Blast from the Past

Posted on 19th April 2018 in "Times Square"

Nicky Marotta (Robin Johnson) in costume for the final concert in TIMES SQUARE (1980)  Text (handwritten on back):  TIMES SQUARE

I got this photo at the same time as the Nicky hair and make up test and the preparing-to-shoot-the-excised-scene-of-the-girls-looking-for-Nicky’s-father. Somehow, in my excitement over those two true behind-the-scenes photographs, since there are so very few of those, I lost track of this one. I’d digitized it at the same time, but never prepared the file for uploading, or even made a proper note of its existence. I came across it again by accident while trying to identify the illustrations in the Japanese souvenir program book.

So here it is. Nicky, in costume and make up for the final concert. As of this writing I don’t believe this was ever published anywhere, like the two photos linked above that came with it. I would guess it was rejected for use as a publicity still in favor of TS-42-11A/2, and they both were taken at the same time as the slide.

The other two photos, which like this one are the full 35mm frame printed on 8 x 10 inch paper, resulting in the extra wide border along the long sides, have identifying numbers handwritten on the back. The one with the director and assistant director visible has a handwritten number (68-24A) that matches the format of the numbers printed on all the American publicity stills. Could these have been photos used by the production itself, and not as publicity materials? This particular photo has on its back only the handwritten words, “TIMES SQUARE”.

 

The photos referenced above are from these posts:

Nicky hair and make up test
Behind the scenes on location
Press photo TS-42-11A/2
Nicky Marotta 35mm color slide

 

 

[Robin Johnson as Nicky in costume for the final concert]
black-and-white photograph, AAT ID: 300128347
US ; 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (work)
Robin_Johnson_Times_Square_Behind_the_Scenes_photo_2_of_3_1080px.jpg
878 px (H) x 1080 px (W), 96 dpi, 327 kb (image)

 

Times Square ©1980 StudioCanal/Canal+

 

Times Square Program Book, Japan, June 1981, pages 12-13 (post 5 of 5)

Posted on 7th April 2018 in "Times Square"

1981 Japanese program book for TIMES SQUARE (1980), center spread (pp. 12-13)

The center two pages of the Japanese souvenir book feature, alongside a somewhat out of place Yankees logo, three beautifully reproduced photos.

The first, of Pammy and Nicky atop the Times Square Theater marquee, isn’t a frame from the film, and I haven’t yet found it as a publicity still, so it would seem to be making its first and possibly only appearance here.

The inset of Nicky singing in the Cleo Club looks like it was taken just before or after this publicity still (discussed here). This will turn up again later on the Mexican movie poster.

And the last shot: in the film we don’t see see Nicky’s face and the knife on her wrist in the same shot. This photo would seem to have been taken between AFD publicity still TS-109-16/12, which appeared in the US Press Material pack in 1980, and TS-81/34 from 1981, which I don’t have, but Karen Dean (DefeatedandGifted) does, along with several other Items I haven’t got. (Actually I’m fairly certain I do have a version of TS-81/34, but not as an AFD print, but consarn it I can’t seem to find it.)

This last shot would also seem to be making its first and only appearance, and isn’t it beautiful? I don’t know if it comes across in my digitization, but something about the lighting and quality of the printing make it look almost like a painting.

Incidentally, I just noticed that TS-C-34/29 in Karen’s collection is the same photo as the one that accompanied the film review in Playboy Vol. 28 No. 1 from January 1981, which until this moment I thought had only ever appeared there. Now I suspect that the “C” that appears in some of the AFD press photo code numbers means that there’s also a color version somewhere.

I also came across a photo I’d gotten several years ago and totally overlooked while preparing items for this blog. I think it’s a rejected publicity photo, the only one of three shots taken within seconds of each other not to see the light of day… until next time.

 

Times Square program book, pp. 12-13
Japan : souvenir program : AAT ID: 300253341 : 29.4 x 20.5 cm. : 1981 (work);

Press Book Japan 1981_12-13_1080px.jpg
1080 x 1486 px, 96 dpi, 762 kb (image)

©1980 Butterfly Valley N. V.
 
Times Square©1980 StudioCanal/Canal+