Theater Pictures — Page 3

yes thanks for the pics....am i the only one who goes to NYC and just loves to look at the marquis and pics outside the theatres?

magruder,

I always love reading your posts, but tonight you made me so very, very happy. The photo you posted with "Bye Bye Birdie" playing at the 54th Street Theater, is it? Well, in the foreground is a restaurant, "La Scala," where I spent about 3 nights each week from the time I was a baby until I was in college. They had photos of famous people completely covering the walls because there were ALWAYS famous people eating there. It was tiny but the food was great. My parents were very, very close friends with the owners. We had every important family party there (they also had a room upstairs for private events). I met so many stars there over the years. When I was 3, Tony Bennett invited me to his table to have dinner with him. Sorry to be going on like this, but my parents have passed away and none of my siblings has a photo of La Scala, so this is going to evoke some really special memories. I can't wait to send it to my family members. Thank you so much, again. You've given me a real gift.

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I am really enjoting this thread. So neat to see these historical photos. I am also really into looking at the photos of the interiors of the theatres on the IBDB site. Living in Texas, I've only been in 2 NY theatres, and I've loved them. Its so neat to see the insides of more. Some are absolutely GORGEOUS!

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Where do you go on the IBDB site to look at the pictures!?

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Hi all -

When you go to IBDB.com and do a search for specific theatres, when you click on the link, there is a photo section for most of them that appears in the top right corner. Most of the current theatres have some historical photos (although there's nothing for the Winter Garden or Shubert, apart from current day photos, which surprised me).

There are also beautiful photos of theatres no longer with us, like Maxine Elliot's, the Comedy Theatre, the 49th Street Theatre, the Earl Carroll, Jolson's 59th Street, the Harkness...

Miss Pennywise, I loved your story. I get sentimental for things from the big bad Times Square of the 70s when I was growing up and coming to the city to catch matinees. Personally, though, these photos from IBDB.com have made me wish I had been born in a different era, to see these theatres and the theatre itself at full tilt.

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Updated On: 7/31/05 at 02:38 AM

my favorite theatre is Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, NY. It is way more beautiful than any theatre I've been to on broadway. If you remember Mariah Carey's video "Hero" then you all have seen it's beauty because that video was filmed there.

Try some of these picture palaces still with us on for size

1. Los Angeles - Los Angeles
2. Egyptian - Hollywood
3. Chinese - Hollywood
4. Chicago - Chicago
5. Oriental - Chicago
6. Palace - Chicago
7. New Regal - Chicago - Originally the Avalon
8. Fox - Detroit
9. Fox - St Louis - Same exact theater as Detroit
10 Shea's - Buffalo, NY
11 Majestic - San Antonio, Tx
12 State - Providence - RI

By the way, 2 books about Movie Palaces ( Proctors was technically a vaudeville theater but was georgeous none the less - I was in it ) are probably out of print now but if you can track them down it is worth the effort

American Picture Palaces - David Naylor
The Golden Age of The Movie Palace - The Best Remaing Seats - Ben Hall

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Updated On: 7/31/05 at 10:00 AM

In response to a private query, here are some restoration photos of the New Amsterdam. For those that may not be aware, the return of this theatre is one of the miracles of the 1990s. After suffering years of abuse as a 42nd Street grind house, including removal of the boxes, the theatre still had a certain grandeur and some of its original detailing up into the late 1980s. The Nederlander Organization came into possession of the theatre, and started a rather ill-fated restoration attempt that they abandoned when rotting beams were discovered in the building's roof. They didn't close up a hole in the roof, and then for four years, snow and rain flooded the auditorium, ravaging what hadn't already been destroyed, leaving the theatre almost completely unsalvagable. (The decaying theatre can be seen to good effect in the movie, Vanya on 42nd Street). I remember being completely astonished that the theatre was saved at all, let alone restored to the degree it was. The link below gives you a small sample of the stunning work of the restoration team.
New Amstedam restoration

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You all should check out the theaters of Playhouse Square in Cleveland: The Palace, State, Allen, and Ohio.

http://cleveland.about.com/cs/artsandculture/l/blpaya.htm

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Updated On: 7/31/05 at 11:49 AM

The Candler/Harris (which was once under Nederlander ownership and briefly slated for renovation) did not receive interior landmark status, and was unceremoniously torn down, with barely a press mention. I was paying pretty close attention to the stories about the 42nd Street restoration efforts, but didn't realize that theatre wasn't going to be saved. The Candler building remains, and what was the entrance of the theatre can also be seen on the 42nd Street side, but the body of the auditorium was on 41st Street, I believe, and that was just wiped out. Too bad, as I understand that the interior was not as far gone as some of the other 42nd Street theatres.

The Liberty is the one that is supposed to be a Cipriani restaurant. The auditorium is currently marooned past a wall in what was the 42nd Street food court. I posted a photo of the Liberty facade earlier in the thread, with lyrics for "Lady Be Good," which played there, starring Fred and Adele Astaire. (Reason enough to save it as a theatre, in my book, but I guess not enough for the New 42nd Street people). Although the interior is largely obliterated, the distinctive, kinda creepy ornamentation over the proscenium apparently still remains in place.

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Updated On: 7/31/05 at 12:21 PM

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Do you know who is going to run the new Henry Miller Theatre when the Durst building goes up?

I was definitely amiss not reporting Playhose Square in Cleveland
It is a great group of theaters

Another gem is Loews Ohio & the old Loew's theater in Akron where I lost a hat trying to photograph the chandelier from the floor lying on my back

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The McDonalds is in the Candler Building, sorta occupying the space that was the Candler/Harris lobby. What you are referring to as the fly space (if it's the brick building on the north side of 41st Street), is actually the back of the Liberty. The Candler/Harris was completely demolished in 1997. Nothing remains of it, except for what was the 42nd Street facade.

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