Excellent photo. Since the dancers are wearing ice skates, this was taken during the period when the Roxy was doing ice shows plus a movie in the early ‘50s. The red stripes are actually colored lights (neon or fluorescent tubes??) under the ice that could change colors, etc.
Slight error in the robboehm comment of 3/8/14. Fox’s Jamaica Theatre never had a name change. It was the Jamaica Theatre for its entire existence. The Cort / Carlton Theatre was located some 20 blocks east on Jamaica Avenue.
For what it is worth, the above photo was taken around October of 1936. The double bill playing at the Loew’s 86th Street is “Postal Inspector” with Ricardo Cortez (released 8/16/36) and “Blackmailer” with William Gargan (released 7/23/36). At the next door Grande, the main feature was a German language film “Hot Blood (Heisser Blut) with Marika Roekk and Paul Kemp, which was released on 9/25/36
Thank you Don R for the splendid color photo of the Hillside. Now does anyone have any photos of the interior to post? While I frequented the Hillside quite often in the 50’s, my memory of what the interior looked like has started to fade.
Address should be changed to 154 West 55th Street. The Google map has the theatre located on 55th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues, when it was actually located between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.
Referring to rvb’s comment, I too remember the show he wrote about. If I recall correctly, it was the “Texaco Star Theater” aka “The Milton Berle Show”. At the end of the last show broadcast from the Center Theatre, the entire cast faced the audience and sang a song, which I belive was called “The Curtain’s Coming Down For the Last Time”. Certainly a nostalgic moment, which has stuck with me all these years.
Turner Classic Movies recently televised the Bowery Boys feature “Feudin' Foolsâ€. Following the main titles there were two New York City “stock footage†establishing shots. The first was that of the New York skyline and second was a street scene in which the marquee of the Ruby Theatre was clearly visible in the background. If I recall correctly, these same two shots were used at the beginning of a number of other Bowery Boys features of the mid 1950s.
The above undated (as far as I could see) backside view of the Brooklyn Paramount was probably taken during June or July of 1942. The movie title on the marquee is “Beyond the Blue Horizon”, a Dorothy Lamour vehicle, which premiered in NYC on June 25th, 1942.
According to the front of the Grand Opera House marquee, the double feature playing on September 3, 1937, the date the photo was taken, was displayed as…
MARRIED BEFORE BREAKFAST with
ROBT YOUNG & FLORENCE RICE
BANK ALARM with CONRAD NAGEL
Bway….I hate to differ with you, but I, sincerely, do not believe that the building (with the arched window)that you refer to in the extreme left of the photo you posted on April 19th is the Jamaica Theatre. I know there was an arched window above the Jamaica’s marquee, but I do not recall such a tall office building above that.
Further proof is that the building with the neon sign to the left of the arched window building is, unmistakably, the 111 year old Beaux-Arts former Jamaica Savings Bank building, which is located at 161-02 Jamaica Avenue. The Jamaica was located some distance west at 155-16 Jamaica Avenue.
Thanks Warren for the great 1971 image of the Paradise from LIFE. However, the caption reads “Ornate interior of Loew’s Paradise Theater on 175th St.” instead of “…..on the Grand Concourse”. Have found that the accuracy of a lot of the LIFE captions often leave much to be desired.
Attended the Friday night buffet supper and the Jelani Eddington concert, both of which was an outstanding success. All the people from the Garden State Theater Organ Society and the Friends of the Loews should be congratulated for their endeavors in bringing back the “thunder of the Wonder”. Looking forward to future concerts.
Lost Memory’s photo posted above on 7/1/08 dates from 1940 as the two features playing are ‘40 releases. Front of marquee reads as follows (best I can decipher):
FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS with RAY MILAND
MEN WITHOUT SOULS with BARTON MACLANE
PLAY TRIPLE SCREENO TONIGHT 8:45 . CASH
906 Third Avenue is now the address of “Flowers by Nicholas” which occupies street level retail space in an apartment building on the corner of 55th and 3rd. The apartment buiding is post 1950 confirming that the Lyceum, or any vestiges thereof, no longer exists.
