Griffith’s first all-talking production impressed a majority of critics, but failed to draw crowds, neither as a reserved-seat roadshow nor in general release with title expanded to “Abraham Lincoln.”
This was an unprecedented six-theatre launching for Monogram Pictures, now known as Allied Artists and striving to rise from “minor” to “major” status. Both features were in Sepia Tone instead of standard B&W.
Now in the second month of its screen/stage policy, the Music Hall booked its first “name” headliners, two ultra-popular radio characters portrayed by white actors in blackface…With the New Roxy also still on a film/stage policy, management was competing against itself, and would need to take action soon to end or at least reduce losses of thousands of Depression dollars weekly.
This now includes a dining/cocktails venue CMX Cinebistro. The auditorium itself has been described as “an all black space that looks like a college campus’s perfunctory performing-arts center.” Numerous reviews and photos can be found here
Alice Faye emerged from retirement for Otto Preminger’s “film noir,” but in a strictly dramatic role…As luck would have it, Clark Gable’s first movie since wartime military service, “Adventure,” opened the following day at Radio City Music Hall.
Jimmy Durante insisted on performing at a cocktail reception in appreciation for his participation in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
Hosts standing behind him are the Music Hall’s managing director and an MGM ad-pub executive.
The one-week engagement set a new house record for the Downtown Paramount with a gross of $35,000, according to Variety, equivalent to about $619,000 in 2019. The graduated price scale averaged out to 43 cents per ticket, indicating attendance of around 81,395 for the week.
Tapia presenting the English-dubbed version with Spanish subtitles. Some of the other cinemas listed had the original French version with English subtitles.
Photo for the address of 740 Allerton Avenue shows the entire block, with the Barnes marquee and entrance farthest from the camera. Auditorium apparently extended to the foreground, where a Barnes wall and exit door are visible. Vertical sign in mid-block is probably for a store and not the Barnes Theatre.
The pre-release engagement, which qualified the B&W epic for that year’s Academy Awards, had a modified roadshow policy at advanced prices, with continuous performances and projection on the “Grandeur Screen With Multisound.”
The Jersey was the first Loew’s to participate in a United Artists “Premiere Showcase,” but only because it was no longer included in the circuit’s advertising for the Greater New York area due to its out-of-state location.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Music Hall’s grand opening, the float was sponsored by MGM in behalf of “Billy Rose’s Jumbo,” which would be part of the Christmas holiday presentation opening on December 6th. The Astor Hotel and a corner of the Paramount Building appear in the background of the B&W photo.
Excerpt from full-page Macy’s ad showing the route for the parade on November 22nd, 1962. The event was broadcast “live” in color by NBC, though most American homes still had only B&W television sets.
LLoyd C. Douglas, author of the novel, “Green Light,” later wrote “The Robe,” which became one of the biggest bestsellers of all-time and eventually basis for the first feature in the CinemaScope process.
During the previous August, Al Jolson visited numerous Loew’s neighborhood theatres, including the Valencia and Paradise, in advance of the world premiere of the sequel at Loew’s State, where it had a lengthy and record-breaking run.
Griffith’s first all-talking production impressed a majority of critics, but failed to draw crowds, neither as a reserved-seat roadshow nor in general release with title expanded to “Abraham Lincoln.”
The unveiling of the instant classic took place on the night of the national holiday celebrating the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
This is a side view of the building, with signage that was supplemental to the main entrance on Broadway.
This was an unprecedented six-theatre launching for Monogram Pictures, now known as Allied Artists and striving to rise from “minor” to “major” status. Both features were in Sepia Tone instead of standard B&W.
Used a version of the motorized reflecting ball that later became symbolic of the “Disco Generation” in the 1970s.
Recent photo and preservation update can be viewed here
The State’s vertical sign was at the far corner from the marquee and entrance.
Now in the second month of its screen/stage policy, the Music Hall booked its first “name” headliners, two ultra-popular radio characters portrayed by white actors in blackface…With the New Roxy also still on a film/stage policy, management was competing against itself, and would need to take action soon to end or at least reduce losses of thousands of Depression dollars weekly.
This now includes a dining/cocktails venue CMX Cinebistro. The auditorium itself has been described as “an all black space that looks like a college campus’s perfunctory performing-arts center.” Numerous reviews and photos can be found here
Alice Faye emerged from retirement for Otto Preminger’s “film noir,” but in a strictly dramatic role…As luck would have it, Clark Gable’s first movie since wartime military service, “Adventure,” opened the following day at Radio City Music Hall.
Newspaper ad for this engagement of “Don Juan” uploaded here
Jimmy Durante insisted on performing at a cocktail reception in appreciation for his participation in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Hosts standing behind him are the Music Hall’s managing director and an MGM ad-pub executive.
The one-week engagement set a new house record for the Downtown Paramount with a gross of $35,000, according to Variety, equivalent to about $619,000 in 2019. The graduated price scale averaged out to 43 cents per ticket, indicating attendance of around 81,395 for the week.
At the time, the Palacio was the city’s exclusive first-run showcase for 20th Century-Fox releases.
Tapia presenting the English-dubbed version with Spanish subtitles. Some of the other cinemas listed had the original French version with English subtitles.
Photo for the address of 740 Allerton Avenue shows the entire block, with the Barnes marquee and entrance farthest from the camera. Auditorium apparently extended to the foreground, where a Barnes wall and exit door are visible. Vertical sign in mid-block is probably for a store and not the Barnes Theatre.
The pre-release engagement, which qualified the B&W epic for that year’s Academy Awards, had a modified roadshow policy at advanced prices, with continuous performances and projection on the “Grandeur Screen With Multisound.”
The Jersey was the first Loew’s to participate in a United Artists “Premiere Showcase,” but only because it was no longer included in the circuit’s advertising for the Greater New York area due to its out-of-state location.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Music Hall’s grand opening, the float was sponsored by MGM in behalf of “Billy Rose’s Jumbo,” which would be part of the Christmas holiday presentation opening on December 6th. The Astor Hotel and a corner of the Paramount Building appear in the background of the B&W photo.
Excerpt from full-page Macy’s ad showing the route for the parade on November 22nd, 1962. The event was broadcast “live” in color by NBC, though most American homes still had only B&W television sets.
Photo courtesy of the Municipal Archives.
The Chicago was probably the only theatre in the USA, if not the world, to book the 3-D feature with support from a stage show.
Photo of crowds outside the Valencia waiting for Jolson’s arrival in August, 1949, can be viewed here
LLoyd C. Douglas, author of the novel, “Green Light,” later wrote “The Robe,” which became one of the biggest bestsellers of all-time and eventually basis for the first feature in the CinemaScope process.
During the previous August, Al Jolson visited numerous Loew’s neighborhood theatres, including the Valencia and Paradise, in advance of the world premiere of the sequel at Loew’s State, where it had a lengthy and record-breaking run.