Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre

707 7th Avenue,
New York, NY 10036

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Showing 1 - 25 of 1,094 comments

Joshua Bilmes
Joshua Bilmes on September 2, 2024 at 2:35 am

It’s not entirely correct to say that the building was demolished. There is a completely new building on the site, but in order to take advantage of some zoning loophole they had to keep and then build up from most of the original steel superstructure. So of you walk into the candy store from Seventh Avenue you are walking in the exact same entranceway as the Embassy used, the candy store itself is still mostly in the footprint of the Embassy Two, and the exit on to 47th Street — well, it might be the same as the fire exit for the Embassy Two, but I don’t want to swear to that. I don’t want to say the theater wasn’t demolished, but also, this site probably has theatres that are considered as still being around that have less of the theatre left than you can find here.

Mikeoaklandpark
Mikeoaklandpark on April 24, 2022 at 6:07 pm

The preview in the coming attractions for In Harms Way was done in scope which was unheard of in the 60’s

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on April 24, 2022 at 3:11 am

I just posted the opening day ad in Photos.

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on April 24, 2022 at 3:08 am

In Harm’s Way did open at the DeMille, on April 6, 1965. It also played at the Coronet on the east side.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on April 23, 2022 at 11:47 pm

Hello-

Otto Preminiger’s film The Cardinal opened here Dec. 1963 on a roadshow engagement. did his film In Harm’s Way open here as well?

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on April 6, 2022 at 10:50 pm

Hello-

to Al A.-

many thanks for your learned take on the subject. an interesting note on The Loves of Isadora. the only engagement the original cut or proposed roadshow cut of the film in the entire U.S. was at the now El Capitan Theater on Hollywood Blvd.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on April 4, 2022 at 11:22 pm

Thanks, bigjoe. From what I can tell, the most likely reason was a soft opening in NY or LA and/or poor reviews. The available venues were also a factor. Some cities had limited theatres that were practical for Roadshow use. For example, a prized booking at RADIO CITY was guarantee that the film would not Roadshow in NY since the place has so many seats plus a live show and a super-extended run was not practical. Some films went on to have successful runs even after poor advanced sales, so they proved to not be good Roadshow prospects after the first major markets failed to generate significant advanced sales. Near the end of the Roadshow era, studios had to re-evaluate the marketing costs and extended profit delays of Roadshow runs for films like “KRAKATOA”, “ROMEO & JULIET”, “THE LOVES OF ISADORA”, “CABARET” and “PATTON” since core movie-going audiences were getting younger and less likely to plan movie night in advance.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on April 4, 2022 at 11:01 pm

Hello-

to Al A.-

I have often lauded you on your considerable font of knowledge,
to which a question. what are your thoughts on why a studio
would exhibit a film on a roadshow basis in one major city
but not another major city?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on March 29, 2022 at 2:41 am

Since no one else chimed in, I should mention that “MAGNIFICENT MEN” indeed did have a Philly Road Show run at the Trans-Lux.

vindanpar
vindanpar on March 26, 2022 at 12:26 am

Didn’t Krakatoa open continuous run at the Warner Cinerama in NY and roadshow in LA?

And then you had the films that opened at two theaters in one city and one was road show and the other continuous run.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on March 25, 2022 at 11:40 pm

Hello-

to Mikeoaklandpark- per your comment I find it fascinating that a big studio film would open on a roadshow engagement in one big city but not another big city. I wonder how often that happened?

Mikeoaklandpark
Mikeoaklandpark on March 25, 2022 at 8:35 pm

Vindanpar that is awesome. I looked at all the photos of the Demille and was amazed just seeing the pictures of those billboards. TMMITFM did not play as a roadshow engagement in Philly. I had no clue it was in NY until I saw the photo

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on March 24, 2022 at 11:00 pm

Hello-

to Al A. - thanks for validating me asking the question that I asked about Hawaii. since the film’s theatrical life is linked to this theater I thought it a perfectly reasonable question to ask.

also to vindanpar- with current digital technology in film restoration anything is possible. my point being the original roadshow cut of Hawaii does exist(and in rather decent condition) and was even listed as an extra in standard def on the Twilight disc. so fans of the film would like to know why two home video companies insist on using the general release cut for the HD transfers for their blu-ray discs.

vindanpar
vindanpar on March 24, 2022 at 10:05 pm

Yes that’s the billboard I was talking about.

As a boy I saw this billboard as well as TMMITFM. And what you can’t make out was that they were 3D. As parts were raised as in the ships in HI and in Magnificent Men the planes were not only raised but planes were bouncing up and down and there were spinning propellers and legs. At least that’s what I remember. Was I dreaming?

Also the bluray has been released twice. First by Twilight Time and very recently by Sandpiper. Both are in mono so I assume the original negative along with the 4 channel soundtrack no longer exist. I wonder if anybody checked with Walter Mirisch the producer of the film who is still alive or his family about this. A two cd soundtrack was issued. The first was music directly from the soundtrack in mono. The second was from the lp in stereo.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on March 23, 2022 at 9:53 pm

I think Vindapar was referring to this billboard. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/216313588321883894/

Mikeoaklandpark
Mikeoaklandpark on March 23, 2022 at 9:37 pm

Vindanpar In the photo’s there are several pictures of the marquee from Hawaii. I actually looked at all the photos and enjoyed what I saw.

vindanpar
vindanpar on March 23, 2022 at 9:54 am

Oh no mOOse111 is back asking the same most inane questions over and over again. Everytime he is responded to he asks what does anything have to do with anything.

‘What does this movie have to do with this this theater just because it played here for 41 weeks?’ Please just stop it and take your nonsense elsewhere.

vindanpar
vindanpar on March 23, 2022 at 3:34 am

Somebody once posted a straight on wonderful color photo of the Hawaii billboard but then unfortunately it was taken down. Or for some reason I’m overlooking it.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on March 23, 2022 at 2:42 am

Also to note on Ed Solero’s eloquent post. Theatres have lives. Sometime many lives, and even better ones later than expected. And they are rich and memorable.
And so did movies, once. Especially Road Show movies that had long lives, many releases and then re-releases and revivals. I for one, am happy to include what happens to home versions of these film’s lives from bigjoe59 in our discussion.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on March 23, 2022 at 2:03 am

One nice thing about activity on this page is that it gives us a chance to check out all the new photos posted in the last few months. There are some beautiful shots posted…

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on March 23, 2022 at 1:11 am

It has long been a staple of this site that members discuss the movies that played or premiered at a certain theater within comments on that theater’s page. And while bigjoe’s question may have been earnestly looking for an answer, I also took it as being somewhat rhetorical, looking to instigate a conversation on the page about the matter. Sometimes you get better information from the people in this forum, then you might from going down the dead-ended rabbit holes Google might take you.

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on March 22, 2022 at 10:55 pm

And there was a sequel: The Hawaiians with Charlton Heston. They usually don’t make sequels to movies that flop.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on March 22, 2022 at 9:41 pm

According to Variety “HAWAII” grossed $13.4 million first-run, so with auxiliary sales I am sure it eventually made a profit.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on March 22, 2022 at 9:29 pm

Hello-

to Comfortably Cool- thanks for your reply. I can’t tell you where I read it but I can swear I read that Hawaii broke even.

Comfortably Cool
Comfortably Cool on March 22, 2022 at 8:53 pm

According to “The United Artists Story” by Ronald Bergan, “Hawaii” was a financial disaster that “never began to earn back the $15 million spent on it.”