“And they make one of their main rules known by having the announcer say in a booming voice "NO TALKING”."
Good for them! People talking during movies are an abomination. Even those who think it’s OK because they are just whispering. Anyone using cellphones, and there are plenty who make and receive calls while the show is in progress, should be registered with the FBI as offenders to public morality, their names and pictures posted online, and permanently banned from movies. Next we can talk about the loud popcorn-munchers with their gallon-buckets of popped cacophony. Sometimes I wonder whether the feature attraction is the movie itself or the ingestion of popcorn.
I remember seeing Bertolucci’s electifying “Last Tango in Paris” here in March, 1973, during its classy-treatment reserved-seat engagement at the Trans-Lux East. The film had been slightly trimmed by the director after its New York Film Festival premiere the previous fall, which I had also attended.
Was this place actually ever a movie theatre? If so, when? I was under the impression it was a concert hall throughout its life until the Philadelphia Orchestra moved to the Kimmel Arts Center and it began to be used for Broadway shows.
I remember making a point of driving here on a cross-country trip just to see the theatre in July of 1973, two years after the release of the film in 1971. I took a couple of photos of the exterior.
One of the first movies I saw at the Art was Michelangelo Antonioni’s gorgeous color experiment “The Red Desert” with Monica Vitti and Richard Harris. The film had previously opened at the Beekman in February of 1965 and had a subsequent run here.
The cinema never found a true identity and did combinations of first run, second run, art house, revival programs. I saw a fair number of films here including “Torch Song Trilogy” in January of 1989. It could have become something special, given the location near Harvard, if it had been intelligently programmed and enthusiastically managed but instead it evolved into just another boring blah place.
I just took the trouble (no trouble, actually) of listing the theatre with just some rudimentary information. Hopefully, folks will add to that listing once it appears. Now, if someone beat me to it, it shall appear twice!
“But I don’t remember 2001 being at that theater, I thought it opened at the Pilgim, same block of the street.”
—-It did in fact open at the Boston Cinerama. I saw it there in 1968. The Pilgrim was 2nd run at the time. You can consult the Globe microfilm to verify.
In the summer of 1988, while studying in Siena, I visited this cinema with colleagues. I saw Francesco Rosi’s “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” in a wonderful CinemaScope-ratio print. It was so good I went back again. I also caught a revival of Franco Zeffirelli’s “Romeo e Giulietta” which was shown, to my horror, in a substandard video projection.
Yes, I too was surprised this wasn’t listed, and so I listed it. It is one of New York’s most ESSENTIAL cinemas for informed and caring film-goers…along with Film Forum and the Walter Reade Theatre, and a few others. I too have seen many great programs here, and I am not from New York, but I have been to the place many times indeed in the last quarter-century. How about Gianni Amelio’s “Stolen Children,” and “Lamerica” for starters? The revivals of Satyajit Ray’s masterpieces in pristine new prints were highlights. Seeing “Pather Panchali” again here in that series was an overwhelming experience.
Many worthwhile films play here besides those that have great popular appeal even among foreign and independent film buffs. The shattering Iranian “A Time for Drunken Horses” is one such movie. In the late 1980s the Taviani Brothers' “Kaos” opened on two screens but didn’t draw the audiences to support that decision. Yet it remains a masterpiece of the modern Italian cinema.
In the initial weeks of Michael Moore’s acclaimed “Fahrenheit 9/11” it was almost impossible to get near the theatre, depite the fact that the movie was playing on at least three of the screens.
Most of the foreign films that open here play for the first time in the United States, are reviewed, and go on to other cities. Its performance at the Lincoln Plaza often determines a film’s success elsewhere.
A “cinema treasure” means to me not just an architectural wonder, glorious surroundings, or a huge screen. Sure, we all respond to those things and it anguishes us to see them perish, often through wanton destruction. But let it be known that a “cinema treasure” can be a small plain place like this that “merely” shows fantastic movies. There is nothing mere about the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas.
I believe I was actually here only once, in 1986, when it was a repertory cinema. The film I caught was Jacques Rivette’s “Love on the Ground” with Jane Birkin and Geraldine Chaplin.
I saw “Top Gun” here in 1986, the only time I was ever there, and remember the Regency I as an very attractive place, despite the descriptive comments above.
I have a note to myself that I saw the Japanese film “Four Sisters” (“Shimaizaka”, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi) here in July of 1986. It was the only time I ever visited the theatre. Do any Angeleno film buffs know if this place is still around?
For a time in the 1980s the Palace was re-christened “Playhouse ‘85” and showed mainstream films. In June of 1986 I saw William Friedkin’s God-awful “To Live and Die in L.A.” at the Playhouse '85.
I do not believe it was EVER a 4-6 plex.
“And they make one of their main rules known by having the announcer say in a booming voice "NO TALKING”."
Good for them! People talking during movies are an abomination. Even those who think it’s OK because they are just whispering. Anyone using cellphones, and there are plenty who make and receive calls while the show is in progress, should be registered with the FBI as offenders to public morality, their names and pictures posted online, and permanently banned from movies. Next we can talk about the loud popcorn-munchers with their gallon-buckets of popped cacophony. Sometimes I wonder whether the feature attraction is the movie itself or the ingestion of popcorn.
I remember seeing Bertolucci’s electifying “Last Tango in Paris” here in March, 1973, during its classy-treatment reserved-seat engagement at the Trans-Lux East. The film had been slightly trimmed by the director after its New York Film Festival premiere the previous fall, which I had also attended.
