15 or 16 UK Promo Photos

6 June, 2018 Sean 0 Comments 1 category

As promised, here are all I have so far from the series of 8×10 black and white publicity stills from the UK, whose only true common denominator is that they have a small one- or two-digit number on a tiny inset square as part of the print. The typical still from the US has a handwritten string of letters and numbers. Some of these have captions pasted to their backs, some have “TIMES SQUARE” stamped on their backs, the ones that came with the UK Press Kit matched up with numbers on an enclosed caption sheet, although I don’t think my copy of that Press Kit was complete.

I’m not sure if I have fifteen or sixteen of these because there are two #4s. The highest number I have is 36, implying that there are twenty or twenty-one more out there somewhere.

Nicky and Pammy about to enter the subway after escaping from the cop who chased them through the Adonis Theater. Version one of the first photo (best guess) from the UK TIMES SQUARE press kit. The text from the caption sheet: 1. ROBIN JOHNSON (left) and TRINI ALVARADO (right) as Nicky and Pamela, the teenage runaways who team up to roam the seamier streets of New York City.

A shot not appearing in the film, that would have belonged to the sequence where the girls look for Nicky's father. The caption from the UK Press Kit's photo descriptions page: 3. ROBIN JOHNSON (l) and TRINI ALVARADO (r), the two teenage runaways, become familiar figures in New York’s street society.

Tim Curry as Johnny LaGuardia in the WJAD studio, in the UK press kit photograph numbered 4. The text from the press kit's photo captions page: 4. TIM CURRY stars as an all-night disc jockey, who, perched in his studio high above Times Square follows and encourages the progress of the runaway girls, who thanks to his efforts become minor media celebrities.

Pammy (Trini Alvarado) is dropped off at the hospital by her father (Peter Coffield). One of a series of black and white 8x10" photos distributed in the UK in 1981 to promote TIMES SQUARE (1980). The caption taped to the back is likely the caption from a different photo in the series: Robin Johnson is a runaway teenage product of the streets who dreams of becoming a rock music star and lets nothing get in her way to make it to the top in"TIMES SQUARE". "TIMES SQUARE" a contemporary drama with music starring Tim Curry, Robin Johnson and Trini Alverado, is a Robert Stigwood Presentation, produced by Stigwood and Jacob Brackman and directed by Alan Moyle from Brackman's screenplay, based on the story by Moyle and Leanne Unger, with Kevin McCormick and John Nicollela the executive producers and Bill Oakes the associate producer. "TIMES SQUARE" is distributed by Columbia-EMI-Warner.

Tim Curry as Johnny LaGuardia on the roof outside the WJAD studio, in the UK press kit photograph numbered 5. This photo was taken a second before or after the photo numbered TS-79-28/8 in the US press kit. The text from the press kit's photo captions page: 5. TIM CURRY stars as an all-night disc jockey, who, perched in his studio high above Times Square follows and encourages the progress of the runaway girls, who thanks to his efforts become minor media celebrities.

Robin Johnson as Nicky Marotta during the filming of TIMES SQUARE (1980). The number and the stamp on the back imply that it was part of the UK Press Kit. The caption for phto 6 in the Press Kit reads: 15-year-old screen newcomer ROBIN JOHNSON stars as Nicky Marotta, a street-wise young runaway who, thanks to a radio DJ's patronage, is able to fulfil her fantasies of becoming a star of the "new wave".

Robin Johnson as Nicky Marotta atop the Times Square Theater marquee, in the UK press kit photograph numbered 7. The text from the press kit's photo captions page: 6/7/8. 15-year-old screen newcomer ROBIN JOHNSON stars as Nicky Marotta, a street-wise young runaway who, thanks to a radio DJ's patronage, is able to fulfil her fantasies of becoming a star of the "new wave".

Robin Johnson as Nicky Marotta in the Cleo Club, in the UK press kit photograph numbered 8. The text from the press kit's photo captions page: 6/7/8. 15-year-old screen newcomer ROBIN JOHNSON stars as Nicky Marotta, a street-wise young runaway who, thanks to a radio DJ's patronage, is able to fulfil her fantasies of becoming a star of the "new wave".

Trini Alvarado as Pamela Pearl, in the UK press kit photograph numbered 11. The text from the press kit's photo captions page: 11. TRINI ALVARADO, 12-year-old star of Robert Altman's RICH KIDS, is Pamela Pearl, daughter of a well-to-do New York family who runs away to find a new and exciting life in the city’s streets.

