Since the entrance is on Owasco, I would update the address to “Owasco Road at Division Road.” I think that’s likely as accurate as we are going to get. Not sure what the map will do with that data.
Nor should you be polite Simon. Those who busy themselves with their electronic gadgets during a movie presentation do not deserve to be treated with courtesy.
As for my own seating preferences, I guess it depends on the theater. When I was younger, I used to like sitting up in the 4th row center in any of the rooms at the Sunrise Cinemas – as I would at most of the local multiplexes of the day. I enjoyed having the screen fill as much of my field of vision as possible. At some of the larger theaters I attended (like the ones in Times Square and 42nd Street), I’d sit a bit further back, like maybe 7th or 8th row to compensate for the screen size, but the idea was the same. To this day, I still sit in those areas at places such as the Ziegfeld Theatre or the “Loew’s” auditorium at the AMC Loews Linclon Square. And of course, at the upstairs auditoriums of old movie houses that were cut in two, three or four (like the UA Midway or Lynbrook Theatre), I would always sit in the very first row with my feet up on the low railing, since the screen was always pushed back across an expanse of drop ceiling above the former orchestra level below.
However, in recent years, I’ve started sitting a bit further back, for the very reasons Howard mentioned above. The typical stadium-style auditorium is divided by the wide cross-aisle where you enter the room. I usually sit in the 2nd or 3rd row up from this aisle and always try to center myself with the screen as best possible. This allows me not only to take in the entire screen comfortably, but to view the image on the same horizontal plane as its center, making for a much more comfortable experience.
There are a couple of rooms at the UA Westbury Stadium 12 – one of which has been retrofitted for IMAX (or LieMax, if you prefer) – that are quite large. In these auditoriums, I actually do like the other side of the aisle, closer to the screen, about 2 or 3 rows down. Due to the size of these rooms, I find going up from the cross-aisle diminishes the size of the screen (particularly for IMAX and 3-D presentations) just a hair too much for my liking.
Actually, John, the map location is wrong. I still think it’s in a fairly safe location (within the green colored portion of the map). The theater is situated on Owasco Road at the corner of Division Road. If you drag the map up a little, its near the sharp corner at the bottom of the green area where Division runs into Craig Road South. Zoom in a bit and all the side street names are labeled. The facade faces northwest on Owasco Rd and the auditorium wall runs southeast along Division. I wonder if there is a proper address for the building. If so, updating the information on this page may relocate the map pin to its correct location.
Sounds like reasonable cause for the LPC to be solicited for a review of the interior as a candidate for landmark protection (he types while laughing knowingly to himself).
I was able to swing the Google Street View around for a nice look at the entrance and facade. You can pan to the left or go around the corner to the right to view the side walls and get an idea of the building’s size. I hope this somehow survives, too, LuisV. Visiting the island must be a bit of a strange experience. Beautiful as it is, seems that there must be a certain Twilight Zone air about roaming around the abandoned – but not entirely dilapidated – grounds. Particularly on a day when visitors are sparse and one finds oneself turning a corner with no one else within sight or earshot.
So, here we are nearly a year later, and I wonder – yet again – what is the progress on the conversion of the Times Square Theatre? I can’t find any articles on the web more recent than the one posted above in January.
Marcy… if you ever circle back to this photo, during what time period did you frequent this theater? My 42nd Street recollections are from the ‘80’s and I often confuse some of the details regarding the many theaters on this block that I patronized regularly. In my memory, the concession stands in a few of the Duece grindhouses were typically small and unappealing. I also seem to recall one or two of the theaters didn’t even have concessions (is that possible)?
Hey nhpbob… I know first hand that memory can play tricks, and it I think it has done just that in the case of your “Go Ape” recollection. “Battle for the Planet of the Apes” was released in the early summer of 1973 and probably did OK at the box office, given its relatively meager production costs. Fox issued the “Go Ape” marathon the next summer in 1974, probably to drum up interest for its upcoming “Planet of the Apes” network television series – and milk a few extra pennies out of the franchise at the same time.
The entire upper floor of the formerly tudor-styled Post Avenue facade has been stripped to its wood frame. A great deal of the cement work seems to have been completed on the addition on the south side of the auditorium, as well. Unfortunately, with the recent time change, it was too dark to snap any photos the last couple of times I passed by on my way home from work.
