I rememebr seeing Rocky Horror there for the first time. This theater is also featured in the 1980 movie FAME.
Does anybody know what happened at the UA Battery Park Stadium. It was originally 16 theaters, but now is only 11?
Even though I have never been inside, the thater is beautiful from the outside. I can only hope Loews does not deceide to close this theater. In 200 there was 4 theaters in downtown Chicago, now there are 2. There was the Fine Arts aka Stuabaker that closed sometime between 2000 and when I went back in 2002
I agree with the comments about theaters using curtains and about AMC theaters. We don’t have any AMC here in Asheville, NC and I am glad becuase all there commercials really suck. We have AMC in Ft. Lauderdale, but don’t go there very often. In Ft.Lauderdale, we have an independant chain called Sunrise Cinemas. (www.sunrisecinemas.com)
Even though they still use slides, the theaters are great. They still use real butter on popcorn which brings me back to a child.Vito broght me back to my childhood when he mentioned about the use of the curtains in the 60’s. I rememebr that they closed the curtains after the toons and previews and being fascinated by not
being able to see the masking move. In those days most theaters had that opened across and also masking that came down when a film was
shown in cinemascope.
Vincent
I was in the old Criterion once before they twined it. Isaw Bette Midler’s Divine Madness in 70mm. I was there a few times after they cut the original theater in two. I saw thew opening film upstairs when they reopened, 9-5 in 1980. I rememebr sitting in the balcony to see Divine Madness. That was a strange movie though to be filmed in 70mm. I loved the Rivoli. I saw The Island with Michael Caine there in 70 mm. After they twinned that theater I saw On Golden Pond in the upstairs theater. I saw American Graffiti 2 in the downstairs theater. Before it was twinned I rememebr seeing Airport 1979 there.
United Artists should have leased or purchased the theater when they let the Criterion go. When I was last in NYC, OCt 2000 it was just sitting there empty.
The first 70mm film I saw at the Ziegfeld was A Star Is Born in 1976. I rememebr being totally upset because WB masked off the film as if it was filmed as a flat.Other films were done the same way Altered States adn ET. The first true 70mm I saw at the Ziegfeld was The Muppet Movie. After that I saw Fame in 70mm. To me if a film is done in 70mm than it should be shown in widescreen not masked off than called 70mm. Anybody else have any other comments on this?
The theater listed is on 49th st between 6th and 7th Ave. When I loved to NYC in 1976 I lived across from this theater. It was a porno theater called the World. It later became the Embassy 49th St. The theater on Broadway and 49th in 1975 was called the Trans Lux West. When the Embassy on 49th closed the Guild theater organization took over the Trans Lux and renamed it the Embassy 49th St. In the 80’s the theater was turned into a porno house called the Pussycat. It was demolished in the late 80’s as was the Warner/Cinerama in the same block to make way for the Holiday In Crowne Plaza.
I agree with Rhett that we should do something. Loews Cineplex has a web site and maybe we should all contact them to try and save this theater. I do find that most companies lie. United Artist lied to me a few years ago about the Sameric theater in Phila. They told me the owners didn’t renew the lease and as it turns out, United Artist pulled out.If anybody knows how to start and online petition I would be willing to help out.
I hate those digital rolling marquees. I hate all these new modern things they have come up with. It really stinks. No more 70mm films, slide, rolling marquees. I have a lot of nostalgic memories of movie theaters.I would give anything to be able to go to the Astor Plaza one more time before they close.
Thanks Savage. The slides are ok except when you go to the movies every week, they get boring seeing hte same slides over and over. That is really stupid to close the curtains for a few seconds. That hteater had such class. I think I read in here that the Beekman still uses the curtains and no slides.
I was wondering if the Ziegfeld still uses the two curtains they had instead of those stupid reapeating slides? The last movie I saw there was the opening day of Yentyl in 1983 and than I moved to Florida.
Mike
The information above is incorrect. Satnley Warner closed the 69th St in the middle 60’s. The last picture to play there was The Great Race.It was used for boxing matches during the 70’s In the early 80’s a man by the name of Rusty A. Miller ( who bought the Waverly in Drexel Hill from RKO) reopened the 69th St, the Benn and the Esquire in Northeaast Phila. None lasted long. He closed the 69th St because there was no access for handicap restrooms. The men’s room was downstairs and the ladies room was upstairs. The Esuire and Benn were in bad neighborhoods and were vandalized so much he closed both.
