I can’t remember, but I believe it might have been the Lane in which my Dad took me and my brother to see THE TEN COMMANDMENTS after its initial release (1956 or 1957). For a young kid the effect of the widescreen was indescribable—-you felt as if you were IN the scene, seeing these events in person. A few years ago I revistied 181st and adjacent streets of my Washington Heights youth, and it was difficult to imagine how they had once played so important a role in my life…especially the many movies seen. It’s sad that the movie houses are almost all gone…the Lane, the Heights, the Loews 175th, the Uptown, the Empress, the Alpine….places in which we would not just “observe” a motion picture but actively participate in it with our eyes and imagination.
Guarina, thanks, I’ll check out that site. Have checked out several Washington Heights sites, and some of them bring back memories all right. But generally people recall just their old neighborhood, within a radius of a few blocks. I lived a dozen blocks south of the Empress—-and of course the great RKO Coliseum—-and it was always a great walk, knowing that you’d see three movies in the Empress for only a quarter in the late 1950s, and then 50 cents in the early ‘60s. They were generally movies shown after the general release in the major theaters, and sometimes a very old movie, dating back to the 1940s, was shown. I remember seeing NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE, GI BLUES, THE FAR HORIZONS, FIRE MAIDENS FROM OUTER SPACE, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, SITTING BULL, MORGAN THE PIRATE, many of the Hercules movies and other sword and sandal epics, and so many more films, there. The concession stand was small: the hot dogs were not good, and the popcorn always never salty enough! It was not a well-kept place. The manager was a fat, mustachioed fellow who often walked up and down the aisles checking things. But for 50 cents, who would complain? You could spent almost the entire day there.
They also sometimes showed “adult” movies there, which in those days were generally documentaries about nudist camps, or risque foreign films with Brigitte Bardot etc. I was always envious of my older brother and friends who could get in to see those!
When it became the CINEMA 181 in 1962, it had been beautifully cleaned and refurbished under different management, and even the outside marquee had been jazzed up to present a classier appearance. And they showed more up-to-date films. I saw DR. NO there, as well as THE MAGIC SWORD, GERONIMO, THE 300 SPARTANS, SODOM AND GOMORRAH, THE LONG SHIPS, etc., etc. I actually felt great pride in that little theater after it was fixed up. It was still a smallish place, much smaller than the Coliseum or Loews 175th, but the movies were just as good.
Guarina, good luck. As I recall very clearly, the movies shown in the Empress Theater were never advertised in the newspaper. You had to take pot luck; that is, see or not see whatever they were showing. Sometimes you knew a week in advance, via the posters they would place in the lobby, or the “coming attractions.” But for a kid paying only 50 cents for three movies, one never complained!
Guarina, the NY Public Library main branch has every old city phone book, I assume. It’s pretty sad to me that a theater in which I saw saw many great old movies, has been so poorly documented; even photographs seem to be nonestistent. Very sad.
Oh, it was DEFINITELY called the Empress! I know, I lived in the neighborhood and went to that theater hundreds of times from 1958 to 1966! It changed to the Cinema 181 around 1962. I remember that very clearly too. That theater was a huge part of my early movie-going life. I will never forget either of its names!
I can’t remember, but I believe it might have been the Lane in which my Dad took me and my brother to see THE TEN COMMANDMENTS after its initial release (1956 or 1957). For a young kid the effect of the widescreen was indescribable—-you felt as if you were IN the scene, seeing these events in person. A few years ago I revistied 181st and adjacent streets of my Washington Heights youth, and it was difficult to imagine how they had once played so important a role in my life…especially the many movies seen. It’s sad that the movie houses are almost all gone…the Lane, the Heights, the Loews 175th, the Uptown, the Empress, the Alpine….places in which we would not just “observe” a motion picture but actively participate in it with our eyes and imagination.
Guarina, thanks, I’ll check out that site. Have checked out several Washington Heights sites, and some of them bring back memories all right. But generally people recall just their old neighborhood, within a radius of a few blocks. I lived a dozen blocks south of the Empress—-and of course the great RKO Coliseum—-and it was always a great walk, knowing that you’d see three movies in the Empress for only a quarter in the late 1950s, and then 50 cents in the early ‘60s. They were generally movies shown after the general release in the major theaters, and sometimes a very old movie, dating back to the 1940s, was shown. I remember seeing NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE, GI BLUES, THE FAR HORIZONS, FIRE MAIDENS FROM OUTER SPACE, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, SITTING BULL, MORGAN THE PIRATE, many of the Hercules movies and other sword and sandal epics, and so many more films, there. The concession stand was small: the hot dogs were not good, and the popcorn always never salty enough! It was not a well-kept place. The manager was a fat, mustachioed fellow who often walked up and down the aisles checking things. But for 50 cents, who would complain? You could spent almost the entire day there. They also sometimes showed “adult” movies there, which in those days were generally documentaries about nudist camps, or risque foreign films with Brigitte Bardot etc. I was always envious of my older brother and friends who could get in to see those! When it became the CINEMA 181 in 1962, it had been beautifully cleaned and refurbished under different management, and even the outside marquee had been jazzed up to present a classier appearance. And they showed more up-to-date films. I saw DR. NO there, as well as THE MAGIC SWORD, GERONIMO, THE 300 SPARTANS, SODOM AND GOMORRAH, THE LONG SHIPS, etc., etc. I actually felt great pride in that little theater after it was fixed up. It was still a smallish place, much smaller than the Coliseum or Loews 175th, but the movies were just as good.
Guarina, good luck. As I recall very clearly, the movies shown in the Empress Theater were never advertised in the newspaper. You had to take pot luck; that is, see or not see whatever they were showing. Sometimes you knew a week in advance, via the posters they would place in the lobby, or the “coming attractions.” But for a kid paying only 50 cents for three movies, one never complained!
Guarina, the NY Public Library main branch has every old city phone book, I assume. It’s pretty sad to me that a theater in which I saw saw many great old movies, has been so poorly documented; even photographs seem to be nonestistent. Very sad.
I hear you, Guarina….have no idea what name it had before The Empress.
Oh, it was DEFINITELY called the Empress! I know, I lived in the neighborhood and went to that theater hundreds of times from 1958 to 1966! It changed to the Cinema 181 around 1962. I remember that very clearly too. That theater was a huge part of my early movie-going life. I will never forget either of its names!