PKoch….We’re off topic, but the “Wienerwald” (translate as “Vienna Woods”) was at the Queens Boulevard location first. When it closed the restaurant became the “Jaegerhaus”, which you recall. When they closed it became “Anna’s Place”. In any event all three were good eateries to have dinner followed by a movie at the late lamented Trylon Theater, which was just a few blocks away.
JDennis….I believe that the German restaurant you are thinking about was the “Wienerwald”. It was part of a chain in Germany that tried to make it in the US, but never quite made it. “Anna’s Place” on Queens Boulevard near 63rd Drive was also one of the original “Wienerwald"s in New York.
Yes, one does have to pay for parking at Atlas Park, which does act as a deterrent to going to the multiplex, as well as to the rest of the shopping complex.
However, parking for the theater is only $2.00 for a 3 hour period. That is, if you have your parking ticket validated at the box office.
Concerning the Ridgewood, I may be wrong, but I would imagine that the majority of their customers are walk ins from the immediate area and very few come by other modes of transportation. Even though they are located right near a transit hub. They book the “safe” popular new releases available at every other multiplex in town and nothing unique to draw a crowd from outside the neighborhood. Without doubt, this is the secret to their survival in this day and age. It is still a “neighborhood theater” and has the advantage of being the only game in town. Long gone are the days when the immediate area supported, in addition to the Ridgewood, the RKO Madison, the Parthenon and the Irving/Mozart. All within a few blocks of each other.
Thank you Bway Chris (aka Bway) for having the guts to list Regal’s Atlas Park Stadium 8.
Having lived in Middle Village (neighboring community to Glendale) all my life, I overwhelmingly support the opening of this multiplex. After almost 25 years, I once again have a movie house within walking distance.
I am one of those diehards who prefer to watch a movie on a BIG screen with superior surround sound. Regal certainly delivered on a recent viewing of “The Da Vinci Code†on their wall to wall screen in Theater #1. Look forward to making this my multiplex of choice in the future. Hopefully, Regal will keep the place in good condition and not run it into the ground like they have been known to in some situations.
Now, before all you Ridgewood Theater fans get into an uproar and put a curse on my head too, I must say that I am a long time admirer of movie palaces, as well as the smaller neighborhood theaters. I only went to the Ridgewood twice in my life….both times after the multiplexing. However, the last time that I went, the place was dirty, dingy and totally unappealing. Parking was difficult and, to top things off, I was the victim of a pickpocket in the theater. All factors to deter a return visit.
After the closing of the Arion, Drake, Elmwood, Trylon and Oasis, my theaters of choice in recent times have been the Kaufmann Astoria and the Whitestone multiplexes. Both of which are a good drive from Middle Village. While the Cinemart is closest to home with reasonable ticket prices, I find the screens and the theaters cramped. The Kew Gardens Cinemas are neat for art house product, but parking can be trying at times. The Forest Hills Midway and Brandon theaters, while excellently run houses, are extremely difficult to park near and, if you are not careful, you run the possibility of having your car towed away because you accidentally parked on one of their “private†streets.
Curses be damned…Long live Regal’s Atlas Park Stadium 8.
Seriously, I believe that the Ridgewood will survive, if they clean up their act and make the movie going experience more appealing. In my humble opinion, the theater to worry about is the Cinemart, which is located a relatively short distance down the road from Atlas Park, is situated in a less densely populated community than the Ridgewood and is an independent not affiliated with any major chain that I am aware of.
Asbag….the other Delancey that you refer to is indeed listed on this site. Check under the New Delancey Theater page. Do you have any recollections about the interior of the New Delancey? Did it have a balcony?
Excellent photo. Since the dancers are wearing ice skates, this was taken during the period when the Roxy was doing ice shows plus a movie in the early ‘50s. The red stripes are actually colored lights (neon or fluorescent tubes??) under the ice that could change colors, etc.
Slight error in the robboehm comment of 3/8/14. Fox’s Jamaica Theatre never had a name change. It was the Jamaica Theatre for its entire existence. The Cort / Carlton Theatre was located some 20 blocks east on Jamaica Avenue.
