It was filmed in New York and there are a few shots of Times Square, including a scene in Sardi's, but I was most taken by the following.
In the screenshots above you can see the great Julius' bar on the right, with a much smaller window than what it has today. And in the background, there's a deli/liquor store where Three Lives & Co. bookstore is today. One of my favorite bookstores in town, it looks like it's been there forever...but there used to be Angelo's.
same corner today
In another scene around the corner, a bookstore appears at Grove and W. 4th, next to El Avram, a "Kosher Israeli-Mediterranean restaurant/nightclub, featuring a revue with Israeli singers and bellydancers."
The bookstore and El Avram are now the gay club The Monster, another place that seems like it's been there forever.
Does anyone remember a bookstore here?
Update: A reader sent me digging for this classic Reese's commercial, starring the bookshop (and Ralph Malph).
In terms of how he afforded such an amazing home, Pacino's character, "Ivan Travalian" wasn't a struggling playwright. He was a very successful playwright who was struggling over his current play because of his current wife's leaving him, and all of her kids moving in with him. His townhouse has always been one of my fantasy places to live.
ReplyDeleteI used to love that bookstore. The Monster was there. but only downstairs and expanded into the upstairs when the bookstore closed. I was pissed off as i used to browse in there often.
ReplyDeletea reader just sent in this pic of the bookstore:
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/17eQxIN
i always love how everyone is in the middle of the street in movies. and there's always a gay guy on roller skates if it's a village scene.
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed very possible and in fact, not very rare. One of my childhood friends grew up with her sibling and parents in a ramshackle townhouse on Charles Street in the 80s/early 90s. They were about as middle class as they come, the father a professor at Queens College and the mother a secretary for New York Telephone. Of course, by 1997 they cashed out (they had purchased the place in the early 60s I believe, for a pittance) got their millions and moved to Florida.
ReplyDeleteI remember the bookstore where the Monster is now. I also remember that that building had several major rent strikes in the 70's/80's.
ReplyDeleteThree Lives used to be located up the block on Seventh Avenue South. They used to hold readings upstairs. Larry Kramer worked the cash register for fun some nights.
I don't remember Angelo's being across the street from Julius'. I used to hang out up the block at the Ninth Circle, and I just can't remember this store being there.
People were on the middle of the street because there were still no bike lanes; they weren't afraid of being hit by them entitled rogue bikers just because they have their own bike lanes.
ReplyDeleteMarloff's Paperback Corner! Gone by the mid-80s, I think...
ReplyDeleteI remember that Paperback Corner very well. Loved it. I recently pulled out an old yellowing edition of Ray Bradbury's "Illustrated Man" for my son to read and there was a receipt from that store still in it - probably used as bookmark.
ReplyDeleteThat film was made in an OTHER New York City....
ReplyDeleteThat's the bookshop, Ralph Malph AND Danny Saunders of Williamsburg (aka Robby Benson) in that commercial.
ReplyDeleteThat bookstore was there since at least the late 1060s.
ReplyDeleteDid they carry copies of the Magna Carta in 1066?
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