If you look up Bosley Crowther’s NYT’s review of South Pacific at the Criterion he says the screen is curved. Was it installed for this one film and then taken down when Old Man and the Sea moved in? I assume anybody who could explain this has gone to their reward.
It is so strange that the artwork for the stage production of Fiddler in ‘67 uses the exact same artwork for the film which came out 4 years later. This should be impossible as the artwork is clearly based on the movie cast which hadn’t even been chosen yet. Anybody have an idea why this is? Look at the marquee of this theater with Fiddler then look at the ad for the McClurg where it had its Chicago film engagement which as you can see from previous comments confused me.
I wasn’t quite sure where to put this link but there is some nice footage of this theater.
First 8 minutes of this is midtown in the summer of 48. Many nice shots of Times Square and it’s spectacular signage at dusk. The rest is New Brunswick NJ which is also fun to see. The people are dressed like they are in some old movie.
Very lame compared to the Leonidoff Catholic renaissance depiction. I was so embarrassed by this one. The heavy handed protestant narration was agony inducing let alone the cheapo sets and costumes being an eyesore. This has as much to do with the Music Hall as the fake arch they’ve added to make the stage look smaller. I guess they permanently ruined the mechanisms which allowed the curtain to unfold into so many designs. The Leonidoff Nativity and Glory of Easter were beauties.
And when the Roxy was torn down the Music Hall was still successful getting first run films that people wanted to see and a popular NY destination must. By the end of the 60s that was over because of the cultural shift in filmmaking and film distribution and urban decay. It only held on well into the 70s by the grace of the Rockefellers.
I believe much of the theater was curtained off like when the Capitol became a roadshow house to appreciable reduce capacity. Though there it was done in a more permanent way unlike the Roxy where everything was removed so it could go back to being a presentation house.
The same permanent thing happened with the Strand, Rivoli and Loew’s State. I believe the Criterion was left alone. Not sure about the DeMille.
And in the stage show is Robert Merrill who went on to be one of America’s great baritones. At least I think it’s THAT Robert Merrill.
If you look up Bosley Crowther’s NYT’s review of South Pacific at the Criterion he says the screen is curved. Was it installed for this one film and then taken down when Old Man and the Sea moved in? I assume anybody who could explain this has gone to their reward.
It is so strange that the artwork for the stage production of Fiddler in ‘67 uses the exact same artwork for the film which came out 4 years later. This should be impossible as the artwork is clearly based on the movie cast which hadn’t even been chosen yet. Anybody have an idea why this is? Look at the marquee of this theater with Fiddler then look at the ad for the McClurg where it had its Chicago film engagement which as you can see from previous comments confused me.
Ticket stubs for Sept ‘66 on page 6.
An odd stage show at this point in time.
I wasn’t quite sure where to put this link but there is some nice footage of this theater.
First 8 minutes of this is midtown in the summer of 48. Many nice shots of Times Square and it’s spectacular signage at dusk. The rest is New Brunswick NJ which is also fun to see. The people are dressed like they are in some old movie.
https://youtu.be/FVrgNYu4fcw
No more ice shows, rodeos, circuses, Scottish tattoos or Italian spectacles. It sucks.
It was famously known in the 30s that for people who couldn’t quite make it to the 3rd Mezzanine they would send a St Bernard.
Those are insanely expensive tickets for 1948. Was this a benefit?
Corruption of a minor.
My Fair Lady was especially glorious and will never be seen that way again.
It was an original TODD AO 6 track stereo print and even despite the hallucinatory colors it was a knockout.
Opening half a month after world premiere in NY and a month and a half before Hollywood premiere in mid December.
Too bad the entire photo isn’t there. All 4 are snapping their fingers.
Very lame compared to the Leonidoff Catholic renaissance depiction. I was so embarrassed by this one. The heavy handed protestant narration was agony inducing let alone the cheapo sets and costumes being an eyesore. This has as much to do with the Music Hall as the fake arch they’ve added to make the stage look smaller. I guess they permanently ruined the mechanisms which allowed the curtain to unfold into so many designs. The Leonidoff Nativity and Glory of Easter were beauties.
And when the Roxy was torn down the Music Hall was still successful getting first run films that people wanted to see and a popular NY destination must. By the end of the 60s that was over because of the cultural shift in filmmaking and film distribution and urban decay. It only held on well into the 70s by the grace of the Rockefellers.
I believe much of the theater was curtained off like when the Capitol became a roadshow house to appreciable reduce capacity. Though there it was done in a more permanent way unlike the Roxy where everything was removed so it could go back to being a presentation house. The same permanent thing happened with the Strand, Rivoli and Loew’s State. I believe the Criterion was left alone. Not sure about the DeMille.
And though a Sunday it had a full weekday and Saturday schedule of 5 film showings and 4 stage shows. That’s how popular this film was.
Wasn’t the film in general release by this date? It only lasted a few months at the Rivoli. How long did this Long Island roadshow engagement last?
I want to see this bill!
Anybody see this show?
I see you posted pictures on the Rivoli and Asbury Park St James pages very recently.
Did you attend both during their roadshow days? Did you see MFL at the St James? Any memories?
You had a secretary at 16?
The only photo I know of where you can see the 7th Av billboard when SOM played there.
Why no interior shots of this theater? Did I miss them?