Lafayette Theatre
97 Lafayette Avenue,
Suffern,
NY
10901
97 Lafayette Avenue,
Suffern,
NY
10901
37 people
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The print quality was OUTSTANDING! Not a line on it. The color was perfect, and had very fine grain. The sound was awesome, being an optical SR Stereo representation of the original magnetic L-C-R tracks. There was no doubt you were listening to stereo. Pete told me this was a 4K scan from the original camera neg, digitally cleaned up (no CinemaScope negative splice lines), and spit back out to film. Beautiful. It started with a curtain closed overture, film, intermission w/ music. Entre Act music, and walk out music. Pete handled the show like the true professional he is with 12 changeovers, all perfect. Thanks Pete! Great print, great film.
Is there anyone out there that went to the screening of THE SAND PEBBLES and can report on what the print quality was like?
Oops, here’s the links:
Schedule: http://www.bigscreenclassics.com/newschedule.htm
Flyer: View link
Welcome to the Fall 2008 season of special events at the historic Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, New York: movies, the way they were meant to be seen! We’d like to thank you for all of your support for our past events and hope to see you in the future. The Fall Season begins September 6 at 11:30 am – doors open at 11:00am for pre-show music with Jeff Barker on the Mighty Wurlitzer! All tickets – $7.00
Don’t forget our “Science Fiction Spectacular” weekend October 31 – November 2, featuring a special stage & screen tribute to “War of the Worlds”, as well as a rare screening of the 1959 CinemaScope spectacular “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, presented in a new DolbySR stereophonic print from the Fox archive.
You’ve been waiting for it and asking for it, so here it is: the Big Screen Classics Fall 2008 line-up, it’s taken a little extra time as we’ve been working behind the scenes to dig up some real treasures, but we think it’s a very special schedule:
9/6 – Robert Wise’s THE SAND PEBBLES, starring Steve McQueen, showing in a new print from the Fox archive with Stereo sound – a Roadshow presentation!
9/13 – 12 ANGRY MEN, starring Henry Fonda & Lee J. Cobb
9/20 – ANOTHER THIN MAN, starring William Powell & Myrna Loy
9/27 – THE GRAPES OF WRATH, starring Henry Fonda & Jane Darwell, showing in a new print from the Fox archive
10/4 – BORN YESTERDAY, starring Judy Holliday & William Holden
10/11 – A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, starring Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw, & Orson Welles, presented in IB Technicolor
10/18 – THE BEDFORD INCIDENT, starring Richard Widmark & Sidney Poitier
10/25 – Fritz Lang’s THE BIG HEAT, starring Glenn Ford & Gloria Grahame, presented in Columbia’s archive print
11/8 – WOMAN OF THE YEAR, starring Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn
11/15 – THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, starring Cary Grant, James Stewart, & Katharine Hepburn
11/22 – Alfred Hitchcock’s THE 39 STEPS, starring Robert Donat & Madeleine Carroll
11/29 – THE WIZARD OF OZ, starring Judy Garland, presented in IB Technicolor – BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
12/6 – JOLSON SINGS AGAIN, starring Larry Parks & Barbara Hale
12/13 – HOLIDAY INN, starring Fred Astaire & Bing Crosby, print saved from the Universal fire!
12/20 – Frank Capra’s IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, starring James Stewart & Donna Reed PLUS the Lafayette’s pre-show Christmas Spectacular!
You can also read the entire schedule online HERE or download a flyer HERE.
Thank you again for all of your support and hope to see you at the shows.Don’t forget our “Science Fiction Spectacular” weekend October 31 – November 2, featuring a special stage & screen tribute to War of the Worlds, as well as a rare screening of the 1959 CinemaScope spectacular “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, presented in a new DolbySR stereophonic print from the Fox archive.
Here is the Big Screen Classics Fall 2008 line-up, it’s taken a little extra time as we’ve been working behind the scenes to dig up some real treasures, but we think it’s a very special schedule:
9/6 – Robert Wise’s THE SAND PEBBLES, starring Steve McQueen, showing in a new print from the Fox archive with Stereo sound – a Roadshow presentation!
9/13 – 12 ANGRY MEN, starring Henry Fonda & Lee J. Cobb
9/20 – ANOTHER THIN MAN, starring William Powell & Myrna Loy
9/27 – THE GRAPES OF WRATH, starring Henry Fonda & Jane Darwell, showing in a new print from the Fox archive
10/4 – BORN YESTERDAY, starring Judy Holliday & William Holden
10/11 – A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, starring Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw, & Orson Welles, presented in IB Technicolor
10/18 – THE BEDFORD INCIDENT, starring Richard Widmark & Sidney Poitier
10/25 – Fritz Lang’s THE BIG HEAT, starring Glenn Ford & Gloria Grahame, presented in Columbia’s archive print
11/8 – WOMAN OF THE YEAR, starring Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn
11/15 – THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, starring Cary Grant, James Stewart, & Katharine Hepburn
11/22 – Alfred Hitchcock’s THE 39 STEPS, starring Robert Donat & Madeleine Carroll
11/29 – THE WIZARD OF OZ, starring Judy Garland, presented in IB Technicolor – BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
12/6 – JOLSON SINGS AGAIN, starring Larry Parks & Barbara Hale
12/13 – HOLIDAY INN, starring Fred Astaire & Bing Crosby, print saved from the Universal fire!
