Howard I haven’t been on this site since ‘14 but I just saw a post from Bertinphilly and since he mentioned me by my full name I would love to make contact with him to reminisce I don’t know if you could help me with this ,Jack
as we started to close the theatre,nothing was left we pulled ou the seats and sent them to a theatre in chambursburg. the screen,which was made up of 2 inch louvre strips was simply cut down and we sold the scaffolding on which it was installed. the cinemascope lenses ,which were rented, i retuned.with the warning,if you drop these kid,just keep going.
last show at the randollph theatre was tora,tora,tora. reserved seating with advanced sales. opened to alarge audience. but was not received very well. apparently the older americans, who served during word war two,memories of the event were far different than those portrayed in the film.quote , by one customer “if you think we were that stupid, you’re crazy!” “who made this movie a bunch of commies.!” at any rate within a few weeks the theatre as well as the show died a slow,painful death.
I almost forgot,even ‘though I mentioned monty python,we also were showing about the same time One flew over the cookoos nestand did a sneak preview for the omen.
although I never assigned as a mgr or asst, mgr, athe the midtown most of the goldman asst. mgrs. worked the school shows when “Scrooge” starring Albert Finney was playing there for the Christmas holidays. ‘70 or '71 I am not quite sure of the dates any more. our major jobs were to push 800 children out the back exit doors while another group of mgrs pushed 800 more in the front doors.
I amsorry to hear of the demise of the esquire.I was the mgr of this fine theatre for 2 years from'75-‘77. there were a lot of fine shows exhibted during that time,but oddly my favorite is “Monty Python and The Holy Grail.
howard-to answert your question about openings with celebrities: the only one that I can recall is the opening of patton with george c. scott in attendace. goldman gave it the full treatment including cleg lights,reminded us of what used to be seen at graumans in hollywood. I was not in attendance but my freind,Alan Kosher was the asst. mgr. of the goldman at that time would have the advantage in information over me.
after leaving the randolph theatre in 71 as assostant mgr I went to the goldman theatre. because we started showing films lke mondo cane,a young booker named mitch goldman(no relation) started booking a lot of older movies for mini film festivals. for example in late ‘71 we had a garbo festival for 1 week featuring films like ninotchka, these were alsovery profitable because they were very inexpensive to rent. I promised howard some information about premiers,but i guess I get pretty sidetracked these days. i try to get back on track tomorrow.-jack swartz former asst. mgr randolph/goldman theatres.
howard,i worked at the randolph for two years from ‘69-closing in '71 the only “hollywood” style 0pening that i can remember was the running of patton at the gold man theatre. by the time I was working there the hay day of hard ticket films were at a close. during hello dolly there were perhaps 5-15 people in the audience,with about 30 in the evening show. I have to leave for work now, but I have more for you on tora,tora,tora.when I’m done this evening.
my name is jack swartz,I was the last assistant mgr of the randolph theatre. norman cohen was our district mgr. and his office was located in the randolph. my office was located just down the hall from the old ice house,which was used for early air conditioning efforts during the keiths era.since the randolph was built inside of the keiths we used to store our supplies up the old marble staircase which led to the balcony of the keiths theatre.any information that I may have I will be glad to furnish. there may be some lapses of memory to to a recent stroke I sustained but I hope I may be able to help out some people.
Enjoyed the last comments. I was the Mgr during the years’74-‘75 . I later moved to the Esquire theater which was a tri - plex at the time.
Howard I haven’t been on this site since ‘14 but I just saw a post from Bertinphilly and since he mentioned me by my full name I would love to make contact with him to reminisce I don’t know if you could help me with this ,Jack
as we started to close the theatre,nothing was left we pulled ou the seats and sent them to a theatre in chambursburg. the screen,which was made up of 2 inch louvre strips was simply cut down and we sold the scaffolding on which it was installed. the cinemascope lenses ,which were rented, i retuned.with the warning,if you drop these kid,just keep going.
last show at the randollph theatre was tora,tora,tora. reserved seating with advanced sales. opened to alarge audience. but was not received very well. apparently the older americans, who served during word war two,memories of the event were far different than those portrayed in the film.quote , by one customer “if you think we were that stupid, you’re crazy!” “who made this movie a bunch of commies.!” at any rate within a few weeks the theatre as well as the show died a slow,painful death.
I almost forgot,even ‘though I mentioned monty python,we also were showing about the same time One flew over the cookoos nestand did a sneak preview for the omen.
although I never assigned as a mgr or asst, mgr, athe the midtown most of the goldman asst. mgrs. worked the school shows when “Scrooge” starring Albert Finney was playing there for the Christmas holidays. ‘70 or '71 I am not quite sure of the dates any more. our major jobs were to push 800 children out the back exit doors while another group of mgrs pushed 800 more in the front doors.
I amsorry to hear of the demise of the esquire.I was the mgr of this fine theatre for 2 years from'75-‘77. there were a lot of fine shows exhibted during that time,but oddly my favorite is “Monty Python and The Holy Grail.
howard-to answert your question about openings with celebrities: the only one that I can recall is the opening of patton with george c. scott in attendace. goldman gave it the full treatment including cleg lights,reminded us of what used to be seen at graumans in hollywood. I was not in attendance but my freind,Alan Kosher was the asst. mgr. of the goldman at that time would have the advantage in information over me.
after leaving the randolph theatre in 71 as assostant mgr I went to the goldman theatre. because we started showing films lke mondo cane,a young booker named mitch goldman(no relation) started booking a lot of older movies for mini film festivals. for example in late ‘71 we had a garbo festival for 1 week featuring films like ninotchka, these were alsovery profitable because they were very inexpensive to rent. I promised howard some information about premiers,but i guess I get pretty sidetracked these days. i try to get back on track tomorrow.-jack swartz former asst. mgr randolph/goldman theatres.
howard,i worked at the randolph for two years from ‘69-closing in '71 the only “hollywood” style 0pening that i can remember was the running of patton at the gold man theatre. by the time I was working there the hay day of hard ticket films were at a close. during hello dolly there were perhaps 5-15 people in the audience,with about 30 in the evening show. I have to leave for work now, but I have more for you on tora,tora,tora.when I’m done this evening.
my name is jack swartz,I was the last assistant mgr of the randolph theatre. norman cohen was our district mgr. and his office was located in the randolph. my office was located just down the hall from the old ice house,which was used for early air conditioning efforts during the keiths era.since the randolph was built inside of the keiths we used to store our supplies up the old marble staircase which led to the balcony of the keiths theatre.any information that I may have I will be glad to furnish. there may be some lapses of memory to to a recent stroke I sustained but I hope I may be able to help out some people.