Comments from bigjoe59

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bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Criterion Theatre on Oct 2, 2019 at 2:01 pm

Hello-

Nicholas and Alexandra opened at this theater Dec. 0f 1971. its one of my favorite large scale historical dramas. its also this theater’s last roadshow engagement. to which I remember something always I thought was strange. in the display cases to either side as you entered the theater were lobby cards capturing scenes from the film. one had Rasputin talking to Alexi a scene which does not appear in the film. can anyone remember any other roadshow engagements at any of the other six theaters Times Square houses where the lobby cards depicted scenes there weren’t in the film.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Criterion Theatre on Oct 1, 2019 at 4:08 pm

Hello-

what was the last film advertised on the huge sign above
the Astor and the Victoria theaters?

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Rivoli Theatre on Sep 30, 2019 at 6:20 pm

Hello-

to vindanpar- you comment is the very problem i was discussing. many years ago i was at a memorabilia shop in L.A. and the owner let me browse thru the stakes in back since i had shopped there for many years. just as i was walking into the stacks the owner said “we just got in the program for The Birth of a Nation”. my heart almost jumped of my chest. unfortunately the program while not falling apart was so worn there was no point in buying it eventhough he was only charging $25.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Rivoli Theatre on Sep 30, 2019 at 4:18 pm

Hello-

to Al A.– I have often seen movie souvenir programs missing from my collection posted on EBay. but I always wondered especially when the seller is asking for a decent of $$$ what the programs condition really is. at least in a memorabilia shop you see exactly what you’re getting.

also to Mike (saps)– I know this may shock you but I am one of the few New Yorkers who does not own a cell phone.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Rivoli Theatre on Sep 30, 2019 at 3:30 pm

Hello-

to clarify my earlier post. in my collection of 140 movie souvenir programs 138 were printed in the US.. the only two that weren’t were Cromwell which during its first run engagement at this theater Columbia simply shipped over the original U.K. program. the other being Tom Sawyer which when it opened at RCMH the Spring of 1973 they likewise simply shipped over the original U.K. program.

to vindanpar- I have a number of souvenir programs for films that played RCMH. if I had an inkling that a film might have one but didn’t see anyone hawking them I always asked just to be sure.

also of films that had their exclusive first run engagements at this theater two programs I have always wanted to acquire but have never come across in any memorabilia shop are Old Ironsides(1926) and Can Can(1960).

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Rivoli Theatre on Sep 29, 2019 at 4:57 pm

Hello-

to vindanpar- shocking may be too strong a term so I’ll say it was highly surprising the omissions in Holston’s book. in addition Holston has a few oddities. the book is by year with the roadshow films of that year discussed alphabetically. in 1962 he says “Gypsy” opened as a roadshow but doesn’t say where. it certainly wasn’t in Manhattan. and films which opened even just in L.A. on traditional roadshow runs(Darling Lili and The Great Race)are in the appendix section on films projected as roadshows during production but opened regular.

an interesting bit of info about this theater. I have a large collection of souvenir programs. 140 to be exact. every souvenir program I have was printed in the U.S. but when Cromwell(one of my favorite large scale historical dramas) opened here Oct. 1970 they just imported over the original U.K. program. in 140 item collection the only other time that happened was when Tom Sawyer opened at RCMH the Spring of 1973.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Rivoli Theatre on Sep 26, 2019 at 3:37 pm

Hello-

to vindanpar- I have not bought the Kennedy book since it just on musicals released on roadshow engagements. the only other book I’ve ever come across on the subject is Movie Roadshows by Kim Holston which discusses all genres.

But while its suppose to be comprehensive it fails to mention several roadshow films which is really odd.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Loew's Capitol Theatre on Sep 22, 2019 at 4:38 pm

Hello-

to vindanpar- if you got the same Blu-ray of The Fall of the Roman Empire that I did you’re bound to ne disappointed since its not in the correct aspect ratio.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre on Sep 19, 2019 at 4:13 pm

Hello-

does anyone remember the last film advertised on the
HUGE sign over the Astor and the Victoria was?

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about United Artists 64th & 2nd Avenue on Sep 19, 2019 at 2:16 pm

Hello-

didn’t Young Winston have an exclusive roadshow engagement
here Dec. 0f 1972?

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Paris Theater on Sep 17, 2019 at 6:25 pm

Hello-

its nice he Village East is legally protected. in the case of the Cinema ½/3 regardless of any rumors do they own the building?

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Paris Theater on Sep 16, 2019 at 6:04 pm

Hello-

of the 5 theaters run by City Cinemas 3 have closed since
May- 86 St. East, the Paris and the Beekman. so the only
two left are the Cinema ½/3 and the Village East. might
it be that they actually own those buildings?

