HUNTER-GATHERER

Jack Warden in the nabe, 1961.

As Jeremiah of Vanishing New York pointed out last week, we increasingly turn to old film to reference buildings and businesses as the craptastic steam roller of real estate development wreaks havoc on the soul of Gotham. Lovely piece on the St. Mark’s Cinema and 7th st. history with a number of locals chiming in. If you haven’t seen it you should really check it out.

As is the fashion for me when the thermometer heads north of 95 degrees, I hunker down in the AC, pray for no brownouts, and catch up on some overdue viewing.
The early 60’s series Naked City continues to offer up tasty time capsules. The last time it was this hot I did a story featuring Jack Klugman in a heap of trouble on 7th st between 1st & A.
The prologue on this episode features a young Jack Warden (who still looks rather old here even though he had just turned 41) down on his luck and still suffering post WWII PTSD. The original air date of the episode was January 3rd, 1962. By the looks of the shot near St. Marks Church on 10th and 2nd where leaves are blowing around, I assume this episode was filmed in the fall of 1961.
I gasped at the very opening when I realized that Warden was walking south on 2nd ave. between 4th and 5th st. and I just barely made out the Rappaport’s marquee, a block further north, for the first time.
Twenty years ago, when I was tending bar at the now long departed Sugar Reef (now the home of Lit), an elderly gentleman walked in just as I had opened on a Saturday afternoon. He looked a bit bewildered and when I offered him a menu he abruptly asked, “what is the address here?”
“93 second avenue”, I replied.
He then lit up and said, “do you know what used to be here? Rappaport’s! One of the finest dairy restaurants in the city!”
The old guy had been a waiter at the place back in the day. I offered him a coffee and he sat down at the bar and explained the layout of the former establishment and what it had been like working there. He finished his coffee, thanked me and I never saw him again. I never doubted him, but I have also never seen a picture of the old digs.
The second clip appears to be 2nd Ave, just below 4th st. Behind Warden and through the glass you can just make out the marquee of the Anderson theater’s entrance on 2nd Ave. I can’t make out the name of the restaurant he walks into.

The third and fourth clips are from the corner of 2nd Ave and 6th st. The fourth clip takes place right under the marquee of the old Loew’s/Fillmore East and next door you can see the Ratner’s sign (now home to Met Foods).

Absolute Magic!