DATE: Wednesday, June 18, 1997              TAG: 9706180045

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   72 lines

DISNEY EMPIRE STORMS MANHATTAN

NEW YORK'S notorious 42nd Street is now a place for families to gather? Believe it.

Saturday night in Manhattan, Disney presented an epic parade to coincide with the premiere of ``Hercules,'' its new animated film. On 42nd Street, children and their parents pointed in awe at the over 500,000 lights that passed before their eyes. Laughter was everywhere.

Only a year ago parents would have been afraid to bring their children to 42nd Street at night. This night, an estimated 3 million-plus people lined the Manhattan streets.

Some 5,000 businesses turned out their neon lights as the parade passed. It was more than just the ``Hercules Electrical Parade.'' It was a celebration of what can be accomplished by the cooperation of private and public forces in renewing urban centers.

One of the remaining porno places even turned off its ``Live Girls'' neon light for the parade.

One woman on the street, who had her three grandchildren in tow, said: ``Something like this has a calming effect on New York.''

It also projects the New York tourism business' new theme, ``Safer, Calmer, Better'' in a way that no bumper-sticker campaign ever could.

Outwardly, the event heralded the world premiere of ``Hercules,'' Disney's animated feature (set to open locally on June 27). The premiere occurred at the remodeled New Amsterdam Theater, which stands at the corner of Broadway and 42nd Street and which, for decades, had been a sleazy all-night moviehouse. Disney has now spent $38 million to restore it to the splendor of an earlier time.

``Hercules'' is the first film to show there. Usually it will be a home for Broadway theater, beginning with the opening in November of a big-budget stage version of ``The Lion King.''

The ``Hercules'' parade was developed from the long-running, recently discontinued ``Main Street Electrical Parade'' of Disneyland.

The first float now housed Decathalon Heroes of America's own past, obviously chosen as counterparts to the title character of the new film. There was Bob Mathias, Olympic Gold Medalist in the Decathlon in 1948. There was Milt Campbell, Bill Toomey, Bruce Jenner and Dan O'Brien.

The new ``Hercules'' float, which followed, had the electric lights to simulate Pegasus, the hero's flying horse, with wings fluttering, with the aid of electrical simulation. Even larger was a Disney float to suggest Hell. It was three-stories high and housed Hades, the villain in the movie, who held a 10-foot cigar which actually spit flames into the night.

The workings of the Disney empire to bring off the parade were nearly as amazing as the event itself. More than 6,000 people were involved, including Disney staffers who went from door to door to ask businesses and residents to turn off their lights as the parade passed. More than 2,000 New York police worked overtime, on Disney's payroll, to aid in crowd movement. (Police reported only seven minor arrests.)

More than 18 miles of cable had to be placed for the 68 loudspeakers along the parade route. From California, 26 trucks were used to move the flats to New York. Because of the unique color palette of ``Hercules,'' special colors were mixed to dye the light bulbs for the 66,000 new lights.

A two-acre tent was put up at Chelsea Piers on the Hudson River to house a private party. Fireworks exploded as Michael Bolton performed ``Go the Distance,'' from the movie. Guests included Lauren Hutton, Andy Garcia and David Letterman.

The event, which had a price tag of $5 million, is something that no other entertainment corporation could, or would, attempt. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS

Participants in the parade celebrating the opening of Disney's

``Hercules'' move down 42nd Street.

The Hercules float moves down Fifth Avenue. A crowd estimated at

more than 3 million lined the streets to watch the festivities.

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