Murray Hill Cinema
160 E. 34th Street,
New York,
NY
10016
160 E. 34th Street,
New York,
NY
10016
10 people
favorited this theater
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Please update, total seats 948 Theatre 1 260 Theatre 2 247 Theatre 3 248 Theatre 4 193
Please update, the Murray Cinemas 4 open on December 21, 1990 (total seats about 1200) 300 seats per screen with at least one with 70MM. Closed July 18, 2002
City Cinemas reopened the theatre briefly as a single screen in 1987 before it was guttered to make it a quad.
Frequented the MH during the 60s when it was operated by Rugoff/Cinema 5. It often day dated with the Trans-Lux East and a B'way house usually the Astor, for mainstream United Artist product. Did see Bombolle there, a 3-part Italian film of 3 vignettes by noted directors, common at the time.
I saw ‘Rocky’ and ‘Star Wars’ here. And some ‘grown-up’ Woody Allen type feature when I was a kid. The entrance was simple. and led down to the theatre – with the concession stand kind of on the way in, with a view of the screen. I don’t know of any other theatre that has this feature. I miss it.
I only saw “Eight Men Out” here in 1988. Very good movie. The theater was okay. I only remember there wasn’t much leg room between the seats.
Saw many, many films here in the ‘80s and '90s. At that time, most of the buildings in the area were still three-story tenements from the old days, but the writing was on the wall when they started tearing those down.
I saw no evidence of an organ as the building was being stripped to the four walls and roof in 1989 or 90. With the exception of the balcony structure and the concrete box that was the projection booth, everything else, including the closed restaurant, was down the first day.
*The organ had a Kinetic blower, not a Simplex blower, sorry!
According to “The Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ” by David L. Junchen, pg. 630, the “34th Street Th.” in New York, New York, had a Seeburg-Smith organ installed in 1920.
This organ had a Simplex blower, serial #I134, which was 2 horsepower and delivered 10" of static wind pressure.
The organ’s size (# of manuals/# of ranks) is not given in the book (was not known at time of publication), but from what little I’ve learned about Smith organs so far, the 2 horsepower blower would indicate probably around a 6 rank organ, maybe 5 or 7 ranks, but probably not any larger or smaller than that.
It is a shame to hear about all of the tragedy associated with this theatre, and then about its demolition (and the demolition of the more recent theatre built on the site), but that’s the way it goes sometimes I guess.
Does anybody know where this organ, or its parts, is/are today?
jackbauer24, do you know if there was a pipe organ or any organ parts in the theatre when your father was the manager?
Smeeglereegle, do you remember anything about an organ in this theatre during the time you worked there, or a story of where it went?
Thanks!
“The Rocketeer” showed at the [City] Murray Hill in 70mm 6-Track Dolby Stereo SR beginning on Friday June 21, 1991 (the film’s nationwide release date).
I remember my father used to work as a manger there back in the mid 1970’s. I remember seeing many films there including the movie Rollercoaster. I liked how the Murrary Hill had there outer doors painted to match the film they were showing at the time. Does anyone remeber my father who worked there in the mid 70’s and was the manager?
I used to patronize this place quite often in the 90’s. By the time I arrived the decor was very white, stark, almost clinical. Ironically, I believe it’s now an NYU Medical Center. I caught Here on Earth in spring 2000.
I worked at the Murray Hill from ‘79 to '82 along with my friend peterdamian (see earlier posting), in the years that I attended film school. I started with the film “JAWS 3-D,” and then “Animal House.” I shot part of my thesis film in the main entrance and outside of the theater. (Someday I’ll post the footage!) Even though our boss, Mr. Bradley was very strict, we really were a family there. There was also quite a history of tragedy at that theater. Aside from the fire in the earlier days of the building, and the ceiling collapse during Psycho III, our friend and co-worker, John, committed suicide there on May 21st, 1980. So sad.
This Boxoffice Magazine has photos and an article of the remodel;
View link
This is where I saw “2001, A Space Odyssey” in the late 1960’s. While I did visit this theater several other times, I will always remember it for providing me with the tremendous eperience of viewing this very special film.
Had been to the Murray Hill several times before it was turned into a quad. In its early years as a Rugoff house it showcased foreign filsms – saw a bouble feature of Repulsion & il Bombole (the Dolls). Later it became a Premiere Showcase outlet daydating the Astor & the Trans-Lux East for United Artist product.
Don’t recall the original seating, but never visited th MH after the quadding since I imagined that the theraters would have been too cramped. Makes sense now that the first renovation only occupied half of the theater.
October 9, 1959.
I am pretty sure it was Variety.
Wow I never saw that ad. Do you know the date and what paper it was published in? Thanks.
Thanks for that Dave-Bronx.
Here is a relaunch ad:
Note the claim about the birth of NYC exhibition having occurred on 34th Street.
View link
Not quite a gut remodel, Al. They built a smaller auditorium within the old opera house. The first time I was in there was the night the ceiling fell down, I was working at CI&II we got the news and rushed down there. The ceiling over the balcony had come down and a large section of that then slid down the incline into the orchestra. I couldn’t see much at that time due to the heavy cloud of dust and there were no lights operable.
Several months later, I was given the key and sent down there to retrieve a buttermat and some other stuff. I took a big flashlight because nobody knew if Con Edison had shut off the power. By that time the entire ceiling was down in the orchestra. At the top of the side walls there was a vast amount of space between where the ceiling had been and the roof. There was enough space that another auditorium could have been built up there. Also, along the sides were the side sections of old horse shoe balcony of the ancient theatre. Snooping around further, I found that in the projection booth there was an old rickety wooden stairway going up to that balcony. That whole structure up there was made out of wood and there was evidence of past fire damage. There was old fabric wall covering straining to stay on the walls along with the old light fixtures. Below this balcony was another, but it was hidden behind the side wall of the cinema. Below that, on the ground level was the exit alleyway from the cinema. This was all on the west side of the building, the east side was similar, but inaccessible, and the ground level was the men’s room, ushers and porter room.
When they readied the place for temporary operation I drew the short straw and was assigned to be the manager. A new ceiling had been installed but instead of putting it in its original position they put it all the way up near the roof, leaving the old balcony’s exposed. In addition to installing the screen we had Geo. Moulinos mask off all that upper area and walls with drapery.
When that was finally shut down to be made into the quad, THEN they did do a complete gut, I was in there when it was just 4 walls and the roof.
According to a January 1957 Variety article, the 1959 Rugoff & Becker remodel was a total gutting that kept only the shell of the original 34th Street theatre building.
A chain called Associated Prudential Theatres, Inc. ran this in 1953 along with the Superior and the 28th street Regent.
Back in the 60’s the MH was on the original United Artist Premiere Showcase string for Manhattan along with the Astor & the Trans Lux East. Was a hard house to book alternating between commercial and art house fare. Saw my first Polanski film there, Repulsion on a double feature with Il Bambole (the Dolls). All the 34th St. houses were done-in when Loews opened the Kips Bay complex.
The architect for the conversion of the Murray Hill into a quad in 1990 was John W. Averett, Averett Associates. He also designed the renovations for the City Cinemas Village East, opened the same year, and City Cinemas' East 86th Street Cinemas, Completed at the end of the 1990s.
Renewing link.