This unfortunate reality seems to mirror how Disney has let Pleasure Island itself to be destroyed. The whole area around Pleasure Island is a shadow of what it once was in the 1990’s. Sad.
Wow, I just read the article. I don’t see how the theater could have gone from an operating theater in 2008 to shambles in just two years. Something doesn’t add up here. I know it wasn’t in the greatest of maintenance when it closed, but give me a break.
Peter, from reports somewhere above, the fake walls dividing the two orchestra level theaters was removed, so downstairs is one large space again. I don’t think the fake walls dividing up the balcony were removed at this point.
As for “being in bad shape”. It’s not necessarily that the theater is in “terrible shape”, but to begin renovating to reuse it, and upgrade everything (which was extremely old even when it was operating), would take a log of money. And it would have to be profitable. That is the dilemma. I just hope that if they do retrofit the theater for other uses, that they are “kinder” to the architectural features than they were with the Madison down the street, which just seemed to have a jackhammer go through it.
In order to post a photo here, it has to be uploaded already on some photo software site like photobucket.com. Once you do that, you can put in the link to it. You can’t directly upload them here.
Yes. There were three theaters here, all right next to eachother. Actually, there were 4 at one time. The Madison Theater, a small, little known theater used to adjoin the RKO Bushwick, to it’s left at the corner of Madison and Broadway…. It’s listed here on the site under Madison (not to be confused with the RKO Madison in Ridgewood on Myrtle).
I don’t think the future of it looked good even before now, wasn’t there a scavenge sale inside the theater some months ago selling off all the theater’s fixtures?
Hmmm, I am surprised it’s not listed on this site then…there are storefront porn theaters even on this site, you would think that whatever BB Kings was would be too. So you are saying it was never a normal theater?
I didn’t know where else to ask this, so am asking here, as it’s nearby. What theater was BB Kings Blues club? It appears to have been a theater at one time? I assume it never showed movies, as I can’t find a listing for it here.
Any information on what it used to be would be appreciated.
Does any ornamentation of the theater remain inside? I would like to visit the Models store to see the inside, but won’t bother if there’s nothing worth seeing inside.
What great news!!
We are so lucky that this church had saved this theater years back, and now while still functioning as a church, it also has been used more and more as a real theater again too.
This is amazing news!
I never noticed the cherobs were missing on the west side of the building. They are still present on the Bway side. They are surely gone forever, as they were still there in old photos of the theater when it was in shambles in the 90’s. I did however look at a photo I took of the building in 2003 from the Gates platform, and they were already gone.
John, I have heard that too, that the 1977 Blackout, and following riots was the end for the Gates, as Broadway was destroyed. Intererstingly, while the Madison also closed soon after, it’s location was never heavily damaged like the Gates area was. Myrtle wasn’t destroyed near Wyckoff.
Lost Memory only linked to photos on other sites, and never hosted or claimed they were his.
That said, I did have his email address and tried emailing him twice since he turned up missing, and I did not get a response. The email didn’t bounce back however. In any event, it’s not a good sign, I hope he didn’t become ill.
That porthole has been covered over since it was renovated. Looking at photos from the theater in the 60’s and 70’s, the porthole window was damaged back in the theater days already.
Actually, I am the one that added the Granada Theater here to this site, and Two Guys came up in my research. I am the “Chris” who added the Granada Theater.
This photo of the Michigan Theater is particularly sobering. It’s taken from a balcony level, looking down to the top half of the old proscenium, with floors of car parking build below and under:
This photo shows what is left of the old balcony, and behind that the old multi level lobby now opened up into the theater too. You can still see the holes from the projection booth:
In any event, the Michigan Theater, an even more beautiful Theater than the Ridgewood didn’t deserve it’s fate, but then again, neither would the Ridgewood.
This unfortunate reality seems to mirror how Disney has let Pleasure Island itself to be destroyed. The whole area around Pleasure Island is a shadow of what it once was in the 1990’s. Sad.
Wow, I just read the article. I don’t see how the theater could have gone from an operating theater in 2008 to shambles in just two years. Something doesn’t add up here. I know it wasn’t in the greatest of maintenance when it closed, but give me a break.
