From the NY Times, this odd explanation of why Marble Hill is really, sort of, Manhattan;
“The City of New York, as it was before 1899, became the borough of Manhattan. Its island boundaries have been changed many times by landfill as well as legislation. For example, when the bed of Spuyten Duyvil Creek was cut through a rocky bit of northern Manhattan to simplify navigation between the Hudson and East Rivers, the lost territory, known as Marble Hill, was joined physically by landfill to the Bronx. But legally, Marble Hill residents remain Manhattanites and vote in Manhattan, even though they have to cross Spuyten Duyvil Creek on the Broadway bridge to do so.”
Does anyone have any knowledge of a HUDSON theatre in north Manhattan?
It appears in the 1934 Film Daily Year Book as located at 1268 Amsterdam Avenue but newspaper ads in 1921-22 place it close to Audubon Avenue and 167th street.
This website has a photo identifying the Sunset as the current La Gree Baptist Church. This would place the Sunset closer to St. Nicholas than the address above.
According to the NYTimes, black patrons were admitted into the balcony area starting in 1934, concurrent with some black headliners and the amateur nights.
The city of Miami did not rename the Olympia. Maurice Gusman saved it from the wrecking ball, refurbished it into a concert hall and named it after himself. He then left it to the city when he passed away.
MPol, here is an example. When Cineplex Odeon took over the profitable Warner Twin (Strand), they were offered the equivalent of ten year’s profit in exchange for getting out of the lease and an option for a new theatre in the new building. Since they had other Times square locations including the National, Rialto, and the brand new World Wide in the pipeline, they took it. Once all leases were bought out the building was replaced by an office tower and no theatre was included.
In later years the National was also in constant play as the landlord felt that the theatre crowd hurt their office tenants’s image and they could lease the space out for more money. Cineplex Odeon refused to budge for years but the deal was promptly made in 1997 once the company ran into Chapter 11 problems. It is now the GOOD MORNING AMERICA studios.
The landlords did not like the movie theatres because they were huge spaces that in the late seventies, eighties and early nineties attracted a steady stream of inner city hoodlums which disrupted the screenings and often caused mayhem in the area. They were crowded but not easy to run locations.
“It’s hard to keep a great theatre open with no one coming.”
This particular theatre was always packed. Times Square theatres rarely close due to poor business. Like drive-ins, they close because the land they are sitting on is worth so much more than the business of movie theatres.
I understand Disney may be moving their Fifth Avenue store to Times Square because TOYS R US has done so well with the tourist family trade. Perhaps FOREVER 21 is hoping to cash on tourists who still think the dollar exchange rate is a bargain.
There are two theatres with the same name at the same location. One operated from 1919 to 1932. The other from 1933 to 1963.
Just because an organ was delivered does not mean this was ever a cinema.
From the NY Times, this odd explanation of why Marble Hill is really, sort of, Manhattan;
“The City of New York, as it was before 1899, became the borough of Manhattan. Its island boundaries have been changed many times by landfill as well as legislation. For example, when the bed of Spuyten Duyvil Creek was cut through a rocky bit of northern Manhattan to simplify navigation between the Hudson and East Rivers, the lost territory, known as Marble Hill, was joined physically by landfill to the Bronx. But legally, Marble Hill residents remain Manhattanites and vote in Manhattan, even though they have to cross Spuyten Duyvil Creek on the Broadway bridge to do so.”
Is the Dyckman theatre (552 West 207th Street) listed on CT? I can’t seem to find it.
My mistake, LM, it is 1968, but that still maps near Lincoln Center.
This was already advertised as the Gem in 1922.
Does anyone have any knowledge of a HUDSON theatre in north Manhattan?
It appears in the 1934 Film Daily Year Book as located at 1268 Amsterdam Avenue but newspaper ads in 1921-22 place it close to Audubon Avenue and 167th street.
This short video on the music history of Overtown features a rare, albeit fuzzy, nightime view of the Ritz.
View link
Thanks LM! That makes more sense.
This website has a photo identifying the Sunset as the current La Gree Baptist Church. This would place the Sunset closer to St. Nicholas than the address above.
View link
I suspect the La Gree Church building might actually be the Palace St. Nicholas theatre and annex instead, which is not yet listed.
Any ideas?
The Regent stopped showing movies in 1963.
The Regun appears in a December 1922 ad for TESS OF THE STORM COUNTRY so it was no longer the Imperial by then.
A paramount Week ad for 1920 lists the Grant Theatre at 116th Street. By the following year’s ad it it listed as the Jewel at 11 West 116th Street.
My 1934 Film Daily Year book lists a Rex Theatre at 217 E. 67th Street which would place it near Second Avenue. It does not appear to be listed here.
Perhaps someone has more info on either Rex location.
The Apollo shows up in Paramount Week ads as showing movies at least as early as 1919.
I saw it on the super huge Lincoln Square IMAX screen and it was still a big, dumb, loud, obnoxious, CGI bore.
According to the NYTimes, black patrons were admitted into the balcony area starting in 1934, concurrent with some black headliners and the amateur nights.
The earliest date mentioned above was 1926.
Still open in 1934 with 470 seats according to my Film Daily Year Book.
The New Third was already operating as that in 1923.
The city of Miami did not rename the Olympia. Maurice Gusman saved it from the wrecking ball, refurbished it into a concert hall and named it after himself. He then left it to the city when he passed away.
MPol, here is an example. When Cineplex Odeon took over the profitable Warner Twin (Strand), they were offered the equivalent of ten year’s profit in exchange for getting out of the lease and an option for a new theatre in the new building. Since they had other Times square locations including the National, Rialto, and the brand new World Wide in the pipeline, they took it. Once all leases were bought out the building was replaced by an office tower and no theatre was included.
In later years the National was also in constant play as the landlord felt that the theatre crowd hurt their office tenants’s image and they could lease the space out for more money. Cineplex Odeon refused to budge for years but the deal was promptly made in 1997 once the company ran into Chapter 11 problems. It is now the GOOD MORNING AMERICA studios.
The landlords did not like the movie theatres because they were huge spaces that in the late seventies, eighties and early nineties attracted a steady stream of inner city hoodlums which disrupted the screenings and often caused mayhem in the area. They were crowded but not easy to run locations.
This theatre closed in 1995.
“It’s hard to keep a great theatre open with no one coming.”
This particular theatre was always packed. Times Square theatres rarely close due to poor business. Like drive-ins, they close because the land they are sitting on is worth so much more than the business of movie theatres.
I understand Disney may be moving their Fifth Avenue store to Times Square because TOYS R US has done so well with the tourist family trade. Perhaps FOREVER 21 is hoping to cash on tourists who still think the dollar exchange rate is a bargain.