Then and Now - The Roxy Theatre - New York, NY

Construction of the Roxy Theatre began on March 22, 1926, and it opened on March 11, 1927, with the world premiere of The Loves of Sonya starring Gloria Swanson. Designed by architect Walter W. Ahlschlager with interior decoration by Harold W. Rambusch, the theater had 6,214 seats and multi-tiered balconies. Despite its modest entrance at the corner of the Taft Hotel, the Roxy featured a vast lobby and an ornate auditorium. Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel, its creator, called it “The Cathedral of the Motion Picture.”

The Roxy Theatre was equipped with three Kimball organs. The main auditorium organ had 29 ranks and three consoles, with the primary five-manual console played by C.A.J. Parmentier. Additional three-manual consoles were played by Dezso Von D’Antalffy and Emile Velazco. A separate Kimball organ in the Grand Foyer Rotunda was played by Lew White, and a two-manual Kimball organ was located in the theater’s recording studio. The 110-piece Roxy Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Erno Rapee, accompanied performances.

On September 1, 1953, the Roxy was equipped with CinemaScope, installing a curved 65-foot-wide, 26-foot-tall screen for a special screening of The Robe, which premiered the following evening. This upgrade marked the end of live stage shows at the theater. On April 9, 1958, Cinemiracle technology was added for Windjammer, using an even larger 100-foot-wide, 40-foot-tall screen. However, declining attendance throughout the 1950s led to the theater’s closure after a screening of The Wind Cannot Read on March 9, 1960.

Despite protests, the Roxy Theatre was demolished by the end of 1960, replaced by an office building. The neighboring Taft Hotel (now the Michelangelo Hotel) is the only remaining structure from the original site. The theater’s entrance housed a TGI Friday’s (closed in August 2022) and a KFC, later replaced by Dunkin’ Donuts. The name “Roxy” has since been used for various entertainment venues worldwide, reflecting the legacy of the grand movie palace era.