Opened at the Rivoli Theatre on November 14th. This ad was published three days later, following overwhelming “raves” for Dietrich’s first performance in a Hollywood-made film.
Starting in the Thanksgiving season of that month, Loew’s rented the shuttered Fine Arts for a trial period of a “Swing Shift” policy running from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM the next morning for wartime factory workers. First-run programming was the same as at Loew’s State and Orpheum, but the experiment proved unsuccessful and probably ended with this booking. Next up at Loew’s State & Orpheum was “Jack London” and co-feature, with no mention of the Fine Arts Owl in advertising or news reports.
At that time, “Dick Tracy” was the most popular comic strip in the NY Daily News, which had the highest circulation of any newspaper in the metropolitan area, with more than 2 million copies daily and 4 million on Sundays (when “Dick Tracy” occupied a full page in color).
Federal legislation later changed the observance of Thanksgiving Day from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday, which ended the chance of it ever falling on the 29th or 30th of that month.
Due to shared management with the Fox and Brooklyn Paramount, the Strand usually had to settle for left-overs, including “B” programmers destined for the bottom of double bills packaged for the dominant RKO and/or Loew’s circuits.
This was a morning trade show. The Roxy opened to the public at 1:00 PM that day with its recently launched Christmas holiday presentation of “Peyton Place” and stage revue “Alice in Winterland.”
Community residents are opposing plans to demolish the former cinema and other buildings on the block for a 15-story mixed-use tower. News report can be found here
The western spoof is probably best remembered for an uncredited performance by a future megastar as a singing-and-dancing showgirl.
Highlights can be viewed here
The B&W drama went on to earn eight nominations for the Academy Awards of 1947 and won three: Best Picture, Best Director (Elia Kazan), and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm)…Opened at the Mayfair on the national holiday then known as Armistice Day and now observed as Veterans Day.
That color also appeared in the title of another of Stockwell’s most memorable films, “The Green Years,” in which he portrayed Tom Drake’s character as a child. The sentimental B&W drama was part of the Easter holiday offering at Radio City Music Hall in April, 1946. Ad previously uploaded here
Message recommends attendance at the Fox and Brooklyn Paramount, both also under Fabian management at the time. Adjacent Majestic was also closed temporarily. Across the street, RKO Orpheum offering Disney’s “Fantasia” & “Valley of the Sun.” Portion of Momart marquee visible behind that.
The revered actor, whose career started in childhood and spanned more than 70 years, died at his Los Angeles home on November 7th at age 85.
“The Boy With Green Hair” opened at the RKO Palace on January 12th, 1949, two months before Stockwell’s 13th birthday on March 5th.
This booking opened on October 29th, 1949, and was the start of a national re-release for “Johnny Eager,” which originally opened in NYC in February, 1942 at the Capitol Theatre during its “Everything on the Screen” policy.
Highest ticket price for adults was 44 cents for every night and all day on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Weekday matinees were 25 cents, with kids about half the adult prices at all times. Two weekly program changes were double bills created for the Loew’s and RKO circuits, but after they had finished their complete runs of those chains.
At that time, movie attendance was reaching all-time record highs, so many residents of Washington Heights probably visited both Loew’s 175th Street and RKO Coliseum in the same week to catch films that were first-run for the neighborhood.
This ad published on September 17th, 1929.
Grand opening plans for the nearby RKO Roxy with screen/stage policy described in bottom left corner of the ad.
Opened at the Rivoli Theatre on November 14th. This ad was published three days later, following overwhelming “raves” for Dietrich’s first performance in a Hollywood-made film.
Starting in the Thanksgiving season of that month, Loew’s rented the shuttered Fine Arts for a trial period of a “Swing Shift” policy running from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM the next morning for wartime factory workers. First-run programming was the same as at Loew’s State and Orpheum, but the experiment proved unsuccessful and probably ended with this booking. Next up at Loew’s State & Orpheum was “Jack London” and co-feature, with no mention of the Fine Arts Owl in advertising or news reports.
At that time, “Dick Tracy” was the most popular comic strip in the NY Daily News, which had the highest circulation of any newspaper in the metropolitan area, with more than 2 million copies daily and 4 million on Sundays (when “Dick Tracy” occupied a full page in color).
Invitation states “Preview,” not “Premiere,” meaning only a single screening. Loew’s ad for that day calls it a “Major Studio Prevue.”
Federal legislation later changed the observance of Thanksgiving Day from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday, which ended the chance of it ever falling on the 29th or 30th of that month.
Due to shared management with the Fox and Brooklyn Paramount, the Strand usually had to settle for left-overs, including “B” programmers destined for the bottom of double bills packaged for the dominant RKO and/or Loew’s circuits.
This was a morning trade show. The Roxy opened to the public at 1:00 PM that day with its recently launched Christmas holiday presentation of “Peyton Place” and stage revue “Alice in Winterland.”
The Roosevelt would soon start its next serial, “The Green Hornet,” with the latest of its 13 episodes shown on Saturdays and Sundays.
Programs at both theatres followed their first area showings at Loew’s Willard and RKO Keith’s Richmond Hill.
Producer had dreamed of a booking at Radio City Music Hall, but had to settle for the same block.
With “Dune” topping the list of titles on marquee.
Local news report on opening can be read here
Community residents are opposing plans to demolish the former cinema and other buildings on the block for a 15-story mixed-use tower. News report can be found here
The western spoof is probably best remembered for an uncredited performance by a future megastar as a singing-and-dancing showgirl. Highlights can be viewed here
Opened on the federal holiday of Veterans Day, November 11th, 1971.
The B&W drama went on to earn eight nominations for the Academy Awards of 1947 and won three: Best Picture, Best Director (Elia Kazan), and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm)…Opened at the Mayfair on the national holiday then known as Armistice Day and now observed as Veterans Day.
That color also appeared in the title of another of Stockwell’s most memorable films, “The Green Years,” in which he portrayed Tom Drake’s character as a child. The sentimental B&W drama was part of the Easter holiday offering at Radio City Music Hall in April, 1946. Ad previously uploaded here
Message recommends attendance at the Fox and Brooklyn Paramount, both also under Fabian management at the time. Adjacent Majestic was also closed temporarily. Across the street, RKO Orpheum offering Disney’s “Fantasia” & “Valley of the Sun.” Portion of Momart marquee visible behind that.
The revered actor, whose career started in childhood and spanned more than 70 years, died at his Los Angeles home on November 7th at age 85. “The Boy With Green Hair” opened at the RKO Palace on January 12th, 1949, two months before Stockwell’s 13th birthday on March 5th.
This booking opened on October 29th, 1949, and was the start of a national re-release for “Johnny Eager,” which originally opened in NYC in February, 1942 at the Capitol Theatre during its “Everything on the Screen” policy.
The Capitol debuted a year after the end of World War One, and was regarded as the largest cinema in the world until surpassed by NYC’s Roxy in 1927.
Highest ticket price for adults was 44 cents for every night and all day on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Weekday matinees were 25 cents, with kids about half the adult prices at all times. Two weekly program changes were double bills created for the Loew’s and RKO circuits, but after they had finished their complete runs of those chains.
At that time, movie attendance was reaching all-time record highs, so many residents of Washington Heights probably visited both Loew’s 175th Street and RKO Coliseum in the same week to catch films that were first-run for the neighborhood.