It seems that a significant alteration of the theater’s interior was undertaken during the renovations. I’m not sure what remained of the original decor and architecture when it was home to IMAC, but I don’t think much, if anything, remains today.
“X” as in “Midnight Cowboy’s rating. Equivalent to today’s "NC-17” – although now would probably get an “R” rating – and by no means tantamount to XXX or pornography.
An old argument, Tinseltoes, that has some merit, but was ultimately settled long ago by the administrators of this site. You could level the same sort of criticism towards some of the shoddy strip-mall mutliplexes slapped together in the ‘70’s and '80’s that ran mainstream fare – or even those old Nickelodeons that were the precursors to modern cinema 100 years ago. Regardless of any one of our individual feelings about establishments such as the Show Palace, they have found a home here at Cinema Treasures and have been welcomed by a number of members. There are plenty of pages devoted to the grand palaces like the Roxy Theatre, Radio City Music Hall and the Paramount Theatre to serve folks who object to CT’s liberal submission eligibility policies.
Looking at the street view, it was a couple of storefronts to the left of the subway entrance. I guess it may have been closer to 43rd Street then I recall. I redirected the street view towards that part of the block.
Correct, rivoli157. The entrance to Show Palace was almost directly opposite its sister facility, the infamous Show World. Both enterprises (as well as the similarly named Show Follies on Seventh Avenue next to the old Mayfair/DeMille Theatre) were owned by porn entrepenuer Richard Basciano. He also owned a number of smaller porn shops and theatres in the area. I think he may still own the Show World building, a portion of which is now home to an off Broadway facility named the Times Square Arts Center.
Yeah… Well, I suppose it is rather difficult to take a photo of the Apollo’s 42nd Street entrance without including the Times Square, since the Apollo’s entrance foyer ran right through the Times Square building. To get a shot of the Apollo alone, I believe one would have to go around to 43rd Street and photograph the auditorium side wall and old exit doors. Rivoli157, you should browse the images in the photo tab above, where you’ll find a few shots that focus solely (at least as much as possible) on the Apollo itself.
This is an amazing photograph – not just for the shot itself but the subject matter. Those doors once led to the darkness of the auditorium where one came in to escape the harsh realities of the world outside, and now… A pretty remarkable image. And the lighting fixture on the left looks like the animated character Lumiere from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast!”
Terrific photos, wurli3… Thanks for sharing. This theatre was a real gem! A shame it couldn’t be salvaged and restored. Of course, that probably would have been at the expense of the Regent, but if I had to choose between the two…
There are some odd wrinkles here and there, however, Bway. You can still find the old Rivoli Theatre under its original name, rather than the awful and generic “UA Twin,” as the grand old theater was known in its final years. And thank heaven for that!
The years do fly by! I remember going with my family to see Disney’s “Robin Hood” at the Hall during the Holiday season of 1973. As a young boy growing up in the 1970’s, I think that I manged to see just about every Easter or Christmas show the Hall presented during those final 8 or 9 years as a cinema.
Seems to me that the status of this theater should be updated to “Demolished.” It looks like the facade seen in the street view above is nothing but a brick wall, behind which there appears to be an accessory lot for one of the adjoining buildings.
That’s the 42nd Street I remember and loved as a teenager. In fact, I clearly recall seeing the double feature of the British action flick “The Final Option” and the awful horror pic “The Beast Within” at the Times Square Theatre (the marquee of which is partially seen at far right in this image) in October of 1983, which is when I would date this photo. Turned out I had already seen that supporting feature about a year or so earlier when it was the top billed feature somewhere along the block – and when I realized this, about 15 or 20 minutes into the showing, I got up and walked out. One of the few times I ever walked out on a supporting feature anywhere.
This NY Times article is about an underground resurgent interest in the VHS format – particularly amongst enthusiasts of ultra-low budget and independent horror flicks of the 1980’s. The article mentions that several cinemas, including the Spectacle, have taken to holding “VHS nights” – where programmes are presented exclusively in the old format.