Peter, from reports somewhere above, the fake walls dividing the two orchestra level theaters was removed, so downstairs is one large space again. I don’t think the fake walls dividing up the balcony were removed at this point.
As for “being in bad shape”. It’s not necessarily that the theater is in “terrible shape”, but to begin renovating to reuse it, and upgrade everything (which was extremely old even when it was operating), would take a log of money. And it would have to be profitable. That is the dilemma. I just hope that if they do retrofit the theater for other uses, that they are “kinder” to the architectural features than they were with the Madison down the street, which just seemed to have a jackhammer go through it.
In order to post a photo here, it has to be uploaded already on some photo software site like photobucket.com. Once you do that, you can put in the link to it. You can’t directly upload them here.
I think the New Amsterdam on 42nd St was in worse shape, and they managed to recreate what was missing.
Yes. There were three theaters here, all right next to eachother. Actually, there were 4 at one time. The Madison Theater, a small, little known theater used to adjoin the RKO Bushwick, to it’s left at the corner of Madison and Broadway…. It’s listed here on the site under Madison (not to be confused with the RKO Madison in Ridgewood on Myrtle).
I don’t think the future of it looked good even before now, wasn’t there a scavenge sale inside the theater some months ago selling off all the theater’s fixtures?
Whoa! GREAT shot!
Here’s a historic view of the Parthenon, as seen from the elevated train. Compare that below to one taken recently:
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?88079
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?90723
Hmmm, I am surprised it’s not listed on this site then…there are storefront porn theaters even on this site, you would think that whatever BB Kings was would be too. So you are saying it was never a normal theater?
I didn’t know where else to ask this, so am asking here, as it’s nearby. What theater was BB Kings Blues club? It appears to have been a theater at one time? I assume it never showed movies, as I can’t find a listing for it here.
Any information on what it used to be would be appreciated.
Does any ornamentation of the theater remain inside? I would like to visit the Models store to see the inside, but won’t bother if there’s nothing worth seeing inside.
Beautiful! Thanks so much!
Well, I guess The drama of the Ridgewood Theater continues….
What great news!!
We are so lucky that this church had saved this theater years back, and now while still functioning as a church, it also has been used more and more as a real theater again too.
This is amazing news!
I never noticed the cherobs were missing on the west side of the building. They are still present on the Bway side. They are surely gone forever, as they were still there in old photos of the theater when it was in shambles in the 90’s. I did however look at a photo I took of the building in 2003 from the Gates platform, and they were already gone.
John, I have heard that too, that the 1977 Blackout, and following riots was the end for the Gates, as Broadway was destroyed. Intererstingly, while the Madison also closed soon after, it’s location was never heavily damaged like the Gates area was. Myrtle wasn’t destroyed near Wyckoff.
Somehow, the movie advertised on the marquee in this photo would leave no question as to the reason this movie was “rated X”:
View link
Lost Memory only linked to photos on other sites, and never hosted or claimed they were his.
That said, I did have his email address and tried emailing him twice since he turned up missing, and I did not get a response. The email didn’t bounce back however. In any event, it’s not a good sign, I hope he didn’t become ill.
Thanks!
That porthole has been covered over since it was renovated. Looking at photos from the theater in the 60’s and 70’s, the porthole window was damaged back in the theater days already.
Actually, I am the one that added the Granada Theater here to this site, and Two Guys came up in my research. I am the “Chris” who added the Granada Theater.
/theaters/7424/
A photo of the interior would be greatly appreciated!
This photo of the Michigan Theater is particularly sobering. It’s taken from a balcony level, looking down to the top half of the old proscenium, with floors of car parking build below and under:
View link
This photo shows what is left of the old balcony, and behind that the old multi level lobby now opened up into the theater too. You can still see the holes from the projection booth:
View link
The once beautiful lobby:
View link
Compare to the Michagan in happier days:
View link
In any event, the Michigan Theater, an even more beautiful Theater than the Ridgewood didn’t deserve it’s fate, but then again, neither would the Ridgewood.
I think his name is Hans Henke.