Riviera Theatre - New York City
  Click on images to enlarge
  1950s interior of the Riviera Theatre - New York City
  Auditorium with boxes removed (1950s)
Riviera Theatre

2559 Broadway at 97th Street
New York, N.Y. 10025





The Riviera Theatre was built as a "picture house" in 1913 for William Fox. Designed by Thomas W. Lamb, the 1,718-seat Riviera was located in the lower floors of the 10-story Riviera Building on the southwest corner of Broadway and 97th Street. On the upper floors of the same building was the Japanese Garden Theatre, also built for Fox and designed by Lamb.

In 1918 the Riviera was leased to the Shubert Brothers Theatre Company, which adopted a policy of playing first-class attractions for periods of one week, with $1 admission for plays that had been seen in regular Broadway theatres. Burlesque revues were the policy, along with musical comedies, when the De Luxe Theatrical Enterprises company took over the Riviera in 1931. Still later, in 1949, the Riviera was acquired by the Skouras Theaters Corp. chain, who renovated and refurbished the theatre at "an expense exceeding the half-million-dollar mark."

Adjoining the Rivera Building to the south was the Riverside Theatre, also designed by Thomas W. Lamb. The three theatres were part of the so-called “Subway Circuit” of legitimate houses. All three theatres were demolished in 1976.
     
M.P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 2388 (1917)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 34 stops, 16 ranks


The organ in the Riviera Theatre was built in 1917 by M.P. Möller of Hagerstown, Md., at a cost of $5,250. This instrument was one of the Möller firm's standard theatre organ models having three manuals and 16 ranks. The following specification is from the contract for Op. 2492 (1918), another 3/16 Möller installed in Loew's Bijou Theatre in Brooklyn.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Violin Diapason [TC]
73
2
   Piccolo [Fl. Harm.]
OR
8
   Open Diapason
85
    Mixture III ranks
derived
8
  Viol d'Orchestre
73
16
   Bass Clarinet [TC]
OR
8
  Doppel Flute
73
8
   French Horn
73
4
   Octave [Op. Diap.]
—
4
   Octave Horn
—
4
   Zart Flute [Quintadena]
OR
    
Cathedral Chimes
20 Notes
               
Orchestral Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Violin Diapason
GT
4
   Flute Harmonic
73
8
   Horn Diapason (syn)
—
16
   Fagotto [TC]
—
8
   Quintadena
73
8
   Orchestral Oboe
73
8
   Viol d'Orchestre
GT
8
  
Clarinet
73
8
   Viol Celeste [TC]
73
    
Concert Harp
37 Notes
               
Solo Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Gross Flute
85
4
   Gemshorn [TG]
—
8
   Concert Flute
73
16
   Bass Tuba [TC]
—
8
   Gemshorn
85
8
   Tuba
73
8
   Violoncello
73
8
   Vox Humana
73
4
   Flute Overte [TG] [Gross Fl.]
—
      
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
   Sub Bass [ext. Gross Fl.]
12
8
   Violoncello
SO
16
   Gemshorn [ext.]
12
8
   Flute
SO
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt [lo-press.]
—
        
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8', 4'       Orch. to Solo  
    Orch. to Pedal 8'       Solo to Orch. 8' 8'  
    Solo to Pedal 8'       Great 4'  
    Orch. to Great 16', 8', 4'       Orch. 16', 4'  
    Solo. to Great 16', 8', 4'       Solo 16', 4'  
               
Mechanicals
    Orchestral Tremulant   Crescendo Indicator
    Solo Tremulant    
               
Adjustable Combinations
   
Orchestral Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Great Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Solo Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4 (thumb)
Pedal Organ Pistons 1-2-3 (thumb)
               
Piston Couplers
    Corresponding Orchestral and Solo Pistons to Great Pistons
    Corresponding Pedal Pistons to Manual Pistons
               
Pedal Movements
    Balanced Solo Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible
    Balanced Orchestral Pedal   Orchestral to Pedal Reversible
    Grand Crescendo Pedal   Thunder Pedal
     
Sources:
     Cinema Treasures web site: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3353
     "For Burlesque Revues," The New York Times (Aug. 28, 1931).
     Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. 1. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.
     M.P. Möller, Inc. Agreement (Apr. 1, 1918) of M.P. Möller organ, Op. 2492 (1918). Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
     "Riviera Theatre Reopened," The New York Times (Feb. 10, 1949).
     "Schuberts Take Riviera Theatre," The New York Times (Aug. 2, 1918).

Illustrations:
     Cinema Treasures web site. Interior (1950s).
     Office for Metropolitan History (New York City). Exterior (undated). Courtesy Christopher Gray.