Hey all. I agree about United Artists running down their theaters. There is one here in Ft. lauderdale which I haven’t been in for many years. The last time I was it was starting to get runned down and some of the theaters were so small I would hvae preferred to stay home. I am going to Asheville, NC for the next 6 months and there are 2 United Artist thetares. I know the one across from the Asheville Mall, UA Buccaneer Cinema has a broken ugly marquee out side. I can imagine what the inside looks like.
Mike
Dennis
Yes Budco did purchase the William Goldman company, but many years after the Randolph closed. They showed all the MGM Cinerama movies with Gone With The Wind in 67-68 after The Grand Prix. After Ice Station Zebra, they showed the X film I A Woman Part 2. Hello Dolly opened there March 25, 1970 and played through the summer when it went non reserved seat. Tora Tora Tora was the last film that played. Yes, they still had there Cinerama screen when the theater closed.
Mike
Can someone tell me how to start a new topic? I can’t figure it out and would like to post something. You can e mail me at Just reference cinema treasures in the subject line so I don’t think it’s spam.
Mike
Maybe we shoould all get together and contact Loews and see if we can at least get them to salvage the State. I don’t know at this point how much good it would do to try and save the Astor Plaza. I saw in an earlier post a comment about the Forum/Movieland. From what I saw in 2000 when I was in NYC, that theater is now a restaurant called the Roxy Deli. I don’t remember seeing a hotel there.
Mike
Orlando
Teh screen in the downstairs Cinerama theater was great. It was the curved cinerama screen. I saw Hello Dolly there in the Broadway on Broadaway series in 1978, As I just posted on abnother site, I hate the fact that we don’t get to see 70mm films anymore.
Vincent
I think that the Virgina played Hello Dolly in 35mm becuase by the time it hit Atlantic City on June 24, 1970, it was not doing well in the rest of the country becuase of the bad reviews. Also, that summer the other movies houses along with the Virgina showed Dolly as a regular continuous performance show. The show played in Phila(center city) in 70 mm at the now long gone Randolph (which is where I saw it on their cinerama screen) and in NYC at the Rivoli also in 70 mm.
Does anyone else feel like I do about filme not being made in the 70mm format? I hate it. I think the last movie I remeber advertised in 70mm was Titanic at the Astor Plaza.
William and Vincent
I spent 13 years during the summer in Atlantic City. Yes, the Virgina was the big 70mm, reserved seat house. The last film to play there in 1973 the last year the theater operated was the re release of The Sound Of Music. In 1969 they showed Krakatova East of Java in 70 mm not cinerama. I think that was the last cinerama film made. In 1970 theyshowed Hello Dolly in 35mm.
Even though I never went to this theater, I grew up in the burbs of Phila and was a big movie buff even as a kid. The one thing I do remember is they had the exclusive reserved seat engagement in the 60’s of the Steve McQueen movie, The Sand Pebbles. It was interesting that it didn’t play center city. I also remember the Lane theater in Cherry Lane. They showed mostly art fims.Itlater became a porno theater. The last I was up that way which was in the 80, it was a Datsun car dealer
I would love to know how Vincent saw Throughly Modern Millie at the Astor Plaza when the movie came out in 1967 and the theater didn’t open until 1974.
I agree with other comments. Someone should buy the old Demille/Embassy234 and restore it.United Artists should have bought it when they lost the Criterion. It saddens me that all the theaters in the Times Square area are almost gone. Loews should reconsdier closing the State if they are really going to loose the Astor Plaza.
I grew up in Phila and remeber the Sameric well. What I can’t remeber is them ever showing Cinerama movies. Can anyone give me anymore information about what films played there in Cinerama. It is a shame that all the center city theaters are gone. It started in 1969 when the Randolph closed. The last showing was Tora Tora Tora. Than the Stanley went next a year later. There last film was Viva Max. RKO had promised to build a twin theater,but that never happened. The theater sat empty for many years. I think the next theater to go was the Arcadia which became a Roy Rogers hambugers joint In the early 80’s the Fox, Milgram(formally the RKO Stanton) and Stage Door Cinema closed. After I loved to Florida in 1983, the
rest of the center city theaters disapeared.I think the last one to go was the Midtown which is now the Prince Art theater.
New York had a great Cinerama theater from the 60 until the middle 80’s when it like most times square theaters was torn down to make way for a hotel.I remember going there for the first time in the late 70’s to see Hello Dolly which was presented just as it was originally in 1969 when it opened. I remeber being amazed at the curved screen. RKO kept the cinerama screen until it closed the theater in the 80’s.
I rememebr seeing Rocky Horror there for the first time. This theater is also featured in the 1980 movie FAME.
