“Nick & Slick”

Posted on 28th September 2016 in "Times Square"
Two UK black and white press photos on a single 8 x 10 print.

2 UK TIMES SQUARE black and white press photos on a single 8x10 print.  The top photo is a version of TS-72-8A/14 from the US press kit, cropped to show less at the top and more at the left, right, and bottom.  It has a tiny number 20 at its lower right.  The bottom photo appears nowhere else as of this writing.  Text:  A ROBERT STIGWARD PRODUCTION FOR EMI FILMS - TIMES SQUARE.  PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) SING LIVE ON THE AIR.  RELEASED IN THE UK BY COLUMBIA-EMI-WARNER.  A ROBERT STIGWARD PRODUCTION FOR EMI FILMS - TIMES SQUARE.  PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) DEFACE PAMELA'S 'LOSTGIRL' POSTER.  RELEASED IN THE UK BY COLUMBIA-EMI-WARNER.

Who exactly printed these, and why, are mysteries, as I haven’t yet come across any publication that used them, but their country of origin is made clear by the captions announcing Times Square’s release in the UK.

A bigger mystery is why the photo captions lead off by misspelling Robert Stigwood’s surname “Stigward”. There’s at least one more 2-on-1 8×10 like this one (see next post), and it maintains the “Stigward” spelling.

 

 

This top photo from a single 8x10 print (2) contaniing 2 UK TIMES SQUARE Press Photos, is a version of TS-72-8A/14 from the US press kit, cropped to show less at the top and more at the left, right, and bottom.  It has a tiny number 20 at its lower right, in the style of the photos from the UK Press Kit.  Text:  A ROBERT STIGWARD PRODUCTION FOR EMI FILMS - TIMES SQUARE.  PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) SING LIVE ON THE AIR.  RELEASED IN THE UK BY COLUMBIA-EMI-WARNER.

A ROBERT STIGWARD PRODUCTION FOR EMI FILMS – TIMES SQUARE. PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) SING LIVE ON THE AIR. RELEASED IN THE UK BY COLUMBIA-EMI-WARNER.

The top photo is a version of TS-72-8A/14 from the US press kit, cropped to show less at the top and more at the left, right, and bottom. The most interesting thing about it it the tiny number 20 at its lower right, in the style of the photos from the UK Press Kit.

This bottom photo appears nowhere else as of this writing.  Text:  A ROBERT STIGWARD PRODUCTION FOR EMI FILMS - TIMES SQUARE.  PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) DEFACE PAMELA'S 'LOSTGIRL' POSTER.  RELEASED IN THE UK BY COLUMBIA-EMI-WARNER.

A ROBERT STIGWARD PRODUCTION FOR EMI FILMS – TIMES SQUARE. PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) DEFACE PAMELA’S ‘LOSTGIRL’ POSTER. RELEASED IN THE UK BY COLUMBIA-EMI-WARNER.

 

The bottom photo, as far as I know, has never appeared anywhere else. It comes from the end of the dancing-along-42nd-Street scene, when they find that someone has spray painted “No Sense Makes Sense – The Sleez Sisters” across a “Missing” poster of Pammy on the side of a city bus. Needless to say, the shot in the film is from a significantly different angle. Also, the scene cuts as Nicky is blacking out Pammy’s eyes, and here Pammy and Nicky admire her completed work, including Nicky’s addition of the legend “Nick & Slick”.

For what it’s worth, this moment is to me the biggest continuity error in the movie. In the film, only Pammy is around when Nicky utters the phrases “Sleez Sisters” and “No Sense Makes Sense”. In the script, there are indications that Johnny has had them in the WJAD studio several times broadcasting their philosophy to the tri-state area, but in the movie, local girls are apparently receiving psychic transmissions from Pier 56. It still works though, adding to the dream logic that underpins the entire movie. There’s no way this could have happened, but of course it did, because it has to. Yes, it makes no sense, but No Sense Makes Sense. It’s pointless to argue about logic flaws in Times Square, because logic isn’t the point, the point is raw emotion, as embodied in Nicky Marotta.

That the incoherent form of the film reflects the intent in this way is a complete accident; I’m certain Allan Moyle and Jacob Brackman weren’t trying to create a film that delivered its message through continuity problems. Moyle has said (in the Anchor Bay DVD commentary) that the script should have had another year’s development before filming, to iron out some of those problems; and if someone other than Robert Stigwood had produced it, the problems created after Moyle left the film wouldn’t have occurred. As I’ve said before, though, if this had happened, Times Square would have been a radically different movie, and wouldn’t have starred Robin Johnson, and I wouldn’t be here blathering on about it.

Now, “No Sense Makes Sense” having its origins as a Charles Manson quote, again betraying the late ’60s-early ’70s sensibilities of the film’s creators, and our heroines adopting it as a rallying cry, and myself using it to explain away the movie’s structural flaws… well, it makes me feel a little icky, but please somebody else discuss this in the comments. I’m really only here to show all the pictures I’ve collected, not to analyze the film. (Every once in a while I just can’t help myself though, as you can see.)