Also the United Theatre in lovely Westerly, RI. Shuttered for about 20 years.
/theaters/5873/
Perhaps Hollywood Theatre, Taunton Avenue, East Providence, RI? Shuttered since the 1960s. It is for sale.
/theaters/6372/
Good news! It was announced in the Hartford Courant that the theatre is in fact re-opening under new management as “ART@Cinema City."
View link
Michael, I can be reached at
Michael, I’d be glad to scan it and email the scan to you and slow-mail the photo back. E-mail me using the member list e-mail feature.
Was this place actually ever a movie theatre? If so, when? I was under the impression it was a concert hall throughout its life until the Philadelphia Orchestra moved to the Kimmel Arts Center and it began to be used for Broadway shows.
I remember making a point of driving here on a cross-country trip just to see the theatre in July of 1973, two years after the release of the film in 1971. I took a couple of photos of the exterior.
One of the first movies I saw at the Art was Michelangelo Antonioni’s gorgeous color experiment “The Red Desert” with Monica Vitti and Richard Harris. The film had previously opened at the Beekman in February of 1965 and had a subsequent run here.
The cinema never found a true identity and did combinations of first run, second run, art house, revival programs. I saw a fair number of films here including “Torch Song Trilogy” in January of 1989. It could have become something special, given the location near Harvard, if it had been intelligently programmed and enthusiastically managed but instead it evolved into just another boring blah place.
The theatre is now listed at:
/theaters/7894/
A number of comments have already been posted on this theatre under the news section:
http://cinematreasures.org/news/11954_0_1_0_C/
I just took the trouble (no trouble, actually) of listing the theatre with just some rudimentary information. Hopefully, folks will add to that listing once it appears. Now, if someone beat me to it, it shall appear twice!
“But I don’t remember 2001 being at that theater, I thought it opened at the Pilgim, same block of the street.”
—-It did in fact open at the Boston Cinerama. I saw it there in 1968. The Pilgrim was 2nd run at the time. You can consult the Globe microfilm to verify.
Will someone who knows the short history of this place please list it?
In the summer of 1988, while studying in Siena, I visited this cinema with colleagues. I saw Francesco Rosi’s “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” in a wonderful CinemaScope-ratio print. It was so good I went back again. I also caught a revival of Franco Zeffirelli’s “Romeo e Giulietta” which was shown, to my horror, in a substandard video projection.
And I believe the Talbot-founded distributorship New Yorker Films is nearby on West 61st Street.
Yes, I too was surprised this wasn’t listed, and so I listed it. It is one of New York’s most ESSENTIAL cinemas for informed and caring film-goers…along with Film Forum and the Walter Reade Theatre, and a few others. I too have seen many great programs here, and I am not from New York, but I have been to the place many times indeed in the last quarter-century. How about Gianni Amelio’s “Stolen Children,” and “Lamerica” for starters? The revivals of Satyajit Ray’s masterpieces in pristine new prints were highlights. Seeing “Pather Panchali” again here in that series was an overwhelming experience.
Many worthwhile films play here besides those that have great popular appeal even among foreign and independent film buffs. The shattering Iranian “A Time for Drunken Horses” is one such movie. In the late 1980s the Taviani Brothers' “Kaos” opened on two screens but didn’t draw the audiences to support that decision. Yet it remains a masterpiece of the modern Italian cinema.
In the initial weeks of Michael Moore’s acclaimed “Fahrenheit 9/11” it was almost impossible to get near the theatre, depite the fact that the movie was playing on at least three of the screens.
Most of the foreign films that open here play for the first time in the United States, are reviewed, and go on to other cities. Its performance at the Lincoln Plaza often determines a film’s success elsewhere.
A “cinema treasure” means to me not just an architectural wonder, glorious surroundings, or a huge screen. Sure, we all respond to those things and it anguishes us to see them perish, often through wanton destruction. But let it be known that a “cinema treasure” can be a small plain place like this that “merely” shows fantastic movies. There is nothing mere about the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas.
I remember going to this cinema for close to fifteen years in a row for the annual Montréal World Film Festival. Saw a lot of great films when I had the desire to watch movies from 9 A.M. until after midnight. I remember many celebrities on hand to introduce films or speak to patrons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Shelley Winters, Kathryn Grayson.) I remember the superb projection in a variety of formats, meticulous attention to aspect ratios and appropriate screen masking.
This was the first place I saw the uncut version of Bertolucci’s “Novecento” (dubbed in French and not part of the Festival.) It was the North American première of that version. I don’t like the idea of multiplexing historic theatres like the Princess, but this place had character, and each of the auditoriums was well-appointed and attractive. I haven’t been there in years.
I believe I was actually here only once, in 1986, when it was a repertory cinema. The film I caught was Jacques Rivette’s “Love on the Ground” with Jane Birkin and Geraldine Chaplin.
I saw “Top Gun” here in 1986, the only time I was ever there, and remember the Regency I as an very attractive place, despite the descriptive comments above.
I have a note to myself that I saw the Japanese film “Four Sisters” (“Shimaizaka”, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi) here in July of 1986. It was the only time I ever visited the theatre. Do any Angeleno film buffs know if this place is still around?
For a time in the 1980s the Palace was re-christened “Playhouse ‘85” and showed mainstream films. In June of 1986 I saw William Friedkin’s God-awful “To Live and Die in L.A.” at the Playhouse '85.