What Times Square Area Buildings Use To Be Theaters?- Page 2

[WOSQ]

Posted: 11/19/08 at 2:38pm

There is a large-size book called Lost Broadway Theatres that has photos of theatres that have been torn down or otherwise destroyed. It is worth a look-for.

Try the Strand (12th & Bway) or www.abebooks.com.

The parking garage next to the Imperial for instance. If you know this used to have a theatre on it, you'll see that the size of the lot is the size of a theatre.

[Neverandy]

Posted: 11/19/08 at 5:30pm

this is my new favorite thread!

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/19/08 at 6:10pm

>The parking garage next to the Imperial for instance. If you know this used to have a theatre on it, you'll see that the size of the lot is the size of a theatre.<

That theatre next to the Imperial was called the Klaw, and later, the Avon. It was briefly a CBS studio before being torn down in the '50s, I think.

Here's a vintage shot of 45th Street from the mid-1920s and you can see a sign for the Klaw, next to the Imperial.

[cello_dude]

Posted: 11/19/08 at 6:52pm

Here are some pics of the theaters that were torn down to make way for the marriot marquis

Helen Hayes:








Morsoco Theater:










Astor:
http://memory.loc.gov/master/pnp/cph/3b40000/3b40000/3b40700/3b40754u.tif

http://memory.loc.gov/master/pnp/cph/3b40000/3b40000/3b40700/3b40757u.tif

Updated On: 11/19/08 at 06:52 PM

[alfgiotir]

Posted: 11/19/08 at 7:57pm

this is by far my most favorite thread that has ever been on BWW. such beautiful houses. seeing how some are still not lost makes me wish I had some extra millions to restore them and give them back to the theatre community.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 11/19/08 at 8:24pm

The Demile and The Embassy are two different buildings.

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 11/19/08 at 11:31pm

So I made a trip to take some pics of the DeMille which is now the Phantom of Bway store...These are some pics of the new entrance. When they arnt so busy another day I will have to see if the theater still exist behind the store because the ceilings appereared way to low to be a theater.
Entrance of DeMille:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10862573@N05/3044450487/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10862573@N05/3045289946/
Closer Detail http://www.flickr.com/photos/10862573@N05/3045289010/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10862573@N05/3044451475/in/photostream/
Updated On: 11/19/08 at 11:31 PM

[Neverandy]

Posted: 11/19/08 at 11:35pm

I'm gonna try and see where the door is at applebees that leads to the Liberty.

[TheaterBoy7777]

Posted: 11/19/08 at 11:40pm

I wish you luck Neverandy I went on the search today and had no luck...although the Hilton has the pictures I posted of the Liberty in their Lobby so those we cool to look at.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 11/20/08 at 1:25am

I wonder if there is someone with the City of New York I could contact about getting a peek inside the Liberty?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 4:29pm

Here are some small shots of the Liberty's interior, circa early 2000s.

Scroll about half-way down the page.

http://www.silverscreens.com/thsa.php

Updated On: 11/23/08 at 04:29 PM

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 4:38pm

If i remember correctly from when I looked there earlier this year, the entrance to The Liberty was a doorway with, I think, a diamond cut into the stone work on either side.
As you walk from 41st to 42nd thru the Hilton lobby they have displayed, photos of the interior.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 4:47pm

Here are some of the facts, figures and dimensions of the Liberty from the New42 website.

Balcony: 2
Seats: 1,054
Grid Height: 71'
Proscenium Width: 36'
Width/Right Wing: 14'
Width/Left Wing: 20'
Stage Depth: 35'
Rigging: Hemp
Orchestra Pit: Covered
Dressing Rooms: 13

Approximate Area Measurements:
Total Area: 31,900 s.f.
Area of Footprint: 11,800 s.f.

There's more here at this link (http://www.new42.org/about_history_liberty.cfm). No additional photos though. In a healthier economic climate, a 1,050 seat legit theatre on 42nd Street would probably be useful, although the Liberty does have that pesky 2nd balcony. And its facade is covered with signs, and there are stores occupying its lobby space and entrance way. Apart from that, it's perfect!

Updated On: 11/21/08 at 04:47 PM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/21/08 at 5:08pm

This paragraph caught my attention on the New 42nd Street site:

"The New 42nd Street signed a 99-year master lease, during May 1992, with the City and State of New York for six theaters known as the Apollo, Liberty, Lyric, Selwyn, Times Square and Victory. (The Empire theater came under The New 42nd Street's master lease once it was fully restored in April 2000.) A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in July 1995 between The New 42nd Street and Forest City Ratner for the Liberty, Harris and Empire theaters. Construction began in August 1997 on a five-story entertainment complex which includes a 25-screen cineplex operated by AMC (opened in April 2000), the renowned Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, and a variety of entertainment-related retail uses."

