MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 – OFF TO THE FILMS…GET THE POPCORN

By admin

FROM
THE
ARCHIVES

LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES & TV

Monday, June 1, 2020

Our 67th Issue

NIGHTHAWKS
BLACKWELL’S ISLAND
NAKED CITY
DARK WATER
CONSPIRACY THEORY
AND MORE

DESIGN THE PERFECT ROOSEVELT ISLAND FACE MASK

WHAT ARTWORK WOULD YOU PUT ON THE MASK?

SUBMIT THIS IMAGE WITH ARTWORK ON IT TO: ROOSEVELTISLANDHISTORY@GMAIL.COM

DEADLINE: JUNE 10, 2020

ALL DECISIONS ARE FINAL

NIGHTHAWKS   (1981)

If you have lived long enough on the island you remember Sylvester Stallone being booed out of the Chapel, when the residents resisted the tram being “hijacked” for a film shoot.The film NIGHTHAWKS got shot, the tram closed for two weeks and we were appeased with free coffee and newspapers. Supposedly a $20,000 donation was to go the the Youth Center.

As we watched NIGHTHAWKS in the 1980’s, it was a  captivating thriller. When I watched it in the post 9/11 world, it was too real life.  Sly Stallone and Billy Dee Williams were the stars.

Deke DaSilva (Sylvester Stallone) and Matthew Fox (Billy Dee Williams) are two New York City cops who get transferred to an elite anti-terrorism squad. About this same time, an infamous international terrorist shows up in New York City looking to cause some chaos. It’s up to DaSilva and Fox to stop him, but will they be in time?

BLACKWELL’S ISLAND (1939)

In 1934, a New York reporter infiltrates a crime syndicate by befriending its boss who is serving time inside Blackwell Island prison.

The only scenes of the island were views from the Queensboro Bridge

NAKED CITY  (1939)

A young woman, a carrier of a deadly infectious disease, leaves a self-imposed exile of 14 years on Welfare Island (now called Roosevelt Island) for Manhattan and a “normal” life. The NYPD is notified and seeks to find her before the “Van Nortons Sawyers Fever” infects the populace and causes multiple deaths.

I was just told of this episode called “Carrier” that has great actual film of the Queensboro Bridge Elevator Storehouse Building and scenes filmed at the old Central Nurses residence.  Most of the episode is recognizable being filmed around Manhattan.  Sandy Dennis plays the infected person.  The episode is timely.  It is free to watch on You Tube  or IMDB.  Sit back and think of the island in 1963.

DARK WATER (2005)

Dahlia Williams and her daughter Cecelia move into a rundown apartment on New York’s Roosevelt Island. She is currently in the midst of divorce proceedings and the apartment, though near an excellent school for her daughter, is all she can afford. From the time she arrives, there are mysterious occurrences and there is a constant drip from the ceiling in the only bedroom. There are also noises coming from the apartment directly above hers, though it would appear to be vacant. Is the apartment haunted or is there a simpler explanation?

Mostly filmed in the halls of 540 Main Street and continual “rain” falling on Main Street during filming. Not very popular with the residents. Who authorized this filming?

CONSPIRACY THEORY (1997)

Jerry Fletcher is a man in love with a woman he observes from afar. She works for the government. Fletcher is an outspoken critic of that government. He has conspiracy theories for everything, from aliens to political assassinations. But soon, one of his theories finds itself to be accurate. But which one? Some dangerous people want him dead, and the only person he trusts is the woman he loves, but does not know.

Filmed inside an outside old Central Nurse residence (where 475 Main Street is located), a scene included helicopter landings on adjacent ball field.  Forgot how cute Mel Gibson was in his youth!

OTHER FILMS

Some other films include:
EXORCIST which was supposedly filmed inside Goldwater Hospital
CITY SLICKERS    Star Billy Crystal gets on Tram
SHAFT  filmed in the abandoned City Hospital
SPIDERMAN film at Tram and in studio, where they “destroyed” one of the Tram stations.

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE DAY

Identify and locate this.
Send your answer to jbird134@aol.com
Win a trinket from the RIHS kiosk.

WEEKEND MYSTERY PHOTO OF THE DAY

EDITORIAL

Escaping the real world, a good idea this weekend of chaos. Not being a film buff, I probably left out may films and the fine details that some people appreciate.

BRING YOUR DOG TO OUR 
SOCIALLY DISTANCING DOG APPRECIATION DAY NEXT SATURDAY, JUNE 6TH  FROM 1-5 P.M.
 AT THE RIHS KIOSK. 
WE HAVE FREE TREATS FOR THE DOGS,
INDIVIDUAL DISHES OF WATER FOR THEM. GOODIES FOR THEIR FAMILIES. 
ALL DOGS AND THEIR FAMILIES WELCOME TO GREET SUMMER OUTSIDE THE KIOSK.

Judith Berdy

Text by Judith Berdy Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky
for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac
Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website
Edited by Melanie Colter and Deborah Dorff
All materials in this publication are copyrighted (c)

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DISCRETIONARY FUNDING BY COUNCIL MEMBER BEN KALLOS THRU NYC DYCD