Tag: Bowery Boys Movie Club

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Bowery Boys Movie Club Brooklyn History

Do The Right Thing: Spike Lee’s Brooklyn movie classic gets better with age

We’re sliding into summer AT LAST — ready for great music, hot dancing and breaking into fire hydrants — and so we’ve just released an epic summertime episode of Bowery Boys Movie Club to the general Bowery Boys podcast audience, exploring the 1989 Spike Lee masterpiece Do The Right Thing.

And sticking to the theme of summertime New York City movies — great music, hot dancing, breaking into fire hydrants — the latest episode of the Bowery Boys Movie Club explores the brand new film In The Heights and its rich historical details. An exclusive podcast for those who support us on Patreon.

To listen to that episode and to past Movie Club episodes (discussing Coming To America, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Warriors, When Harry Met Sally and many other films) become a Patreon supporter today

FIGHT THE POWER! In 1989, director Spike Lee electrified film audiences with Do The Right Thing, documenting a day in the life of one block in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn on one of the hottest days of the summer. 

Inspired by both Greek tragedy and actual events in 1980s New York, Lee’s masterpiece observes the racial and ethnic tensions that boil over at an Italian-American owned pizzeria serving a mostly African-American clientele from the neighborhood.

Listen in as Greg and Tom recap the story and explore some of the historical context for the film — the incendiary nature of New York summers, the realistic portrait of everyday life in Brooklyn, and the true-life murders on which Do The Right Thing is based.

Lee has since explored several historical subjects (Malcolm X, blackkklansman, Son of Sam in Summer of Sam) since making Do The Right Thing, but that exquisite marriage of past and present in his films really breaks through here.

And it doesn’t hurt that his cast includes actors that would become some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

This episode is made possible by our supporters on Patreon, and is part of our patron-only series Bowery Boys Movie Club. Join us on Patreon to access all Movie Club episodes, along with other patron-only audio.

Should you watch the movie before you listen to this episode? This podcast can be enjoyed both by those who have seen the film and those who’ve never even heard of it.  

We think our take on Do The Right Thing might inspire you to look for the film’s many fascinating (but easy to overlook) historical details, so if you don’t mind being spoiled on the plot, give it a listen first, then watch the movie! Otherwise, come back to the show after you’ve watched it.

Where can you watch Do The Right Thing? It’s available to rent on all movie streaming services and is free to watch on the new NBC streaming service Peacock. 

The original film trailer:

Images from Do The Right Thing Way (Stuyvesant Street, between Lexington Avenue and Quincy Street), photos by Greg Young.

Categories
Bowery Boys Movie Club Neighborhoods

In The Heights: The Movie Club dives into Upper Manhattan’s musical romance

Macall Polay/Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc

The new episode of the Bowery Boys Movie Club explores the new musical film In The Heights and the fascinating historical neighborhood at its center. An exclusive podcast for those who support us on Patreon.

Lin Manuel Miranda‘s first Broadway musical In The Heights was a critical and box office smash and won four Tony Awards — including Best Musical. And yet its success was dwarfed by Miranda’s second offering Hamilton: The Musical.

Now In The Heights comes to the big screen — both in movie theaters and on HBO Max — bringing the music, the dancing and a few of the same stars. But it also introduces the neighborhood of Washington Heights itself into the spotlight.

(Macall Polay/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Where the stage musical had mere props, the movie musical features the glorious sights and sounds of the Heights itself — from the George Washington Bridge to the High Bridge tower.

Washington Heights is as much an active character in In The Heights as Uznavi (Anthony Ramos) and Vanessa (Melissa Barrera) are. In particular, the film sets up a common lurking foe — gentrification — as the primary antagonist, threatening to disintegrate the vibrant mix of communities.

How do Miranda and director John M. Chu specifically bring the action and the music into the streets? And how well does the sincerity of a Broadway musical translate onto a real-life city?

PLUS: Greg and Tom relay their experiences of running into the filming of In The Heights while recording their podcast on Upper Manhattan!

Macall Polay/Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc

How do I listen the Bowery Boys Movie Club?  Once you’re signed in on Patreon, you’ll see a private RSS link that can be put directly into your favorite podcast player. Even easier, it can also be played directly from the Patreon app if you’re signed in.

Your support on Patreon assists us in producing our podcast and website and it helps as we endeavor to share our love of New York City history with the world.

Should you watch the movie before you listen to this episode? This podcast can be enjoyed both by those who have seen the film and those who’ve never even heard of it.  

We think our take on Auntie Mame might inspire you to look for the film’s many fascinating (but easy to overlook) historical details, so if you don’t mind being spoiled on the plot, give it a listen first, then watch the movie! Otherwise, come back to the show after you’ve watched it.