Does anybody know what happened at the UA Battery Park Stadium. It was originally 16 theaters, but now is only 11?
Even though I have never been inside, the thater is beautiful from the outside. I can only hope Loews does not deceide to close this theater. In 200 there was 4 theaters in downtown Chicago, now there are 2. There was the Fine Arts aka Stuabaker that closed sometime between 2000 and when I went back in 2002
Sorry about the spaces and typo’s. I tried to preview what I was sending and it only messed it up.
I agree with the comments about theaters using curtains and about AMC theaters. We don’t have any AMC here in Asheville, NC and I am glad becuase all there commercials really suck. We have AMC in Ft. Lauderdale, but don’t go there very often. In Ft.Lauderdale, we have an independant chain called Sunrise Cinemas. (www.sunrisecinemas.com)
Even though they still use slides, the theaters are great. They still use real butter on popcorn which brings me back to a child.Vito broght me back to my childhood when he mentioned about the use of the curtains in the 60’s. I rememebr that they closed the curtains after the toons and previews and being fascinated by not
being able to see the masking move. In those days most theaters had that opened across and also masking that came down when a film was
shown in cinemascope.
Vincent
I was in the old Criterion once before they twined it. Isaw Bette Midler’s Divine Madness in 70mm. I was there a few times after they cut the original theater in two. I saw thew opening film upstairs when they reopened, 9-5 in 1980. I rememebr sitting in the balcony to see Divine Madness. That was a strange movie though to be filmed in 70mm. I loved the Rivoli. I saw The Island with Michael Caine there in 70 mm. After they twinned that theater I saw On Golden Pond in the upstairs theater. I saw American Graffiti 2 in the downstairs theater. Before it was twinned I rememebr seeing Airport 1979 there.
United Artists should have leased or purchased the theater when they let the Criterion go. When I was last in NYC, OCt 2000 it was just sitting there empty.
I know that a lot of film studios don’t want to do 70mm anymore becuase they said when it does to DVD or video or for TV they loose to much.
The first 70mm film I saw at the Ziegfeld was A Star Is Born in 1976. I rememebr being totally upset because WB masked off the film as if it was filmed as a flat.Other films were done the same way Altered States adn ET. The first true 70mm I saw at the Ziegfeld was The Muppet Movie. After that I saw Fame in 70mm. To me if a film is done in 70mm than it should be shown in widescreen not masked off than called 70mm. Anybody else have any other comments on this?
The theater listed is on 49th st between 6th and 7th Ave. When I loved to NYC in 1976 I lived across from this theater. It was a porno theater called the World. It later became the Embassy 49th St. The theater on Broadway and 49th in 1975 was called the Trans Lux West. When the Embassy on 49th closed the Guild theater organization took over the Trans Lux and renamed it the Embassy 49th St. In the 80’s the theater was turned into a porno house called the Pussycat. It was demolished in the late 80’s as was the Warner/Cinerama in the same block to make way for the Holiday In Crowne Plaza.
I agree with Rhett that we should do something. Loews Cineplex has a web site and maybe we should all contact them to try and save this theater. I do find that most companies lie. United Artist lied to me a few years ago about the Sameric theater in Phila. They told me the owners didn’t renew the lease and as it turns out, United Artist pulled out.If anybody knows how to start and online petition I would be willing to help out.
I hate those digital rolling marquees. I hate all these new modern things they have come up with. It really stinks. No more 70mm films, slide, rolling marquees. I have a lot of nostalgic memories of movie theaters.I would give anything to be able to go to the Astor Plaza one more time before they close.
Thanks Savage. The slides are ok except when you go to the movies every week, they get boring seeing hte same slides over and over. That is really stupid to close the curtains for a few seconds. That hteater had such class. I think I read in here that the Beekman still uses the curtains and no slides.
I was wondering if the Ziegfeld still uses the two curtains they had instead of those stupid reapeating slides? The last movie I saw there was the opening day of Yentyl in 1983 and than I moved to Florida.
Mike
The information above is incorrect. Satnley Warner closed the 69th St in the middle 60’s. The last picture to play there was The Great Race.It was used for boxing matches during the 70’s In the early 80’s a man by the name of Rusty A. Miller ( who bought the Waverly in Drexel Hill from RKO) reopened the 69th St, the Benn and the Esquire in Northeaast Phila. None lasted long. He closed the 69th St because there was no access for handicap restrooms. The men’s room was downstairs and the ladies room was upstairs. The Esuire and Benn were in bad neighborhoods and were vandalized so much he closed both.
