Here’s an oddity: For “Spirit of St. Louis in March ‘56, the organ interludes between movie and stage show were set in a way I’d never experienced before or after at RCMH. Instead of using the golden houselights on the contour curtain and arches, they lit the latter in sky blue to match the movie’s theme. And instead of using organ #1 on the left as usual, they used organ #2 on the right (which they dusted off from time to time, and occasionally used in conjunction with the former for special effect; was the former being renovated at that particular time?). I remember thinking, jees, all these tourists here for the first and probably last time will never see the famous "sunset” effect of the golden curtain. Some might recall that the newsreels and coming-attraction announcement always took place under dimly blue-lit arches to anable patrons arriving and departing between movie and stage shows to see their way..
I imagine that MGM (and probably RCMH) thought “Annie Get Your Gun” a disaster (remember the firing of Judy Garland). Even the Capitol would have been more prestigious than the State (and the Capitol still had stage shows then). It’s odd thatRCMH instead chose “The Great Caruso,” and odder still that this operatic middle-brow went on to break records (I remember that the stage show ended with the Underwater Ballet, the first time I’d seen that chestnut). The newspapers announced that “Streetcar” was pulled because “Caruso”’s hold over pushed back its date too far. But I think SimonL’s explanation is accurate. In 1956 RCMH did not flinch from such adult films as “I’ll Cry Tomorrow,” “Picnic,” and “Tea and Sympathy.” As a young teen at the time, I could size up those pictures pretty well. For “The Next Voice You Hear” (yes, I saw that dreadful pic there too), the July 4-oriented stage show ended with the famous electriocal fireworks, and Rockettes clad all in re-white-‘n-blue. Patriotic fever indeed. Box Office Bill
Jacques—
Yes, I think it was the Paramount— in the mid 50’s they installed a huge VistaVision screen that covered the entire proscenium, with projection from the lower balcony overhang. I believe the first feature to use it was “Strategic Air Command.” The first I saw it was for “The Man Who Knew Too Much.” For non-VistaVision films, the screen shrank to conventional size (as I recall for “Love in the Afternoon”).
Box Office Bill.
On the Radio City Music Hall page, look at SimonL’s comments about the stage show with “Giant” at the Roxy—a twenty-minute quickie to complement the length of the three-and-a-half-hour movie. I recall the amazing show for “Giant”’s predecessor, “Bus Stop,” in which the Roxy hauled out its entire repertoire of sets for constantly shifting scene changes while the Ice Blades and Roxyettes skated on and on. At one point, the cyclorama rose to reveal the rear stage wall, disclosing the theater’s odd triangular ground plan— a stunning revelation to me at the time.
Box Office Bill
sorry for the typos above—I find it hard to type blindly after running out of space in the visible box allowed — is there a way to edit one’s comments before submitting them tothe site:
Box Office Bill
SimonL—
Yes about the abbreviated stage shoes—in the 1950s they eliminated the specialty acts between the ballet and the choral group and between that group and the Rockettes. In the ‘60s, the film’s length mattered less, and they ran full-length stage shows for “Sayonara (Christmas '57) and "Auntie Mame” (Christmas '58) even though those pictures ran well over two hours. Yes, I remember the Roxy’s “Indian Fall” quickie with “Giant. Better I recall the Roxy’s show with "giant”’s predecessor, “Bus Stop,” where they exploityed their full repertoire of stage sets in a constant display of over-the-top scene changewhile the Ice Blades and Roxyettes skated on and on—they even raised the cyclorama toi show the bare back wall, rerevealing the odd triangular stage plan on which the house was built. Among nuttier stage shows at RCMH, I recall for “Ivanhoe” in summer '52 a segment on the Civil War featuring photo projections of military gore, by turns macabre and maudlin, as the (I think( Tusgeegee Choir sang patriotic period songs. For “Green Mansions” (Easter late '50s), the show featured the multti0octave-range Yma Sumak singing away in an a San Amazonian setting while the Rockettes danced a Brazilian routine (Amazonian, but with left-breasts intact) to match the thematics of the picture (they also blew in Odorama of tropical scents to matrch the olefactory senses). Another match between picture-and-stage-show was with “Singing in the Rain” (Easter '52): the finale deployed the rain sprinklers (reral water) on a set of cast-tourists aagainst a Rockefeller Center backdrop, with Rockettes dancing to the tune of “Singing’ in the Rain,” a frenetic segue into the picture that followed. Whew. Don’t get me started. .
Thanks for the cross-ref to the Casino in B'klyn. And, yes, the Astor and Vistoria were indeed the Laurel&Hardy, Abbott&Costello, and Martin&Lewis of Times Square! Well put.
