- For the theatre in Clarksville, Tennessee, see Roxy Theatre (Clarksville, Tennessee).
The Roxy Theatre in New York City was a 6,214 seat movie theater at 153 West 50th Street at 7th Avenue, opened on March 11, 1927 by Samuel Roxy Rothafel. It was designed by Chicago architect Walter W. Ahlschlager. The opening night film was The Love of Sunya produced by and starring Gloria Swanson. The Roxy was overshadowed by the opening of Radio City Music Hall in the Rockefeller Center in NYC in 1932. The Roxy closed and was demolished in 1960, and Swanson was famously photographed on October 14, 1960 by Time-Life photographer Eliot Elisofon in the midst of the ruins during the theater's demolition.
| The Roxy Theatre | |
|---|---|
The Roxy Theatre 1927 postcard |
|
| Nickname(s) | The Roxy |
| Location | 153 West 50th St., New York NY 10020 |
| Type | Movie Palace |
| Genre(s) | Films and Stage shows |
| Built | 1926 |
| Opened | March 11, 1927 |
| Owner | Fox Theatres |
| Closed | March 29, 1960 |
| Demolished | 1960 |
| Seating type | fixed |
| Capacity | 6214 |
The Roxy Theater's box office was located in the Hotel Taft on a corner retail space, most recently occupied by a restaurant. The actual theater was built on a parking lot behind the hotel. While the Roxy was an important venue for major Hollywood films, it was especially noted for its stage shows, featuring the original "Roxyettes", which became the Rockettes when they moved to the Radio City Music Hall in 1932. Many noted performers of the era, such as the Nicholas Brothers, Carmen Cavallaro, and The Harmonicats appeared at the Roxy, as well as dog acts and acrobats. One of the last shows in 1959 was This Earth is Mine starring Rock Hudson and Jean Simmons, followed by The Big Circus. On the Roxy stage was Starlight Stage - Gretchen Wyler, The Blackburn Twins, Jerry Collins, and The Roxy Orchestra. The refreshment bar was in the Rotunda, on the back of the program were detailed Fire Exits to the Balcony, Mezzanine and to the Orchestra, Director of Theatre Opeerations was William L Miller, Advertising was Leon Brandt, and Managing Director was Robert C. Rothafel.
References
- L'Estrange Fawcett: Die Welt des Films. Amalthea Verlag, Zurich, Leipzig, Vienna 1928, p. 42 (German-speaking version, translated from English to German from C. Zell, with additions from S. Walter Fischer)
