NEW YORK POST, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER B, I99O
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8y FRANK LOVECE
I NOTHER laver of film has architect
A b""n srrrppeci from Ncw a final rnatinee. "This theater
didn't fail. It had plenty of busi-
York City.
The twin-scrcen Bleecker ness; it managed all these years.
Street Cinema, a cultural and It was Just a regrettable choice
cinematic landmark for at least one of the owners made."
31 years, ran its last picture "I'm sorry to see it happen,"
said Cigi Grcco, nranager o{ the
shows at l0:30 and 10:35 Thursday
evening. The last to start was the
7{-nrinute "Ariel," a deadpan
comedy from Finland. The last to
end was the nearly two-hour
"Jcsus of Montreal," a French.
Canadian allegorical drama.
Then the Blcecker joined the fa-
bled Elgin, Thalia and Cinema
Studio thcatcrs in movie-lovers'
fond memories of what made
New York New York.
On the afternoon of the final
day, the art and retrospective
theater memorialized in such
films as- Woody Allen's "Crimes
and Misdemeanors," Susan Sci-
dclman's "Desperately Seeking
Susan" and Barbra Streisand's
new "Prince of Tides" was pre-
-
dictably grim and unpredictably
buoyant. A small, handwritten
sign on thc door informed patrons
that the theater was about to
closc. A large, red banner hung
that morning from the- upper
floors - informed speculators
that the property was for rent.
"I think it's a horrible shamc to
see it go the way it is," lamented
HO fllRACtE: Ctttlterinc
Will;cning irr "Jc.slr.s of Mon-
lrcul," 1171 lilnt tlrttt c'Io,sccl
Itt.sl trI tltc Blcr:cl;r:r.
Charles Phillips, a ncighborhood
who was there to catch
Village Corner bar and restau-
rant next-door. "It's been good for
business. People buy tickets for a
movie, come here before and af-
ter for food and drinlc You know
that director IPedro] Almodovar?
lVell, this was the only place for a
while showing movies of his. A lot
of directors who'd you hear of lat-
er, they played their rnovies here
first."
Indeed, said Jackie Raynal-
Sare, the co-owner forced out by
the developer John Souto, the
Bleecker held the first commer-
cial showings of films by Spike
I*e ("Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop:
We Cut Heads"), Jim Jarmusch
("Permanent Vacation") and
many others, and lt introduced
many international directors to
audiences outside of film festivals.
Such art films had filled the
theater's repertoirc since at least
1959, when it was owned by New
York University. Raynal-Sarre's
late husband, Sid Geffen, took
over the building trom NYU in
1973, when the programmers at
the time screened films only on
weekends. But when Geffen died
five ye:rrs irgo, Raynal-Sarrc
says, he left no will, and so she
was forced to take on a partner in
order to buy out his children
from a previous marria6e.
She found Souto, whose offices
now occupy an upper floor of the
building. "Initially, he was Just a
flnancier,/broker," says Sarre's
current husband, Jean-Paul
Sarre, a psychologlst. "But he
asked for 50 percent, and also to
be made a managing partner.'!
"The plan," says Raynal-Sarre,
"was that I would pay a high rent
for one year and he
- $160,000
would build condos. And- one con-
do, which I would buy at an insid-
er's price, would be the theater.
But it didn't work out."
After four years renting at
$160,000, she says, Souto de-
manded a non-negotiablc $275,000 D|$$|EApTENIHG: Lu.ncc Burtort, n. Blceckcr S/r'ccl Cirtc nra ent ploA cc, Ia nt atlcd, "LLc7)eI'
a year a ncarly 75 per cent in- heard of a nt"ouie theater tltat had a h'istory like this one."
crease, -A court battle ended be-
fore a judge who ordersd the two attending one of the matinees knew the Bleecker." was giving away freshlY made
co-owners to bid on the building. said of Souto. "To destroy some- Edward Del Pizzo, 22, an NYU popcorn, its aroma engulfing the
"We came ln with 93.3 million," thing ltke this without any con- film student exiting "Jesus of reassuringly threadbare lobbY'
says Raynal-Sarre, "and he came sideration for the city's culture is Montreal," called the closing "a The box-office phone rang with a
in with $3.4 million." just horrible. He'd have made crying shame. I come here.oftcn steady stream of condolenccs.
kind of a mecca." The theater cat, Wim (named
Souto did not return phone calls
asking for comment. A man leav-
plenty of money leaving [the the-
atcrl intact - this is just profi- - "Iit'sncver
heard of a movie thc' after the Gcrman director Wim
ing the building Thursday was teering, and I blame'the mayor ater that had a historY like this Wendcrs), has found a new home
identified as Souto by the Bleeck- for looking the othcr way and not one," Burton said sadly. with Sanger. The blue neon sign
er's general menager, Stephany trying to arbitratc or rcach a "It's a disgrace, the Bleecker heralding the Bleecker's nine'
Sanger, and anothcr enrployec, conrpronrisc rvhcn it cornes to a closing," said a whitr-''bcarded ycar-old James Agee Room will
Lance Burton. Questioncd by a placc that's a landnrark." phtron who rcqucstcd anoltYmi- stay with Raynal-Sarre as shc
reporter. the man rcpeatcdly dc- "It s'as known all ovcr the ty: "The landlords own the citY. searchcs for a new sPace.
nicd bcing Souto. world," said Sangcr. "I've livcd in The peoplc havc nothing to saY And at 144 Bleeckcr St., the men
"He's a hateful hurnan being," L.A. and Lcrndon, and all my about it." from Meyer's Moving & Storage
asserted 1'om Bruckcr, an artist fricnds therc, rvhen I got this job, On'f hursday aftcrnoon, Burton are alrcady there.