midnight specials on Friday and Saturday nights, the programming in general, and the anticipation that surrounded the experience of that first look at each new film calendar as it arrived at the theatre, checking to see what the next two months would bring… fun times and I’m glad the Somerville Theatre is still going strong. I’ll definitely pop in and say ‘hi’ the next time I’m back in Boston.
The Music Palace is the subject of a nine-minute documentary (titled ‘Music Palace’), directed by Eric Lin and showing as part of the 2005 New Directors/New Films series. It focuses on the Music Palace’s three caretakers and their ruminations during the theatre’s final days. (Showings – on the same bill as Zhu Wen’s feature-length dramatic feature, ‘South of the Clouds’ – are scheduled for the Walter Reade Theater on Thursday, March 31, at 8:30 pm and at MoMA Saturday, April 2 at 3:15 pm; more information about purchasing tickets and about ND/NF in general can be found here: http://www.filmlinc.com/ndnf/index.html.))
Below is the comment I posted last night on this week’s quiz page…
I’m not a fan of commercials being shown before movies (trailers, yes- even though most tend to give away the majority of a film’s plot in only a few minutes' time; commercials themselves, no) but, reading Ian M. Judge’s comments, I recognize them as being a necessary evil; again, I’m not fond of them, but I understand why theatres – chains and indies – resort to showing them.
Pacific Theatres, the operator of the ArcLight and Cinerama Dome complex, does a fantastic thing in not showing commercials; the trade-off, of course, being an increase in ticket price. While most of us claim that to be a fair bargain, the fact is, a sizeable percentage would complain about the increase in the cost of admission, despite filmgoing being the best entertainment bargain around.
The fair compromise to me (again, going back to the policy of the theatre where Ian is employed, which I believe to be the Somerville Theatre, my boyhood moviegoing haunt and the place where I had my first job at the age of 10, distributing film program calendars in the Somerville and Cambridge area during the mid-‘80s) is to show commercials before the announced showtime; theatre owners still gain their revenue and those of us who prefer to avoid ads win as well.
posted by br91975 on Mar 08, 05 | 10:35 pm
The two Bow Tie Cinemas share the name of former B.S. Moss Times Square properties and are located in New Haven, Connecticut (the five-screen Criterion Cinemas) and Basalt, Colorado (the seven-screen Movieland).
If only those chains would spread some of their love to the city of Boston, which is down to two movie theatre sites – the Loews Boston Common and the AMC Fenway…
As much as it kills me to feel this way, chance, it looks as if any attempt to save or buy the Commodore is a lost cause; see the series of postings dated this past October 20th for more details.
All of the fundraising benefits the Friends of the Raymond Theatre are excellent and noteworthy, but updated reports of what’s happening to or has become of the battle to save the Raymond seem few and far between; any news to offer?
A minor correction to the Post article is in order: the Victoria actually showed its last movie sometime in the mid-‘90s. After reopening as the Victoria 5 in the fall of '92 (later operating as a quad and closing about a year later), the theatre served as a venue (on one or two screens) for more ethnically-based films (such as 'Sankofa’) for a year or two, before closing yet again. (In subsequent years, the Victoria housed occasional theatrical productions and church services.)
Thank you so much for the detailed account, Ed. With a lack of photos detailing the current (or near-current) state of the RKO Keith’s interior, your recollections are the next best thing. Again, thank you…
I had a feeling the building which housed the Park & 86th Street Cinemas and Gimbel’s were separate entities; thanks for the clarification, Warren, and for clearing my suspicions. The former HMV space is presently occupied by Best Buy. (HMV, which once had a strong presence with five stores throughout Manhattan – including one at the former Embassy 72nd Street site – has since pulled out of the New York market.)
In reference to this Daily News story, as found as part of a Newsreel post on this site’s main page earlier this week – View link – the progress being made on redeveloping (and restoring, where possible) the Keith’s site is fantastic, but there’s one thing I’m not clear on: do those future plans include rehabbing the auditorium? From what I’ve read previously, including Ed Baxter’s post from this past February 27th, it had been essentially destroyed beyond hope, but this article, if I’m reading it correctly, seems to indicate otherwise. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Does anyone know who ran the Hollywood Twin as a rep house? That seems like a curious business choice to have made, especially considering just how ‘lively’ that stretch of 8th Avenue – and the Times Square area in general – was during that time.
‘Being Julia’ is in its sixth month in Manhattan, Warren. It opened at the Paris and (I think) the Union Square Stadium 14.
It might be a case, Warren, of the lease on the 62nd and Broadway nearing its end and Clearview not caring much how much revenue, if any, the property generates. One thing which inarguably hurt them greatly was Fox lifting its self-imposed ban on booking their product into Manhattan Loews Cineplex theatres; without those films to fall back on, and with its operating chain apparently thinking little of it (not that Cablevision, Clearview’s parent company, doesn’t have bigger items on its plate at the moment, but still… ), it seems fairly safe to say the 62nd and Broadway is living on borrowed time.
One of the funkiest, most enjoyable places to catch a flick in the city; in the spirit of its programming at least, the closest thing around to the lamented and long-closed Bleecker Street Cinemas.
Granted, the Esquire has a rather remarkable exterior, but given its bland, late-‘80s, post-renovation interior, it’s a bit stunning how this theatre was allowed to stay open and Loews instead opted to close the McClurg Court Cinemas.
What’s the overall interior decor of the 3 Penny? Does it have a heavy ‘70s vibe (i.e., the twinning of the auditorium space during that era) or does it bespeak something more current?