 

 

[2 “Times Square” black and white press photos on 1 8×10″ print 2 of 2]
black-and-white photograph, AAT ID: 300128347, 7.75 in (W) x 10 in (H) (work);
1981 UK 2-photo 8×10-3_1080px.jpg
1080 px (H) x 852 px (W), 96 dpi, 321 kb (image)

1980
[20 – PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) SING LIVE ON THE AIR.]
[detail of 2 “Times Square” black and white press photos on 1 8×10″ print 2 of 2]
1981 UK 2-photo 8×10-3_top_1080px.jpg
inscription:
[on photo] 20
[on border]A ROBERT STIGWARD PRODUCTION FOR EMI FILMS – TIMES SQUARE. PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) SING LIVE ON THE AIR. RELEASED IN THE UK BY COLUMBIA-EMI-WARNER.
1080 px (W) x 911 px (H), 96 dpi, 358 kb (image)
[PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) DEFACE PAMELA’S ‘LOSTGIRL’ POSTER.]
[detail of 2 “Times Square” black and white press photos on 1 8×10″ print 2 of 2]
1981 UK 2-photo 8×10-3_bottom_1080px.jpg
inscription:
[on border]A ROBERT STIGWARD PRODUCTION FOR EMI FILMS – TIMES SQUARE. PAMELA (TRINI ALVARADO) AND NICKY (ROBIN JOHNSON) DEFACE PAMELA’S ‘LOSTGIRL’ POSTER. RELEASED IN THE UK BY COLUMBIA-EMI-WARNER.
1080 px (W) x 921 px (H), 96 dpi, 391 kb (image)

 

 

Times Square ©1980 StudioCanal/Canal+

 

TS-69-34A/4, ITC version

Posted on 18th September 2016 in "Times Square"
Robin Johnson as Nicky Marotta in the WJAD studio.  ITC variant of TIMES SQAURE press photo TS-69-34A.  Text:  ROBIN JOHNSON portrays Nicky  Marotta, an aimless, street- wise youngster whose heart is  set on becoming a rock star.  TIMES SQUARE™  ITC ENTERTAINMENT AN acc COMPANY  Permission is hereby granted to newspapers and other periodicals to reproduce this photograph for publicity or advertising except for the endorsement of products.  This must not be sold leased or given away.  Printed in U.S.A.

ROBIN JOHNSON portrays Nicky
Marotta, an aimless, street-
wise youngster whose heart is
set on becoming a rock star.

 

Another UK press photo produced by ITC, this one a cropped version of TS-69-34A/4 from the US Press Materials folder, with its caption added on at an annoyingly noticeable angle. The last one had a 4 on it; this one is not numbered. There may be two or three more of these ITC photos out there, there may not.

Everything else I might have to say about this, I addressed in the last post. So, see yez later.

 

 

[Robin Johnson “Times Square” press photo TS-69-34A/4, ITC variant]
black-and-white photograph, AAT ID: 300128347, 8.06 in (W) x 10 in (H) (work);
1080 px (H) x 881 px (W), 96 dpi, 348 kb (image)

1981
inscription:
(on border)
ROBIN JOHNSON portrays Nicky
Marotta, an aimless, street-
wise youngster whose heart is
set on becoming a rock star.
TIMES
SQUARE™
ITC ENTERTAINMENT
AN acc COMPANY
Permission is hereby granted to newspapers and other periodicals to
reproduce this photograph for publicity or advertising except for the
endorsement of products. This must not be sold leased or given away.
Printed in U.S.A.

 

Times Square ©1980 StudioCanal/Canal+

 

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Headshot, ITC version

Posted on 8th September 2016 in "Times Square"

Inscription:  TIMES SQUARE  4  Robin Johnson makes her motion picture acting and singing debut after being discovered by chance at her high school in Brooklyn for the co-starring role with Tim Curry and Trini Alvarado in "Times Square."  ITC ENTERTAINMENT  AN acc COMPANY  Permission is hereby granted to newspapers and other periodicals to reproduce this photograph for publicity or advertising except for the endorsement of products. This must not be sold leased or given away  Printed in USA

Associated Film Distribution, which released Times Square in the US, was a partnership between Thorn-EMI (which released Times Square in the UK and most of the rest of the world), and ITC, which was primarily a producer of television in the UK. By the time Times Square came out, AFD was already struggling from the failures of Can’t Stop the Music and Raise the Titanic! earlier that summer, and even as Times Square hit theaters and Robin was traveling the world promoting it, EMI and ITC were already working to dissolve AFD and sell its films to Universal. As far as I know, Universal still owns the theatrical performance rights, as well as the only pristine print and the negative to Times Square (which was not destroyed in the 2008 Universal Studios fire as had been reported), although through the vagaries of multiple rights and companies rising and falling, all other rights in the property (not counting the soundtrack album) are held by StudioCanal.

Anyway, a few publicity stills were released in the UK with ITC credited as the producer, and this is one. It’s TS-Spec.3, cropped a little closer, and with the caption printed directly on it rather than included as a separate slip of paper. Interestingly, it was “Printed in USA.” Even more interestingly, there’s a little number “4” before the caption, implying there are at least three more ITC-variant photos. I know of at least one other that I don’t have. Less interestingly, it, like this one, is a duplicate of an American publicity photo we’ve already seen.

 

 

[Robin Johnson head shot, ITC variant]
black-and-white photograph, AAT ID: 300128347, 7.75 in (W) x 10 in (H) (work);
1080 px (H) x 852 px (W), 96 dpi, 364 kb (image)

1981
inscription:
(on border)
TIMES SQUARE
4
Robin Johnson makes her motion picture acting and singing debut after being discovered by
chance at her high school in Brooklyn for the co-starring role with Tim Curry and Trini
Alvarado in “Times Square.”
ITC ENTERTAINMENT
AN acc COMPANY
Permission is hereby granted to newspapers and other periodicals to reproduce this photograph
for publicity or advertising except for the endorsement of products. This must not be sold
leased or given away
Printed in USA

 

Times Square ©1980 StudioCanal/Canal+

 

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