Hey all. I agree about United Artists running down their theaters. There is one here in Ft. lauderdale which I haven’t been in for many years. The last time I was it was starting to get runned down and some of the theaters were so small I would hvae preferred to stay home. I am going to Asheville, NC for the next 6 months and there are 2 United Artist thetares. I know the one across from the Asheville Mall, UA Buccaneer Cinema has a broken ugly marquee out side. I can imagine what the inside looks like.
Mike
Dennis
Yes Budco did purchase the William Goldman company, but many years after the Randolph closed. They showed all the MGM Cinerama movies with Gone With The Wind in 67-68 after The Grand Prix. After Ice Station Zebra, they showed the X film I A Woman Part 2. Hello Dolly opened there March 25, 1970 and played through the summer when it went non reserved seat. Tora Tora Tora was the last film that played. Yes, they still had there Cinerama screen when the theater closed.
Mike
Can someone tell me how to start a new topic? I can’t figure it out and would like to post something. You can e mail me at Just reference cinema treasures in the subject line so I don’t think it’s spam.
Mike
Maybe we shoould all get together and contact Loews and see if we can at least get them to salvage the State. I don’t know at this point how much good it would do to try and save the Astor Plaza. I saw in an earlier post a comment about the Forum/Movieland. From what I saw in 2000 when I was in NYC, that theater is now a restaurant called the Roxy Deli. I don’t remember seeing a hotel there.
Mike
Orlando
Teh screen in the downstairs Cinerama theater was great. It was the curved cinerama screen. I saw Hello Dolly there in the Broadway on Broadaway series in 1978, As I just posted on abnother site, I hate the fact that we don’t get to see 70mm films anymore.
Vincent
I think that the Virgina played Hello Dolly in 35mm becuase by the time it hit Atlantic City on June 24, 1970, it was not doing well in the rest of the country becuase of the bad reviews. Also, that summer the other movies houses along with the Virgina showed Dolly as a regular continuous performance show. The show played in Phila(center city) in 70 mm at the now long gone Randolph (which is where I saw it on their cinerama screen) and in NYC at the Rivoli also in 70 mm.
Does anyone else feel like I do about filme not being made in the 70mm format? I hate it. I think the last movie I remeber advertised in 70mm was Titanic at the Astor Plaza.
William and Vincent
I spent 13 years during the summer in Atlantic City. Yes, the Virgina was the big 70mm, reserved seat house. The last film to play there in 1973 the last year the theater operated was the re release of The Sound Of Music. In 1969 they showed Krakatova East of Java in 70 mm not cinerama. I think that was the last cinerama film made. In 1970 theyshowed Hello Dolly in 35mm.
Even though I never went to this theater, I grew up in the burbs of Phila and was a big movie buff even as a kid. The one thing I do remember is they had the exclusive reserved seat engagement in the 60’s of the Steve McQueen movie, The Sand Pebbles. It was interesting that it didn’t play center city. I also remember the Lane theater in Cherry Lane. They showed mostly art fims.Itlater became a porno theater. The last I was up that way which was in the 80, it was a Datsun car dealer
I would love to know how Vincent saw Throughly Modern Millie at the Astor Plaza when the movie came out in 1967 and the theater didn’t open until 1974.
I agree with other comments. Someone should buy the old Demille/Embassy234 and restore it.United Artists should have bought it when they lost the Criterion. It saddens me that all the theaters in the Times Square area are almost gone. Loews should reconsdier closing the State if they are really going to loose the Astor Plaza.
I grew up in Phila and remeber the Sameric well. What I can’t remeber is them ever showing Cinerama movies. Can anyone give me anymore information about what films played there in Cinerama. It is a shame that all the center city theaters are gone. It started in 1969 when the Randolph closed. The last showing was Tora Tora Tora. Than the Stanley went next a year later. There last film was Viva Max. RKO had promised to build a twin theater,but that never happened. The theater sat empty for many years. I think the next theater to go was the Arcadia which became a Roy Rogers hambugers joint In the early 80’s the Fox, Milgram(formally the RKO Stanton) and Stage Door Cinema closed. After I loved to Florida in 1983, the
rest of the center city theaters disapeared.I think the last one to go was the Midtown which is now the Prince Art theater.
New York had a great Cinerama theater from the 60 until the middle 80’s when it like most times square theaters was torn down to make way for a hotel.I remember going there for the first time in the late 70’s to see Hello Dolly which was presented just as it was originally in 1969 when it opened. I remeber being amazed at the curved screen. RKO kept the cinerama screen until it closed the theater in the 80’s.