Roxy Theatre
The Roxy Theatre was a landmark 5,920-seat New York movie palace that combined first-run films with large-scale orchestral, dance, theatrical, and skating presentations.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Roxy Theatre was a major movie palace on West 50th Street near Times Square in Manhattan, New York City. Conceived in 1925 by film producer and theater entrepreneur Herbert Lubin, it was intended to be the first and most prestigious venue in a planned chain of six Roxy theaters. Lubin recruited Samuel L. Rothafel, the celebrated theater operator known professionally as Roxy, to develop the venue's programming and operating concept. Rothafel received financial incentives and the promise that the theater would bear his name. Designed by architect Walter W. Ahlschlager with interiors by Harold Rambusch, the theater opened on March 11, 1927, with the silent film The Love of Sunya, starring Gloria Swanson. With approximately 5,920 seats, it was described as the largest movie theater ever built when it opened. Its Spanish-inspired auditorium, monumental rotunda, extensive stage facilities, large orchestra, organ, chorus, ballet company, and precision dancers made it more than a cinema: it was a highly managed entertainment institution combining film exhibition and live spectacle. The building included rehearsal rooms, dressing facilities, costume and laundry departments, a medical infirmary, offices, a screening room, staff amenities, and substantial mechanical infrastructure. Its service culture was also distinctive, with highly trained uniformed ushers whose discipline and courtesy became part of the Roxy identity. The theater's programs typically paired Hollywood films with elaborate stage presentations. A permanent orchestra of roughly 110 musicians, a pipe organist, chorus, ballet performers, and the Roxyettes supported weekly productions overseen by Rothafel and his creative staff. The venue also reached a national audience through The Roxy Hour, an NBC radio program broadcast from the theater. These innovations helped establish the Roxy as a model for the modern large-scale film palace and influenced the programming style later associated with Radio City Music Hall. The project was substantially more expensive than planned. A week before opening, Lubin, reportedly more than $2.5 million over budget and facing bankruptcy, sold his controlling interest to William Fox for $5 million. The final construction cost was approximately $12 million, according to the cited historical account. The broader Roxy chain largely failed to materialize; only one additional venue reached completion, and it opened under Warner Bros. as Warner's Beacon in 1929. The Wall Street crash weakened Fox's financial position and affected the Roxy's programming and operations. Rothafel left in 1932 to help establish Rockefeller Center's Radio City Music Hall and the RKO Roxy, taking much of the theater's creative personnel with him. The Roxyettes later became the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. Although the original theater lost some of its initial prominence, it remained an important New York film and variety venue. A. J. Balaban served as executive director from 1942 for nearly a decade and helped restore profitability through access to first-run Fox films and prominent live acts. During the 1940s and 1950s, the Roxy adapted its stage and screen program to changing audience tastes and exhibition technology. Its stage was rebuilt to accommodate ice shows, and performers included Josephine Baker, the Nicholas Brothers, Victor Borge, Emmett Kelly, Carmen Cavallaro, and other well-known entertainers. The theater hosted a two-week New York Philharmonic engagement in 1950 and presented Sonja Henie's skating revue in 1956. It introduced Fox Grandeur, an early 70mm format, in 1930; CinemaScope premiered there in 1953 with The Robe; and the three-projector Cinemiracle format was showcased with Windjammer in 1958. The Rockefeller family acquired the property in 1956, reportedly for $6.1 million, largely in connection with development and air-rights plans around the Time-Life Building. Management subsequently changed hands, and Robert C. Rothafel, Samuel Rothafel's son, served as managing director from 1955. The theater closed on March 29, 1960, after a final engagement featuring The Wind Cannot Read. It was demolished later that year for redevelopment connected with the Taft Hotel and an office complex. Although the building no longer exists, its programming methods, stage-show traditions, staff culture, and creative personnel had a lasting influence on American movie-palace and presentation practices.
History
The Roxy Theatre emerged from the ambitions of Herbert Lubin, a film producer who in 1925 proposed a vast movie palace near Times Square. Lubin recruited Samuel L. Rothafel, known as Roxy, whose reputation as an innovative theater operator helped shape both the building and its operating philosophy. The theater was meant to anchor a chain of six venues, but escalating design and construction costs made the original plan financially unstable. Walter W. Ahlschlager designed the building around an irregular site, placing the auditorium diagonally to maximize seating. Harold Rambusch developed the lavish interior, including the monumental Grand Foyer, Spanish-inspired decorative scheme, extensive public circulation areas, and unusually elaborate backstage facilities. The resulting complex supported not only motion-picture exhibition but also orchestral, choral, dance, and variety productions. Its stage included a rising orchestra pit for up to 110 musicians, while its projection booth was positioned to improve image geometry and reduce distortion. The theater's staff systems were equally ambitious: ushers received formal training, inspections, and drills, creating a highly recognizable standard of service. The Roxy opened on March 11, 1927, with The Love of Sunya. Feature films were presented alongside live spectacles involving an orchestra, organist, chorus, ballet performers, and the Roxyettes. Rothafel's production methods made the theater a national cultural attraction, reinforced by The Roxy Hour, a weekly NBC radio broadcast originating from the venue. The theater also became a showcase for advances in exhibition technology. Fox Grandeur was demonstrated there in 1930, CinemaScope premiered with The Robe in 1953, and Cinemiracle was presented with Windjammer in 1958. Lubin's financial difficulties led him to sell control to William Fox shortly before opening. Fox Film Corporation became the dominant corporate influence, but the 1929 crash created broader instability for Fox and complicated the theater's operations. Rothafel left in 1932 for Rockefeller Center, and many of the Roxy's performers and production personnel followed him to Radio City Music Hall. The Roxyettes later became the Rockettes. The original venue continued operating, but its identity increasingly depended on maintaining a balance between commercial film bookings and live attractions. A. J. Balaban became executive director in 1942 and helped revive the theater by combining first-run Fox pictures with high-profile stage events. The Roxy hosted entertainers from popular and classical traditions, including Josephine Baker, the Nicholas Brothers, Victor Borge, Emmett Kelly, Carmen Cavallaro, and members of the New York Philharmonic. Its stage was reconstructed in 1948 and 1952 to support ice shows, and the venue presented skating revues during the 1950s. Sonja Henie's 1956 appearance was among the best-known later attractions. By the late 1950s, changes to the auditorium had altered much of the original interior. The stage extension covered much of the orchestra pit, the original organ consoles had been removed, and the building had been modified to accommodate large-format screens and ice productions. Nevertheless, the Roxy remained a significant showcase for film and spectacle. Robert C. Rothafel, Samuel Rothafel's son, served as managing director from 1955, while ownership and redevelopment interests shifted around the property. The theater closed on March 29, 1960. Its final film was The Wind Cannot Read, which had opened earlier that month. The property was demolished for redevelopment associated with the Taft Hotel and an office building connected with the Time-Life complex. The Roxy's physical disappearance did not end its influence. Its integrated film-and-stage format, large-scale production methods, and personnel helped shape Radio City Music Hall and the broader culture of the American movie palace. The legacy also survives through the traditions of the Rockettes and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
- 1960
Closure and demolition
[1]The Roxy closed on March 29 and was demolished later that year.
