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The marquee abbreviates the film title as “3 Dark Streets” and displays the stars as “Ruth Roman” and “Brod Crawford.” Contemporary film-industry reporting announced that Down Three Dark Streets would open at the Palace on Friday, September 3, 1954, dating this street scene very closely to the film’s opening engagement. The crime drama was released in September 1954 and starred Broderick Crawford and Ruth Roman.
Above the film title, both sides of the marquee advertise:
“8 Acts Vaudeville”
The Palace had begun presenting film-and-vaudeville combination bills again in 1949, reviving live variety entertainment at the theater after its earlier transition into an RKO movie palace.
The surrounding Times Square scene contains an exceptional amount of period street and advertising detail, including:
- RKO Palace exterior and marquee
- Ruth Roman and Broderick Crawford billing
- Large illuminated spaghetti billboard
- Buitoni storefront and “Spaghetti Served Here” signage
- Coca-Cola advertising
- Parisian Ballroom or dancing-hall signage
- Pedestrians gathered outside the theater
- Pigeons on the sidewalk
- Mid-century automobiles and street fixtures
The Palace stood at Broadway and West 47th Street and had long been one of New York’s most famous vaudeville venues before becoming the RKO Palace movie theater.
A particularly strong original image for collectors of Times Square, Broadway theaters, RKO history, classic film, film noir, vaudeville, vintage advertising, Coca-Cola, Italian-food advertising, and mid-century New York street photography.
Measures approximately 5 x 3.5 inches. Printed on Kodak Velox photographic paper.
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