Radio City Music Hall
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
116 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1,476 - 1,500 of 3,325 comments
Thanks to your list, Al, I can proudly say that the last movie I saw at the Music Hall before the closing was a great one, “Fantasia”.
Sadly, the only time I visited RCMH prior to the end of the film/stage show era in 1979 was for a weekday matinee of “Smokey and the Bandit” in May 1977. I was in the front mezzanine, and I recall that the performance was very sparsely attended—-probably no more than several hundred people.
Speaking of “Smokey and the Bandit” failing at RCMH after being a blockbuster in other parts of the country, I recall being surprised to find that some (many?) John Wayne movies opened later in Manhattan than in other parts of the country. It was as if they avoided New York reviews on the assumption, probably based on a lot of precedent, that they’d be less favorable in NYC than anywhere else. Wayne was huge almost everywhere. I gather that was relatively less true in NYC. And how weird that “The Cowboys,” of all Wayne movies, should get a RCMH booking. It was, I think, easily the most mean-spirited movie in which he had participated and the only one I outright dislike. – Ed Blank
1776, THE STING and FANTASIA were, of course, revivals.
I think it is very telling that even SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT failed at RCMH as it was succeeding elsewhere. New Yorkers are not above watching a redneck romp but we will not tolerate wholesomeness!
Thank you very much for that list, Al Alvarez. Things sure did change at RCMH in the 1970s, didn’t they? In earlier decades, many of those movies would have premiered at the neighborhoods on double bills. — Ed Blank
Too bad “Star Wars” didn’t play at this theater when it came out nearly 31 years ago this month. BTW, when will the Ziegfeld page be back? It’s been nearly a week and no one has posted comments on it!!!
THE SUNSHINE BOYS ran until January 22, 1976
March 12- May 12, 1976 ROBIN AND MARIAN
May 13- June 3, 1976 THE BLUE BIRD
June 4- June 17, 1976 1776
June 18- July 28, 1976 HARRY & WALTER GO TO NEW YORK
July 29- Sept 15, 1976 SWASHBUCKLER
Sept 16- October 6, 1976 PAPER TIGER
October 7- November 3, 1976 A MATTER OF TIME
November 4-January 12, 1977 THE SLIPPER AND THE ROSE
March 3- March 30, 1977 MR. BILLION
March 31 – April 27, 1977 THE LITTLEST HORSE THIEVES
April 28- May 18, 1977 THE STING
May 19- June 29, 1977 SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT
June 30- September 15, 1977 MacARTHUR
November 3- January 11, 1978 PETE’S DRAGON
March 2- April 16, 1978 CROSSED SWORDS
April 27- May 17, 1978 THE SEA GYSPSIES
May 18- June 21, 1978 FANTASIA
June 22- August 2, 1978 MATILDA
August 3- ? THE MAGIC OF LASSIE
November 2- January 17, 1979 CARAVANS
March 8 â€" April 25, 1979 THE PROMISE
Ed, if you click on ‘advanced search’, then ‘theatre search tool’ and highlight all three boxes, you will find such an option. Theatres like the chameleonesque Movieland on 47th street would be lost without it.
I will look into the late seventies RCMH.
These Cinema Treasures blogs really are a treasure. It is with no lack of gratitude that I concur with those who say it would be wonderful if we could access each theater’s blog under any and all of the theater’s identities. Very often I cannot remember what a theater was called in its final years. I had forgotten, for example, that the Trans-Lux East was called the Gotham at the tail end. Sure wish it were possible to cross-reference them so that a blog would pop up under any of the (correct) IDs we type in. But thank you, one and all, for what we have. – Ed Blank
Hi, Al, I had found, and did print out, that entry in addition to yours. Thanks for making sure I saw it. Still need to fill in 1975-79 when the programming became more irregular, I guess. I’ve enjoyed immensely going over the lists and noting precisely how many movies I saw at RCMH. Have been looking up every one of the dozens of Manhattan moviehouses I frequented in visits from 1955, starting with “Mr. Roberts” at RCMH, through the spring of 2006. I loved and miss much the era when Manhattan was loaded with classic rep houses. I appreciate the hundreds of great blog notes by you and Warren and many others and love hearing about the double bills people saw at various sites. – Ed Blank
Ed, if you check out the post from Ron3853 on Jul 18, 2004 at 8:26am you will find he did a great job covering that.
