I remember this as the place I first saw the Taviani Brothers' 1974 “Allonsanfan” starring Marcello Mastroianni, in 1979. In Italian with French subtitles.
Here is a photo I took of the Élysèe in 1989 or so. View link
Fay’s was located in the block behind the Biltmore Hotel, in that area occupied now mostly by a parking garage. I never was taken there (too young to go on my own!) but I have read and heard from people who went that it was never just movies. There was always a live act or performer alternating with a movie. The Carlton was up a block on Mathewson. The auditorium of the Carlton was razed, but the front part of the building remained and is still there, across from the Mathewson Street Church.
Both those films were distributed by United Artists. What were some of the films for the other 26 theatres? Were they all UA features? Might this have been a UA strategy to give a pile of their films some exposure for one day? Interesting.
The Columbus on Broadway is stunningly beautiful. Though they have stopped showing movies regularly, they have occasional film programs, the R.I. Film Festival in August. The presentation of Keaton’s silent “The General” a year ago with live orchestra was stupendous.
Yes, the Liberty is included under “Art Cinema.” It was on Broad Street. The building is still there. I posted lots of comments there. I just submitted a listing for the second Bijou. It seems to have been a burlesque house referred to as “The Sink” or “Sinkhole of Depravity” according to a Journal article. What do you remember about Fay’s? (That’s listed too.)
Marialivia, the theatre was behind. The narrow part was just the entrance. See my comment above. I too loved it. It was an absolute disgrace that it perished. Providence today could easily support another such theatre with additional Broadway shows and top-drawer entertainers.
Alas, too late.
It might have been, but in addition to the Strand (now Jane Pickens)and the Opera House, both still in existence, there was the Paramount (q.v.)—-long demolished. No one seems to know anything about it.
Since its magnificent restoration, I’ve brought folks here three times to see “The Lion King.” It is truly a theatre of orgasmic beauty. I’m not from New York but I saw a movie here once upon a time and didn’t register any reaction then.
For a time in the 1990s it was known as the Entertainment Cinemas. I have a friend who won’t go anywhere else to see Hollywood movies, because of the extremely low admission prices. He’ll wait until it gets to the Patriot.
I visited this place several times, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s. I remember seeing Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in America” here in a complete integral version at a time when several bits were cut from prints in the U.S. Inside and out, the theatre is a classy marvel, as is the neighborhood. Here is a photo I took around 1989. View link
I remember this as the place I first saw the Taviani Brothers' 1974 “Allonsanfan” starring Marcello Mastroianni, in 1979. In Italian with French subtitles.
Here is a photo I took of the Élysèe in 1989 or so.
View link
Here’s a photo I took of the Snowdon in 1989 or so. I believe it is now retail shops.
View link
Here’s a photo of the Electra, with Chinese calligraphy on the marquee. I took it around 1989.
View link
Fay’s was located in the block behind the Biltmore Hotel, in that area occupied now mostly by a parking garage. I never was taken there (too young to go on my own!) but I have read and heard from people who went that it was never just movies. There was always a live act or performer alternating with a movie. The Carlton was up a block on Mathewson. The auditorium of the Carlton was razed, but the front part of the building remained and is still there, across from the Mathewson Street Church.
Both those films were distributed by United Artists. What were some of the films for the other 26 theatres? Were they all UA features? Might this have been a UA strategy to give a pile of their films some exposure for one day? Interesting.
“The Visit"
"Sundays and Cybèle”
I don’t remember being that scared, though I kind of liked it. I wrote a review for The Echo.
A right turn, not left.
The Columbus on Broadway is stunningly beautiful. Though they have stopped showing movies regularly, they have occasional film programs, the R.I. Film Festival in August. The presentation of Keaton’s silent “The General” a year ago with live orchestra was stupendous.
Yes, the Liberty is included under “Art Cinema.” It was on Broad Street. The building is still there. I posted lots of comments there. I just submitted a listing for the second Bijou. It seems to have been a burlesque house referred to as “The Sink” or “Sinkhole of Depravity” according to a Journal article. What do you remember about Fay’s? (That’s listed too.)
Marialivia, the theatre was behind. The narrow part was just the entrance. See my comment above. I too loved it. It was an absolute disgrace that it perished. Providence today could easily support another such theatre with additional Broadway shows and top-drawer entertainers.
Alas, too late.
It might have been, but in addition to the Strand (now Jane Pickens)and the Opera House, both still in existence, there was the Paramount (q.v.)—-long demolished. No one seems to know anything about it.
My goodness! Why? I’m going to add a listing for the newer Bijou. Maybe you and others can post your recollections there.
Here is a photo of the theatre I took in 1989 or so.
View link
Since its magnificent restoration, I’ve brought folks here three times to see “The Lion King.” It is truly a theatre of orgasmic beauty. I’m not from New York but I saw a movie here once upon a time and didn’t register any reaction then.
For a time in the 1990s it was known as the Entertainment Cinemas. I have a friend who won’t go anywhere else to see Hollywood movies, because of the extremely low admission prices. He’ll wait until it gets to the Patriot.
Wasn’t this a repertory cinema for a time in the early 1980s? Here is a photo I took around 1989.
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On August 20, 1977 I raced here with a friend from a film at the 1st Montreal Film Festival in order to see a commercial showing in this theatre of Luchino Visconti’s “The Innocent.” The film had not yet been released in the United States and wouldn’t be until early 1979. I believe the theatre was called the Ciné-Club IV at the time. Here is a photo I took around 1989.
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This photo, which I took in 1989 or so, shows Le Parisien when it had five screens. The Montréal World Film Festival was in progress at the time.
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Here are two photos I took of the Art. The entrance floor-mosaic shows the original name of Olympia.
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I visited this place several times, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s. I remember seeing Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in America” here in a complete integral version at a time when several bits were cut from prints in the U.S. Inside and out, the theatre is a classy marvel, as is the neighborhood. Here is a photo I took around 1989.
View link
Here is a photo I took of Le Spectrum around 1989.
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Here is a photo of the Théâtre des Variétés which I took in 1989 or so.
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This is a photo I took of the Château in 1989 or so.
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Here is a photo I took of the Papineau around 1989.
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Here is a photo of the Cinéma de Paris, between Dunn’s and Chicken Charlie. I took this around 1989. I believe the only movie I ever saw here was the magnificent “Molière” by Ariane Mnouchkine, made in 1978. Can someone confirm that it played there?