SimonL-
I second William Dunklin’s kudos for your description— Here a couple of supplements: Before CinemaScope brought alterations to the narrow picture sheet space that eliminated a solid draft curtain (with “Knights of the RT” in January, rather than “RoseMarie” at Easter), the contour curtain used to rise before the main film in a fully lit house revealing the yellow traveller behind it. When the studio logo flashed on the traveller siumultaneously with the last organ notes, the lights dimmed and the traveller parted. That way, spectators saw the contour rise in full lighted glory, and enjoyed it in a fractional pause before the film began. The larger CinrmaScope screen eliminated a backstage draft curtain that kept the whole tableau in place, and so that was the end of the pre-film treat. Another supplement: The introduction of big screen in 1953 (with “Shane”) eliminated the spectaculkar MagnaScope effect mentioned elsewhere above, whereby certain spectacle scenes in movies were shown on an enlarged screen, when the masks widened from the standard 27'x35' size to a (at that time) manouth 36'x48' size. I remember the effect for the stampede scene in “ing Solomon’s Miones” (1950), the storm scene in “Plymouth Adventure” (Thanksgioving, 1952), the Busby Berkeley acquatic scene in “Million Dollar Mermaid” (Christmas, 1952), and, oh yes, the train wreck scene in “Greatest Show on Earth” (January 1951). When “Shane” opened in May ‘53 at a time when B'way movies were going WideScreen, the Music Hall advertised shhowing the film o"On the Panoramic Screen.“ I was hugely disappointed, because they simply showed it on the Magnascope Screen, without installing a cuurved wide screen as the Capitol, Loew’s State, and others had done. I saw "Band Wagon,” “Roman Holiday,” and LKiss Me Kate" (defiantly not in #D) that way. By the time of the Christmas show (“Easy to Wed)), the CinemaScope screen was in place, though that Esther Williams splash was made for and shown in c theby-then conventional 1x1.6 ratio on it 32'x52’ or so). In those early ‘Scope years, the Music Hall narrowed the screen to the (now) tiny 27'x35’ for the news , cartoon, and coming attraction announcement (with, yes, the traveller aopening and closing between each segment).
Erwin—
See my comment in the listing for the Victoria’s mate, the Astor Theater— I had forgotten that the Embassy Five name presided over the theater’s declining years.
Box Office Bill
Bryan and Vincent-
Thanks for the cross-references. Am I right that Minsky’s B'que played at the Gaiety—or did it play at the former Gotham a block north on W 47? As a movie theater, the Victoria held a distinguished record. It underwent renovations in the 40s that used the former stage space for seating and brok e through the rear wall to add an extension to the building. Shimmering steel medalions covered the red-velvet walls. CinemaScope required further modification of the narrow proscenium to accommodate the screen. From the late-40s through the mid-60s films included Joan of Arc, Born Yesterday, A Star Is Born (day-dating at the Paramount), Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove—no mean listof goodies. Box Office Biill.
Here’s an oddity: For “Spirit of St. Louis in March ‘56, the organ interludes between movie and stage show were set in a way I’d never experienced before or after at RCMH. Instead of using the golden houselights on the contour curtain and arches, they lit the latter in sky blue to match the movie’s theme. And instead of using organ #1 on the left as usual, they used organ #2 on the right (which they dusted off from time to time, and occasionally used in conjunction with the former for special effect; was the former being renovated at that particular time?). I remember thinking, jees, all these tourists here for the first and probably last time will never see the famous "sunset” effect of the golden curtain. Some might recall that the newsreels and coming-attraction announcement always took place under dimly blue-lit arches to anable patrons arriving and departing between movie and stage shows to see their way..
I imagine that MGM (and probably RCMH) thought “Annie Get Your Gun” a disaster (remember the firing of Judy Garland). Even the Capitol would have been more prestigious than the State (and the Capitol still had stage shows then). It’s odd thatRCMH instead chose “The Great Caruso,” and odder still that this operatic middle-brow went on to break records (I remember that the stage show ended with the Underwater Ballet, the first time I’d seen that chestnut). The newspapers announced that “Streetcar” was pulled because “Caruso”’s hold over pushed back its date too far. But I think SimonL’s explanation is accurate. In 1956 RCMH did not flinch from such adult films as “I’ll Cry Tomorrow,” “Picnic,” and “Tea and Sympathy.” As a young teen at the time, I could size up those pictures pretty well. For “The Next Voice You Hear” (yes, I saw that dreadful pic there too), the July 4-oriented stage show ended with the famous electriocal fireworks, and Rockettes clad all in re-white-‘n-blue. Patriotic fever indeed. Box Office Bill
Jacques—
Yes, I think it was the Paramount— in the mid 50’s they installed a huge VistaVision screen that covered the entire proscenium, with projection from the lower balcony overhang. I believe the first feature to use it was “Strategic Air Command.” The first I saw it was for “The Man Who Knew Too Much.” For non-VistaVision films, the screen shrank to conventional size (as I recall for “Love in the Afternoon”).
Box Office Bill.
On the Radio City Music Hall page, look at SimonL’s comments about the stage show with “Giant” at the Roxy—a twenty-minute quickie to complement the length of the three-and-a-half-hour movie. I recall the amazing show for “Giant”’s predecessor, “Bus Stop,” in which the Roxy hauled out its entire repertoire of sets for constantly shifting scene changes while the Ice Blades and Roxyettes skated on and on. At one point, the cyclorama rose to reveal the rear stage wall, disclosing the theater’s odd triangular ground plan— a stunning revelation to me at the time.
