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The Amazing Center Theater…Gone But Not Forgotten

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Eyes Of A Generation.com


The Amazing Center Theater…Gone But Not Forgotten

The Center Theater was Radio City Music Hall’s little sister and when it was converted by NBC for television in August of 1950, it became “the world’s largest television studio”. It’s big sister seated 6,000, and while the Center seated 3,000, it was just as opulent and a block away at 1230 Sixth Avenue. It is the only original Rockefeller Plaza structure ever demolished, which happened in 1954 to make way for the US Rubber office tower.

Before it’s conversion, the Center had built what was called The Sonja Henie Ice Stage which was used in a one year run of her live ice show there. It was a massive undertaking in every way including financially.

When NBC took over, they kept the stage intact and here is that unique frozen stage in action on a 1954 episode of ‘The Colgate Comedy Hour’ with non other than Sonja Henie as the guest star. I think this was one of the last episodes of Colgate, or any show, to come from the Center Theater before it was closed for demolition. By the way, it even had a huge revolving turntable and I’ll add a photo in the comments section that shows that. – Bobby Ellerbee

https://archive.org/details/theColgateComedyHour-21February1954An episode of The Colgate Comedy Hour with host Gene Wesson, and special guests Sonja Henie, Abbott & Costello, and a bunch of other people. Contains the…

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5 responses to “The Amazing Center Theater…Gone But Not Forgotten”

  1. Brian Wickham

    I went to the Joe DiMaggio Show in the Center Theater in the early 1950s. My uncle worked at NBC and got us tickets. It may have been the inaugural telecast but I really don’t remember anything about it other than it was on a Saturday morning and was a kids show.

  2. Dave Dillman

    That would be Sonja Henie, the first big commercially successful ice skating star.

  3. Wally Roper

    Too bad, boy they could have used that for lots of things since then!

  4. Eyes Of A Generation.com

    Here’s the marquis changing in August of ’50. On the right is 6th Avenue and this is the corner of 49th Street and 6th. The photographer is standing at the front corner of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

  5. Eyes Of A Generation.com

    Occasional ‘Colgate Comedy Hour’ host and Broadway dancer Wayne Lamb is shown here headed toward the huge turntable in the stage floor at The Center Theater in late 1953.

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