Samuel L. Rothafel
Samuel Lionel "Roxy" Rothafel (born July 9, 1882 in Stillwater , Minnesota , † January 13, 1936 , New York City , New York ) was a manager and impresario of the silent film palaces in New York.
Life
Samuel L. Rothafel was manager of the Strand, Rialto, Rivoli, the Capitol and the Roxy Theater named after his nickname . In 1932 he moved with most of the artistic staff to the newly opened Radio City Music Hall . His girl troupe, the "Roxyettes", had to be renamed the Rockettes.
Mitchell Mark's Mark Strand Theater, managed by Rothafel from 1914, was the first “movie palace” in New York City.
Rothafel introduced many innovations from the silent film era, such as orchestral music adapted to what was happening on the screen and multi-projector projection in order to avoid interruptions caused by changing the film reel.
literature
- Ben M. Hall: The Best Remaining Seats. The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace. Bramhall House, New York NY 1961 (Also: DaCapo Press, New York NY 1988, ISBN 0-306-80315-1 ).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rothafel, Samuel L. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rothafel, Samuel Lionel (full name); Rothafel, Roxy (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Manager and Impresario of the Silent Film Palaces of New York |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 9, 1882 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Stillwater , Minnesota |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 13, 1936 |
| Place of death | New York City , New York, United States |