Times Square, September 1961
A friend of mine recently gave me some boxes of 35mm slides, photos taken by his boss of over 20 years. Most of the photos were of Europe from the 1990s, but mixed in were a few vintage slides from the 1960s (I've been told that his boss threw away most of his older slides, because... who would want those?? THE PAIN). I always enjoy views of Times Square, and these had the added fun of showing some vintage theater marquees.
So here we are, with the Criterion Theater to our right (1514 Broadway)which opened in 1938. It was the site of many movie premiers, including the 70mm premiers of "Lawrence of Arabia" and "My Fair Lady", as well as "South Pacific", "Funny Girl", and "Patton". In today's photo, the Criterion is showing the now-classic Gregory Peck movie, "The Guns of Navarone" (in which "the efforts of an Allied commando unit to destroy a seemingly impregnable German fortress that threatens Allied naval ships in the Aegean Sea."). The building slightly to our right is One Times Square, built in 1904. Today that building is completely covered in giant ads, making it "one of the most valuable advertising locations in the world".
Notice the large billboard for Camel cigarettes near the middle of the picture, famous for the smoke rings that were blown by ever-changing characters (a WWII pilot, a doctor, Phil Silvers, and so on).
Here's another marquee, though I don't have many clues to help identify the theater. Love that taxi cab with the tail fins! Let's go see "The Young Doctors", starring... Dick Clark (?!), Ben Gazzara, and Frederic March. Turns out Dick Clark owned the film rights, so that explains why he was there. To be honest, it sounds like a dreary plot, but I've never seen it, so perhaps it was OK.
In the distance, another theater is showing "The Naked Edge" starring Gary Cooper and Deborah Kerr. A brief synopsis: In the aftermath of a theft and murder, Martha Radcliffe increasingly suspects her husband George Radcliffe, whose testimony in court convicted the main suspect, of being the real culprit.
Notice the "Automat" sign to the right, probably the famous Horn and Hardart Automat.
The lady in robin's egg blue (and white gloves) might be a visitor from out of town, don't you think? I love going to NYC, but the thought of being able to see it as it was 60 years ago is intriguing!
19 comments:
Um, is that Yogi Bear on the Camel sign? I tried to decipher what was playing at the Globe theater down the street... no luck.
Major, I was on pins and needles as I read that Wikipedia description of "The Young Doctors". Well, OK, I had to use the pins and needles to poke myself so I wouldn't fall asleep. It sounded like a typical episode of any of the doctor drama TV series that were popular at the time. Actually, in 1961, this movie may have been the progenitor of all those TV doctor series.
Just below the Automat sign is another sign that says "Scream". Wonder what that was about?
Ha! The marquee for "The Naked Edge" says: "When the red light flashes absolutely no one will be seated during the last 15 minutes of The Naked Edge". I think that advertising ploy was used for other movies as well.
Thanks for taking us through the wormhole into 1961 NYC, Major.
Major-
It seems to me there's an untapped market for two jacket suits-! I could make a killing. That lovely taxi cab is a 1957 De Soto 'Firesweep'. It's being followed by a 1960 Chevrolet station wagon, in 'Horizon Blue'.
With the help of 'special spells and incantations', I have concluded The Young Doctors is playing at the Astor Theatre; and the Naked Edge is playing at the Victoria Theatre (known as the Gaiety Theatre, prior to 1943).
Thanks, Major
@ JB-
The theatre with the "SCREAM" on the marquee [at the time] is the Forum. (AKA: Central; Columbia; Gotham; Holiday; Odeon). And the film... Scream of Fear, originally titled Taste of Fear, is a British-made suspense drama with Susan Strasberg, Ann Todd and Ronald Lewis.
You're welcome. (That took a lot of sleuthing to track down; but a lot of fun, too).
I'm with the Major on the lady in blue; I think only an out-of-towner would wear white sandals on those city streets. Her feet are going to be filthy when she gets back to the hotel room.
I’ll confess - I’m an out-of-tower, too, and haven’t been to Times Square since 1997. Is it still there?
Chuck, Times Square is still there, but it’s so crowded, no one goes there anymore.
Major, the automat reminds of P.D.Q. Bach’s famous composition, “Concerto for Horn and Hardart”!
New York in the ‘60’s, what a thing to see. I think I can make out part of Ripley’s Believe it or Not sign?
