Statues at Times Square's "Show Folks Shoe Shop" to Be Restored!

Last week, I posted an item about how the four statues that adorned Times Square's century-old I. Miller shoe store building had disappeared. The address is to be occupied by the Express clothing chain in the future, and there was some question as to whether the corporation would restore the two-story stone building's unique facade to its former glory—including the figures depicting Ethel Barrymore, Mary Pickford, Marilyn Miller and Rosa Ponselle in their most famous roles.

A women in the preservation community contacted me and said she would look into the matter. She wrote back with this good news:

I did find out that the building is being restored - by a VERY good firm. And that the sculptures have been taken down to be cleaned, repaired and re-installed - once restoration is completed. So...and I can't believe I am going to say this...but it appears that EXPRESS is doing the right thing. And doing the great building the honor it deserves.

Following Sandy, and the closure of Stage Deli, and the imminent closing of the Lenox Lounge, this is the best news I've heard in weeks.

Barrymore's, As It Was

One of the first closures I wrote about on this blog, back in 2006, was of Barrymore's, the Theatre District eatery. It was one of four longstanding, affordable bars on W. 45th Street and W. 46th Street that were needlessly and heartlessly torn down to make way for a luxury hotel plan that never happened. (Frankie & Johnnie's Steakhouse was the only survivor of that massacre.)

A reader recently sent me these photos of the lost theatre hangout. They're from 2000. Only 12 years ago, but seems like an age away.

Someone using a pay phone! I guess 2000 was a long time ago. Has Barrymore's survived, that wouldn't have been yanked out by now.

The Little Theatre, As It Was

Broadway's Little Theatre—known for the past 30 years as the Helen Hayes Theatre, and Broadway's smallest house—recently commemorated its 100 years (on and off) as a working theatre. I went to the ceremony, and to the luncheon afterwards at Sardi's. On the walls at Sardi's were various old photos taken at the time of the Little Theatre's birth.

Above is the engagingly simple box office area. The below photo gives a taste of the elegant downstairs sitting room.

When it was first built, the Little Theatre had only orchestras seats—no balcony. The picture below shows the lobby, which is currently besmirched by a couple large stands selling refreshments and souvenirs for Rock of Ages.

This is another view of the lobby, showing the stairs leading down to the exit. You still exit the Helen Hayes in this same way.

The Story of the China Bowl

Virgil's, the huge Times Square BBQ joint, recently got a big new sign and bright red awnings to go with it, I noticed. They also exchanged the stationary bowl-shaped sign at the top of the restaurant for a rotating oval one. That last renovation was a shame, because the bowl-shaped sign was all that remained of the address' former tenant. It was bowl-shape, you see, because it used to say China Bowl. That was the name of the Chop Suey palace that occupied this spot on W. 44th Street for decades until 1993, when the owners of family-style joints Ollie's and Carmine's bought it and converted it to Virgil's.

The Theatre District used to have several large-scale Chinese restaurants, and the China Bowl was one of the most popular. It was owned by Ginchee Chin, who went to the bother in 1956 of bringing a Chinese dragon to W. 44th to celebrate the New Year. Here's a picture of it from Flickr. (I have to say I don't get Flickr. The site is supposed to be about photo-sharing, right. Yet, many of the people who post photos there won't share them with you, but lock them down.) Great signage and lots of it. Classic Times Square gritty neon style. Imagine standing in Times Square on a rainy night, peering down W. 44th and seeing that!

The interior is pictured below.

I only went once, in 1992. Red was the dominant color. It was as dark as night inside, and wildly atmospheric. The film "Glengarry Glen Ross" captured that midnight aura pretty well, and also preserved for memory China Bowl's lovely bar. The restaurant was also seen in "Godfather III." I sat in a booth. I don't remember the food, or if it was good. But the menu looked like this. (Thanks for nothing, Flickr.) And in 1967, the Times' Craig Clairborne found the chop suet and chow mein "quite palatable," the won ton soup "freshly made," and the shrimp and bean sprouts "tasty."