Adonis Theatre
839 8th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10019
839 8th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10019
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Have we changed the policy of listing theatres under their most recent name? Just curious because this was the Adonis for over 20 years?
According to the book “Skyscraper” by Karl Sabbagh, when the speculative Worldwide Plaza building opened tenants were hard to find since it was considered too far west. The employees of the few tenants who were there initially found it ‘distasteful’ to be working next door to the Adonis (Tivoli) Theatre. Their concerns were brought to the attention of William Zeckendorf, the developer of the Worldwide building. Not wanting to lose the few tenants he had and discourage future tenants from moving in, he bought the theatre and had it demolished. Restoration and conversion back to a regular theatre was out of the question since God’s gift to the theatre business from Toronto was opening another speculative venture, the Worldwide Cinemas, also in Zeckendorf’s development. Ironically, the Worldwide Cinemas was itself closed and demolished in the past few years.
Did you know the Tivoli had an open air roof theater? I discovered this when I covered another projectionists vacation. There were still planters on the walls of the roof theater up to it closed. There was also some parts in one of the organ chambers. It had a Kimbal organ. I think the the same architect that did the RKO Coliseium 181 St. & B'way did the Tivoli. Both theaters had an opening that looked down on the orchestra seats from the area under the balcony where rest rooms were located. They were in many ways very much alike but a smaller copy. I seem to remember reading some where the same architect did both theaters. That’s all.
Also the in the 1947 it is listed as seating 1443 people.
During the 30’s the Tivoli Theatre was part of the Consolidated Amusement Enter. company. Which operated 14 New York area theatres.
New York: Arena, Avalon, Columbus, Fleetwood, Forum, Gem, Ideal, Jerome, Luxor, Mt. Eden, Oxford, Times, Tivoli, Willis Theatres.
By the mid 40’s the Tivoli Theatre was operated by J.J. Theaters, INC.. They operated 16 theatres in New York and one in Maine.
Maine: Bar Harbor Criterion Theatre.
New York: Avalon, Bryant, Fleetwood, Forum, Jerome, Kingsbridge, Luxor, Mt. Eden, Oxford, Times, Tivoli, Surrey, Earl, Ascot, Kent, Casino Theatres.
The projector in the orchestra was the later years when all of the XXX theatres went video. The theatre originally ran film from the original projection booth with zenon 16mm projectors. If not RKO, who operated the Tivoli during the vaudeville and mvie years?
I have photos of the demolition showing the sun streaming in and exposing the blue painted walls. The theatre had an oval cut out in the upper lounge allowing patrons to see the last rows of the orchestra. I remember once going in here and foung the marble lobby and it’s appointments very rich. If I remember, an elevator to the right of the indoor box-office once took patrons to the second level. As it being a RKO house, I don’t think so because it is not listed in any display RKO ad that I have from the 1930’s-1960’s. If it was, it wasn’t for long. Remember, RKO ran the Mayfair in Times Square before opening Radio City and The Center at Rockefeller Center. The Mayfair then passed on to Loew’s in 1933 and then the Brandt’s ran it in the ‘40’s and '50’s. The Mayfair then became the DeMille. Prior to being the Mayfair it was the Columbia burlesque theatre. The RKO presence in the Times Square area was the Palace Theatre during this time still with Vaudeville shows into the 1950’s before it went legit. By the way, the Adonis screened their all male hits from a projector that was located directly in the center aisle of the orchestra. Most of the patrons were moaning and groaning and my visit did not include sitting or watching the on-goings on the screen.