Paris Theatre
4 W. 58th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
4 W. 58th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
56 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Paris Cinema (Official)
Additional Info
Operated by: Netflix
Previously operated by: Cineplex Odeon, City Cinemas, Loews, Pathe
Architects: James J. Murno
Firms: Warner-Leeds Associates
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: Loews Fine Arts Theatre
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Aug 24, 2009 — Paris & Beekman projectionist pickets
- Aug 18, 2009 — New operators for NY theaters
- Nov 11, 2008 — New York's Pioneer Theater closes
- Sep 3, 2008 — 60 years of Paris
The first of the post-war movie houses constructed in Manhattan, the Paris Theatre is directly across from the Plaza Hotel and not much further from the beginning of Central Park. This luxurious art house in Manhattan’s Midtown has a plain Art Moderne exterior. The auditorium has blue velvet walls and seating for 421 on the main floor and 150 in the balcony. It has excellent projection and sound. The atmosphere is elegant, including with a well attired and helpful staff.
The Paris Theatre opened on September 13, 1948, with Marlene Dietrich cutting the ribbon in the presence of the Ambassador to France. The opening movie was “La Symphonie Pastorale”(Pastoral Symphony) starring Michelle Morgan. The original movie operator, Pathe, ran the theatre until August 31, 1990. The Paris Theatre became one of the very best places to see art house films in New York. As its name implies, the Paris Theatre had an affinity for playing foreign films (especially French films). Many premieres have been held at the theatre, including in spring of 1968 when the Paris Theatre became the first in the U.S. to play “William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet” a United Kingdom/Italy co-production starring Leonard Whiting & Olivia Hussey and directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
Loews took over on September 1, 1990, and the theatre was known for a while as the Loews Fine Arts Theatre. Loews ceased operation of the theatre on April 30, 1997. Reverting back to its original Paris Theatre name, the theatre was operated by the owner of the building until 2009, when City Cinemas became the movie operator. On August 27, 2019, with leases expiring, City Cinemas closed the Paris Theatre with the movie “Pavarotti” and exited the other theatre owned by the owner, the Beekman Theatre.
On November 6, 2019, Netflix reopened the Paris Theatre with their movie “Marriage Story” starring Scarlett Johansson. It was closed on February 27, 2020 for renovations, and remained closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It reopened on March 19, 2021 with Eddie Redmayne in “The Trial of the Chicago 7” screened exclusively in 35mm.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick, Howard B. Haas
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Recent comments (view all 378 comments)
(from Paris email) Special event day & new movie: PARIS THEATER SHOWTIMES THROUGH APRIL 10:
Wednesday and Thursday, March 31 and April 1: The Trial of the Chicago 7, 12:00, 3:30, 6:40, and 9:30 p.m. In 35mm.
Friday, April 2 through Friday, April 9: Mank, 12:00, 3:30, 6:40, 9:30 p.m. In 35mm.
Saturday, April 10: GoodFellas introduced by Glenn Kenny, 12:00 p.m. In 35mm. The White Tiger, followed by conversation with Ramin Bahrani, 3:30 p.m. DCP. Chop Shop, introduced by Ramin Bahrani, 7:15 p.m. In 35mm, Mank, 9:30 p.m. In 35mm.
Free popcorn and beverages served at all shows at the Paris
we are excited to announce our first filmmaker event, a day devoted to Ramin Bahrani, the acclaimed Iranian-American New York City-based writer/director, who is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, for The White Tiger. We will kick things off on Saturday, April 10, at noon with a 35mm screening of Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas, selected by Bahrani as a key influence on his work (see below). GoodFellas will be introduced by film critic Glenn Kenny, author of the new book Made Men: The Story of GoodFellas. A book signing with Kenny follows the screening. At 3:30 p.m., we will show The White Tiger, followed by a conversation with Bahrani. The White Tiger follows the epic journey of a poor Indian driver who must use his wit and cunning to break free from servitude to his rich masters and rise to the top of the heap, and is based on Aravind Adiga’s New York Times best seller & Man Booker Prize-winning novel. And at 7:15 p.m., we will show Bahrani’s 2007 critically acclaimed Chop Shop, a deeply engrossing film set in a ramshackle neighborhood amidst the auto repair shops of Willets Point, Queens.
Interesting article in todays Daily News: https://www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-paris-theater-reopening-netflix-20210731-w5e6gy24bna7vkuhdgv2oxw7si-story.html
Hello- what is the longest running film to play here in recent years? I say its Call Me By Your Name which opened Thanksgiving week 2017 and played till the first week of April 2018.
Yes, I think Call Me By Your Name was the longest running movie in recent years.
The Paris Theatre is the last one standing among the dozens of Times Square and east-side arthouses in which I spent my teens, twenties, and thirties. (There’s still the remains of what was the Cinema I and II, but those are soon to be history.) Forgive me, but I have to add one discordant note: Out of all those theaters that showed the latest foreign films, the Paris had the worst sightlines for reading subtitles (and I’m 6'2")
I sit in the balcony & have not had a problem with subtitles. Is there news about the Cinema I & II? for those interested, the Paris has now begun showing “Waiting for the Forty Year Version” in 35mm and a series of 31 classic films that premiered at the Paris!
Is it really true that the Paris is being equipped to project 70mm?
YES, it had 70MM< When Loews had the Paris (aka Fine Arts) showed Howards End, Remain of the Days and Hamlet in 70MM 6 Track Dolby Stereo
I saw Hamlet in 70mm at the Paris.
To help answer the question about 70MM, yes, the equipment is there for 70MM now. The one projector is the original Paris projector and a second similar one has been brought in. All sound amps etc are all installed. The only thing holding it back now is the lack of reels to mount the film onto. There are only 2 in the booth. We barely have enough reels for 35MM. These items are rare since everyone converted to digital about 10 years ago. All old equipment was sold for scrap.