I’d double Bway’s comment, chance. Property values in Williamsburg are skyrocketing, commensurate with the hot spots at the Bedford Avenue L stop (to use just one example) and the steady outburst of upscale condos and luxury apartments throughout Billburg. If you’re able to or have arranged the likely amount of financing needed to purchase the Commodore and have a solid business plan, you could find yourself sitting on a gold mine, in more ways than one.
Based on my knowledge – as it is – of the Landmark chain, my best guess on three of the five theatres to be a part of the initial digital projection roll-out would focus on the Sunshine in NYC, the Kendall Square Cinemas in Cambridge, Ma., and the NuArt in LA; beyond those likely sites, I’d suppose they’d target some of their other top-grossing venues (not sure if their theatres in D.C. would fall into that category).
The Commodore is up for sale? Wow, what a pleasant surprise, given the current ownership’s seemingly hellbent plans to either demolish or gut the property.
Best of luck to you, chance, on your pursuit…
Completely screwed up indeed; thanks for the update, Manwithnoname.
Nowhere near the record, Theatrefan. The since-demolished Movieplex 42 on 42nd between 7th and 8th stayed in business for 21 months, from June of 1994 through March of ‘96 while, in the Pittsburgh suburb of North Versailles, Pennsylvania, a 20-screen, all-stadium seating Loews theatre lasted 16 months, closing in February of '01 as part of Loews Cineplex’ bankruptcy reorganization, and having seen most of its business siphoned away by a nearby megaplex operated by rival chain Destinta.
Great exterior photo, but I seriously doubt that Catatonia, as the person who posted the image lostmemory linked to, was scheduled to play the Music Palace; the Music Palace was strictly a film venue, with perhaps (and I’m only guessing) an occasional stint as a host to various live Chinese cultural performances.
Those were great days for the Somerville Theatre, Ian – working for Garen, the double features, the midnight specials on Friday and Saturday nights, the programming in general, and the anticipation that surrounded the experience of that first look at each new film calendar as it arrived at the theatre, checking to see what the next two months would bring… fun times and I’m glad the Somerville Theatre is still going strong. I’ll definitely pop in and say ‘hi’ the next time I’m back in Boston.
The Music Palace is the subject of a nine-minute documentary (titled ‘Music Palace’), directed by Eric Lin and showing as part of the 2005 New Directors/New Films series. It focuses on the Music Palace’s three caretakers and their ruminations during the theatre’s final days. (Showings – on the same bill as Zhu Wen’s feature-length dramatic feature, ‘South of the Clouds’ – are scheduled for the Walter Reade Theater on Thursday, March 31, at 8:30 pm and at MoMA Saturday, April 2 at 3:15 pm; more information about purchasing tickets and about ND/NF in general can be found here: http://www.filmlinc.com/ndnf/index.html.))
Below is the comment I posted last night on this week’s quiz page…
I’m not a fan of commercials being shown before movies (trailers, yes- even though most tend to give away the majority of a film’s plot in only a few minutes' time; commercials themselves, no) but, reading Ian M. Judge’s comments, I recognize them as being a necessary evil; again, I’m not fond of them, but I understand why theatres – chains and indies – resort to showing them.
Pacific Theatres, the operator of the ArcLight and Cinerama Dome complex, does a fantastic thing in not showing commercials; the trade-off, of course, being an increase in ticket price. While most of us claim that to be a fair bargain, the fact is, a sizeable percentage would complain about the increase in the cost of admission, despite filmgoing being the best entertainment bargain around.
The fair compromise to me (again, going back to the policy of the theatre where Ian is employed, which I believe to be the Somerville Theatre, my boyhood moviegoing haunt and the place where I had my first job at the age of 10, distributing film program calendars in the Somerville and Cambridge area during the mid-‘80s) is to show commercials before the announced showtime; theatre owners still gain their revenue and those of us who prefer to avoid ads win as well.
posted by br91975 on Mar 08, 05 | 10:35 pm
The two Bow Tie Cinemas share the name of former B.S. Moss Times Square properties and are located in New Haven, Connecticut (the five-screen Criterion Cinemas) and Basalt, Colorado (the seven-screen Movieland).
If only those chains would spread some of their love to the city of Boston, which is down to two movie theatre sites – the Loews Boston Common and the AMC Fenway…
As much as it kills me to feel this way, chance, it looks as if any attempt to save or buy the Commodore is a lost cause; see the series of postings dated this past October 20th for more details.
All of the fundraising benefits the Friends of the Raymond Theatre are excellent and noteworthy, but updated reports of what’s happening to or has become of the battle to save the Raymond seem few and far between; any news to offer?
A minor correction to the Post article is in order: the Victoria actually showed its last movie sometime in the mid-‘90s. After reopening as the Victoria 5 in the fall of '92 (later operating as a quad and closing about a year later), the theatre served as a venue (on one or two screens) for more ethnically-based films (such as 'Sankofa’) for a year or two, before closing yet again. (In subsequent years, the Victoria housed occasional theatrical productions and church services.)
The Cinema Village is located on 12th at University Place; the Village East Cinemas are at 2nd Avenue and 12th Street.
Thank you so much for the detailed account, Ed. With a lack of photos detailing the current (or near-current) state of the RKO Keith’s interior, your recollections are the next best thing. Again, thank you…
I had a feeling the building which housed the Park & 86th Street Cinemas and Gimbel’s were separate entities; thanks for the clarification, Warren, and for clearing my suspicions. The former HMV space is presently occupied by Best Buy. (HMV, which once had a strong presence with five stores throughout Manhattan – including one at the former Embassy 72nd Street site – has since pulled out of the New York market.)
It’s here, Robert: /theaters/6200/