VHS saved a dieing industry by providing a new audience for ailing franchises and allowing for sequel after sequel of hit movies and discovery of new stars by older home viewers. It may have created an artistic vacuum but it allowed for the economic windfall which increased the product flow that also allowed multiplexes to blossom.
There are even some indications that piracy may help sequels such as when modest VHS hit “FIRST BLOOD” lead to blockbuster world wide openings for its sequel “RAMBO”.
al pettiford, I don’t believe Lorenzo was making a political commentary. I believe he was referring to the marketing “sexappeal” of Obama vs., for example, Joe Biden.
It would not matter how many marketing dollars you threw out at “DOUBT” or “THE SEVENTH SEAL”, they would never come to close to “THE DARK KNIGHT” at the box office.
As anyone who has worked in a movie theatre can tell you, everyone asks for health foods and then buy buttered popcorn, Cokes and chocolate bars while the healthy snacks go out of date.
It would help many of us if each clip named the film it came from. Not all do and it is particularly difficult to place them when they come from titles not readily found on DVD.
posted by BobMaar on Sep 19, 2005 at 2:12am
“The film "Deep Throat” did indeed play at this theatre for four weeks and did record business. There was no neighborhood pressure to remove the film."
According to a Variety article there were petitioners in front of the theatre demanding that the film be removed and protest organizer William Diamond insisted that the film belonged on 42nd street.
“The Greast Waltz' had a similar three theatre opening the month before. They advertised it as "Reserved Performance” and I wonder if the “Man of La Mancha” run was similarly handled as there is no mention of reserved seats in the ad.
Jack, the Variety article did NOT refer to any technical problems outside of Radio City but my main point here is that audiences were avoiding 3-D and these films were not big hits.
HONDO, which buried the fact that it was in 3-D in ads, is was mostly seen in 1954, only showed $4.1 in receipts and came in at number 16 that year. THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY had done $5.2 that year in 2-D.
DIAL M FOR MURDER, (Hitchcock was ‘compelled’ by Warners to film it in 3-D) was not even advertised as being in that format in any New York run to avoid the stigma. It made $2.7 compared to $5.3 for REAR WINDOW that same year.
MONEY FROM HOME made $3.5, the same as THE CADDY in 2-D but less that LIVING IT UP $4.2 in 2-D that same year.
1953
The Robe $20-30
From Here to Eternity $12.5
Shane $8.0
How to Marry a Millionaire $7.5
Peter Pan $7.0
Hans Christian Anderson $6.0
House of Wax (3-D) $5.5
Mogambo $5.2
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes $5.1
Moulin Rouge $5.0
Salome $4.7
The Charge at Feather River (3-D) $3.6
1954
White Christmas $12.0
The Caine Mutiny $8.7
The Glenn Miller Story $7.0
The Egyptian $6.0
Rear Window $5.3
The High and the Mighty $5.2
Magnificent Obsession $5.0
Three Coins in the Fountain $5.0
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers $4.7
Desiree $4.5
My point is that the whole history of the 3-D in the 50’s lived and died in one year and was killed by audience rejection. Whether it was head-ache inducing sync or bad films remains a matter of opinion. I was a theatre manager during the COMIN’ AT YA! era and gave out many refunds to unhappy patrons. You might argue we have come a long way but the last HARRY POTTER gave me a headache after only ten minutes of IMAX 3-D.
I really think that if IMAX had stuck with the WINGS OF COURAGE headset and concept they would have been a real force in the industry today. Instead they chose to go IMAX light when WINGS OF COURAGE failed to ignite the box office.
By the way, the Variety article that reports that only small town children were responding well to 3-D may be the reason FLY ME TO THE MOON is in 3-D but FROST/NIXON is not.
All studios push for Oscars every year. Loews decided the give the bigger hit FROM HERE TO ETERNITY that key Christmas playdate.