12/20 – Frank Capra’s IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, starring James Stewart & Donna Reed PLUS the Lafayette’s pre-show Christmas Spectacular!
You can also read the entire schedule online HERE or download a flyer HERE.
Thank you again for all of your support and hope to see you at the shows.
I would love to see those old classics Peter. I had visions of showing these at the Ritz Theatre in Elizabeth, N.J. but it is now for sale, after undergoing major renovations. If it is sold to a concert or broadway show producer, it will almost certainly never show movies again.
We’ve already run 2001 and Dr. Zhivago; Sound of Music and West Side Story will show up some day, though their length makes them difficult to run during the Saturday morning series.
Btw, I also like the round Marquee on the outside of the front of the theatre. That’s cool.
Suffern, NY’s Lafayette Theatre sounds like a wonderful and beautiful theatre that would be perfect for playing such classics as Sound of Music, West Side Story, Dr. Zhivago, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and many others. Just out of curiosity, what’s the possibility of getting any of these particular films in as part of your repertory classic films program(s)?
Thanks for noticing, Bill. It was a great show, even if I couldn’t enjoy it much due to the late arrival of the print (getting a print 2 hours before show time is not doing my blood pressure any good…)
Pete: Thanks for playing the music from “The Red Shoes” after yesterday’s excellent “Stairway to Heaven” show. #1 Michael Powell fan Martin Scorsese would’ve been proud of you!
The last 2 we are doing in 35MM is Sunday May 4. Singin in the Rain at 2P.M. and Woodstock at 7P.M. They have “Ray” on the 6th of May, but that is DVD and I’m not there for those.
Exactly! When is the next film show down at the Basie? I’ve never been there and would love to come down if it’s something showing via film. Shoot me an e-mail to “bigscreenclassics AT gmail.com” when you can.
Hey Peter, I guess after that last changeover you could finally sit and enjoy what was left of the movie. I did the same thing last night in Red Bank, after the last reel of “The Big Lebowski” was on. I finally sat and watched. When we do movies down there, the speaker on stage always reminds people to turn the phones off. And last night, with a ¾ full house, not one ring.
Rhett & Jeff –
I was able to watch the last 20 minutes or so from the top row and I could also hear the phones, more than ever. My guess is that people were waiting outside to pick up the seniors and calling them to see if the movie was still on. That’s no excuse, of course. I will mention to Nelson to please say something during the intro next week about turning off cell phones before the show. Some sort of “phones off now” ritual. :)
back in the old days, the only thing that was distracting was crying babies, coughing, screaming, and sneezing. Nowadays, it’s beepers, ipods, and cellphones. This is one reason why I watch most movies in my own room.
I was way up in the front Rhett, but yes, I heard it too. Not just ringing, but musical tunes. I did hear one loud “Shhhh” after I could hear somebody was actually having a conversation. Fortunately the sound up there in the front tends to mask much of it, but the point is it’s wrong and it’s rude.
Something really annoying has been happening lately at the Lafayette and it is not the presentation. Nelson’s intro and the print’s that Pete aquires are outstanding as is the whole presentation. Yesterday’s showing of “Mr. Smith goes to Washington” was one of the best.
Unfortunately the problem is that during the movie there were countless cellphones ringing much to the disatisfaction of the audience. It wasn’t just one time either. When the ringing starts, some of these people take about ten rings to turn it off. One a couple of occasions, a few rows behind me, a woman actually was having a loud conversation on her phone while being yelled at by other audience members. This is happening alot at the Lafayette screenings as the perpetrators are not young, but the elderly. Yesterday’s show was one of the worst. During the final filibuster scene, phones were going off the entire time, thus ruining the experience.
I would kie to suggest that for the future shows, that when Nelson makes his presentation, he really make a point of pointing out that people turn their phones off, that there have been complaints and more over, that it is rude to other audience members.
Hi Peter:
Will definitely be back, if not sooner then definitely for “The Jolson Story”– a favorite from “Million Dollar Movie” where everybody rediscovered Jolson. I actually went to a Jolson conference last fall, which was mobbed.
I’m sure evey day is a good day at the Lafayette, and I have to commend you and everyone for paying attention to such detail.
Also, the whole town of Suffern, which I had never been to, is absolutely charming. It really reminded me of “Willoughby” from a famous “Twilight Zone” episode that I’m sure you know. It’s nice to know that Willoughby has such a great cinema as The Lafayette.
