Posted from another site. The question was, where was the most unusual place you ever made love? When I read this response, I had to post it here! (I cleaned it up a little)
I would have to say in a car, at drive-in show. In the back of the lot, while we were in the front seat, a worker from the drive-in walked up to the speaker post to turn off the other speaker that was not being used. I can say he had a surprised look on his face. I think he was expecting to to see some chick with a guy but instead saw two dudes. This was about 1977 at the Jolly Roger Drive In – Taylor MI – near Detroit. Butch
>>I wonder how long a lease the church has on the Mark Hellinger?
Answer, from Hollywood Thearer page:
By 1989, the Nederlander Organization, the current owners, leased the theater to a church group. Three years later, the building was sold for $17 million and became the home for the Times Square Church.
I recently had the opportunity to meet the projectionist here, a great guy called Meredith Rhule. He took me to all four (!) projection booths (one for the two orchestra theaters, one for the two balcony theaters, one on the former stage and the last in a former commercial space off the lobby) where I watched him run a grade-A show. We talked a lot about the deplorable state of modern movie presentation and had a few laughs at the expense of the dopes at Regal/UA for some of their arcane practices. Meredith was cool enough to show me around the place as well; we poked around the old backstage dressing rooms and downstairs I got a look at the orchestra pit, which really is a pit nowadays. We searched a bit for any signs of the former ornamentation, but little is left. It was a real treat to shoot the breeze with a true union professional, a man with a sense of history (he also worked the Chinese Theater and at private Hollywood screening rooms for many years before moving east). This guy takes pride in his work and it shows, a precious commodity in a world where the high-school usher often runs the show.
I was moved by the narration at the end and felt it was in keeping with the nativity scene. But I seem to remember it even back in the 1970s when I saw my first movie at the Hall, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks.” So my question is, when exactly was this text added to the Christms Show?
I remember those blue sidewalks! Except when I saw them, they were the floor of a souvenir shop. By the time I got to Times Square the Astor was closed, although I knew that the shop had once been a theater, or at least its lobby. I wish I had the wherewithal to try to get a peek inside, but I didn’t.
I saw The Graduate here for the first time, during a revival run. I left the theater wanting to tell everyone about this great movie that I’d just seen, but of course the picture was already decades old and there was no one to tell.
I don’t know, from what I’ve read here and experienced at the Hall, a small screen and bad sound don’t add up to much of a movie-going experience. But I still love the place!
Here are some comments about this theater posted on the Cine 42 page:
About the most impressive thing – heck, make that the ONLY impressive thing – in the Arnold Schwarzenegger flick ‘The Last Action Hero’ are the multiple shots of the 42nd Street (and Deuce-area) grindhouse marquees illuminated at night.
posted by br91975 on Jan 13, 2005 at 10:13pm
I recall that they created an elaborate facade for the Empire, which they crashed into or something. It was a beautiful version of how the Empire could have looked at one time.
posted by saps on Jan 13, 2005 at 10:23pm
There was also a scene – if memory serves, the one following the scene saps makes mention of – set within, I believe, the interior of the then-rundown Empire (or at least a fascimile of a theatre which had seen better days).
posted by br91975 on Jan 13, 2005 at 10:48pm
Just a random thought – I wonder what ever became of those beautiful street-entrance doors which once graced patrons and passersby of the Empire (tossed in a dumpster, I fear, but I hope I’m wrong). By the time I became aware of them, they were coated with years of grime, but that didn’t take away from their unique detail.
posted by br91975 on Jan 13, 2005 at 10:53pm
It’s nice to discuss something other than the Roxy and the Music Hall.
I recall that they created an elaborate facade for the Empire, which they crashed into or something. It was a beautiful version of how the Empire could have looked at one time.
It’s nice to discuss something other than the Roxy and the Music Hall.
The marquee of the New Amsterdam in the pic above must have been dressed for a movie shoot, because the N.A. always played double features, and always breathlessly described their movies right on the marquee. And I don’t think they owned letters that big or in that style.
Like all 42nd Street box offices, you bought your ticket outside and then entered a narrow plexiglass door into a long and narrow lobby, with one sheets on each side usually advertising upcoming releases but sometimes displaying movies that had long come and gone, an that intixicating smell of fresh popcorn in the air. Midway down the lobby there was a concession stand on the right hand side. To the right of the concession stand was a small passageway that led to the rear of the downstairs cinema and a staircase up to the second show. If you continued past the concession there was another entrance to the theatre, where you’d go up a few steps and wind up at the front of the theatre, in front of the screen. I always felt a little self-conscious coming in this way, as everone in the theatre could see you. Being in the white minority at this time I wanted to minimize my presence! And that reminds me, the concession girls here always treated me and my friend Anthony extra special for some reason, and I think it was because they realized we were sort of strangers in a strange land, and they were helping us get comfortable. Or maybe they just thought we were out of our minds coming here! In any case, we were always real nice back and eventually developed a nodding acquaintance with each other. And I have to agree that this was probably a re-purposed commercial space, because I can’t imagine building a theater from scratch on this tight piece of land.