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Sunshine Cinema on Sep 15, 2019 at 3:30 pm

Hello-

does the demolition of this theater effect the
kinish bakery next door?

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Rivoli Theatre on Sep 15, 2019 at 3:18 pm

Hello-

also in the new Sweet Charity Blu-ray you get a nice
somewhat aerial shot of the intersection of Bway, 7th Ave.
and 47 St.. the fall of 1968. you can clearly see War
and Peace on the marquee of the Demille.

one film I would love to see on a top notch Blu-ray disc is the original roadshow cut of Star!.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Loew's Capitol Theatre on Sep 15, 2019 at 3:10 pm

Hello-

to Ken Roe thanks for the info. I got the Blu-ray you made note of and was rather disappointed by the incorrect aspect ration. a botched job just like The Hallelujah Trail. all the other Blu-ray discs I have of films shot in Ultra Panavision 70 are in the correct 2.75.1 aspect ratio.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Rivoli Theatre on Sep 13, 2019 at 6:10 pm

Hello-

to vindanpar-

the recent 50th Anniversary 4k restoration has A+ picture quality. there are 2 discs. the first has the roadshow version with the bittersweet ending. it does have the overture and intermission. the second has the version with the happy ending that Fosse filmed but refused to use. this eliminates the overture and intermission. plus it cuts the scene of the hippie flower children giving Charity the flower perking her spirits up.

also the roadshow version gives us nice shots of the Astor Hotel, the original Yankee Stadium and as Charity is exiting the southeast corner of Central Park at the film’s conclusion a glimpse of the marquee of the Paris Theater.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Loew's Capitol Theatre on Sep 13, 2019 at 5:46 pm

Hello-

to vindanpar- I am one of those fans that was rather disappointed by Kino Lorber’s recent blu-ray of The Hallelujah Trail. aside form the fact the perfect image was a bit off its was in the 2.35.2 aspect ratio not 2.75.1 since it was as you stated shot in Ultra-Panavison 70. if a blu-ray disc of The Fall of the Roman Empire ever comes out it had better be in the 2.75.1 aspect ratio.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Criterion Theatre on Sep 13, 2019 at 4:48 pm

Hell0-

to my fellow moviegoers who remember the roadshow runs held at this theater and the Loews State, RKO Palace, the Demille, the Warner, the Rivoli and the Loews Capitol.

in reference to vandanpar’s 9/11/19 comment. does any one ever remember a theater running out of souvenir programs? of all the roadshow engagements I attended(in the Set. 1952 to Dec. 1972 period)I never remember a theater running out of souvenir programs.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Loew's Capitol Theatre on Sep 13, 2019 at 4:35 pm

Hello-

to Bill H.– its highly possible I saw the original cut. I bought my ticket when the box office first opened.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Rendezvous Cinema on Sep 11, 2019 at 4:33 pm

Hello-

I remember meeting Jack Wrangler here when he did a personal appearence at the height of his gay porn fame.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Criterion Theatre on Sep 11, 2019 at 2:21 pm

Hello-

to vindanpar- I still can not believe that during N&A’s roadshow run at this theater that the marquee only had big block letters and never the glass or plastic plates with the art work. rather highly unusual for a roadshow film.

I did buy the souvenir program the first time I saw the film. its rather nice. in reference to your case with all the roadshow films I saw I never remember a theater running out of souvenir programs.

also whenever Twilight Tine releases a blu-ray disc buy it immediately don;t wait. i looked at Amazon and there is a all regions blu-ray from Spain. that’s reasonably priced.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Ramrod Theatre on Sep 11, 2019 at 1:27 pm

Hello-

to Comfortably Cool- with all the gay clubs and cruising spots still left in Manhattan I doubt the fear of contracting x,y or z is a major contributing factor to Manhattan losing its gay theaters. I bet the home video market was a much bigger factor in the loss of theaters.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Ramrod Theatre on Sep 10, 2019 at 4:00 pm

Hello-

its may not be too surprising but I believe all the gay theaters in San Francisco have closed as well. i bet it has as much to do with the effect of the home video market as real estate value.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Paris Theater on Sep 10, 2019 at 2:59 pm

Hello-

to vindanpar- I saw Nicholas and Alexandra twice during its roadshow run a the Criterion. its one of my favorite large scale historical dramas. the Blu-ray disc is !!! WOW !!! but for the life of me I can’t remember what the marquee looked like. are you saying during the entire roadshow run the marquee just had block letters and never any glass plates with art work?

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 commented about Paris Theater on Sep 10, 2019 at 2:31 pm

Hello-

on pg.1 of the photo section is a photo of the theater beginning of 1969 when R&J was still playing. what surprised me was the marquee had just block letters rather than the usual glass plate with the film’s art work.