Astor Theatre

We are a casual pedestrian society without a sense of protocol or should I say a sense of regalia? I can remember going to the Capital Theater to see “From Here to Eternity” with my date and sitting upstairs in a packed lodge/balcony and never once did I feel unconforatble. No one selfishly in tune with their own agenda, and on top of it, most of us were clean and well dresssd for the occasion.

I remember not letting people in sleevless T-Shirts at the Astor and Victoria theaters. The ushers would continuously monitor their
section every few minutes just to make sure nothing disruptive is happening. Again…another era. I still enjoy the day even if it is not like it was.

I was at the “Actor’s Studio” recently and one of the Studio’s teacher/director/coach was there. We worked together at the Astor theater in 1954 to 1956. We both ended up with careers in theater/film/television. We discussed our experiences and it seem sensorily that it was just yesterday. I was blessed to have the opportunity to be there at that time.

Thanks, Lost Memory. That was nice of you.
rg

Well-heeled crowd for the middle of the Depression.

This link may be good for but a short time; shows in large detail the Astor entry under marquee in 1933.

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It is so true! The 70’s and 80’s were a horrible period for the entertainment area. Prior to the 70’s I had an apartment on West 45th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue. Never once did I ever feel in danger until the late 60’s when everything really began to fall apart. This led me to move further uptown to West 57th Street and then to the upper Westside where things were slightly less disgusting. All I can say is the Times Square of today is a blessing. Still I remember how it was in the 50’s and early 60’s and it was great! We should be extremely happy what we have today…a rejuvenated theater distrct for all to enjoy.

It still pains me to read about the destruction of 5 theaters for the construction of the Marriott Marquis back in 1982. I am a staunch theater preservationist, but more importantly I am an even stronger believer is a safe, vibrant, clean and growing city that can offer a wonderful urban environment in which to live in and visit.

Sadly, the New York of the 70’s and 80’s was one of steep decline, out of control crime, massive arson, infrastructure that was falling apart and subways covered wall to wall in graffiti that you were lucky to see since many cars also had no operable lighting. There was a massive outflow of the city’s middle class and corresponding increase in the city’s poor.

42nd Street and Times Square was ground zero for this cesspool and the theater district was dying a slow, agonizing death. Something had to be done. The destruction of those theaters brought a new, huge convention hotel to the center of Times Square that bought new life to this moribound area. It encouraged other hotels and office buildings to follow. The complete closure and renovation of all of the theaters on 42nd Street continued the path. Thanks to that process we now have a restored New Amsterdam (arguably the most beautiful of New York’s theaters) in addition to The New Victory, The Hilton and American Airlines theaters. This, on a street that back in the 70’s and 80s was considered the single most dangerous block in the country!

Today, Times Square is criticized by some as having “lost its character” and resembling Las Vegas. To those people, I say “Go to downtown Detorit where you can have all of the character you want”

I for one, love living in a city where you can ride the subway comfortably at midnight, stroll down almost any street in complete safety, shop at the many department stores that remain downtown (unlike virtually any other city), and attend the theater in a district that has been astoundingly reborn, revitalized and for the most part renovated since the early 90’s.

I do not equate “character” with drug addicts, prostitutes, brothels, trash, graffiti and whatever else Times Square had in the 70’s and 80’s.

We’ve saved Times Square and New York! While we’ve lost many theaters we in New York still have an embarassment of riches. Now, we need to concentrate our efforts to protect and restore the theaters we still have left.

Ed,

You are absolutely correct! I believe there was another film that used the word “pregnant” and created a stir among the religious groups.

Can you believe how much we have changed! Remarkable!

Photo February 1929 “Broadway Melody” at Astor:
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It’s funny that you mentioned “Stalag 17” and the “Moon is Blue”. In July of 1953 I became one of those unique ushers at the Astor Theatre and its sister hheatre the Victoria. “Stalag 17” was playing and right after I began working there in came t"The Moon is Blue" where they dared say the word “pregnant”. We were considered one of the smaller theatres that had heart. At that time the Roxy, the Capitol, the Strand were all going strong. Of all the theatres there was something different about the Astor and Victoria. Our uniforms were unique, bright and vivid!

There was a positive energy in the 50’s that we don’t have anymore.
The 1545 Broadway entrance was behind the box office of the Victoria. I remember Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Paul Newman, Shelley Winters, Elia Kazan, Lee Strasberg, Burt Lancaster and many others going into the 1545 building. Kermit Bloomgarten had his office in the 1545 Building as well as Stasberg. For a kid at 15 it was something beyond magic.

Maybe it was my youth, but I cherish the expeiences I had and feel extremely lucky to have been there!

Thanks, Dodger. Your memories of the Astor are invaluable. Since rediscovering this website a couple of weeks ago I’ve been reading it compulsively, usually well into the night. I’ve been checking the blogs for every theater in every city I’ve ever visited. Best page-turner I’ve ever read.
If I can ever tear myself away from the many dozens of Manhattan theater blogs, I want to make contributions to nearly 100 Pittsburgh area theaters listed. Most of those blogs are very spare; some have no entries at all.
The downside of the Manhattan blogs is that can take hours to wade through. The one for Radio City Music Hall must be the “War and Peace” of movie blogs.
I’m grateful we have this gift – this forum in which to exchange tidbits.
Aside: One of the neatest coincidences when the Astor and the Victoria were grinding profitably was when each had a new big hit starring Bill Holden. He was side by side starring in “Stalag 17” at the Astor and “The Moon Is Blue” at the Victoria. — Ed Blank

What a weird buzz I got wandering into the Astor’s former shell after it had become that flea market. The place was abuzz but junky. You can’t get that buzz, I think, unless the shell of the old structure is the same and you can remember clearly how it had been when it was a moviehouse (the ticket-taker was just about here, the screen was against that wall over there, etc.).
Our memories are valueless to just about anyone who didn’t experience these grand old movie emporiums firsthand, but Cinema Treasures is a treasure trove of shared recollections by people who can revivify and amplify one’s own fading memories. Thank you, one and all. — Ed Blank

Here is a July 1941 ad from the NYT:
http://tinyurl.com/3drh5u

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Picture of my brother and myself as ushers at the Astor & Victoria theaters from 1953-56