Box Office Bill
SimonL and others—
sorry for the typos above—I find it hard to type blindly after running out of space in the visible box allowed — is there a way to edit one’s comments before submitting them tothe site:
Box Office Bill
SimonL—
Yes about the abbreviated stage shoes—in the 1950s they eliminated the specialty acts between the ballet and the choral group and between that group and the Rockettes. In the ‘60s, the film’s length mattered less, and they ran full-length stage shows for “Sayonara (Christmas '57) and "Auntie Mame” (Christmas '58) even though those pictures ran well over two hours. Yes, I remember the Roxy’s “Indian Fall” quickie with “Giant. Better I recall the Roxy’s show with "giant”’s predecessor, “Bus Stop,” where they exploityed their full repertoire of stage sets in a constant display of over-the-top scene changewhile the Ice Blades and Roxyettes skated on and on—they even raised the cyclorama toi show the bare back wall, rerevealing the odd triangular stage plan on which the house was built. Among nuttier stage shows at RCMH, I recall for “Ivanhoe” in summer '52 a segment on the Civil War featuring photo projections of military gore, by turns macabre and maudlin, as the (I think( Tusgeegee Choir sang patriotic period songs. For “Green Mansions” (Easter late '50s), the show featured the multti0octave-range Yma Sumak singing away in an a San Amazonian setting while the Rockettes danced a Brazilian routine (Amazonian, but with left-breasts intact) to match the thematics of the picture (they also blew in Odorama of tropical scents to matrch the olefactory senses). Another match between picture-and-stage-show was with “Singing in the Rain” (Easter '52): the finale deployed the rain sprinklers (reral water) on a set of cast-tourists aagainst a Rockefeller Center backdrop, with Rockettes dancing to the tune of “Singing’ in the Rain,” a frenetic segue into the picture that followed. Whew. Don’t get me started. .
EdwinM—
Thanks for the cross-ref to the Casino in B'klyn. And, yes, the Astor and Vistoria were indeed the Laurel&Hardy, Abbott&Costello, and Martin&Lewis of Times Square! Well put.
Box Office Bill
SimonL-
I second William Dunklin’s kudos for your description— Here a couple of supplements: Before CinemaScope brought alterations to the narrow picture sheet space that eliminated a solid draft curtain (with “Knights of the RT” in January, rather than “RoseMarie” at Easter), the contour curtain used to rise before the main film in a fully lit house revealing the yellow traveller behind it. When the studio logo flashed on the traveller siumultaneously with the last organ notes, the lights dimmed and the traveller parted. That way, spectators saw the contour rise in full lighted glory, and enjoyed it in a fractional pause before the film began. The larger CinrmaScope screen eliminated a backstage draft curtain that kept the whole tableau in place, and so that was the end of the pre-film treat. Another supplement: The introduction of big screen in 1953 (with “Shane”) eliminated the spectaculkar MagnaScope effect mentioned elsewhere above, whereby certain spectacle scenes in movies were shown on an enlarged screen, when the masks widened from the standard 27'x35' size to a (at that time) manouth 36'x48' size. I remember the effect for the stampede scene in “ing Solomon’s Miones” (1950), the storm scene in “Plymouth Adventure” (Thanksgioving, 1952), the Busby Berkeley acquatic scene in “Million Dollar Mermaid” (Christmas, 1952), and, oh yes, the train wreck scene in “Greatest Show on Earth” (January 1951). When “Shane” opened in May ‘53 at a time when B'way movies were going WideScreen, the Music Hall advertised shhowing the film o"On the Panoramic Screen.“ I was hugely disappointed, because they simply showed it on the Magnascope Screen, without installing a cuurved wide screen as the Capitol, Loew’s State, and others had done. I saw "Band Wagon,” “Roman Holiday,” and LKiss Me Kate" (defiantly not in #D) that way. By the time of the Christmas show (“Easy to Wed)), the CinemaScope screen was in place, though that Esther Williams splash was made for and shown in c theby-then conventional 1x1.6 ratio on it 32'x52’ or so). In those early ‘Scope years, the Music Hall narrowed the screen to the (now) tiny 27'x35’ for the news , cartoon, and coming attraction announcement (with, yes, the traveller aopening and closing between each segment).
Erwin—
See my comment in the listing for the Victoria’s mate, the Astor Theater— I had forgotten that the Embassy Five name presided over the theater’s declining years.
Box Office Bill
Bryan and Vincent-
Thanks for the cross-references. Am I right that Minsky’s B'que played at the Gaiety—or did it play at the former Gotham a block north on W 47? As a movie theater, the Victoria held a distinguished record. It underwent renovations in the 40s that used the former stage space for seating and brok e through the rear wall to add an extension to the building. Shimmering steel medalions covered the red-velvet walls. CinemaScope required further modification of the narrow proscenium to accommodate the screen. From the late-40s through the mid-60s films included Joan of Arc, Born Yesterday, A Star Is Born (day-dating at the Paramount), Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove—no mean listof goodies. Box Office Biill.
Why doesn’t this site offer a listing for the Astor’s Times Square mate, the Victoria Theater on the corner of B'way and W. 46 Street?