Tour of Old Times Square

[magruder]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 6:30am

I am LOVING the historical photos of all of the theatres on IBDB.com. So, for the younger posters, here's a look at what 45th Street looked like until 1982, when the monstrosity of the Marriott Marquis forever changed the landscape of the heart of Times Square.

Here are the Bijou (209 West 45th Street) and Morosco Theatres (217 West 45th Street), which were on the north side of the street, up the street from the Music Box. There was also the Piccadilly Hotel, at 227 West 45th Street, on that side of the street, between the Morosco and Music Box (239 West 45th Street).

Updated On: 7/28/05 at 06:30 AM

[magruder]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 6:33am

And on to 46th Street, where on the south side of the street, you had the Gaiety Theatre (no, not THAT one) on the corner of 46th and Broadway, which spent most of its life as a movie theatre (the Victoria), but had a very graceful facade, and the real Helen Hayes Theatre (210 West 46th Street), which was before you got to the Richard Rodgers/46th Street (226 West 46th Street).

Updated On: 7/28/05 at 06:33 AM

[Glebb]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 6:39am

Nice magruder. Thanks!

[magruder]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 6:52am

Going further back to the 40s, here's looking down Broadway and Seventh Avenues, from the vantage of around 43rd Street. The building on the immediate left is 1501 Broadway/the Paramount building, which is still there, with the Astor Hotel next to it, where the Minskoff building is now located. The famed Bond Clothing Store on the right hand side is where Toys 'r Us is now located.

[showbiz]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 8:23am

Amazing pix, funny how things change. Everything is looking like Disney now, sad.

[kec]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 9:30am

Many thanks Magruder -- how very interesting! Can you provide a link to the photos on IBDB?

[magruder]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 9:49am

If you go to IBDB.com, and enter the name of a theatre, a photo box pops up in the top left corner. When you click on the box, it takes you to additional photos of that theatre, in most cases. For example, I've linked the page for photos of the Belasco Theatre below.
Belasco Theatre - IBDB.com

[kec]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 9:59am

Thanks again... what a beautful theatre the Belasco is/was inside.

[magruder]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 10:00am

I'm also trying to find a photo of the massive billboard that used to run the length of Broadway, between 45th and 46th Streets, and was usually used for big movies - where now you just get to look at the gaping maw of the Marriott Marquis...

[magruder]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 10:05am

And yes, the Belasco was lovely, and deserves better than the way it has been treated.

The distinctive ceiling still remains the same, and they still have the upper boxes, but the lower boxes were removed, the beautiful woodwork running up the sides of the house was slathered with white paint, the Tiffany shades over the light fixtures on the mezzanine and balcony rails were removed, leaving just naked filament bulbs, and those murals that you can see in the mezzanine were painted over. But since that theatre sits around sometimes for months or years at a time, it just doesn't receive the treatment it should. Even in its current wounded state, it probably still has the most unique interior of any Broadway theatre.

Updated On: 7/28/05 at 10:05 AM

[cabarethed]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 10:42am

This is fascinating, thank you. I really love looking at old pictures of New York. Everything's just so different even from when I first went in 1998.

[kec]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 10:45am

Are the old theatres on the Preservation list (or whatever it's called)?