For what it is worth, the above photo was taken around October of 1936. The double bill playing at the Loew’s 86th Street is “Postal Inspector” with Ricardo Cortez (released 8/16/36) and “Blackmailer” with William Gargan (released 7/23/36). At the next door Grande, the main feature was a German language film “Hot Blood (Heisser Blut) with Marika Roekk and Paul Kemp, which was released on 9/25/36
Thank you Don R for the splendid color photo of the Hillside. Now does anyone have any photos of the interior to post? While I frequented the Hillside quite often in the 50’s, my memory of what the interior looked like has started to fade.
Address should be changed to 154 West 55th Street. The Google map has the theatre located on 55th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues, when it was actually located between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.
Concerning “On this night in 1942…..”, I find this information highly interesting. Keep it coming Tinseltoes.
Referring to rvb’s comment, I too remember the show he wrote about. If I recall correctly, it was the “Texaco Star Theater” aka “The Milton Berle Show”. At the end of the last show broadcast from the Center Theatre, the entire cast faced the audience and sang a song, which I belive was called “The Curtain’s Coming Down For the Last Time”. Certainly a nostalgic moment, which has stuck with me all these years.
Turner Classic Movies recently televised the Bowery Boys feature “Feudin' Foolsâ€. Following the main titles there were two New York City “stock footage†establishing shots. The first was that of the New York skyline and second was a street scene in which the marquee of the Ruby Theatre was clearly visible in the background. If I recall correctly, these same two shots were used at the beginning of a number of other Bowery Boys features of the mid 1950s.
The above undated (as far as I could see) backside view of the Brooklyn Paramount was probably taken during June or July of 1942. The movie title on the marquee is “Beyond the Blue Horizon”, a Dorothy Lamour vehicle, which premiered in NYC on June 25th, 1942.
According to the front of the Grand Opera House marquee, the double feature playing on September 3, 1937, the date the photo was taken, was displayed as…
MARRIED BEFORE BREAKFAST with
ROBT YOUNG & FLORENCE RICE
BANK ALARM with CONRAD NAGEL
Both were released in mid June of 1937.
Bway….I hate to differ with you, but I, sincerely, do not believe that the building (with the arched window)that you refer to in the extreme left of the photo you posted on April 19th is the Jamaica Theatre. I know there was an arched window above the Jamaica’s marquee, but I do not recall such a tall office building above that.
Further proof is that the building with the neon sign to the left of the arched window building is, unmistakably, the 111 year old Beaux-Arts former Jamaica Savings Bank building, which is located at 161-02 Jamaica Avenue. The Jamaica was located some distance west at 155-16 Jamaica Avenue.
Thanks Warren for the great 1971 image of the Paradise from LIFE. However, the caption reads “Ornate interior of Loew’s Paradise Theater on 175th St.” instead of “…..on the Grand Concourse”. Have found that the accuracy of a lot of the LIFE captions often leave much to be desired.
The deciphered double feature on the marquee of Loew’s Melba in the 1941 linked photo above appears to read as follows:
SECOND CHORUS
with FRED ASTAIRE
and THE LONE WOLF
KEEPS A DATE
This appears to make sense as the photo is dated ¾/41. “Second Chorus” was released on 1/3/41 and “The Lone Wolf Keeps A Date” on 11/23/40.
Attended the Friday night buffet supper and the Jelani Eddington concert, both of which was an outstanding success. All the people from the Garden State Theater Organ Society and the Friends of the Loews should be congratulated for their endeavors in bringing back the “thunder of the Wonder”. Looking forward to future concerts.
Lost Memory’s photo posted above on 7/1/08 dates from 1940 as the two features playing are ‘40 releases. Front of marquee reads as follows (best I can decipher):
FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS with RAY MILAND
MEN WITHOUT SOULS with BARTON MACLANE
PLAY TRIPLE SCREENO TONIGHT 8:45 . CASH
906 Third Avenue is now the address of “Flowers by Nicholas” which occupies street level retail space in an apartment building on the corner of 55th and 3rd. The apartment buiding is post 1950 confirming that the Lyceum, or any vestiges thereof, no longer exists.
