Those are some very beautiful photos of the Oriental lobbies. A couple of massive multiplexes have opened in New York in the past decade where an attempt was made to recapture the dream palace flavor — one in the Disney-ized 42nd Street, and the Sony near Lincoln Center. Of course, nothing can compare to the real thing. I do hope owners of gems like the Oriental appreciate what they have and keep things at least maintained, if not completely restored.
I lived on Farwell Avenue across the street from the Oriental as a student at UWM in the early seventies. I remember often taking advantage of the cheap double features they showed then. My first time at the Oriental was a Halloween costume party in 1970 I think. They showed the original Frankenstein film — quite a revelation to see it on a big screen — and the entire audience, most quite stoned and/or tripping out of their minds, howled when Dr. Frankenstein’s father lit up and puffed greedily on his very large carved pipe. Those giant Buddhas with the glowing eyes and jewels were truly amazing, as was the rest of the decor.
Those are some very beautiful photos of the Oriental lobbies. A couple of massive multiplexes have opened in New York in the past decade where an attempt was made to recapture the dream palace flavor — one in the Disney-ized 42nd Street, and the Sony near Lincoln Center. Of course, nothing can compare to the real thing. I do hope owners of gems like the Oriental appreciate what they have and keep things at least maintained, if not completely restored.
I lived on Farwell Avenue across the street from the Oriental as a student at UWM in the early seventies. I remember often taking advantage of the cheap double features they showed then. My first time at the Oriental was a Halloween costume party in 1970 I think. They showed the original Frankenstein film — quite a revelation to see it on a big screen — and the entire audience, most quite stoned and/or tripping out of their minds, howled when Dr. Frankenstein’s father lit up and puffed greedily on his very large carved pipe. Those giant Buddhas with the glowing eyes and jewels were truly amazing, as was the rest of the decor.