I think this was once a single screen with a balcony, because when I was going, there was one cinema upstairs and one downstairs. I much preferred the upstairs because the seating was raked, or stadium as they call it now, so every seat had a good view and if it wasn’t crowded you could hang your feet over the seats in front of you. This was also one of the narrowest cinemas I’ve been in, being only one lot wide, about 20 to 25 feet. The audience was usually drinking and smoking their heads off.
The Cine 42, which can easily be seen from the movie Taxi Driver is actually still in tact. The building sits to the right of the New Amsterdam and is probably the most hidden theatre on 42nd street. Disney’s giant billboards cover the facade and what used to be the theatre’s lobbies is now the new amsterdams box office. The street level of the theatre was actually a disney store until some months ago when it closed down. What is Disney doing with this theatre if their even in charge of it? It probably has been abandoned now for 13 years and I can only imagine what lies behind the giant lion king billboard and inside the walls of this enchanted theatre space. Anybody have any info??
posted by caspers42 on Jan 13, 2005 at 1:44am
Enchanted? Like from a Grimm fairy tale. There was no charm in this barely functional grindhouse, whose seats were not even upholstered and whose patrons had wandered in from a Monogram horror movie. That said, I too wonder what is behind the facade.
posted by saps on Jan 13, 2005 at 2:08am
Enchanted? Like from a Grimm fairy tale. There was no charm in this barely functional grindhouse, whose seats were not even upholstered and whose patrons had wandered in from a Monogram horror movie. That said, I too wonder what is behind the facade.
Posted from another site. The question was, where was the most unusual place you ever made love? When I read this response, I had to post it here! (I cleaned it up a little)
I would have to say in a car, at drive-in show. In the back of the lot, while we were in the front seat, a worker from the drive-in walked up to the speaker post to turn off the other speaker that was not being used. I can say he had a surprised look on his face. I think he was expecting to to see some chick with a guy but instead saw two dudes. This was about 1977 at the Jolly Roger Drive In – Taylor MI – near Detroit. Butch
wow!
>>I wonder how long a lease the church has on the Mark Hellinger?
Answer, from Hollywood Thearer page:
By 1989, the Nederlander Organization, the current owners, leased the theater to a church group. Three years later, the building was sold for $17 million and became the home for the Times Square Church.
I couldn’t open that link from woody, so I just joined the Cinema group at this link instead. Instant membership, no waiting.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cta-uk
Wouldn’t [that] be Loverly?
http://www.epinions.com/content_86937210500
I recently had the opportunity to meet the projectionist here, a great guy called Meredith Rhule. He took me to all four (!) projection booths (one for the two orchestra theaters, one for the two balcony theaters, one on the former stage and the last in a former commercial space off the lobby) where I watched him run a grade-A show. We talked a lot about the deplorable state of modern movie presentation and had a few laughs at the expense of the dopes at Regal/UA for some of their arcane practices. Meredith was cool enough to show me around the place as well; we poked around the old backstage dressing rooms and downstairs I got a look at the orchestra pit, which really is a pit nowadays. We searched a bit for any signs of the former ornamentation, but little is left. It was a real treat to shoot the breeze with a true union professional, a man with a sense of history (he also worked the Chinese Theater and at private Hollywood screening rooms for many years before moving east). This guy takes pride in his work and it shows, a precious commodity in a world where the high-school usher often runs the show.
I was moved by the narration at the end and felt it was in keeping with the nativity scene. But I seem to remember it even back in the 1970s when I saw my first movie at the Hall, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks.” So my question is, when exactly was this text added to the Christms Show?
Damn you Brian! I just wasted half the morning reading through that Widescreen Museum site. So I guess I really mean thank you, Brian.
I remember those blue sidewalks! Except when I saw them, they were the floor of a souvenir shop. By the time I got to Times Square the Astor was closed, although I knew that the shop had once been a theater, or at least its lobby. I wish I had the wherewithal to try to get a peek inside, but I didn’t.
I saw The Graduate here for the first time, during a revival run. I left the theater wanting to tell everyone about this great movie that I’d just seen, but of course the picture was already decades old and there was no one to tell.
I saw in “Times Square Style” that it was a Publix Theater. I didn’t know they had any houses in New York.
Today’s Times article, on page B3, also has several photographs of the theater’s interior and exterior.