Since the entrance is on Owasco, I would update the address to “Owasco Road at Division Road.” I think that’s likely as accurate as we are going to get. Not sure what the map will do with that data.
Nor should you be polite Simon. Those who busy themselves with their electronic gadgets during a movie presentation do not deserve to be treated with courtesy.
As for my own seating preferences, I guess it depends on the theater. When I was younger, I used to like sitting up in the 4th row center in any of the rooms at the Sunrise Cinemas – as I would at most of the local multiplexes of the day. I enjoyed having the screen fill as much of my field of vision as possible. At some of the larger theaters I attended (like the ones in Times Square and 42nd Street), I’d sit a bit further back, like maybe 7th or 8th row to compensate for the screen size, but the idea was the same. To this day, I still sit in those areas at places such as the Ziegfeld Theatre or the “Loew’s” auditorium at the AMC Loews Linclon Square. And of course, at the upstairs auditoriums of old movie houses that were cut in two, three or four (like the UA Midway or Lynbrook Theatre), I would always sit in the very first row with my feet up on the low railing, since the screen was always pushed back across an expanse of drop ceiling above the former orchestra level below.
However, in recent years, I’ve started sitting a bit further back, for the very reasons Howard mentioned above. The typical stadium-style auditorium is divided by the wide cross-aisle where you enter the room. I usually sit in the 2nd or 3rd row up from this aisle and always try to center myself with the screen as best possible. This allows me not only to take in the entire screen comfortably, but to view the image on the same horizontal plane as its center, making for a much more comfortable experience.
There are a couple of rooms at the UA Westbury Stadium 12 – one of which has been retrofitted for IMAX (or LieMax, if you prefer) – that are quite large. In these auditoriums, I actually do like the other side of the aisle, closer to the screen, about 2 or 3 rows down. Due to the size of these rooms, I find going up from the cross-aisle diminishes the size of the screen (particularly for IMAX and 3-D presentations) just a hair too much for my liking.
Actually, John, the map location is wrong. I still think it’s in a fairly safe location (within the green colored portion of the map). The theater is situated on Owasco Road at the corner of Division Road. If you drag the map up a little, its near the sharp corner at the bottom of the green area where Division runs into Craig Road South. Zoom in a bit and all the side street names are labeled. The facade faces northwest on Owasco Rd and the auditorium wall runs southeast along Division. I wonder if there is a proper address for the building. If so, updating the information on this page may relocate the map pin to its correct location.
Sounds like reasonable cause for the LPC to be solicited for a review of the interior as a candidate for landmark protection (he types while laughing knowingly to himself).
I was able to swing the Google Street View around for a nice look at the entrance and facade. You can pan to the left or go around the corner to the right to view the side walls and get an idea of the building’s size. I hope this somehow survives, too, LuisV. Visiting the island must be a bit of a strange experience. Beautiful as it is, seems that there must be a certain Twilight Zone air about roaming around the abandoned – but not entirely dilapidated – grounds. Particularly on a day when visitors are sparse and one finds oneself turning a corner with no one else within sight or earshot.
So, here we are nearly a year later, and I wonder – yet again – what is the progress on the conversion of the Times Square Theatre? I can’t find any articles on the web more recent than the one posted above in January.
Marcy… if you ever circle back to this photo, during what time period did you frequent this theater? My 42nd Street recollections are from the ‘80’s and I often confuse some of the details regarding the many theaters on this block that I patronized regularly. In my memory, the concession stands in a few of the Duece grindhouses were typically small and unappealing. I also seem to recall one or two of the theaters didn’t even have concessions (is that possible)?
Hey nhpbob… I know first hand that memory can play tricks, and it I think it has done just that in the case of your “Go Ape” recollection. “Battle for the Planet of the Apes” was released in the early summer of 1973 and probably did OK at the box office, given its relatively meager production costs. Fox issued the “Go Ape” marathon the next summer in 1974, probably to drum up interest for its upcoming “Planet of the Apes” network television series – and milk a few extra pennies out of the franchise at the same time.
The entire upper floor of the formerly tudor-styled Post Avenue facade has been stripped to its wood frame. A great deal of the cement work seems to have been completed on the addition on the south side of the auditorium, as well. Unfortunately, with the recent time change, it was too dark to snap any photos the last couple of times I passed by on my way home from work.
