Directors Guild of America Theater

110 W. 57th Street,
New York, NY 10019

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Showing 1 - 25 of 84 comments

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on July 3, 2021 at 6:05 pm

Hello-

if I am not mistaken after The Sound of Music finished its record 80? week roadshow engagement at the Rivoli didn’t it move here and on a continuous performance basis ran another 6 months?

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on July 3, 2021 at 3:56 pm

Please update, City Cinemas closed the theaatre on May 4, 1995 with Exotica before the DGA eventually took it over.

Mikeoaklandpark
Mikeoaklandpark on June 11, 2019 at 11:07 pm

When I lived in NYC it was a first run house. Films I saw there were Dressed To Kill, La Cage Au Folles 2.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on June 11, 2019 at 10:56 pm

if i am not mistaken this was always a 1st run theater. to which what was the last film to play here before the Directors Guild too kit over?

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on October 15, 2017 at 10:09 pm

PDF of Jackie O and a photographer she knocked down while leaving the Rendezvous in 1969.

http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White%20Materials/White%20Assassination%20Clippings%20Folders/Kennedy%20Family%20Folders/Kennedy%20Jacqueline%20Bouvier/JBK-103.pdf

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on August 26, 2017 at 2:12 am

This was before its tv premiere.

ftm68_99
ftm68_99 on July 28, 2015 at 5:51 am

I remember when “The Wizard of Oz” was shown in re-issue here in June of 1955. Theater was known as the Trans Lux Normandie then.

mharmon999
mharmon999 on June 20, 2015 at 9:38 pm

I saw the Talking Heads music film Stop Making Sense at this theatre when it was called 57th Street Playhouse

zoetmb
zoetmb on March 20, 2015 at 9:10 pm

I don’t think the Festival was ever the Playboy. A December, 1975 NY Times Arts section shows “Jaws” playing at the Playboy (but no address given) and “The Magic Flute” playing at the Festival. Unless there was another Playboy theatre.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on November 22, 2014 at 10:36 am

Ed Miller; There is a page for the New Century Theatre as the Central Park Theatre #7049. We would love you to post your photo on that page.

Ed Miller
Ed Miller on November 22, 2014 at 1:30 am

What a shame that there’s only one post per year here, recently. I came here, when I read it was being “renovated,” thinking that there would be some activity on the message boards, because I have a dilemma. I recently came across a photo of a Manhattan theater known as the New Century, located at 932 7th Avenue, between 58th and 59th. There’s no listing for it here on Cinema Treasures at all, and I’m mystified. I wanted to post the 1937 vintage photo that I found, but the theater doesn’t exist on this site.

RobertR
RobertR on July 16, 2014 at 2:36 pm

Do they ever have screenings here open to the public?

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on December 30, 2013 at 12:59 am

Has the theater reopened?

I am currently reading the novel The Pawnbroker; the film adaptation directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Rod Steiger opened here at the Cinema Rendezvous (and at the Beekman and the RKO 23rd Street) on April 20, 1965.

Fernando_NYC
Fernando_NYC on July 7, 2012 at 2:07 am

Cinema Rendezvous Theater also screened Colossus: The Forbin Project on May 4th, 1970.

Oddly enough, the New York Times initially listed it as an Italian film with subtitles!

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on June 23, 2012 at 7:01 pm

Sorry, A_Mclean, but the only Gimbels store I remember (besides the one near Herald Square) was the one in Green Acres Shopping Mall, in Valley Stream.

RobertR
RobertR on June 21, 2012 at 1:32 am

The place looks great

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on June 20, 2012 at 6:02 pm

Here is an updated and working version of the DGA link I previously posted on April 25, 2011. From that page, one may now also take a 360 degree virtual tour of the auditorium as well as the projection booth.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on April 25, 2011 at 4:47 pm

A few mouse-clicks down into the DGA’s website is this photo gallery, which features excellent views of the theatre’s current interior. It appears that the first few rows from each orchestra section were removed in order to bring the screen wall forward (allowing for a wider sheet) and add a small platform stage. Apart from that, the layout of the theatre looks much as it does in the vintage photos Warren posted on May 22, 2008. Not sure when the red drapery was added.

I’m positive this is where I saw a brilliant new (at the time) 35mm print of Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove” in the mid 1980’s. The DGA’s page also includes information regarding the technical facilities, along with a diagram of the theatre. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Sadly, it appears that the 70mm projector’s have been removed. The technical specs skew towards all manner of digital presentation with only a passing mention of “35mm composite” capabilities. The DGA’s Los Angeles facilities (which appear to have been purpose-built) include both 35mm and 70mm capabilities.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on January 30, 2011 at 9:16 pm

In 1964 the Little Carnegie and the Cinema Rendezvous showed these two related films at a single price under the title “ANATOMY OF A MARRIAGE”. The experiment was not a success.

View link

Astyanax
Astyanax on September 2, 2010 at 4:11 am

The premiere attraction for the 1952 opening was Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, a film that has been drawing a lot of attention lately.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on August 29, 2009 at 8:11 am

As some of the comments above have said, this theater was designed by architect William I. Hohauser. An article about the new Normandie, with three small photos, appeared in the March 8, 1952, issue of Boxoffice Magazine.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on July 9, 2009 at 9:58 pm

I have the DVD set of I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW) and (BLUE). They are really incredible timecapsules of the sixties.

jflundy
jflundy on July 9, 2009 at 9:48 pm

View link

Cinema Rendezvous in 1969, courtesy of Warren

RickStattler
RickStattler on February 27, 2009 at 8:12 pm

On March 26, Swann Auction Galleries will be offering the original 1971 signage design for Playboy Theatre iteration of this house. An image can be seen at View link