I never have anything good to say about UA, but I was at the UA Westbury Cinemas twice recently and this is one of the nicest UA theatres I have ever attended. It was very clean and the picture was actually projected in focus and the proper ratio. My big complaint was that I wanted to buy refreshments and the lines never went away from the candy stands. Why do they build counters with twenty stations and then open 6 of them? I went out twice during the movie and gave up. There was also lots of promos for TV shows and video games.
On a seperate note I read something disturbing today in the Daily News. They were writing about the DVD release of the Wedding Crashers and it said it will look better on TV then in the cinemas because it was shot for the eventual DVD release and how it would look best in that format. They were more concerned about the eventual TV release and F%$% theatrical. Someone better start making changes in the prodcut and the way theatres are run before they start closing. It used to only be older people who waited for the home release. I know plenty of twenty year olds who don’t go to the movies anymore, they buy them on DVD.
The Ridgewood draws heavily from Brooklyn so I guess it could survive, but they don’t seem to be doing anything to keep it up since they were the only game in town for so long.
Check out this ad for “Rosemary’s Baby”, it shows the Pitkin was open as late as 1968. Can you believe it’s playing in 29 theatres just in Brooklyn? Are there even 29 screens among the plexes in Brooklyn anymore? View link
When the Century played this matinee in 1972 “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t” was being distributed by MGM as part of their matinee series. View link
The one advantage Crossbay 2 had was that the seats were comfortable and not crammed together with no leg room. Cinema City 5 was a converted Bohacks and had no leg room.
Those great re-releases in the 1980’s of the unseen Hitchcock’s opened in all 3 of these theatres. A few of them did so well, mainly Rear Window and Vertigo that they were moved to other theatres because the new fim was already scheduled. View link
Sadly the Lane is empty and slowly falling apart too. I have been to Europe and seen theatres hundreds of years old and in this country, mainly NY we cant keep something for more then 40 years. I am very bitter since the Beekman was destroyed, there was no reason it could not have been built around like the Palace. I went to the Keith’s in Flushing many times before and after the tri-plexing. At this point I say tear every inch of it down. To keep some disjointed features of the lobby within a “glass wall” is disgusting. That area long ago gave up any remaining shards of culture and is dead in my book. I was just telling someone about being a kid in the 60’s and seeing “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t” at the Ridgewood with Paul Tripp making a personal appearance at the theatre. Many other fond holiday shows, remember when banks would give free tickets to Saturday morning Christmas shows? That’s how I got to see “Santa Clause Conquers the Martians”, also at the Ridgewood. Actually when I was manager of the Haven, Columbia Savings kept the tradition going until the late 1980’s. Sadly all the kids now don’t have this.
1962 Judgement at Nuremberg
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Great days we will never see again
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This would be a good location for Landmark and they would get the product.
I never have anything good to say about UA, but I was at the UA Westbury Cinemas twice recently and this is one of the nicest UA theatres I have ever attended. It was very clean and the picture was actually projected in focus and the proper ratio. My big complaint was that I wanted to buy refreshments and the lines never went away from the candy stands. Why do they build counters with twenty stations and then open 6 of them? I went out twice during the movie and gave up. There was also lots of promos for TV shows and video games.
On a seperate note I read something disturbing today in the Daily News. They were writing about the DVD release of the Wedding Crashers and it said it will look better on TV then in the cinemas because it was shot for the eventual DVD release and how it would look best in that format. They were more concerned about the eventual TV release and F%$% theatrical. Someone better start making changes in the prodcut and the way theatres are run before they start closing. It used to only be older people who waited for the home release. I know plenty of twenty year olds who don’t go to the movies anymore, they buy them on DVD.
Those recent pictures are very sad but I think the theatre is restorable. All it takes is enough money.
The Ridgewood draws heavily from Brooklyn so I guess it could survive, but they don’t seem to be doing anything to keep it up since they were the only game in town for so long.
They never take any care in the way they display their one sheets in those frames.
Now that they will get all that insurance money they could redo the place properly.
Check out this ad for “Rosemary’s Baby”, it shows the Pitkin was open as late as 1968. Can you believe it’s playing in 29 theatres just in Brooklyn? Are there even 29 screens among the plexes in Brooklyn anymore?
View link
When the Century played this matinee in 1972 “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t” was being distributed by MGM as part of their matinee series.
View link
I fear for the Tower East, that would make a perfect Landmark house.
I would love to see what it looks like now. I wonder if there is anything left?
The one advantage Crossbay 2 had was that the seats were comfortable and not crammed together with no leg room. Cinema City 5 was a converted Bohacks and had no leg room.
Someone could make the upstairs 4 screens.
Those great re-releases in the 1980’s of the unseen Hitchcock’s opened in all 3 of these theatres. A few of them did so well, mainly Rear Window and Vertigo that they were moved to other theatres because the new fim was already scheduled.
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Paul
As soon as I have a chance I can check my records. I have them up to 1995.
Here is an ad as The Gate.
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Here is an ad for what Warren mentions above about Murray the K
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The 1961 Christmas show
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After the roadshow it moved here
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This engagement must have been shortly after the newsreels stopped.
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The TAMI show (in the miracle of Electronovision) plus Muscle Beach Party
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I don’t recall the Beekman running 70mm films like this.
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Sadly the Lane is empty and slowly falling apart too. I have been to Europe and seen theatres hundreds of years old and in this country, mainly NY we cant keep something for more then 40 years. I am very bitter since the Beekman was destroyed, there was no reason it could not have been built around like the Palace. I went to the Keith’s in Flushing many times before and after the tri-plexing. At this point I say tear every inch of it down. To keep some disjointed features of the lobby within a “glass wall” is disgusting. That area long ago gave up any remaining shards of culture and is dead in my book. I was just telling someone about being a kid in the 60’s and seeing “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t” at the Ridgewood with Paul Tripp making a personal appearance at the theatre. Many other fond holiday shows, remember when banks would give free tickets to Saturday morning Christmas shows? That’s how I got to see “Santa Clause Conquers the Martians”, also at the Ridgewood. Actually when I was manager of the Haven, Columbia Savings kept the tradition going until the late 1980’s. Sadly all the kids now don’t have this.
Interesting ad from 1943
View link