Vintage neon signs

[2jakes]

A TTC streetcar sweeper clears the road on Coxwell near Queen St.

 

[1mach1]

View attachment 136266 A TTC streetcar sweeper clears the road on Coxwell near Queen St.
View attachment 136264

View attachment 136265

View attachment 136267

Sadly, Barrel House Liquors in DC was renovated last year and the barrel facade is no more. Now it looks like any other shop in town. [emoji849]

 

[2jakes]

Sadly, Barrel House Liquors in DC was renovated last year and the barrel facade is no more. Now it looks like any other shop in town.

That's exactly what I told the people at Gap after they bought
B.R.

 

[2jakes]

Earlier when I was posting these images of Toronto...


This movie came to mind:

A Christmas Story. (1983)

 

[Ghostsoldier]

One of the best Christmas movies ever made. [emoji106][emoji3]

Rob

 

[Fading Fast]

When I saw this pic, it reminded of the town I grew up in, but the pics I found on line didn't really reflect that well. There were several streets that looked just like this ⇧, but again, so far, I haven't found the pics that show that.

These two ⇩ give a bit of a feel for it, but the don't capture that run of tightly packed early 20th Century brick buildings with storefronts on the ground level that New Brunswick NJ had several streets of that looked just like the above (sans the trolley - while it had one in early in the last Century, it was gone pretty earlier):

 

[Fading Fast]

Pre-internet age, like when I was growing up, a store like this was heaven (assuming you had 50 cents or, better yet, a buck or two in your pocket depending on how late in the '70s it was as that determined how much inflation had impacted your buying power).

 

[LizzieMaine]

51st Street looking toward 7th Avenue. It looks like two hotels, but it's really only one. In 1939, the dowdy old Hotel Victoria carved off a piece of itself to be renamed the Abbey, as a discount hotel intended to attract the throngs of tourists expected to flood into the city for the World's Fair. The Fair only lasted two years, but the Abbey lingered for decades as a favorite cheap-lodging spot for those having business in the theatre district, gaining the nickname "Shabby Abbey" in the process.

Turn the corner and you're standing in front of the Roxy, once the most lavish movie house in town, but quickly eclipsed by Radio City Music Hall -- which lured away even "Roxy" Rothafel himself. But it's still an experience -- and with nearly six thousand seats it's not like they're going to be sold out or anything. You've got nothing better to do, it's cold and wet and slushy out, and there's probably something showing with Tyrone Power or Alice Faye that'll help you kill a couple of hours.

 

[2jakes]

One of the best Christmas movies ever made. [emoji106][emoji3]

Rob

I Agree!
I was working at Joske’s of Texas department store in the camera dept.

(postcard I made for friends during the holidays)
It was around the holidays and I sold some film to Darren McGavin.
This was before he had made “Christmas Story”.
I remember him from a TV series about werewolves or vampires called,
“Kolchak the Nightstalker”. Mr. McGavin was a very friendly easy-going
person.

I never saw " Christmas Story” in theaters, it was much later when it was
aired on television all day marathon during the holiday season.
I read that the initial reviews were both good and not so good.

Critics...what do they know about BB guns!

 

[Fading Fast]

51st Street looking toward 7th Avenue. It looks like two hotels, but it's really only one. In 1939, the dowdy old Hotel Victoria carved off a piece of itself to be renamed the Abbey, as a discount hotel intended to attract the throngs of tourists expected to flood into the city for the World's Fair. The Fair only lasted two years, but the Abbey lingered for decades as a favorite cheap-lodging spot for those having business in the theatre district, gaining the nickname "Shabby Abbey" in the process.

Turn the corner and you're standing in front of the Roxy, once the most lavish movie house in town, but quickly eclipsed by Radio City Music Hall -- which lured away even "Roxy" Rothafel himself. But it's still an experience -- and with nearly six thousand seats it's not like they're going to be sold out or anything. You've got nothing better to do, it's cold and wet and slushy out, and there's probably something showing with Tyrone Power or Alice Faye that'll help you kill a couple of hours.

I've seen movies in some of those old gigantic NYC theaters (other than Radio City, most have been demolished by now as the economics don't support them). It is quite an experience to sit in a multi-thousand seat theater to see a movie. Even the "new" Ziegfeld (built in '66 and now gone) was north of a thousand seats and was one of my favorites. I'd go out of my way to see a movie there - I saw revivals of "Dr Zhivago" and "North by NorthWest" there over the years.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Gloria Swanson poses in the ruins of the Roxy. 1960.

 

[LizzieMaine]

In its glory...

 

[Fading Fast]

Gloria Swanson poses in the ruins of the Roxy. 1960.

A weird but poignant reverse echo back to her "Sunset Boulevard" role.

 

[Fading Fast]

The built in '66 Ziegfeld. Not attractive on the outside, but it had a bit of the "palace" style inside. And the scale was fantastic.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Another excellent movie.

Seeing these photos of lost, demolished imagination palaces bring a tear of nostalgia to my mind's eye.

A weird but poignant reverse echo back to her "Sunset Boulevard" role.

Rob

 

[Fading Fast]

Another excellent movie.

Seeing these photos of lost, demolished imagination palaces bring a tear of nostalgia to my mind's eye.

Rob

We saw "Sunset Boulevard" earlier this year at a TCM-sponsored showing in a movie theater. I loved that movie from the first time I saw it on TV (and the many subsequent viewing), but seeing it on the big screen was a meaningfully better experience. My comments on it at the time I saw it: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...ovie-you-watched.20830/page-1257#post-2417375

 

[Ghostsoldier]

We actually went to see it recently in a theater, also; being a big Jack Webb fan myself, it was good to see him in an early role before Dragnet.

As a matter of fact, we always go to the Fathom Event movies every month... We are going to see "Rebel Without a Cause" this Sunday.

James Dean, he was keen... And Sunday movies are no longer taboo. [emoji6][emoji106]


Rob

 

[BobHufford]

Eminence, Missouri. The building is from 1923 (and is for sale if anyone wants to relocate to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways area).

 

[2jakes]

We actually went to see it recently in a theater, also; being a big Jack Webb fan myself, it was good to see him in an early role before Dragnet.

As a matter of fact, we always go to the Fathom Event movies every month... We are going to see "Rebel Without a Cause" this Sunday.

James Dean, he was keen... And Sunday movies are no longer taboo. [emoji6][emoji106]


Rob

Years ago, the college film department sponsored “Rebel” on
the big screen.
Although I've seen it many times. It was mostly in black-and-white
on TV and later in color at home.

Viewing it on the big screen was a different & enjoyable experience,
felt like I was watching it for the first time.

 

[BobHufford]