As you may know, Variety articles did not always carry writer’s credentials back then but here are a couple I have at hand that express the disdain already taking place, not only by audiences, but also exhibitors, in 1953-54:
November 6, 1953 MUSIC HALL FEARS KATE IN 3D
“Shady reputation of 3-D in the public’s mind is giving Radio City Music Hall, NY, a first-rate headache in trying to decide whether or not to present Metro’s “KISS ME KATE†in 3-D or flat.’
It goes on to explain the technical issues that add to the problem including the loss of about 300 seats.
“But if technical difficulties exist, the real stigma on 3-D is its past performanceâ€
October 13, 1954 BECAUSE KIDS LIKE ‘EM 3-D LINGERS IN THE STICKS
This article refers to the fact that films made in 3-D are only playing to kids in small towns with larger towns opting out and showing them in 2-D.
Even if HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE was not a musical, of the top rental receipts of 1953 KISS ME KATE came in at an unimpressive number 31. At 2.5 million it was beaten by the musicals PETER PAN, HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, MOULIN ROUGE, ROAD TO BALI, CALL ME MADAM, APRIL IN PARIS, THE BAND WAGON, and EASY TO LOVE.
To compare, HOUSE OF WAX, the biggest 3-D hit of the era made 5.5 million in receipts. THE ROBE alone made somewhere between 20-30 million that year. Cinemascope was the real revelation.
I do not have a grudge against 3D. WINGS OF COURAGE in 3D was an amazing flop. I do take issue with revisionist history and anyone trying to pass off a fiasco like 1950’s 3-D as some kind of success, when it was in reality a seriously failed experiment. A little research will confirm that.
KISS ME KATE opened wide in 3D on the NY Loews circuit in the deadly mid-January slot. It is not true that it had the Christmas slot as that was given to the far more successful FROM HERE TO ETERNITY.
KATE was pulled from Radio city after four weeks and replaced by EASY TO LOVE in time for Christmas. It was showing only in Brooklyn with a second feature by Christmas.
For the sake of comparison, the musical HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE ran for 15 weeks during the same period and did about three times the business. Regardless of whether you like the film, it was not considered a box office success by anyone and is considered one of the nails in the coffin of 3D.
I realize it is a subjective thing but, having seen all of the 50’s films mentioned above in 2D, (except perhaps the Martin-Lewis title), I can thinks they are among the 50’s worst films with KISS ME KATE and CEASE FIRE! rating in the unbearable category.
HOUSE OF WAX and BLACK LAGOON are in the “so bad they are funny” category, and MISS SADIE THOMPSON being one of the worst remakes of all time. The best of the lot, DIAL M FOR MURDER, was mediocre for Hitchcock.
The press of today have not maligned 50’s 3D films. The press at the time, including Variety, stated that bad films killed the gimmick. By the end of the cycle the films were not even advertising when they were in 3D for fear of the stigma and in many cases opened nationwide in 2D after failing in 3D in some major markets. The distributors for KISS ME KATE didn’t even open it 3D in New York City.
When they showed their adaptation of the Gene Kelly song scene from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN I was impressed. When I saw scenes from the new films, I was underwhelmed. That should tell you what the problem is.
I found a 1922 NY Times article on the opening of the Childrens Theatre and not only did the playhouse not play movies, its aim was to keep children away from them.
“Hordes of children frequent the movie houses and the pictures they see give them a distorted, and many times unhealthy idea of ‘grown up’ life”.
VHS saved a dieing industry by providing a new audience for ailing franchises and allowing for sequel after sequel of hit movies and discovery of new stars by older home viewers. It may have created an artistic vacuum but it allowed for the economic windfall which increased the product flow that also allowed multiplexes to blossom.
There are even some indications that piracy may help sequels such as when modest VHS hit “FIRST BLOOD” lead to blockbuster world wide openings for its sequel “RAMBO”.
Since this technology has been in place for over three years now, it will have little effect.
I show it still advertised in the Miami Herald in 1962, but not beyond that.