AlAlvarez, Were you ever able to compile a list of RCMH movies and their opening dates from “Scrooge” through “The Promise” in 1979? – Ed Blank
The way I understand it, the Hall represented wholesome entertainment at a time when a G rating was the kiss of death at the box office. Distributors did not want their movies associated with being that squeaky clean
What movies today would fill the Music Hall bill if there were still a stage show and old distribution patterns?
I do think back to the early 70’s and wonder why they didn’t get films like Orient Express or Way we Were.
I agree with you. Making stuff out of clay is more fun than creating something out of CGI.
Justin, I have to disagree (politely) with a couple of your previous posts. Making the Radio City Marquee an LED display would be a silly thing to do. For one thing, the old milk glass letter marquees are now rare and historical artifacts, they’re also more attractive than LED displays. Please remember too that today’s high tech is tomorrow’s worthless junk (until it gets to be about 50 years old, at which point it becomes an artifact itself ;–)). As far as entertainment in “the old days” I would say there was one entertainment device at our fingertips, it was called a book. I still use them myself! These always work best when coupled with an imagination, something that people don’t seem to want to bother developing anymore. People also had more resources within themselves to be entertained with; such as the ability to play an instrument or to do something creative. I wouldn’t even refer to the things we have nowadays as entertainment, they’re more like some sort of electronic drugs to keep us from thinking for ourselves or being able to actually do anything productive.
maybe outage related issues….
Does anybody know why the Ziegfeld page is not working?
/theaters/12/
premium seats are only the orchestra center 3 sections, first 15 rows, first 4 rows 250, the rest 150. some sat night shows all prem tix will be 250
justin – changes to marquee would first have to be approved by rock center (cablevision rents) and the then NY buildings landmark mark commission – won’t ever happen
yup. We have all the needs for entertainment at our fingertips. Back in the old days, the only means were the paper, the theater for movies and or plays, and sporting events.
EXACTLY .. With a choice of essentials or the RCMH, guess what will prevail? A real shame, because the Hall should avail itself to everyone as it’s a “show in itself”. This is the only taste the young people of today of actually seing a showcase of yesteryear. Very few grand palaces that used to show movies are still standing, and of course those that are, are being used for special concerts and events. Feel sorry for those who haven’t had the opportunity of seeing movies in a place where MOVIES SHOULD BE SEEN. Give me the good ole days. Of course, what kids don’t have today they don’t miss. Alas!!
Shelling out &1.000 bucks IS a lot of bucks…but considering the price of everything else today…Theatre, Opera, sporting events etc..PLUS the price of gasoline not to mention RICE. Nothin' is cheap anymore, including the Xmas show!!!
yeah, right, warren. Radio City and Rockettes…perfect together.
Check out ESPN right now, the Hall is now on TV just in time for the NFL Draft. This event was first held at the hall in 2006 after being held at the Jacob Center for a few years before the infamous West Side Stadium dispute began, of which Cablevision was involved. Recently, Elton John performed a sold-out fundraiser for the Democratic Party. The first sporting event held here was a boxing match. Lots of cool things have happened at the Hall since they stopping showing so much movies and relying more on rockettes and concerts. Are there plans to restore the hall again in the near future? They should install a scrolling LED banner below the “Radio City” sign so that it’s high tech.
So where is the Nativity in the Temple ad? Wasn’t it there for Flying down to Rio?
I’ve never seen Bright Eyes but it is really full of romance and adventure?
I mean are Gardner and Gable in it?