Described as a “deluxe” version of “Premiere Showcase,” which United Artists introduced in the NY-NJ area in 1962 and was rapidly copied in theory by all its rivals. This time around, participating theatres would have an actual “red carpet” at their entrances.
Radio City Music Hall would be the first of the two theatres to open, with a Spectacular Stage Show with Cast of 1,000 performed twice daily
and all seats reserved…Two nights later, the New RKO Roxy Theatre would open with a stage/screen policy with “The Animal Kingdom” as the first-run feature.
“Michel Strogoff” was a spectacular French drama partially financed by Universal Pictures in return for distribution rights in the English-speaking world, where Jules Verne’s novel was known as “Michael Strogoff.”
Due to an unexpected hold-over, Cab Calloway & Company took over the stage presentation from Jimmy Dorsey’s contingent, which had a prior commitment to fulfill.
With a running time of 141 minutes, “Moses” was a condensed version of a mini-TV series with six one-hour episodes that was shown in the USA the previous year on the CBS network.
Starting with the world premiere engagement of “The Robe,” Roxy management dropped stage shows for an “Everything on the Screen” policy, with a first-run CinemaScope feature always topping the bill.
Opened in advance of Memorial Day, which would be observed on the fixed
date of May 30th for the last time. Starting in 1971, the national holiday would be on the last Monday of May…Catchphrase of “It’s a dying business” may prove prophetic of moviegoing as practiced since its birth.
Parking area of the Bay Terrace Shopping Center will be used for a series of “drive-in movie” experiences starting in June. News article displayed here
Wonder how many people actually ordered tickets through the mail?
The coupon in ads was usually too small to be filled out, so a note with your specifics had to be attached. And then you also had to include a self-addressed return envelope inside the envelope sent to the theatre. Really worth all that bother, especially if you were out of stamps and had to go purchase some at the post office as well.
Described as a “deluxe” version of “Premiere Showcase,” which United Artists introduced in the NY-NJ area in 1962 and was rapidly copied in theory by all its rivals. This time around, participating theatres would have an actual “red carpet” at their entrances.
Among the resident stage performers were future Metropolitan Opera legend Jan Peerce and the incomparable dancer/choreographer Jose Limon.
Several color photos of the exterior can be viewed midway through this article at the “Forgotten New York” website here
Radio City Music Hall would be the first of the two theatres to open, with a Spectacular Stage Show with Cast of 1,000 performed twice daily and all seats reserved…Two nights later, the New RKO Roxy Theatre would open with a stage/screen policy with “The Animal Kingdom” as the first-run feature.
“Michel Strogoff” was a spectacular French drama partially financed by Universal Pictures in return for distribution rights in the English-speaking world, where Jules Verne’s novel was known as “Michael Strogoff.”
Due to an unexpected hold-over, Cab Calloway & Company took over the stage presentation from Jimmy Dorsey’s contingent, which had a prior commitment to fulfill.
The Capitol had dropped stage shows in 1935, but would resume them in 1943 due to the wartime boom in theatre attendance.
With a running time of 141 minutes, “Moses” was a condensed version of a mini-TV series with six one-hour episodes that was shown in the USA the previous year on the CBS network.
Featured in a huge New York Times article on the “Big Screen” wedding of Bri Houk and Lindsey Leaverton. View here
Presumably “East” Long Island and not the East Coast of the USA.
Starting with the world premiere engagement of “The Robe,” Roxy management dropped stage shows for an “Everything on the Screen” policy, with a first-run CinemaScope feature always topping the bill.
Auditorium had a reported seating capacity of 913, with floor-to-ceiling screen measuring 105 feet wide by 38 feet high.
Opened in advance of Memorial Day, which would be observed on the fixed date of May 30th for the last time. Starting in 1971, the national holiday would be on the last Monday of May…Catchphrase of “It’s a dying business” may prove prophetic of moviegoing as practiced since its birth.
Both “Adam Had Four Sons” and “That Hamilton Woman” were recent graduates of Radio City Music Hall, where they were accompanied by stage revues.
Day before Memorial Day, which was its first observance since the USA entered WWII.
Parking area of the Bay Terrace Shopping Center will be used for a series of “drive-in movie” experiences starting in June. News article displayed here
Two days before Memorial Day, which had a fixed date of May 30th until 1971, when switched to observance on the last Monday of May.
First site mentioned in trade journal report on re-openings in Georgia and elsewhere. Read here
Marquee and entrance pictured in news report of public fears about re-openings of NYC theatres. Read here
Starting to look like there’ll be no Christmas Spectacular this year, nor anything before that, according to New York Times article displayed here
Wonder how many people actually ordered tickets through the mail? The coupon in ads was usually too small to be filled out, so a note with your specifics had to be attached. And then you also had to include a self-addressed return envelope inside the envelope sent to the theatre. Really worth all that bother, especially if you were out of stamps and had to go purchase some at the post office as well.
Theda Bara in Fox’s “Her Double Life” on screen, plus vaudeville acts.
“New” since the pandemic arrived? AMC must be pretty certain about re-opening if went to that expense.
No explanation for “A” missing from front of marquee.
On that same day, “Fame” started an exclusive NYC engagement at the Ziegfeld Theatre. Ad displayed here