This is now the Teatro Area Stage en el Riviera Theatre featuring Spanish language live theatre.
http://www.teatroareastage.com/
Unfortunately, if you adjust for inflation on that same site you will find HOUSE OF WAX is still as good as it gets.
al pettiford, I don’t believe Lorenzo was making a political commentary. I believe he was referring to the marketing “sexappeal” of Obama vs., for example, Joe Biden.
It would not matter how many marketing dollars you threw out at “DOUBT” or “THE SEVENTH SEAL”, they would never come to close to “THE DARK KNIGHT” at the box office.
As anyone who has worked in a movie theatre can tell you, everyone asks for health foods and then buy buttered popcorn, Cokes and chocolate bars while the healthy snacks go out of date.
..and on the eve of the Academy Awards, the number one film in America (and so far this year) is a remake of “FRIDAY THE 13TH”.
LOL. I didn’t know Shirley Jones was the latest rage!
Great site, Micheal.
It would help many of us if each clip named the film it came from. Not all do and it is particularly difficult to place them when they come from titles not readily found on DVD.
posted by BobMaar on Sep 19, 2005 at 2:12am
“The film "Deep Throat” did indeed play at this theatre for four weeks and did record business. There was no neighborhood pressure to remove the film."
According to a Variety article there were petitioners in front of the theatre demanding that the film be removed and protest organizer William Diamond insisted that the film belonged on 42nd street.
Write to me at
Oh my god! Is the Diane Walker I think it is?
The 1969 re-release of “Ben-Hur” opened exclusive at the Palace. Other runs may have come later.
“Last Tango in Paris” had a roadshow run after “Man of La Mancha”. It was much more successful that the the disappointing “La Mancha”
“The Greast Waltz' had a similar three theatre opening the month before. They advertised it as "Reserved Performance” and I wonder if the “Man of La Mancha” run was similarly handled as there is no mention of reserved seats in the ad.
Interesting that a Pentecostal church would call itself “The Synagogue”.
If Cinemascope and Cinerama had novelty blockbusters to lead with why didn’t the 3-D ever produce one?
If you add all the receipts for every 3-D film from BWANA DEVIL to HONDO you still get less than $30 million.
Jack, the Variety article did NOT refer to any technical problems outside of Radio City but my main point here is that audiences were avoiding 3-D and these films were not big hits.
HONDO, which buried the fact that it was in 3-D in ads, is was mostly seen in 1954, only showed $4.1 in receipts and came in at number 16 that year. THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY had done $5.2 that year in 2-D.
DIAL M FOR MURDER, (Hitchcock was ‘compelled’ by Warners to film it in 3-D) was not even advertised as being in that format in any New York run to avoid the stigma. It made $2.7 compared to $5.3 for REAR WINDOW that same year.
MONEY FROM HOME made $3.5, the same as THE CADDY in 2-D but less that LIVING IT UP $4.2 in 2-D that same year.
1953
The Robe $20-30
From Here to Eternity $12.5
Shane $8.0
How to Marry a Millionaire $7.5
Peter Pan $7.0
Hans Christian Anderson $6.0
House of Wax (3-D) $5.5
Mogambo $5.2
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes $5.1
Moulin Rouge $5.0
Salome $4.7
The Charge at Feather River (3-D) $3.6
1954
White Christmas $12.0
The Caine Mutiny $8.7
The Glenn Miller Story $7.0
The Egyptian $6.0
Rear Window $5.3
The High and the Mighty $5.2
Magnificent Obsession $5.0
Three Coins in the Fountain $5.0
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers $4.7
Desiree $4.5
My point is that the whole history of the 3-D in the 50’s lived and died in one year and was killed by audience rejection. Whether it was head-ache inducing sync or bad films remains a matter of opinion. I was a theatre manager during the COMIN’ AT YA! era and gave out many refunds to unhappy patrons. You might argue we have come a long way but the last HARRY POTTER gave me a headache after only ten minutes of IMAX 3-D.
This site was advertised as the Harlem Third Avenue in 1919.
I really think that if IMAX had stuck with the WINGS OF COURAGE headset and concept they would have been a real force in the industry today. Instead they chose to go IMAX light when WINGS OF COURAGE failed to ignite the box office.