Also should be noted that “The Tunnel of Love” was one of Gene Kelly’s directorial efforts.
POMOVIE2, the Encore’s page may be found here.
It seems that a significant alteration of the theater’s interior was undertaken during the renovations. I’m not sure what remained of the original decor and architecture when it was home to IMAC, but I don’t think much, if anything, remains today.
“X” as in “Midnight Cowboy’s rating. Equivalent to today’s "NC-17” – although now would probably get an “R” rating – and by no means tantamount to XXX or pornography.
An old argument, Tinseltoes, that has some merit, but was ultimately settled long ago by the administrators of this site. You could level the same sort of criticism towards some of the shoddy strip-mall mutliplexes slapped together in the ‘70’s and '80’s that ran mainstream fare – or even those old Nickelodeons that were the precursors to modern cinema 100 years ago. Regardless of any one of our individual feelings about establishments such as the Show Palace, they have found a home here at Cinema Treasures and have been welcomed by a number of members. There are plenty of pages devoted to the grand palaces like the Roxy Theatre, Radio City Music Hall and the Paramount Theatre to serve folks who object to CT’s liberal submission eligibility policies.
Looking at the street view, it was a couple of storefronts to the left of the subway entrance. I guess it may have been closer to 43rd Street then I recall. I redirected the street view towards that part of the block.
Correct, rivoli157. The entrance to Show Palace was almost directly opposite its sister facility, the infamous Show World. Both enterprises (as well as the similarly named Show Follies on Seventh Avenue next to the old Mayfair/DeMille Theatre) were owned by porn entrepenuer Richard Basciano. He also owned a number of smaller porn shops and theatres in the area. I think he may still own the Show World building, a portion of which is now home to an off Broadway facility named the Times Square Arts Center.
Yeah… Well, I suppose it is rather difficult to take a photo of the Apollo’s 42nd Street entrance without including the Times Square, since the Apollo’s entrance foyer ran right through the Times Square building. To get a shot of the Apollo alone, I believe one would have to go around to 43rd Street and photograph the auditorium side wall and old exit doors. Rivoli157, you should browse the images in the photo tab above, where you’ll find a few shots that focus solely (at least as much as possible) on the Apollo itself.
Great photo!
This is an amazing photograph – not just for the shot itself but the subject matter. Those doors once led to the darkness of the auditorium where one came in to escape the harsh realities of the world outside, and now… A pretty remarkable image. And the lighting fixture on the left looks like the animated character Lumiere from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast!”
Terrific photos, wurli3… Thanks for sharing. This theatre was a real gem! A shame it couldn’t be salvaged and restored. Of course, that probably would have been at the expense of the Regent, but if I had to choose between the two…
There are some odd wrinkles here and there, however, Bway. You can still find the old Rivoli Theatre under its original name, rather than the awful and generic “UA Twin,” as the grand old theater was known in its final years. And thank heaven for that!
The years do fly by! I remember going with my family to see Disney’s “Robin Hood” at the Hall during the Holiday season of 1973. As a young boy growing up in the 1970’s, I think that I manged to see just about every Easter or Christmas show the Hall presented during those final 8 or 9 years as a cinema.
Seems to me that the status of this theater should be updated to “Demolished.” It looks like the facade seen in the street view above is nothing but a brick wall, behind which there appears to be an accessory lot for one of the adjoining buildings.
That’s the 42nd Street I remember and loved as a teenager. In fact, I clearly recall seeing the double feature of the British action flick “The Final Option” and the awful horror pic “The Beast Within” at the Times Square Theatre (the marquee of which is partially seen at far right in this image) in October of 1983, which is when I would date this photo. Turned out I had already seen that supporting feature about a year or so earlier when it was the top billed feature somewhere along the block – and when I realized this, about 15 or 20 minutes into the showing, I got up and walked out. One of the few times I ever walked out on a supporting feature anywhere.
This NY Times article is about an underground resurgent interest in the VHS format – particularly amongst enthusiasts of ultra-low budget and independent horror flicks of the 1980’s. The article mentions that several cinemas, including the Spectacle, have taken to holding “VHS nights” – where programmes are presented exclusively in the old format.