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Author Topic: Grauman's Chinese Theatre to Be Sold to Producers Elie Samaha, Don Kushner Jeff Taylor Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 601 From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY Registered: Apr 2000 posted 05-12-2011 05:59 PM                     Having been formerly associated with Rockefeller Center, I've been over the Music Hall top to bottom including the booth, backstage, the stage lifts which the Army guarded during WWII since they were similar to the elevators on carriers, orchestra gondola, organ chambers, the two original Carrier chillers, and that funky room where they have all the racks and racks of vacuum tubes which drive the dimmable lights (that may be gone now), and I've got to say it's impressive--really impressive. Nothing against the Chinese, but the Music Hall diserves its due, and there was nothing like seeing Sinatra from the house seats.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-12-2011 08:07 PM                        Radio City has a pretty good tour. I recommend it. It doesn't go to the booth, but it does go backstage and to the basement and to all sorts of other interesting places. The scale of the place must be seen to be believed; photographs and drawings do not do it justice. I visited the Chinese in 2000. They didn't have a tour, but I did see a movie there. I liked the architecture and the screen, but thought that the sound quality sucked. Supposedly, it has been improved since then.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 05-13-2011 12:47 PM                     Years ago, the booth was on the tour. Now the closest you get is looking down a hallway with the booth at the end. All you can see is the back of a lamphouse.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-13-2011 08:15 PM                     I don't think anyone is trying to take anything away from RCMH that it deserves. I'm certainly not. I just don't think it deserves the title of most famous movie theatre in the world. While it may be a nice touch, the fact that RCMH may have a great tour doesn't change my opinion.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 05-14-2011 09:19 AM                        Well, not taking anything away from the Chinese, RCMH is in the city that gets the highest number of tourists every year than any other city in the world. And one of the hottest tourist attractions in NYC is the Music Hall. And so is not "perhaps" the most famous movie theatre in the world, it IS the most visited and the famous in the world. Not only that, its image has appeared in more films and TV and other media than the Chinese so it is definately the most recognizable. If you put a picture of its interior to a picture of the interior of the Chinese, more people would be able to recognize the iconic RCMH, and that's the definition of famous. And I'll throw this in -- whether or not it runs movies regularly or just occasionally (which it does), it is still a movie theatre.  |  IP: Logged Tom Petrov Five Guys Lover Posts: 1121 From: El Paso, TX Registered: Jan 2003 posted 05-14-2011 10:52 AM                    I will have to agree with Frank here. If you ask random people, more of them will likely tell they have heard of Radio City Music Hall than the Chinese theatre.  |  IP: Logged Hillary Charles Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 748 From: York, PA, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-14-2011 01:14 PM                     Out of the two theaters, I've only ever seen a movie at Radio City. Still, I think of that for the Christmas program and the Rockettes probably a bit more than for showing movies. The Chinese Theater screams "Hollywood," and is equally famous for the hand and footprints in the forecourt. My vote for most famous American theater, RCMH, most famous movie theater, the Chinese.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-14-2011 03:54 PM                        quote: Tom Petrov If you ask random people, more of them will likely tell they have heard of Radio City Music Hall than the Chinese theatre. I doubt that. The Chinese is much more famous as a movie theatre than RCMH is. In fact, I had never even conceived of RCMH as a place to see a movie until I saw this thread. If you ask random people around here, you've got a pretty good chance that most people have never heard of either one.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-16-2011 11:44 PM                     I think if you asked people the right question... "What's the most famous movie theatre in the world." ...very few will say RCMH. To minimize geographical partiality, I'd say eliminate respondents from BOTH New York and Southern California -- and be sure to include foreign nationals.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 05-17-2011 03:19 AM                        Yeah, I didn't know the Radio City Music Hall ever showed movies. I don't know much about it. I know more about the Apollo than RCMH.  |  IP: Logged Robert Throop Master Film Handler Posts: 412 From: Vernon, NY USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-17-2011 10:05 AM                     quote: Joe Redifer Yeah, I didn't know the Radio City Music Hall ever showed movies. From shortly after its opening in 1932 until 1979, RCMH was a full time movie theatre with a stage show. Typically the film would play 5 times a day and the stage show 4 times. When I was in high school the admission price was 90 cents before noon. It was the best bargain in NY.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 05-17-2011 04:44 PM                        5 movies and 4 stage shows a day? Was the place open 24 hours?  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-17-2011 10:03 PM                        quote: Frank Angel RCMH is in the city that gets the highest number of tourists every year than any other city in the world. I thought Paris was the most visited city in the world. According to World Tourism Organization (on Wikipedia), New York is #4. Linkity Link  |  IP: Logged Robert Throop Master Film Handler Posts: 412 From: Vernon, NY USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-18-2011 09:03 AM                     quote: Joe Redifer 5 movies and 4 stage shows a day? Was the place open 24 hours? Typically the first film would screen at 10:30 am followed by the stage show which lasted about an hour. The last complete show would have the stage show starting about 9 and the show ending by midnight.  |  IP: Logged Lionel Fouillen Expert Film Handler Posts: 230 From: Belgium Registered: Nov 2002 posted 05-20-2011 07:27 AM                     I did the Radio City tour in 2005. It was worth it and I recommend it to all lovers of theater architecture and prestigious landmarks. But it should not be presented or considered primarily as a movie house. I could propose to post my pictures on Film-Tech in the warehouse section, but it would not comply to the rule ordering a certain minimum of pictures from the booth, as I didn't visit it (not part of the tour)...  |  IP: Logged

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