I don’t know, from what I’ve read here and experienced at the Hall, a small screen and bad sound don’t add up to much of a movie-going experience. But I still love the place!
When did this house reopen?
>>They can’t use the RCMH due to the heavy bookings of shows well in advance.
It seems this house (RCMH) is dark most of the time.
By the time I got here in the mid to late 1970’s it seemed like a big box with not much charm.
So, the Royale should have a page of its own.
Here are some comments about this theater posted on the Cine 42 page:
About the most impressive thing – heck, make that the ONLY impressive thing – in the Arnold Schwarzenegger flick ‘The Last Action Hero’ are the multiple shots of the 42nd Street (and Deuce-area) grindhouse marquees illuminated at night.
posted by br91975 on Jan 13, 2005 at 10:13pm
I recall that they created an elaborate facade for the Empire, which they crashed into or something. It was a beautiful version of how the Empire could have looked at one time.
posted by saps on Jan 13, 2005 at 10:23pm
There was also a scene – if memory serves, the one following the scene saps makes mention of – set within, I believe, the interior of the then-rundown Empire (or at least a fascimile of a theatre which had seen better days).
posted by br91975 on Jan 13, 2005 at 10:48pm
Just a random thought – I wonder what ever became of those beautiful street-entrance doors which once graced patrons and passersby of the Empire (tossed in a dumpster, I fear, but I hope I’m wrong). By the time I became aware of them, they were coated with years of grime, but that didn’t take away from their unique detail.
posted by br91975 on Jan 13, 2005 at 10:53pm
It’s nice to discuss something other than the Roxy and the Music Hall.
I recall that they created an elaborate facade for the Empire, which they crashed into or something. It was a beautiful version of how the Empire could have looked at one time.
It’s nice to discuss something other than the Roxy and the Music Hall.
The marquee of the New Amsterdam in the pic above must have been dressed for a movie shoot, because the N.A. always played double features, and always breathlessly described their movies right on the marquee. And I don’t think they owned letters that big or in that style.
Like all 42nd Street box offices, you bought your ticket outside and then entered a narrow plexiglass door into a long and narrow lobby, with one sheets on each side usually advertising upcoming releases but sometimes displaying movies that had long come and gone, an that intixicating smell of fresh popcorn in the air. Midway down the lobby there was a concession stand on the right hand side. To the right of the concession stand was a small passageway that led to the rear of the downstairs cinema and a staircase up to the second show. If you continued past the concession there was another entrance to the theatre, where you’d go up a few steps and wind up at the front of the theatre, in front of the screen. I always felt a little self-conscious coming in this way, as everone in the theatre could see you. Being in the white minority at this time I wanted to minimize my presence! And that reminds me, the concession girls here always treated me and my friend Anthony extra special for some reason, and I think it was because they realized we were sort of strangers in a strange land, and they were helping us get comfortable. Or maybe they just thought we were out of our minds coming here! In any case, we were always real nice back and eventually developed a nodding acquaintance with each other. And I have to agree that this was probably a re-purposed commercial space, because I can’t imagine building a theater from scratch on this tight piece of land.
I think this was once a single screen with a balcony, because when I was going, there was one cinema upstairs and one downstairs. I much preferred the upstairs because the seating was raked, or stadium as they call it now, so every seat had a good view and if it wasn’t crowded you could hang your feet over the seats in front of you. This was also one of the narrowest cinemas I’ve been in, being only one lot wide, about 20 to 25 feet. The audience was usually drinking and smoking their heads off.
The Cine 42, which can easily be seen from the movie Taxi Driver is actually still in tact. The building sits to the right of the New Amsterdam and is probably the most hidden theatre on 42nd street. Disney’s giant billboards cover the facade and what used to be the theatre’s lobbies is now the new amsterdams box office. The street level of the theatre was actually a disney store until some months ago when it closed down. What is Disney doing with this theatre if their even in charge of it? It probably has been abandoned now for 13 years and I can only imagine what lies behind the giant lion king billboard and inside the walls of this enchanted theatre space. Anybody have any info??
posted by caspers42 on Jan 13, 2005 at 1:44am
Enchanted? Like from a Grimm fairy tale. There was no charm in this barely functional grindhouse, whose seats were not even upholstered and whose patrons had wandered in from a Monogram horror movie. That said, I too wonder what is behind the facade.
posted by saps on Jan 13, 2005 at 2:08am
PS, caspers42, your comment and my response seem to be posted on the wrong page. I’ll repost them on the Cine 42 site.
Enchanted? Like from a Grimm fairy tale. There was no charm in this barely functional grindhouse, whose seats were not even upholstered and whose patrons had wandered in from a Monogram horror movie. That said, I too wonder what is behind the facade.