What Times Square Area Buildings Use To Be Theaters?- Page 10

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/1/10 at 2:14pm

The Roxy delicatessen used to be a theater , In addition the NY Visitors & Convention Bureau (next to the Palace) was a small theater designed by Thomas Lamb who did some of the bigger movie palaces in Times Square - Mark Strand, Capitol, State,Rivoli & the old Mark Hellinger (Warners Hollywood). All except the Hellinger are gone

In addition, I believe he may have done the old Loews Mayfair which is the building with the wrap around billboard on 47th Street. The front of it is a souvenir store while most of the theater sits there unused. It later became the De Mille which hosted some of the epics of the 60's . I remember they had a beautiful lounge . The theater may be art deco as you can see traces of it when entering the store. It would be great to bring it back & show old wide screen movies & bring back what movie going used to be like.

Updated On: 11/14/10 at 02:14 PM

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/1/10 at 4:17pm

I seem to remember reading the the New Victory was where Minsky's Burlesque was in the late 1930-s? Anyone know anything about that.

Outstanding thread... THIS is why I visit BWW!!

I was in New York that Monday March 22, 1982 when the demonstrators tried to stop the demolition and were arrested and carted away. As soon as the all clear was given a worker with a sledge-hammer went and smashed every one of those glass panels that said "Morosco" that framed the entrance. What a waste. And the sad thing was that he two theaters could have been included in the design for the Marriott hotel. (Also torn down was a somewhat faded but still comfortable old hotel called The Piccadilly where I used to stay in the early 80s.)

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 5/1/10 at 4:45pm

Are there any pictures of the Morosco Theatre during or right before the demolition?

[Kevn520]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 4:58am

There are some in the book "Lost Broadway Theatres", though I don't know if they're online anywhere.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 7:54am

Mr.Roxy, I remember t
The gigantic Capitol with it's fine wood paneling. That is where I saw a James Bond film with an all star cast: CASINO ROYALE, in the mid 1960's. In its heyday, the Capitol had elabaorate stage shows in addition to first run movies.

Famebroadway2: years ago, when the 42nd Street Redevelopement Plan was winding down, I was walking down West 41st Street between 8th and Broadway and came upon the rear of the Liberty Theatre. The stage door was open and there were construction workers on the scene. I boldly asked one of them if I might go in to take a quick look and he said "Sure"(!) So in I went. The backstage area still had it's original lighting board. I continued into the auditorium where I encountered a very dilapidated theatre. All of the seats were intact, as well as the stage, but things were in a sorry state. The Liberty, like all of the theaters on W. 42nd, had been used as "grind houses", showing old westerns, James Bond films and the like during the period before the restoration. A fair amount of anonymous sex went on in those theaters, especially during the 1980's, contrasting sharply with the revues, dramas, and musicals that were presented up until the mid 1930' s. At the Liberty, which had a long entranceway on 42nd Street and the auditorium on 41st Street, such stars as Fred and Adele Astaire, Jeannette MacDonald, dancer Bill Robinson, and the comic team of Abbott and Costello performed on its stage with it's patriotically decorated proscenium. The Liberty had opened in 1904 under the management of famous producers Klaw and Erlanger. Incidentally, the massive back wall of the theatre on 41st Street is impressive in it's own right. It looks as if it has been cleaned. The door leading to the auditorium, locked tightly, is in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, along with a few photos of the current interior, warts and all. Supposedly it is to be restored some day.

Updated On: 5/2/10 at 07:54 AM

[Mamie]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 9:05am

Chinkie -
Here's a few pictures of the Morosco I've gathered - both before, during, and after the destruction of the theatre.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 9:55am

Oh, Mamie, those pictures hurt. I cried when they tore down the Morosco and the old Helen Hayes.

EDIT: I posted the exact same message in this thread on 11/23/08

Updated On: 5/2/10 at 09:55 AM

[Mamie]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 10:27am

That shows just how genuine and heartfelt your comment was, as well as the popularity of this thread!

[E.Davis]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 11:18am

I love Thomas Lambs work. He has some beautiful Theatre's up in the Capitol Region.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 11:26am

Thanks a lot Mamie!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 4:05pm

Google the San Francisco Fox & see what was probably the most opulent theater ever built. A 4000 plus beauty by Lamb demolished.

Here are some others:

Loews Ohio - Columbus
Loews 175 th St - NYC
Loews Syracuse - Syracuse NY
Loews 72 nd St - NYC - Demolished

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 12:34pm

Mr. Roxy, there was a Loews 86th Street (NYC) that was demolished in the 1980's. I lived in the area and remember peeking into the construction site and seeing the remains of dressing rooms at the top level of the theatre. An older friend of mine remembers attending movies and stage shows there in the distant past. Movie going used to be a real night out.

Updated On: 5/3/10 at 12:34 PM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 1:17pm

This thread is great, intresting, informative and no bitching lol

[Smaxie]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 1:31pm

The theatre behind the Roxy Delicatessen entrance was the Central, also known as the Holiday and the Gotham when it was a legit theatre. It was a movie theatre from the 50s through the 80s, until it became Club USA for a brief time before being demolished to make way for the W Hotel.

To my surprise, I believe it was owned by the Shubert Organization when it was demolished.

Posted: 5/3/10 at 1:56pm

as Smaxie says, The Central which before being demolished was Club USA. It was a very well designed night club with rooms desgined by Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. There were two slides taking you from the front mezz to the orchestra via burlap bag! Anyone have pics of Club USA?!

[smodel11]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 4:02pm

BUMP! I'm so happy to see this thread again :) It's so fascinating!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 6:21pm

Lamb did the 86 th st as well. He also did the RKO Proctors on 58 th street which was demolished for Alexanders which was in turn demolished for Bloomberg World HQ

One of his creations still standing is the Loews Canal on Canal & Ludlow, The outer lobby is an appliance store & the auditorium is a warehouse for a nearby hardware store. No idea if they are still there. There was talk of restoring it as almost all of the auditorium is still intact.

Updated On: 10/21/10 at 06:21 PM

[Orangesaretuesdays]

Posted: 10/21/10 at 6:36pm

So did anyone finally get into the Liberty after all? I'm visting the city next week and If it is possible I'd love to see it!

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 10/21/10 at 8:14pm

So glad to see this thread back

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 10/23/10 at 6:40pm

Someone tell me where the Liberty entrance is! I'm-a goin' in next time I'm in town!

[allofmylife]

Posted: 10/30/10 at 2:34pm

Two years and nobody has fixed the atrocious language in the title of this thread. Now there's a demolition of which I would approve.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/30/10 at 3:53pm

Wow, just read this thread for the first time. Amazing!!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/30/10 at 5:30pm

I just moved to Harlem and was getting on the 1 at 137th, and noticed that above the McDonalds there was a sign that said "Gotham Theater." Does anyone know anything about the "Gotham Theater" and/or what it use to look like and what happen to it?

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 10/31/10 at 11:57am

^ The sign is old. It's listed here as the Delmar.

http://cinematreasures.org/theater/7825/

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/31/10 at 12:03pm

I'm guessing it's pretty much been gutted now, but they left the sign.