New Victory Theater
209 W. 42nd Street,
New York,
NY
10036
209 W. 42nd Street,
New York,
NY
10036
20 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 103 comments
Sorry… {url=http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Movie%20Theaters/42nd%20Street%20Rialto/600x580ft.opener1.jpg]Here’s that image[/url].
[http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Movie%20Theaters/42nd%20Street%20Rialto/600x580ft.opener1.jpg]Here’s a somewhat sharper version[/url] of that same image, Warren. I dated the photo to early summer of 1985 based on some of the titles playing along the block. It appears that RAMBO, FIRST BLOOD PART II is playing at the Lyric, and further down, LIFEFORCE is at the Apollo. RAMBO opened in May of ‘85 and LIFEFORCE that June.
Exactly, Al… That’s what I was referring to with the lack of the supporting genre & exploitation flicks on those bills. You might find one or two programs on the block with an old fashioned B title under the main feature by the late ‘80’s, but for the most part it was a twin bill of major Hollywood product. Sometimes it would be two current films or maybe a current release backed up with an older title from the earlier in the year or the previous season – as evidenced by the 1989 shot of the Victory marquee above with the new “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” backed up with the 1988 release, “Naked Gun.”
Near the end there some deuce houses ran double feature first-runs. I recall many of the Cineplex Odeon National Twin films both playing double-bill around the corner and at half the price, as long as they did not advertise.
This may have been the result of martial arts and porn product drying up or going straight to video.
Just occured to me that the actress Vanity – whom Prince had “discovered” for his movie “Purple Rain” in 1984 – was the female lead in both of those flicks I reported seeing on the Duece in Feb or March of ‘88. That must have been the programmer’s “theme” when he booked the supporting feature (since “Action Jackson” was a new or recent major release). At least there was still an attempt at creativity – even though I recall some disappointment that the theatre entrances and outer foyers were no longer adorned with the colorful and hyperbolic advertising paraphernalia that had long been the custom up and down the street.
Much as I miss those days (well, before the urine odor set in)… there is no denying that the restoration job on the New Victory is a stunning acheivement – almost as much as the magnificent job that Disney performed on the New Amsterdam across the street (much as I hate to pay them any credit)!
Jerry… I’m thinking that was a last ditch effort to keep the Victory going while the City was ramping up efforts to clean up the strip – probably around 1988/89? It didn’t last long as the Victory was shuttered by 1990.
Last time I saw a movie on the Duece was early 1988 and I recall that the Victory was still showing XXX porn. The other grinders had mostly gone mainstream – with new Hollywood product topping the bill and an older genre flick in support. One or two of the theatres were still showing Kung Fu flicks – I think the Cine 42 was one, maybe the Rialto II. The Harem was still in full porn swing and if I recall, the Empire was already shuttered. In fact, the Liberty may have also been closed at the time – but I can’t remember for sure.
My Duece swan song was a double bill of “Action Jackson” with Carl (Apollo Creed) Weathers supported by a cheapo Billy Dee Williams actioner called “Love You to Death” (or something like that) co-starring Prince “find” Vanity and the immortal Morgan Fairchild. The theatre reeked of marijuana and urine (I’m almost positive it was the Selwyn, but could have been the Times Square) and, while I soldiered on through both features, I pretty much knew about 20 or 30 minutes in to the first flick that this would be my last trip to one of the old 42nd Street grind houses.
Ed, I was thinking the same thing. When did the Victory revert back to mainstream features? jerry
Interesting to see a shot of the Victory’s marquee advertising mainstream features after so many years on the porn grind! Great shot… I’ve been looking to pick up a copy of this book for some time now.
Here are two photos from Nicholas Van Hoogstraten’s book “Lost Broadway Theatres”:
The Republic theatre in 1901
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and the Victory theater in 1989
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A 1970 night-time view of the Victory can be seen here. That’s a capture from a video clip on YouTube which is a segment from an A&E documentary on Times Square.
I may have posted this before, but does anyone know what NYC theater might be depicted in this photo? I found this on the web listed as a “Times Square Burlesque” circa 1942 – and I’m sure I’ve seen this image before in a book on the area, but I’ve never seen it specifically identified. Seems to me that the Victory is a likely candidate.
A different angle of the marquee change that I posted above, shows another double feature booking in 1962. Not too long before The Victory went to adult fare. j
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Thank you Warren, The staircase was so authentically and beautifully redone it seems like it’s been there forever.
I am a bit confused about the now famous steps that protrude onto 42nd street. In many photos they don’t seem to be there, yet in person they seem quite authentic to the building. Can someone tell me about them?
I am sorry that I didn’t see the theater while it was still showing porn. It would have been interesting to say the least.
A few more pictures – mostly interiors here:–
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As I mentioned would happen in an earlier post, I took the kiddies to a show at the New Vic just the other night, where our seats were right on the stage. After the performance, I snapped a few photos of the house from this vantage point and thought I’d share them here…
Full view from the stage
Stage right
Stage left
The folks managing the theater that night were pretty strict about not allowing photographs, so these were all I could manage without drawing much attention to myself. I would have grabbed a shot looking up into the fly space or into the riggings off in the wings, but it was quite dark and I didn’t have an opportunity.
Excellent pictures of the auditorium, Ed. Thanks for sharing them with us.
I was back to the New Victory last Friday for another show… which can only mean more excessive photography on my part:
View from 2nd floor of McDonalds across the street
Looking out the porthole window in the balcony stairwell
A pair of cherubs
Dome centerpiece
Proscenium from balcony
Side box view from balcony
Dome view
Detail of motif over proscenium
Detail of valance curtain and proscenium
Ceiling from side balcony
Left side of house and boxes
Proscenium view from dead-center balcony
Molding detail
View from the top (elevator landing/usher station)
Main lobby from landing of mezzanine stairs
You see… I have this new digital SLR with an 18-135mm telephoto zoom lens so I had to break it in. For the next show we’re attending, we have seats that are actually on the New Victory stage, so I hope to get a shot of the house from that unique vantage point.
Marquee shot from circa 1962
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I posted this about 18 months ago so forgive me for doing so again.
But this film clip has a great shot of the north side of 42nd Street, the way that I like to remember it. 1956 is the date. jerry
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Here’s an ad from the good-old bad-old days:
Sylvia – NY Daily News 1/25/78
Three adult Duece bookings all in a row! Though I wonder if the film advertised at the Times Square was really a hardcore flick.
Great ads Ed. They have helped me remember what theaters I originally saw some of the films advertised. (Ordinary People and Altered States at the Loew’s Astor Plaza and The Seduction at the Loew’s State). Thanks for taking the time to post.
Yeah, Al… I didn’t notice the Night Shift Twin, but I was going to inquire here about the Frisco. I have some of those block porno ads that the Post and News would cluster at the bottom of the mainstream movie ads that I plan on posting at the appropriate theater pages here on CT and was going to pose the question. I don’t see the Frisco listed in any of those blocks, but I do see the Night Shift, which was apparently an all male adult cinema carved out of office space on the two floors above theHollywood Twin on 8th Ave near 47th. I’ll post the ad for it on that theater’s page since it lists the very same address of 777 8th Ave.
Ed, The FRISCO and NIGHT SHIFT TWIN in the Movie Clock above are two Manhattan porn houses I had never heard of before 3/10/82 .