By the way, the Variety article that reports that only small town children were responding well to 3-D may be the reason FLY ME TO THE MOON is in 3-D but FROST/NIXON is not.
All studios push for Oscars every year. Loews decided the give the bigger hit FROM HERE TO ETERNITY that key Christmas playdate.
As you may know, Variety articles did not always carry writer’s credentials back then but here are a couple I have at hand that express the disdain already taking place, not only by audiences, but also exhibitors, in 1953-54:
November 6, 1953 MUSIC HALL FEARS KATE IN 3D
“Shady reputation of 3-D in the public’s mind is giving Radio City Music Hall, NY, a first-rate headache in trying to decide whether or not to present Metro’s “KISS ME KATE†in 3-D or flat.’
It goes on to explain the technical issues that add to the problem including the loss of about 300 seats.
“But if technical difficulties exist, the real stigma on 3-D is its past performanceâ€
October 13, 1954 BECAUSE KIDS LIKE ‘EM 3-D LINGERS IN THE STICKS
This article refers to the fact that films made in 3-D are only playing to kids in small towns with larger towns opting out and showing them in 2-D.
Even if HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE was not a musical, of the top rental receipts of 1953 KISS ME KATE came in at an unimpressive number 31. At 2.5 million it was beaten by the musicals PETER PAN, HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, MOULIN ROUGE, ROAD TO BALI, CALL ME MADAM, APRIL IN PARIS, THE BAND WAGON, and EASY TO LOVE.
To compare, HOUSE OF WAX, the biggest 3-D hit of the era made 5.5 million in receipts. THE ROBE alone made somewhere between 20-30 million that year. Cinemascope was the real revelation.
I do not have a grudge against 3D. WINGS OF COURAGE in 3D was an amazing flop. I do take issue with revisionist history and anyone trying to pass off a fiasco like 1950’s 3-D as some kind of success, when it was in reality a seriously failed experiment. A little research will confirm that.
KISS ME KATE opened wide in 3D on the NY Loews circuit in the deadly mid-January slot. It is not true that it had the Christmas slot as that was given to the far more successful FROM HERE TO ETERNITY.
KATE was pulled from Radio city after four weeks and replaced by EASY TO LOVE in time for Christmas. It was showing only in Brooklyn with a second feature by Christmas.
For the sake of comparison, the musical HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE ran for 15 weeks during the same period and did about three times the business. Regardless of whether you like the film, it was not considered a box office success by anyone and is considered one of the nails in the coffin of 3D.
I realize it is a subjective thing but, having seen all of the 50’s films mentioned above in 2D, (except perhaps the Martin-Lewis title), I can thinks they are among the 50’s worst films with KISS ME KATE and CEASE FIRE! rating in the unbearable category.
HOUSE OF WAX and BLACK LAGOON are in the “so bad they are funny” category, and MISS SADIE THOMPSON being one of the worst remakes of all time. The best of the lot, DIAL M FOR MURDER, was mediocre for Hitchcock.
The press of today have not maligned 50’s 3D films. The press at the time, including Variety, stated that bad films killed the gimmick. By the end of the cycle the films were not even advertising when they were in 3D for fear of the stigma and in many cases opened nationwide in 2D after failing in 3D in some major markets. The distributors for KISS ME KATE didn’t even open it 3D in New York City.
When they showed their adaptation of the Gene Kelly song scene from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN I was impressed. When I saw scenes from the new films, I was underwhelmed. That should tell you what the problem is.
I found a 1922 NY Times article on the opening of the Childrens Theatre and not only did the playhouse not play movies, its aim was to keep children away from them.
“Hordes of children frequent the movie houses and the pictures they see give them a distorted, and many times unhealthy idea of ‘grown up’ life”.
Here is one I never heard before:
From the New York Times 1928 regarding the New Proctor 58th St.
“The new playhouse will have…an "animal room” where, it is announced, patrons may check their pets while attending performances."