Old Times Square (For TB)

For my dear friend in Arizona. December, 1939.

Thanks, PB!

As PB knows, I had a part-time job during my high school years delivering and picking up advertising copy for the New York Post when it was on West Street in lower Manhattan. It was exciting to go around the city at night. In that day (late '50's), the Astor and Strand movie theaters were still there, as were the Maxwell House (the "H" was working) and Camel signs (with a smoke circle of steam puffed from the billboard). But, I don't remember that Automat. I think the nearest Automat to Times Square was on 42 Street, east of Sixth Avenue.

PB, do you have a shot of Elpine's or Benedict's? Elpine's, as PB confirmed for me years ago, was the place where Tony Curtis read the morning papers at the beginning of "Sweet Smell of Success."

Bear with me, TB. You know that film is in my top five, so I got a little excited. To me, the last shot posted tells the whole story. Enjoy!

Ah, 42nd st. My first peep show. I remember the scene in "Midnight Cowboy" when Joe Buck had his first encounter with a homosexual at a movie theatre on 42nd street. Freaked me out.

And of course Michael getting picked up outside Jack Dempsey's.

"Let me chastise you, Sidney!"

Grant's was a huge bar on the SW corner of 42st and 7th. Served me my first beer when I was 15. Peep shows came later. Floors were always sticky.

Thanks, Mark. The Elpine's shot was just what I was looking for. The second photo looks like one of those old arcades on 42 Street, "puck-bowling" in background.

Nice link on Elpine and "Sweet Smell."

http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2010/02/elpine.html

Very interesting page, PB. Thanks! The upstairs poolroom referred to was, I believe, Ames--where much of "The Hustler" was filmed.

Because of this thread, I watched "Sweet Smell of Success" again this week. What a truly great film. Curtis's masterpiece, though Lancaster is just as good. Terse script by Clifford Odets. Great supporting cast, including Sam Levene, Eternal Suffering Jew (in this case, Eternal Suffering Italian), and Emile Meyer, Eternal Bohunk.

PB, in return for starting this enjoyable thread:
Here is a photo of the I.J. Morris Funeral Home, on Church Avenue between Rockaway Parkway and E.98th Street in Brooklyn, taken in 1997, when it was abandoned. By 2000, when I made a return visit, it was cleaned up and was the property of Brookdale Hospital, which owned just about everything else nearby.

http://prntscr.com/5th2s4

Not sure if my NY amici are familiar with this website but it looks pretty interesting... Enjoy!

http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com

They still have those wooden phone booths inside Peter McMannus on 18th and 7th NYC.