JG
That tailor’s sign for two trouser suits reminds me, I had a suit with two pairs of trousers.
I didn’t wear it much since it was hot wearing two pairs of trousers.
I’ll be here all week, try the veal.
JG
Am curious as to what the rest of the sign states - where we only see a partial: “Oven: for tanning”.
Thanks, Major, and also to your friend, for sharing these. I’ve never been to New York. I’m looking forward to more trips here with the Jr. Gorillas.
—Sue
@ JG-
That is Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum - in its 2nd, Times Square location (1957-1972). Using other images, I was able to see that Dr. No was playing at the theatre just to the left of Ripley's; and using a [then] current NYTimes review, determined it to be the Astor Theatre.
Nanook, wow, "special spells and incantations" is right! How else could you have come up with all that info?
Sue, I was wondering the same thing. What sort of oven is used for tanning?
Hmm, there are a lot of groaners in the comments today... And lots of smiles, chuckles, and guffaws.
@ Sue-
I presume the"oven" was probably a reference to the sun, as that's a container for Sea and Ski Suntan Lotion. I remember it well - and HERE IT IS.
Unconnected references to both Yogi Bear and Yogi Berra in the same comments thread. This sort of nonsense is why I like hanging out here (however crowded it may be)!
Major-
Notice the "Automat" sign to the right, probably the famous Horn and Hardart Automat.
Said the technocrat,
To the Plutocrat
To the autocrat,
And the Democrat—
Let’s all go eat at the Automat! —New York Evening Sun, 1933
JB, I doubt that is Yogi Bear on the Camel sign, although the Flintstones famously advertised for cigarettes (Winston? Marlborough?). I agree, The Young Doctors sounds dreary, but maybe it had a certain charm. Any movie starring Dick Clark must be incredible! The flashing red light for The Naked Edge reminds me of Hitchcock’s demand that nobody be let in the theater after “Psycho” started, and that was only the year before.
Nanook, you can wear the same pants over and over if you just change your jacket! A De Soto taxi cab, very cool. “Horizon Blue”, I love it. Thanks also for the IDs on the movie theaters!
Nanook, “Scream of Fear”, I have to look that one up!! Thanks!
Melissa, I appreciate that she wanted to look good in the city. I hope her feet were OK.
Chuck, Times Square was moved to the Austin, Texas area because of tax breaks.
JG, I don’t know that P.D.Q. Bach tune, but it sounds like his kind of silliness. I must not be looking in the right area (or the right photo), I don’t see the “Ripley’s” sign. If they had a museum in NYC, I wonder if it was as cheesy as the one in Hollywood?
JG, don’t you know that you were supposed to wear one pair of trousers in the morning and the other pair at night??
Sue, you can see the words “Sea and Ski” above the word “Oven”. That was a popular brand of “suntan lotion”, I’ll bet it had zero SPF and was just nice-smelling oily goo.
Nanook, oh NOW I see the “..r Not!” sign. I honestly did not know that they had “Believe It or Not!” museums that long ago. “Dr. No”, very cool!
JG, now that we know that Nanook is into the occult, we know how he has so much information about microphones and car colors!
Nanook, back in those days I feel like it was either Coppertone or Sea and Ski. Or maybe Ban du Soleil? For that San Tropez tan! I still wonder, we all know the classic “suntan lotion” smell, but what IS it, exactly? I also wonder why they don’t make Sea and Ski anymore? It’s a great name.
Chuck, proof that leprechauns run our universe.
Nanook, somewhere I have a spoon from Horn and Hardart, it goes with my 1939 World’s Fair spoon and my Mickey Mouse spoon.
We had one Lufthansa fork when I was a kid, but none of us knew how we got it. OR WOULD ADMIT TO IT.
Melissa, I think every house had at least one piece of airline silverware, at least when airlines had real silverware.
Yep, I inherited my mom’s two sets of Jet America silverware. But they’re pretty-cheapie.
—Sue
Ah...the Guns of Navarone. Epic movie with star studded cast. Saw it with my folks at a Drive In in Brigham City Utah. I distinctly remember that one for some reason. KS
I just spotted the TWO TROUSER SUITS sign in the wild, in an episode of the 1958 Mike Hammer TV series starring Darren McGavin.
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