One of a series of black and white 8x10" photos distributed in the UK in 1981 to promote TIMES SQUARE (1980). Caption on back: 13. Nicky (ROBIN JOHNSON) and Pamela (TRINI ALVARADO). A scene from "TIMES SQUARE" distributed by COLUMBIA/EMI/WARNER Film Distributors.

TIMES SQUARE UK promo photo 20. Text: 20 [on back:] 20. Pamela (TRINI ALVARADO) and Nicky (ROBIN JOHNSON) sing live on the air. A scene from "TIMES SQUARE" distributed by COLUMBIA/EMI/WARNER Film Distributors.

#21 of a series of black and white 8x10" photos distributed in the UK in 1981 to promote TIMES SQUARE (1980). Text [taped to back]: 21. Nicky (ROBIN JOHNSON) sings at the nightclub. A scene from "TIMES SQUARE" distributed by COLUMBIA/EMl/WARNER Film Distributors.

TIMES SQUARE UK promo photo 26. Text: 26 [on back:] 26. Johnny LaGuardia (TIM CURRY) visits Pamela (TRINI ALVARADO) at the hideout. A scene from "TIMES SQUARE" distributed by COLUMBIA/EMI/WARNER Film Distributors.

#29 of a series of black and white 8x10" photos distributed in the UK in 1981 to promote TIMES SQUARE (1980). [2nd copy.] Caption [taped to back]: 29. In a distressed condition, Nicky (ROBIN JOHNSON) tries to tell her story in the radio station. A scene from "TIMES SQUARE" distributed by COLUMBIA/EMI/WARNER Film Distributors.

Robin Johnson as Nicky Marotta leaps into the the air, beginning her performance at the conclusion of "Times Square" (1980). This specific shot does not, however, appear in the film; it is part of a series of publicity stills that replicate events from the film but do not actually appear in it. The equivalent shot in the film is much closer in and Nicky's face is turned in the opposite direction. Inscription: "34" at bottom right. [On back:] [stamped, black:] TIMES SQUARE [handwritten, black:] 34 [handwritten, blue:] Robin Johnson, Trini Alvarez

In preparing this post, I noticed something. I have two copies of number 20, and they’re not identical.

#20 of a series of black and white 8x10" photos distributed in the UK in 1981 to promote TIMES SQUARE (1980). [2nd copy.] Text [taped to back]: 20. Pamela (TRINI ALVARADO) and Nicky (ROBIN JOHNSON) sing live on the air. A scene from "TIMES SQUARE" distributed by COLUMBlA/EMl/WARNER Film Distributors.

The second copy is darker and cropped differently. I thought perhaps it was something I might have done when digitizing them, but the number is in a different place. It’s possible I made one look a little darker than the other, but I’m sure I didn’t crop away that much of the first one, and, well, the number is part of the print. It seems there may have been multiple printings of these stills. Perhaps the #4 of Pammy and her father is a reprint of a photo that’s supposed to have a different number, and whoever stuck the number on and printed it made a mistake.

The photos above previously appeared in these posts, except for the second copy of #20:

Times Square UK Press Kit (post 2 of 4)
Times Square UK Press Kit (post 3 of 4)
“6”
UK Promo Photos 4, 13, and 21, 1980-81
UK Promo Photos 20 and 26, 1980-81
UK Promo Photo #29
“34”
Nicky Marotta, 1980

Times Square publicity stills 1, 3, 4, 4 [2nd version], 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 20, 20 [2nd version], 21, 26, 29, 34, 36
black-and-white photographs, AAT ID: 300128347
UK ; 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (works)

Category: "Times Square"

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Seventeen Magazine, Vol. 39 No. 10, October 1980

Again presuming that any magazine dated October probably came out in September before the movie opened, here's an interview with Robin that appeared as two pages of Edwin Miller's "Spotlight: Movies, records, personalities" column. The full column led off on page 93…

Allan Moyle at work

Way back in October 2014, I posted a photo of Robin and Trini getting ready to shoot a scene that was later cut from the film, and complained that although the vast majority of Times Square publicity stills don't actually come from shots of takes used in the film, there…

Times Square promotional t-shirt, c. October 1980

Never sold at retail, as far as I can determine, this t-shirt would have been distributed to radio stations and theater owners to be given away as prizes along with free tickets and passes like the buttons were, or perhaps just as gifts for the DJs to make them…

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Seventeen Magazine, Vol. 39 No. 10, October 1980

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