On April 3, 2005, I went with 3 other companions on a trip into NYC to visit the BEEKMAN before it is gone forever. WE all wanted to see the newest Woody Allen picture, MELINDA AND MELINDA, and found it an appropriate attraction to be playing in the theater’s last days. The theater was beautiful. Fanastic plush seats and viewing lines. It was reminiscent of a theater that was located in Paramus called the BERGEN MALL THEATER. Same style of seating design. WE were the first on line at the 4:15 pm show that rainy Sunday afternoon and we selected front seating in the mezzanine section. Great seats. We took advantage of their concession stand which was located in a spacious and furnitured area. Nothing like this exists in New Jersey anymore. We did not, however, get the pleasure of seeing the curtain rise for the film, as stated in the essay above re: the theater. They had the same type of slideshow that adorns most screeens today. But, otherwise, THE BEEKMAN is a beautiful theater that I was so happy to visit and will always remember. And I am sad to hear of its coming demise. So much style is missing today in the form of cinematic experience. And isn’t that what the film going experience was about? I salute THE BEEKMAN and will miss it.
The HYWAY theater was my childhood movie palace. It was a single theater then … and it was run by a tough all-business manager named Louis Lefkowitz. He ran it like a high class hotel. I recall him coming outside to make sure everyone was lined up correctly at the box office and that there was no horseplay. I saw some great films there in the 70’s. PATTON, BANANAS, BIG JAKE, EARTHQUAKE, JAWS. The tix were 75 cents for kids, as I recall. I still have the stubs I saved in a jar. I even recall fauntly the premiere of THE BLUE MAX at the HYWAY complete with spotlight that rotated in the night sky. It turned into a twin and then into a 2nd and 3rd run
theatre at bargain prices. Then it closed up for a year or more and was turned into a 5 screener. It is now a shadow of what it was. It is dirty and unkempt. No regard is given to the marquee which
frequently dislays mis-spelled words. IT was once grand and is a monument to cramming in as many people as possible in shoebox auditoriums with bad sound and poor sight lines. I never go back.
Do Woody Allen films premiere at THE BEEKMAN, as in the past? If so, it would be wonderful is his new film MELINDA/MELINDA would be booked there by FOX SEARCHLIGHT films in MARCH.
Good question, Dave Bazooka! Does anyone know if ANNIE HALL ever played at THE BEEKMAN? Or a list of Woody Allen films that played there?
Is May 31, 2005 the closing date for THE BEEKMAN?
I hope to visit The Paris soon!
On April 3, 2005, I went with 3 other companions on a trip into NYC to visit the BEEKMAN before it is gone forever. WE all wanted to see the newest Woody Allen picture, MELINDA AND MELINDA, and found it an appropriate attraction to be playing in the theater’s last days. The theater was beautiful. Fanastic plush seats and viewing lines. It was reminiscent of a theater that was located in Paramus called the BERGEN MALL THEATER. Same style of seating design. WE were the first on line at the 4:15 pm show that rainy Sunday afternoon and we selected front seating in the mezzanine section. Great seats. We took advantage of their concession stand which was located in a spacious and furnitured area. Nothing like this exists in New Jersey anymore. We did not, however, get the pleasure of seeing the curtain rise for the film, as stated in the essay above re: the theater. They had the same type of slideshow that adorns most screeens today. But, otherwise, THE BEEKMAN is a beautiful theater that I was so happy to visit and will always remember. And I am sad to hear of its coming demise. So much style is missing today in the form of cinematic experience. And isn’t that what the film going experience was about? I salute THE BEEKMAN and will miss it.
The HYWAY theater was my childhood movie palace. It was a single theater then … and it was run by a tough all-business manager named Louis Lefkowitz. He ran it like a high class hotel. I recall him coming outside to make sure everyone was lined up correctly at the box office and that there was no horseplay. I saw some great films there in the 70’s. PATTON, BANANAS, BIG JAKE, EARTHQUAKE, JAWS. The tix were 75 cents for kids, as I recall. I still have the stubs I saved in a jar. I even recall fauntly the premiere of THE BLUE MAX at the HYWAY complete with spotlight that rotated in the night sky. It turned into a twin and then into a 2nd and 3rd run
theatre at bargain prices. Then it closed up for a year or more and was turned into a 5 screener. It is now a shadow of what it was. It is dirty and unkempt. No regard is given to the marquee which
frequently dislays mis-spelled words. IT was once grand and is a monument to cramming in as many people as possible in shoebox auditoriums with bad sound and poor sight lines. I never go back.
Do Woody Allen films premiere at THE BEEKMAN, as in the past? If so, it would be wonderful is his new film MELINDA/MELINDA would be booked there by FOX SEARCHLIGHT films in MARCH.