I looked at the top ten list—and was glad to see that the Ziegfeld is on it, too. Yes, I know about all the issues that people post, but I’m glad both places exist. I may spend the rest of my life visiting the other eight cinemas!!!
See you at the movies,
Best,
Gary
Hi, Gary.
I’m glad you made it out and enjoyed the show. You came on a good day as we had the special lobby poster display from the movie and you got to see the “deluxe” presentation with trailer and curtain features, as well as walk-out music after the film.
Please introduce yourself next time you come out – I’m usually in the lobby before the show.
Gary: You probably know three Honor Blackman films. She had a small but very moving role in “A Night to Remember” as a mother of two young children who has to leave her husband behind on the Titanic as it’s going down. Laurence Naismith, who played Argus, the builder of Jason’s ship, was also in that film as the Titanic’s captain.
I’m glad you came to the Lafayette and that you enjoyed it. We do live in a first-class area for classic movie screenings (I just got back from an amazing “All About Eve” show at the Loew’s Jersey).
Have to add one other thing-last week another dream came true; I finally got inside what was once “Loew’s 175th Street.”
Although a church, since 1969, it is also now a “sometimes” rock venue known as “The United Palace.” The band that I saw there was great, but the interior, which is in pristine shape, has not been modified at all (as far as I can tell) and is totally awesome— what the “Jersey City” is on its way to being.
I’m almost motivated to go back to the “Valencia” in Jamaica, Queens, also now a church-but a place I have great teenage memories of.
Hi Jeff and Bill:
It was totally spontaneous-given I had already seen “Shine a Light”(which I loved)-I figured today was the day to go.
When I first saw that interior and heard the organ music I was totally blown away.
When Nelson said that “Jason” was a thrill for ten-year olds, I actually remember seeing it on television much later, but I did remember the incredible thrill of seeing “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” in 1958 when I was 7!!! And that was at my neighborhood theatre which had to be the Bliss or Sunnyside in Queens.
What memories this brought back.
Having the Lafayette (which was easier to get to than I thought) AND the Ziegfeld now seems the best of both worlds. Throw in the shows I go to at Moving Image, MOMA, and Film Forum, as well as, Turner Classic Movies-I am one happy movie-goer.
If you’re at the Ziegfeld in a week for my “Goldfinger” intro—4/19, evening show, please say hello. Now I know two Honor Blackman films.
Bill-if you get a chance, I’d still like your thoughts re: Warners and “Last Summer,” which is my pet project.
Thanks
Gary…
I wish we had known you were there today. Bill Huelbig was also there with me today.
It was a great show, wasn’t it?
Dear Nelson, Pete, Jeff and the entire staff of the Lafayette:
After everything I have read about this theatre on the Ziegfeld page, I finally discovered what I have been missing by attending today’s “Jason and the Argonauts.” WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE in a lovely little village. I drove from Long Island, picked up my friend in Manhattan, came up the Palisades and was there in no time.
To see that a place like this still exists ANYWHERE is incredible. From the enthusiastic people on line outside, to the beautiful lobby, astonishing interior, and marvelous organ playing—-to the introduction by Nelson, the beautiful curtains, and the screening itself—YOU CAN BET I WILL BE BACK!!
Many, many thanks—I am all smiles.
Gary, the Ziegfeldman
We’re announcing the Spring 2008 season of Big Scren Classics Saturday morning matinees at the historic Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, New York: movies, the way they were meant to be seen!. The Spring Season begins March 8 at 11:30 am – doors open at 11:00am for pre-show music with Jeff Barker on the Mighty Wurlitzer! All tickets – $7.00
March 8 – Alfred Hitchcock’s NORTH BY NORTHWEST, Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint
March 15 – KING KONG, Robert Armstrong, Fay Wray – 75th Anniversary!
March 22 – GRAND HOTEL, John Barrymore, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford
March 29 – DOUBLE INDEMNITY, Fred MacMurray,Barbara Stanwyck
April 5 – THE NATURAL, Robert Redford, Glenn Close
April 12 – JASON & THE ARGONAUTS, Special Effects by Ray Harryhausen
April 19 – Frank Capra’s MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, James Stewart, Jean Arthur
April 26 – STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN (a.k.a. A MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH), David Niven, Kim Hunter
May 3 – ARTISTS AND MODELS, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis
May 10 – THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI, Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles
May 17 – ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland
May 24 – CITY LIGHTS, Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill
May 31 – IN A LONELY PLACE, Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame
June 7 – HIS GIRL FRIDAY, Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell
June 14 – THE JOLSON STORY, Larry Parks, Evelyn Keyes
June 21 – CARTOON & COMEDY CARNIVAL, Looney Tunes, 3 Stooges, and more. ALL NEW!
You can also read the entire schedule online HERE ( View link ) or download a
flyer.
Thank you again for all of your support and hope to see you at the shows.