The introduction implies that Clearview had to divest of some locations during the Loews takeover of Cineplex Odeon. In actuality, Loews had to divest of some of its locations, allowing Clearview to take over this one.
Another Mayfair Theatre operated in the early seventies at 235 West 46th street in the Paramount Hotel. It alternated between Vaudeville, plays, and films. The film programs were mainly in Yiddish or with Jewish appeal and the theatre may have been operated by remnants of the old White Rats Vaudeville Union.
These little guys spent a fortune buying TV ads for their films just to get theatres to book them. The theatres that failed to pay or paid late hurt them more than the competition from major studios. These exploitation titles kept many small theatres open during the dull months by filling empty seats, albeit with some really bad films. The ad campaigns cost more than the movies themselves so not paying them made their cash flow impossible to maintain. These deadbeat theatres were the same who complained about product shortages.
We sold out a 900 seat theatre in Miami Shores with “Beyond The Door” on opening weekend that had not been sold out since the fifties. A lady passed out during the film and had to be taken away by ambulance. That unplanned event made the film even more popular on the weekdays. By week two the place was empty.
A lot of theatre operators behaved that way back in the seventies. They paid the majors but screwed the independent distributors that didn’t have another film they wanted coming up.
Sometimes even the majors didn’t see their share for six months. Since product came out during summer and Christmas, the boxoffice receipts from one season paid for the previous one. Withholding prints was one way to get paid something.
The Alden was already showing movies in 1934. In 1963 it switched from years of sub-runs and revivals to first-run German language films.
That experiment must have failed as the theatre was closed, remodeled, and re-opened in 1964 as the Regency, showing sub-runs and revivals until it became the city’s last surviving revival house. In 1987, responding to the newfound affluence of the upper west side, Cineplex Odeon remodeled the Regency once more and re-invented it as a first-run pseudo art house.
This was the same venue as the RKO 86th Street Twin which opened in December 1971 and was closed by Cineplex Odeon in October 1986 with plans to quickly remodel the site and re-open.
That did not occur and landlord and construction delays continued until it finally re-opened in 1989.
This theatre was still open in October 1968 when it closed after playing “For Love Of Ivy”. It was replaced by the Gimbels store and the RKO 86th street Twin.
Loew’s New York Twin opened on March 2, 1979 With “Norma Rae” and “Fast Break”.
If this was closest movie theatre to the El train station then it was already there by 1915.
Opened as the Columbia 1 & 2 in October 1971.
Became the Gemini 1 & 2 in July 1978.
Became the Gemini 1, 2 & 3 in June 1996.
Became the 64th & 2nd 1, 2 & 3 in October 1996.
This opened on April 8, 1981 with Fellini’s “City Of Women”.
The introduction implies that Clearview had to divest of some locations during the Loews takeover of Cineplex Odeon. In actuality, Loews had to divest of some of its locations, allowing Clearview to take over this one.
Another Mayfair Theatre operated in the early seventies at 235 West 46th street in the Paramount Hotel. It alternated between Vaudeville, plays, and films. The film programs were mainly in Yiddish or with Jewish appeal and the theatre may have been operated by remnants of the old White Rats Vaudeville Union.
Does anyone know anything else about it?
“Rock was, and is, a black-eye on the soul of Western Civilization.”
LOL. I thought it was disco.
It’s those crazy kids having another of their Led Zeppelin Hootenannys.
There was a circular entrance and box office at ground level with an LED wrap-around sign. The theatre itself was under ground.
This closed March 26, 1995 as the Sony Columbus Circle. The Loew’s name should be removed here as it was called that for less than a year.
Closed in May 1997 after a run of “Waiting For Guffman”.
These little guys spent a fortune buying TV ads for their films just to get theatres to book them. The theatres that failed to pay or paid late hurt them more than the competition from major studios. These exploitation titles kept many small theatres open during the dull months by filling empty seats, albeit with some really bad films. The ad campaigns cost more than the movies themselves so not paying them made their cash flow impossible to maintain. These deadbeat theatres were the same who complained about product shortages.
We sold out a 900 seat theatre in Miami Shores with “Beyond The Door” on opening weekend that had not been sold out since the fifties. A lady passed out during the film and had to be taken away by ambulance. That unplanned event made the film even more popular on the weekdays. By week two the place was empty.
A lot of theatre operators behaved that way back in the seventies. They paid the majors but screwed the independent distributors that didn’t have another film they wanted coming up.
Sometimes even the majors didn’t see their share for six months. Since product came out during summer and Christmas, the boxoffice receipts from one season paid for the previous one. Withholding prints was one way to get paid something.
“Beyond The Door” was a BIG drive-in hit.
This closed as Loew’s Festival in August 1994 with “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.
This intro needs to updated.
“The Eastside Cinema actually opened on January 21, 1973. Its premiere attraction was "Under Milk Wood."
posted by DamienB on Nov 10, 2005 at 12:58pm”
Almost, Ed.
“Wedding Bell Blues” and “Head Above Water” had short runs after “The Designated Mourner” and before “The Pillow Book”.
You were only off about a month.
The Thalia dates back to 1931.
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According to this NYT article, the 68th Street Playhouse was converted from an apartment building to a vaudeville and movie house in 1914.
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It closed in July 1997 with “The Pillow book”.
The Alden was already showing movies in 1934. In 1963 it switched from years of sub-runs and revivals to first-run German language films.
That experiment must have failed as the theatre was closed, remodeled, and re-opened in 1964 as the Regency, showing sub-runs and revivals until it became the city’s last surviving revival house. In 1987, responding to the newfound affluence of the upper west side, Cineplex Odeon remodeled the Regency once more and re-invented it as a first-run pseudo art house.
Closed in January 1955 with a Swan Song Festival of revivals. By then it was advertised as the TRANS-LUX 60TH ON MADISON.
Stopped showing movies in May 1949 with the classic “Carnival In Flanders”
The last movies at the Ziegfeld were “Once Upon a Time” and “Shadows in the Night” in August 1944.
This was the same venue as the RKO 86th Street Twin which opened in December 1971 and was closed by Cineplex Odeon in October 1986 with plans to quickly remodel the site and re-open.
That did not occur and landlord and construction delays continued until it finally re-opened in 1989.
RKO 86th St. Twin is an aka here.
This theatre was still open in October 1968 when it closed after playing “For Love Of Ivy”. It was replaced by the Gimbels store and the RKO 86th street Twin.
The Little Carnegie closed in April 1982 after an extended run-in with Susan Sarandon’s aforementioned lemony breasts.
“Atlantic City” was not a bad way out for this classy venue.
This theatre was already operating as a newsreel site in December 1938.
The 1953 release of “Lili” ran for almost two years.
It closed in 1965 after a run of “cat Ballou”.