FURTHER LISTENING

After listening to this Bowery Boys Movie Club episode, relive the history of some of the places featured in the movie through a couple of our older shows:

Categories
Film History Podcasts

The Magic of the Movie Theater: A History of Palaces and Arthouses

1946 ANDREAS FEININGER/ TIME LIFE/GETTY IMAGES

PODCAST In celebration of 125 years of movie exhibition in New York City — from vaudeville houses to movie palaces, from arthouses to multiplexes.

On April 23, 1896 an invention called the Vitascope projected moving images onto a screen at a Midtown Manhattan vaudeville theater named Koster and Bial’s Music Hall.

The business of movies was born.

By the late 1910s, the movies were big, but the theaters were getting bigger! Thanks to men like architect Thomas Lamb and the impresario Samuel ‘Roxy’ Rothafel, movie theaters in New York City grew larger and more opulent.

And in Times Square, they were so large that the became known as palaces — the Capitol, the Rialto, the Rivoli, the Strand, the Roxy. They were soon joined by the granddaddy of them all: Radio City Music Hall.

Even by the 1940s, movie theaters were a mix of film and live acts — singers, dancers, animal acrobats and the drama of a Wurlitzer organ!

But a major case at the Supreme Court brought a change to American film exhibition and diversity to the screen — both low brow (grindhouse) and high brow (foreign films and ‘art’ movies).

Today’s greatest arthouse cinemas trace their lineage back to the late 1960s/early 1970s and the new conception of movies as an art form.

Can these theaters survive the perennial villain of the movies (i.e. television) AND the current challenges of a pandemic?

FEATURING: All your favorite New York City movie theaters from A (Angelika) to Z (Ziegfeld).

Listen now on your favorite podcast player:

A special thanks to the website Cinema Treasures for inspiring us for many years and sending us out on many journeys, looking for the great old movie theaters of yore.

Gloria Swanson in The Love of Sunya, which played on the Roxy’s opening night — March 11, 1927.

Gloria Swanson in the ruins of the Roxy Theatre, October 1960.

Eliot Elisofon for Life Magazine
Koster and Bials at 34th Street — location of the first projected movie program for theatrical audiences in the United States.
As with many of his ‘inventions’, Edison did not actually invent the Vitascope. But he bought the rights to say he did!
UNITED STATES – CIRCA 1925: Marcus Loew, Founder Of Loews Cinemas, In 1925, Usa. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
The Strand Theatre, 1914
The Capitol Theater, 1920
Fox’s Japanese Garden Theatre, at Broadway and 96th Street on the Upper West Side, 1920. Courtesy Museum of the City of New York
Satisfied New York filmgoers at the Roxy exit into the lobby, May 1943. The 6,000-seat Roxy Theatre, at 153 W. 50th Street, “often cited as the most impressive movie palace ever built” according to Cinema Treasures. Movies at the Roxy were presented with live orchestras and vocals. In this case, the film was the Tyrone Power war thriller ‘Crash Dive’, accompanied by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra and vocalists Bob Eberly and Kitty Kallen.
The interior of the Roxy Theater 1932 (Library of Congress)
1945 — Head usherette Capt. Rosemary Smith inspects line of uniformed usherettes who are holding gloved hands up to be examined, Roxy Theater, New York City. (Al Ravenna/Library of Congress)
Courtesy In Cinerama
In Cinerama
More information on the Paris Theatre here. Courtesy the Paris Theatre
More information on the Ziegfeld Theater here. (Photo courtesy Ziegfeld Ballroom)
FURTHER LISTENING

After listening to The Magic of the Movie Theater, check out these similar themed shows from our back catalog:

Nickelodeons and Movie Palaces: New York and the Film Industry 1893-1920
Times Square in the 1970s: Grindhouses, peep shows and XXX neon nostalgia
Radio City Music Hall

The Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast is brought to you …. by you!

We are now producing a new Bowery Boys podcast every other week. We’re also looking to improve and expand the show in other ways — publishing, social media, live events and other forms of media. But we can only do this with your help!

We are now a creator on Patreon, a patronage platform where you can support your favorite content creators.

Please visit our page on Patreon and watch a short video of us recording the show and talking about our expansion plans. If you’d like to help out, there are six different pledge levels. Check them out and consider being a sponsor.

We greatly appreciate our listeners and readers and thank you for joining us on this journey so far.

Categories
Bowery Boys Movie Club

Breakfast At Tiffany’s: An aging classic, ‘mean reds’ in a little black dress

The new episode of the Bowery Boys Movie Club explores the film Breakfast At Tiffany’s and the rich historical context of early 1960s New York City. An exclusive podcast for those who support us on Patreon.

