According to a NY Times July 17, 1970 ad, they ran a different sneak preview of another film each night at all theatres playing “PAINT YOUR WAGON” for the third weekend, apparently to help jolt attendance. In this case it appears they ran “NORWOOD”(Friday),“KELLY’S HEROES” (Saturday) and “THE MOLLY MAGUIRES” (Sunday).
Theatre fan, it would been the largest screen, whichever that was. It failed certification due to HVAC noise, but later Lucasfilm advertised uncertified theatres in the trade papers. Cineplex Odeon noticed and started to do the same. It was all just one big con job on movie-goers.
Managers (and ushers) throughout the country are taught how to change Xenon Bulbs, though not often in New York City. When I worked NYC theatres in the eighties with mostly lazy old union projectionists, we had some of the worst sloppiest, presentations in the country, a fact often mentioned in scathing newspaper articles and movie reviews.
Not sure what you are trying to say, Tony West. You may want to re-write that comment with some grammar. This theatre is now a speciality film first-run house.
Why is “THE SEARCH FOR PARADISE” suddenly showing up first on RSM3853’s December 27, 2013 at 3:00 pm post instead of “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS”. This was never a Cinerama house.
Mike, I worked for an independent British cinema chain for twelve years. We were never denied a print at our full price cinemas. The distributor cannot deny you product if you can gross as much as your competitor. They cannot dictate your boxoffice price but they can use the intake results. Your cinema must have failed the test.
“Our Birmingham Theatre was kept up to date with the trends..” Did you keep up to date with the boxoffice? If you did, and were still denied day-and-date prints you could still sue them today. But I know you couldn’t because the audience just walked away to them.
Mike, denying you a print day and date would have been illegal unless you were running a discount house and your grosses were much lower than at the multiplex. Multiplexes hardly caused fire safety changes and unruly audiences. They just happen. Warner Bros. and Cineworld also opened in many towns where the local cinema had been shut for years and many others where the local flea pit had not been invested in and was therefore falling apart. I love the old cinemas but they were not keeping up with the audience demands most of the time.
Warner Bros. started building multiplexes as outlets for their product since they lacked the screens in many smaller markets and many towns had no cinemas left at all. The market evolved as it had to or it would have died altogether as it had in eastern Europe due to neglect by the major chains.
And that would have been the last of their films you ever played. Without product variety no cinema could survive. Anyway, British audiences chose multiplexes over older cinemas, not Americans.
Do you really think that under those circumstances you could have filled the house and covered the overhead when HOWARD THE DUCK was the only film playing?
Thank you. What a shame.
What about the lobby?
Nice article on the two Fendelman Grove cinemas here.
According to a NY Times July 17, 1970 ad, they ran a different sneak preview of another film each night at all theatres playing “PAINT YOUR WAGON” for the third weekend, apparently to help jolt attendance. In this case it appears they ran “NORWOOD”(Friday),“KELLY’S HEROES” (Saturday) and “THE MOLLY MAGUIRES” (Sunday).
That run of “PAINT YOUR WAGON” would have been in July, 1970 when it went to popular prices.
The rejected expansion rear exterior design can be seen here.
That’s the New Amsterdam, of course.
Theatre fan, it would been the largest screen, whichever that was. It failed certification due to HVAC noise, but later Lucasfilm advertised uncertified theatres in the trade papers. Cineplex Odeon noticed and started to do the same. It was all just one big con job on movie-goers.
Managers (and ushers) throughout the country are taught how to change Xenon Bulbs, though not often in New York City. When I worked NYC theatres in the eighties with mostly lazy old union projectionists, we had some of the worst sloppiest, presentations in the country, a fact often mentioned in scathing newspaper articles and movie reviews.
The Ziegfeld is owned by a conglomerate descendant of Kinney Parking that is tied to Time Warner and a myriad of mobsters.
Cablevision owns the theatre lease, not the building.
Great photo! Thanks David & LIFE.
Not sure what you are trying to say, Tony West. You may want to re-write that comment with some grammar. This theatre is now a speciality film first-run house.
GPACRAMP, I stand corrected. This theatre was indeed always on the Bronx side of Marble Hill.
There is a bookstore one block up with the Show Palace name now.
I think it closed around 1994.
Why is “THE SEARCH FOR PARADISE” suddenly showing up first on RSM3853’s December 27, 2013 at 3:00 pm post instead of “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS”. This was never a Cinerama house.
Mike, I worked for an independent British cinema chain for twelve years. We were never denied a print at our full price cinemas. The distributor cannot deny you product if you can gross as much as your competitor. They cannot dictate your boxoffice price but they can use the intake results. Your cinema must have failed the test.
“Our Birmingham Theatre was kept up to date with the trends..” Did you keep up to date with the boxoffice? If you did, and were still denied day-and-date prints you could still sue them today. But I know you couldn’t because the audience just walked away to them.
Mike, denying you a print day and date would have been illegal unless you were running a discount house and your grosses were much lower than at the multiplex. Multiplexes hardly caused fire safety changes and unruly audiences. They just happen. Warner Bros. and Cineworld also opened in many towns where the local cinema had been shut for years and many others where the local flea pit had not been invested in and was therefore falling apart. I love the old cinemas but they were not keeping up with the audience demands most of the time.
Warner Bros. started building multiplexes as outlets for their product since they lacked the screens in many smaller markets and many towns had no cinemas left at all. The market evolved as it had to or it would have died altogether as it had in eastern Europe due to neglect by the major chains.
And that would have been the last of their films you ever played. Without product variety no cinema could survive. Anyway, British audiences chose multiplexes over older cinemas, not Americans.
Do you really think that under those circumstances you could have filled the house and covered the overhead when HOWARD THE DUCK was the only film playing?
British art film “PRIVILEGE” played at the Kenmore?
A Miami News ad in late November 1948 shows it was already in operation then and had possibly just opened.