Ridethetrain, I’m really enjoying all your opening day ads, reopening ads, etc. Do you think that you could also include the date of the ads in your postings?
Some people and/or historians tend the ignore or downplay the five-decade history of successful motion picture exhibition at the 42d Street theaters.
For example, even on this site the description of the New Amsterdam contains the misinformation that the New Amsterdam was a second run theater, when it is well documented that it showed first-run double features for most of its cinematic history.
So I’m not surprised that the Disney book glossed over or omitted the years between 1937 and its re-opening back as a legitimate theater.
There are so many theaters that, in retrospect, I wish I had gone into, no matter what was playing, because now I will never have the opportunity again.
Luckily, I was a steady habitué of all the 42nd St theaters, so at least I have those memories.
According to Bosley Crowther in the Times, “The wide screen upon which the picture is projected twice a day at the Booth enhances somewhat its scenic grandeur, but exaggerates the size of its close views. Pan shots are blurred in many instances, and some slight distortion does occur for those who happen to be seated forward of the middle of the house. The stereophonic sound is an improvement…”
Saps is a play on my last name, also it was my original profile name here, but when I tried to change it a while back, I could only make a variation of it, if I recall correctly.
There are a few shots of this theater in a movie formally called Red Lodge and now called The Unattainably Perfect Gay Christmas, currently running on Amazon Prime
Comment added under photo of “Bad Seed/Tea and Sympathy” ad
Two camp classics. You could show the same bill today, to the same crowd. Only a bit older now…
Ed, you’re a cockeyed optimist
I really like the new name
Ridethetrain, I’m really enjoying all your opening day ads, reopening ads, etc. Do you think that you could also include the date of the ads in your postings?
Some people and/or historians tend the ignore or downplay the five-decade history of successful motion picture exhibition at the 42d Street theaters.
For example, even on this site the description of the New Amsterdam contains the misinformation that the New Amsterdam was a second run theater, when it is well documented that it showed first-run double features for most of its cinematic history.
So I’m not surprised that the Disney book glossed over or omitted the years between 1937 and its re-opening back as a legitimate theater.
There are so many theaters that, in retrospect, I wish I had gone into, no matter what was playing, because now I will never have the opportunity again.
Luckily, I was a steady habitué of all the 42nd St theaters, so at least I have those memories.
Ed, you don’t say much but you get your point across.
According to Bosley Crowther in the Times, “The wide screen upon which the picture is projected twice a day at the Booth enhances somewhat its scenic grandeur, but exaggerates the size of its close views. Pan shots are blurred in many instances, and some slight distortion does occur for those who happen to be seated forward of the middle of the house. The stereophonic sound is an improvement…”
Opening day advertisement from the New York Times posted in photos
This house appears in the new release Long Weekend.
There’s a brief shot of the lighted marquee in the new movie Nomadland
We could’ve played Proctor’s…!
Word of mouth (get it?)
But not during hard-ticket, reserved-seats performances…
The Apollo is to the right of the Selwyn; the Rialto is at the other end of the block near Broadway
1981 photo added
TL;DR
I think the Tad’s was a conversion from a Lerner Shoes.
Saps is a play on my last name, also it was my original profile name here, but when I tried to change it a while back, I could only make a variation of it, if I recall correctly.
Article about closing posted in photos
There are a few shots of this theater in a movie formally called Red Lodge and now called The Unattainably Perfect Gay Christmas, currently running on Amazon Prime
Taken 12/15/2020
Another one bites the dust. Photos added.
Marilynn Monroe has a memorable walk-on in this, one of her earliest pictures.