In the film version of Truman Capote‘s daring 1958 novella — starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard— New York City provides the elegant backdrop to a romantic fable dripping in diamonds and booze.

Holly Golightly lives in her own fantasy world, and from her Upper East Side apartment, she seduces wealthy strangers and entertains a roster of outcasts and oddballs. From glamorous dates at the 21 Club to visits with her mobster ‘friend’ in Sing Sing Prison, Holly paints for herself a glamorous life — even through bouts of the ‘mean reds’.

But when a handsome writer moves into the building — a man with his own complicated relationships (hello, Patricia Neal!) — will Holly find in him, as the song goes, a fellow ‘drifter, off to see the world’?

Listen in as Greg and Tom recap the story and explore some of the historical context for the film. Featuring a dreamy lineup of New York locations including the Central Park, the Seagram Building, the New York Public Library and, of course, Tiffany and Co.

PLUS: What to do with Mickey Rooney.

How do I listen the Bowery Boys Movie Club?  Once you’re signed in on Patreon, you’ll see a private RSS link that can be put directly into your favorite podcast player. Even easier, it can also be played directly from the Patreon app if you’re signed in.

Your support on Patreon assists us in producing our podcast and website and it helps as we endeavor to share our love of New York City history with the world.

Categories
Bowery Boys Movie Club Film History Podcasts

Once Upon A Time In Five Points: The Bowery Boys Movie Club revisits Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York”

As a celebration of filmmaker Martin Scorsese (whose film The Irishman opens this month), we’ve just released an episode of the Bowery Boys Movie Club to the general Bowery Boys: New York City History audience. This is an exclusive podcast for those who support us on Patreon.

For current patrons, we’ve also just released a brand new episode of the Movie Club, looking at the 1987 film Moonstruck. To listen to that episode and the past Movie Club episodes (discussing Midnight Cowboy, On The Town, Eyes of Laura Mars and many other films) become a Patreon supporter today!

Gangs of New York is a one-of-a-kind film, a Martin Scorsese 2002 epic based on a 1927 history anthology by Herbert Asbury that celebrates the grit and grime of Old New York.

Its fictional story line uses a mix of real-life and imagined characters, summoned from a grab bag of historical anecdotes from the gutters of the 19th century and poured out into a setting known as New York City’s most notorious neighborhood — Five Points.

Listen in as Greg and Tom discuss the film’s unique blend of fact and fiction, taking Asbury’s already distorted view of life in the mid 19th century and reviving it with extraordinary set design and art direction. The film itself, released a year after September 11, 2001, had dated itself in some interesting ways.

And unfortunately some elements of the film are more relevant in 2019 than ever.

How do I get regular episodes of the Bowery Boys Movie Club? Simply support the Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast at any level on Patreon. 

Once you’re signed on, you’ll see a private RSS link that can be put directly into your favorite podcast player. It can also be played directly from the Patreon app once you’re signed in. Your support of the Bowery Boys podcast on Patreon assists us in producing our podcast and this website and it helps as we endeavor to share our love of New York City history with the world!

Should you watch the movie before you listen to this episode? This podcast can be enjoyed both by those who have seen the film and those who’ve never even heard of it.  

We think our take on Gangs of New York might inspire you to look for the film’s many fascinating (but easy to overlook) historical details, so if you don’t mind being spoiled on the plot, give it a listen first, then watch the movie! Otherwise, come back to the show after you’ve watched it. 

If you’d like to watch the movie first, it’s currently streaming on iTunes and Amazon. Or rent it from your local library.

Thank you for supporting the Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast!

Categories
Bowery Boys Movie Club

On The Town: Three sailors on a New York escapade in the latest Bowery Boys Movie Club

still from movie, On The Town

Join the Bowery Boys Movie Club! Support us on Patreon at any level and get these Patreon-exclusive, full-length and ad-free podcast. Each month we talk about one classic (or cult-classic) film that says something interesting about New York City.

In the new Bowery Boys Movie Club, Tom and Greg disembark at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and spend a breathless 24 hours in New York City — with Gene Kelly, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen and Frank Sinatra.

On The Town, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and (some) music by Leonard Bernstein,puts a fairytale spin on post-War 1940s New York City as it follows three sailors on a big-city adventure — knocking down dinosaurs, finding love, singing their hearts out. This screen musical classic mixes both studio and on-location film shoots, offering extraordinary views of Times Square, Rockefeller Center and Coney Island. 

On The Town is not simply a movie about New York City, but about being a tourist in New York City. And musical lovers! You will especially appreciate Tom’s deep dive into the lyrics of songs like “Come Back To My House,” chock-full of references from New York City’s past.