- 1958
Cinemiracle presentation
[1]Windjammer was presented using the three-projector Cinemiracle system and a very wide curved screen.
- 1953
CinemaScope premiere
[1]The Robe premiered at the Roxy as the first film released in CinemaScope.
- 1950
New York Philharmonic engagement
[1]The New York Philharmonic performed at the Roxy for a two-week engagement with soprano Eileen Farrell.
- 1942
A. J. Balaban begins leadership
[1]Balaban became executive director and restored profitability through film and live-show programming.
- 1932
Rothafel departs
[1]Samuel Rothafel left for Rockefeller Center, taking important creative personnel and performers with him.
- 1930
Fox Grandeur introduced
[1]The theater presented Happy Days in Fox's early 70mm Grandeur format.
- 1927
Roxy Theatre opens
[1]The 5,920-seat theater opened on March 11 with The Love of Sunya.
- 1925
Movie-palace project conceived
[1]Herbert Lubin developed plans for a massive movie palace and recruited Samuel Rothafel to lead its artistic and operating concept.
Products and positioning
A premium movie palace and live-entertainment institution positioned as the most technologically advanced, lavish, and service-oriented film venue of its era.
Cinema programming · 1927
Feature-film exhibition
The theater's core offering was first-run motion-picture exhibition, particularly major Hollywood releases associated with Fox and later National Theatres. Film programs were differentiated by the scale of the venue, advanced projection systems, orchestral accompaniment, and supplementary live entertainment.
Live entertainment · 1927
Live stage spectacles
Roxy programs surrounded feature films with elaborate stage presentations involving orchestras, choruses, ballet dancers, precision dancers, soloists, comedians, and specialty performers. The format made the theater a destination for a complete entertainment experience rather than a simple screening venue.
Skating entertainment · 1948
Ice shows
Stage rebuilds in 1948 and 1952 enabled the theater to install an ice surface and present skating revues alongside films. These productions became an important part of the Roxy's later programming, including Sonja Henie's final New York appearance in 1956.
Radio broadcasting
The Roxy Hour
The Roxy Hour was a weekly NBC radio program broadcast from the theater's own studio. Hosted by Rothafel, it extended the venue's orchestra, performers, and production identity to listeners across the United States.
Brand decisions
1960
Theater closed for redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The property was valued for development connected with the Taft Hotel and an office complex linked to the Time-Life Building.
Action taken
Operations ended on March 29, after which the building was demolished.
Aftermath
The Roxy brand became defunct, while its production model and personnel continued to influence Radio City Music Hall and later movie-palace programming.
1956
Property acquired for redevelopment interestsM&ABackground
The site was strategically valuable because of its relationship to the Taft Hotel, the Time-Life Building, and associated air rights.
Action taken
The Rockefeller family acquired the property and leased it back to National Theatres before later redevelopment plans led to its sale to William Zeckendorf.
Aftermath
The theater's long-term operating future became subordinate to redevelopment, culminating in closure and demolition in 1960.
Reported acquisition price. $6.1 million acquisition price reported for 1956 (1956)
1953
CinemaScope introduced at the RoxyProduct launchBackground
Widescreen exhibition was becoming an important response to competition from television and changing audience expectations.
Action taken
The Roxy hosted the world premiere of The Robe in CinemaScope.
Aftermath
The presentation established the theater as a flagship venue for Fox's new widescreen technology.
1927
Lubin sells controlling interest to William FoxM&ABackground
Construction and design changes pushed the project substantially beyond its original budget, leaving Lubin financially distressed shortly before opening.
Action taken
Lubin sold his controlling interest to William Fox, bringing the Roxy under Fox Film Corporation's ownership influence.
Aftermath
Fox became the theater's dominant corporate connection, while the planned six-theater Roxy chain failed to develop.
Reported transaction value and final construction cost. Construction was reportedly more than $2.5 million over budget → Controlling interest sold for $5 million; reported final cost was $12 million (1927)
Sources3 sources
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