Amusing the Zillion

Photo of the Day: Looking Back at Brooklyn Biarritz

March 2, 2011 by Tricia

Mildred Price and Bertram Thorn in Brooklyn Biarritz, 1941. Photo by Fred Fehl. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts / Billy Rose Theatre Collection

Thanks to the new smoking ban at beaches and parks, sharing a cigarette with your honey on Coney Island’s beach may soon be as dated as falling in love under the Boardwalk and the phrase “Brooklyn Biarritz.” For a few days back in 1941, the stage of Broadway’s Royale Theater was covered in real sand littered with crumpled papers, banana peels and yes, cigarette butts, to recreate Coney Island’s beach. An overflowing trash can played a role, too. The setting was for a comedy in three acts called Brooklyn Biarritz, a euphemism for Coney Island that we’ve never heard before. The play was panned and closed on March 1, 1941, after four performances. But set designer Frederick Fox won raves for his realistic scenic design, which one reviewer called “the star of the show.”

Posted in Photo of the Day | Tagged Brooklyn Biarritz, Coney Island, Smoking on the beach | 4 Comments »

Double Exposure: Photographer Barry Yanowitz & Coney Island on BCAT TV

February 23, 2011 by Tricia

I'm going to be on tv Wednesday night... Photo © Barry Yanowitz via flickr

Tune in tonight at 10 pm to Brooklyn Independent Television to catch photographer and ATZ contributor Barry Yanowitz on Caught in the Act. The entire segment was shot in Coney Island, where Barry grew up and lived until graduating from college in 1995. The shots that we’ve reproduced here, including the above “accidental” double exposure, are among the photos he took during the shoot. The complete set may be viewed here.

“The show features Brooklyn artists and they wanted to interview me and film me doing street photography,” Barry told ATZ. “So of course I took them to my favorite place to shoot, where there are always interesting characters wandering about! They spent most of the time filming me shooting on and under Steeplechase Pier and the boardwalk.”

We first met Barry in Coney Island and began following his photos on flickr back in 2008. Among our many faves are Astro Cat (Coney Island in the Snow), a Mermaid Parader and the reflection of Luna Park’s lights on top of a car (City of Fire).

“I really only started seriously getting into photography in the last 10 years or so. Although I do remember trying to take photos of my Star Wars figures as a kid in the 70s,” jokes Barry, when we asked if he still has his first camera. “I can’t remember what my first camera was, but one of the cameras I shoot with now is my father’s old SLR, a Canon AE-1.”

From BCAT’s program notes…

Barry Yanowitz: A stroll on the boardwalk with this photographer, who uses both the latest digital equipment and a Kodak Brownie from half a century ago. His images reflect his love of the Coney Island he grew up in, and his fascination with how the water and light reflect the way it’s changing.

Coney Island Boardwalk. February 12, 2011. Photo © Barry Yanowitz via flickr

BCAT TV Network cablecasts in Brooklyn on Time Warner channels 34-35, and 56-57, Cablevision channels 67-70, RCN channels 82-85 and Verizon channels 42-45. For people outside of Brooklyn, go to BCAT’s website and launch channel 3. After the episode premieres, it will be rebroadcast on Mondays and Wednesdays at 2 pm and 10pm and may be viewed online. The segment is between 5-10 minutes and will be aired in an episode that also features Punk Jews and the LIU Television Writers Studio.

Produced by Jonathan Lief and Irina Khokhlova, Caught in the Act: Art in Brooklyn is a monthly show featuring profiles of Brooklyn professionals in fine art, dance, music, theatre and new forms of expression.

Target the Coney Island Arcade Cat & His Friend Pretty

February 21, 2011 by Tricia

Last week ATZ dropped by to visit Coney Island Arcade & Game operator Manny Cohen and his world-famous cat. Even during the off-season, Target the Coney Island Cat can be seen making his rounds on the Bowery. We found him sitting on the hood of Manny’s car.

Last May, Target’s shy sister Targette aka Targeretty died in the terrible fire that destroyed the Coney Island Arcade. For weeks, Target kept searching for her in the ruins of the building and crying. A few months ago, Manny took in another cat to keep Target company. Pretty is a calico who roamed the amusement area. She’s not shy like Targette, but she is skittish. No one has been able to pet her yet, though we’re going to keep trying. In these photos, Pretty reminds us of our calicos Lola and Nadja, who are in cat heaven.

When the games are open for business, the gregarious Target is most likely to be found sitting on the counter of the Balloon Dart helping out Jimmy. Over the past couple of years, we’ve taken enough pix of our favorite Coney Island cat to make a flickr set called Target the World Famous Coney Island Arcade Cat. His photo has also been featured in a New York Times slide show about Coney Island and magazines all over the world.