PKoch….We’re off topic, but the “Wienerwald” (translate as “Vienna Woods”) was at the Queens Boulevard location first. When it closed the restaurant became the “Jaegerhaus”, which you recall. When they closed it became “Anna’s Place”. In any event all three were good eateries to have dinner followed by a movie at the late lamented Trylon Theater, which was just a few blocks away.
JDennis….I believe that the German restaurant you are thinking about was the “Wienerwald”. It was part of a chain in Germany that tried to make it in the US, but never quite made it. “Anna’s Place” on Queens Boulevard near 63rd Drive was also one of the original “Wienerwald"s in New York.
Ed…the only legible title on the marquee is “Modern Problems” playing in Theater #3, which was released on December 25th, 1981.
Does anyone have a breakdown of the number of seats for each of the 8 theaters that make up the total of 1641 seats noted above?
Yes, one does have to pay for parking at Atlas Park, which does act as a deterrent to going to the multiplex, as well as to the rest of the shopping complex.
However, parking for the theater is only $2.00 for a 3 hour period. That is, if you have your parking ticket validated at the box office.
Concerning the Ridgewood, I may be wrong, but I would imagine that the majority of their customers are walk ins from the immediate area and very few come by other modes of transportation. Even though they are located right near a transit hub. They book the “safe” popular new releases available at every other multiplex in town and nothing unique to draw a crowd from outside the neighborhood. Without doubt, this is the secret to their survival in this day and age. It is still a “neighborhood theater” and has the advantage of being the only game in town. Long gone are the days when the immediate area supported, in addition to the Ridgewood, the RKO Madison, the Parthenon and the Irving/Mozart. All within a few blocks of each other.
Thank you Bway Chris (aka Bway) for having the guts to list Regal’s Atlas Park Stadium 8.
Having lived in Middle Village (neighboring community to Glendale) all my life, I overwhelmingly support the opening of this multiplex. After almost 25 years, I once again have a movie house within walking distance.
I am one of those diehards who prefer to watch a movie on a BIG screen with superior surround sound. Regal certainly delivered on a recent viewing of “The Da Vinci Code†on their wall to wall screen in Theater #1. Look forward to making this my multiplex of choice in the future. Hopefully, Regal will keep the place in good condition and not run it into the ground like they have been known to in some situations.
Now, before all you Ridgewood Theater fans get into an uproar and put a curse on my head too, I must say that I am a long time admirer of movie palaces, as well as the smaller neighborhood theaters. I only went to the Ridgewood twice in my life….both times after the multiplexing. However, the last time that I went, the place was dirty, dingy and totally unappealing. Parking was difficult and, to top things off, I was the victim of a pickpocket in the theater. All factors to deter a return visit.
After the closing of the Arion, Drake, Elmwood, Trylon and Oasis, my theaters of choice in recent times have been the Kaufmann Astoria and the Whitestone multiplexes. Both of which are a good drive from Middle Village. While the Cinemart is closest to home with reasonable ticket prices, I find the screens and the theaters cramped. The Kew Gardens Cinemas are neat for art house product, but parking can be trying at times. The Forest Hills Midway and Brandon theaters, while excellently run houses, are extremely difficult to park near and, if you are not careful, you run the possibility of having your car towed away because you accidentally parked on one of their “private†streets.
Curses be damned…Long live Regal’s Atlas Park Stadium 8.
Seriously, I believe that the Ridgewood will survive, if they clean up their act and make the movie going experience more appealing. In my humble opinion, the theater to worry about is the Cinemart, which is located a relatively short distance down the road from Atlas Park, is situated in a less densely populated community than the Ridgewood and is an independent not affiliated with any major chain that I am aware of.
I agree.
First line reads: On Screen ITS COLOSSAL
Second line reads: KILLER “KRONOS"
Third line reads: 8 ACTS VAUDEVILLE
To Asbag….My last name is Markisch, which is fairly close to Marcus. Do we know each other? If so, please e-mail me at
Asbag….the other Delancey that you refer to is indeed listed on this site. Check under the New Delancey Theater page. Do you have any recollections about the interior of the New Delancey? Did it have a balcony?