So, of the nine theatres they acquired, they managed to tear down three of them - the Apollo and the Lyric were demolished for the Hilton, save for preserving the facades and some interior detailing. The Harris was torn down for no discernible purpose and with very little fanfair (or notice in the press). The Times Square is supposed to become an Ecko store, but that project has been at a standstill for years now. They've found no tenant for the Liberty and have marooned its auditorium. The Selwyn was restored as the American Airlines, but the distinguished looking seven-story Selwyn Building that graced 42nd Street magically fell down in the middle of the night one night, when no one was around. And the Empire was not "fully restored". The facade looks great, but the attempt at recreating the detail work of the proscenium arch and ceiling detail looks cheaply done to me, compared to photographs of the original interior. Only the Victory received a complete and beautiful restoration without some aspect of the building being diminished in the process.

Updated On: 11/21/08 at 05:08 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 12:36am

I would love to see aerial views of the theater district. Like, it amazes me when I stand on the street opposite the Imperial and try to fathom how that theater fits into that space so well. It doesn't seem like the theater would be so big, or that it'd go up so high, but it does. And, I thought the parking lot next to the Imperial must have been something. I mean, it's a whole row of theaters and then suddenly it just drops off. I really really wish they'd spruce up the marquees. Especially the Shoenfeld, the Jacobs, and the Golden. I mean, those are some ugly boring marquees.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 1:46am

I'm obsessed now. I must see the inside of the Liberty. I found this picture of the elusive door to the theater. Now, can anyone figure out where the heck this door is exactly?

ETA: A blog on the Angel Project from 2003 says that the door was situated behind a "souvenir stand". Does that help at all?



ETA: The souvenir stand?

Updated On: 11/23/08 at 01:46 AM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 7:46am

It's in the sort of blank space where you exit from the AMC Theatres, directly to the left of that Universal News stand in your photo. There's an escalator up to the Applebee's, or to the food court when it was there. There used to be a Starbucks in that space, and then a souvenir stand, but I think it's empty now.

Updated On: 11/23/08 at 07:46 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 8:37am

Those pictures of the Helen Hayes and the Morosco make me weep.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:30am

This is progress?

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 10:45am

No Roxy, it's awful and a spit in the face of New York history. George M. Cohan debuted "Give My Regards to Broadway in that theater for godssake.

[amoni]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 2:45pm

I was there the day the bulldozers knocked down The Helen Hayes and Morosco. I asked a worker if I could have a brick and he let me in the fenced off site and I picked one from The Morosco. It's just a brick to most, but not to me. Of course no one had the thought of building above them, like the DoubleTree did above The Palace. No, just knock'em down. The fact that there are two completely viable theaters buried among the Applebee's and tourist traps is just wrong. It would probably cost more to create entrances for them than to actualy restore them.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 2:57pm

To The Act

I was being facetious. I s***** big time but it is so called progress. In Europe & many other cities they try & save what they can. In NY, if it is old knock it down - screw history.

I got a momento when my local movie palace went down. It was the Loews Triboro. I got a marquee letter. I tried for a T but had to settle for an E - for effort in trying to save it I guess. It is on my wall @ work along with an ornamental plaster knob - many of which were underneath the balcony.It serves as a paperweight. Sad to say, tis is all that remains.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 3:19pm

The Demille, on the corner of 7th and 47th, aka as The Colombia, RKO Mayfair, Lowes Mayfair and Mark I,II and III is still a complete auditorium above what can be seen today. Inside that auditorium is a very bad conversion into a 3 screen cinema. If this was ever removed the auditorium would be complete and unchanged but in a very, very bad state of decay. The likely hood of this ever seeing the public sitting in it again are zero.
It was the very last of the big Times Square movie houses to close its doors as the smaller multiplexes opened up in the surrounding blocks.
Every time i see that corner with its huge Broadway billboards (Hairspray and Spamalot at the moment) I try and imagine the huge theatre that is just sitting there decaying day by day.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 3:32pm

I know how you feel

Every day I pas by a decaying theater I tried to save (killed by the same public official) & wonder how different it might have been

I remember the DeMille when it played epics in the 1960's . It's huge wraparound billboard was unique & really ushered you into see a big sprawling movie.I remember,during intermissions, going to their huge & comforable lounge.

Some of the biggies that played there:

1. Barabbas
2. Fall of The Roman Empire
3. Spartacus
4. The Cardinal
5. Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines

Updated On: 11/23/08 at 03:32 PM

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 11/23/08 at 4:05pm

Mr Roxy!
For you, one of those wonderful wraparound billboards.
Note The Palace playing Sammy Davis Jnr in 'Golden Boy'