Listen in as Greg and Tom set up the film’s backstory — highlighting the many changes made in the transition from stage to screen — then give a joyful spoiler-filled synopsis through the film’s breezy story. (Not every aspect of this film ages well!)

Should you watch the movie before you listen to this episode? This podcast can be enjoyed both by those who have seen the film and those who’ve never even heard of it.  

We think our take on On The Town might inspire you to look for the film’s many fascinating (but easy to overlook) historical details, so if you don’t mind being spoiled on the plot, give it a listen first, then watch the movie! Otherwise come back to the show after you’ve watched it. 

The film is available on iTunes, Amazon, among other streaming services.

To get the episode, simply head to Patreon and sign up to support the Bowery Boys podcast at any level.

Categories
Bowery Boys Movie Club

Eyes of Laura Mars: The glamour of 1970s SoHo

still of Eyes of Laura Mars movie

Join the Bowery Boys Movie Club! Support us on Patreon at any level and get these Patreon-exclusive, full-length and ad-free podcast. Each month we talk about one classic (or cult-classic) film that says something interesting about New York City.

In the new Bowery Boys Movie Club, Tom and Greg visit the year 1978 and a cult classic thriller starring Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones and Raul Julia.

Eyes of Laura Mars presents the chic downtown art world of 1970s SoHo within a supernatural thriller involving a famed fashion photographer (played by Dunaway) and her psychic connection to a menacing killer. The thriller also takes us on a ride to Columbus Circle, the Christopher Street Pier and Hell’s Kitchen. 

Listen in as Greg and Tom set up the film’s backstory — Barbra Streisand was almost the star — then give a suspenseful synopsis through the film’s fun but implausible story line. And there’s disco music too!

Should you watch the movie before you listen to this episode? This podcast can be enjoyed both by those who have seen the film and those who’ve never even heard of it.  

We think our take on Eyes on Laura Mars might inspire you to look for the film’s many fascinating (but easy to overlook) historical details, so if you don’t mind being spoiled on the plot, give it a listen first, then watch the movie! Otherwise come back to the show after you’ve watched it. 

The film is available on Amazon Prime, among other services.

To get the episode, simply head to Patreon and sign up to support the Bowery Boys podcast at any level.

Categories
Bowery Boys Movie Club Podcasts

Taxi Driver: Looking at 1970s New York City in Martin Scorsese’s gritty thriller classic

Welcome to the Bowery Boys Movie Club, a new podcast exclusively for our Patreon supporters where Tom and Greg discuss classic New York City films from an historical perspective. As we are currently prepare the newest episode for our patrons, we thought we’d give our all our listeners a taste of the very first episode (which was released back in September).

In the Bowery Boys Movie Club, we’ll be revisiting some true cinematic classics and sprinkling our recaps with trivia, local details and personal insight — and lots of spoilers of course.

In this inaugural episode, the Bowery Boys take a trip to Times Square in the 1970s (not to mention Columbus Circle, the East Village and even Cadman Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn) in Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece Taxi Driver.

How does the director use New York’s unique geography to tell his story and categorize his three main characters? What does this film have to say about New York City in the 1970s? And how much has the city changed since Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, and Jodie Foster starred in this grim, noir-ish thriller?

FEATURING: Diners, cafeterias, porn theaters and old elevated highways!

LISTEN HERE:

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The Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast is brought to you …. by you!

We are now producing a new Bowery Boys podcast every other week. We’re also looking to improve the show in other ways and expand in other ways as well — through publishing, social media, live events and other forms of media. But we can only do this with your help!

We are now a member of Patreon, a patronage platform where you can support your favorite content creators for as little as a $1 a month.

Please visit our page on Patreon and watch a short video of us recording the show and talking about our expansion plans. If you’d like to help out, there are five different pledge levels (and with clever names too — Mannahatta, New Amsterdam, Five Points, Gilded Age, Jazz Age and Empire State). Check them out and consider being a sponsor.

And join us for the next episode of the Bowery Boys Movie Club, an exclusive podcast provided to our supporters on Patreon. Our new show on the 1958 classic Auntie Mame arrives in your exclusive feed next Wednesday.

We greatly appreciate our listeners and readers and thank you for joining us on this journey so far.

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Some New York City locations featured in Taxi Driver and mentioned on our show:

One Times Square

Terminal Bar, Eighth Avenue

East Village (13th Street)

From the film:

Columbus Circle (in front of the Maine Monument)

From the film:

Cadman Plaza West, Downtown Brooklyn

From the film:

Belmore Cafeteria (28th Street/Park Avenue South)

All images and video clips are the property of Columbia Pictures