RKO Keith's Theatre
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
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In the comments to the “Queenscrap” post from last May that Warren linked to above, it is obvious that there’s a Committee to Save the RKO Keith’s Theatre of Flushing Inc. that has been in existence for 25 years and is headed by a Jerry Rotondi. Has he ever posted here?
There are also posts both there and here talking about the impossibility of preserving and using the theater based on the millions it would cost, even though other communities have successfully completed similar projects and made revitalized theaters the centerpiece of downtown rejuvenation projects. Though the current economy would seem to make such a prospect even less likely, has anyone considered the possibility of applying for economic stimulus funds? I’ve heard those are supposed to be available for “shovel-ready” projects — and one would think that refurbishment of the existing theater, based on the original plans, would be a lot more shovel-ready than that pie-in-the-sky condo/office tower thing. What could be a more appropriate stimulus than something that creates jobs and revitalizes the major Flushing crossroads?
Warren these would be nice to re-post:
[i]Here are two images of the atmospheric grand lobby. After the theatre closed, the magnificent fountain was somehow “stolen” and is reportedly now installed in a Greenwich Village restaurant:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/aeebd8b6.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/bb23e78f.jpg
a 1947 exterior view, taken when the program was a two-day, mid-week reissue booking of WB’s “The Sea Hawk” & “The Sea Wolf.” [url]http://www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/126-2691_IMG.jpg[/i][/url]
Warren G Harris, what ever happened to the photos you posted in the past? I tried to click on many of them, but none of them seem to open except those that were recently posted. And thanks for the link, I saw that one already. Cheers!
The current owner is Boymelgreen who is in a lot of financial hot water due to the real estate meltdown. Last year, this property was placed on the market. I believe the price is referenced above in a prior post, but there were no takers so I’m pretty sure that Boymelgreen still owns it.
Also, who OWNS the RKO Keith’s now? I heard that the current developers backed out.
Who is heading up the committee to save the RKO Keith’s? I’d love to talk with him/her/them. I live in the San Francisco bay area with my kids and two similar theaters were just renovated and turned into premier entertainment venues. I can’t help but think that it is still very possible to save the grand lady. It ain’t over til it’s over. International promoters like LiveNation (the old Bill Graham Presents) and the like are buying up old theaters, renovating them and bringing in The Temptations, Journey, Dane Cook, Robin Williams and the like. These theaters are the community’s center, and turning the economy around – there are major anchor stores, nightclubs, restaurants and other major empoyers that are coming in and seting up shop, regardless of the economy, becuase they know what a venue like that can do for business. If anyone has any ideas or knows who I can call to discuss this, feel free to email me at Thanks.
Don’t worry there will never be a glass wall, that was just to hoodwink CB7 into thinking they were getting something for nothing and issue a variance. BTW Farrington street is still very original North of 35th Ave. with private homes and pre-war factories; check out Google street view I’ll bet Ed’s house is there, about mid-way to the left in this picture circa 2008:
I think the name RKO Flushing should be added to the also known as section for this theater. A photo that was posted by Warren on 8/20/08 shows the marquee with this name.
For SWC, it looks to me that the word after Keith Albee’s on the original marquee is “vaudeville”
I recently found Cinema treasures while looking for another old theater here in California, where I’ve lived for the last 20+ years. I just by chance did a search for the RKO Keith’s. I grew up on Farrington Street (not Avenue), directly behind the theater. I used to go out on dates to the Tower Diner on the corner of Farrington and Northern Blvd before going to the movies at The RKO Keith’s. As kids, we would sneak into movies from the rear of the theater – I guess that’s not possible now, since they’ve built up retail stores in front of the back exits. My grandmother got her hair done every Saturday at the salon just two doors down from the entrance to the theater and we would go with her just to hang out in front of the theater. My grandpa used to hang out in the old bar on the farrington St side of the Keiths and bring us in there when we were kids, sit us at a table in the back and give us each bar shaped shot glasses filled with ginger ale while he had his “own ginger ale”. We would hang out in the plaza on Northern and Main and watch the Memorial and Thanksgiving Day Parades. We still lived in the house at 33-52 Farrington Street when the city was planning to condemn homes in order to build a mall. Lots of incredible memories. I hope they can do something better with the old girl than just hang a glass curtain in front of it. That’s what they do at zoos and maternity wards.
Ooops, sorry, I thought that was a clip from the current story, and photo above of the police at the scene. Sorry, my misunderstanding.
Bway, the theater WAS STILL functioning when that out-of-control car smashed into the RKO in 1955.
I love how on the story wrote the article like the theater is still a functioning theater (we only wish!):
“….when an out-of-control car smashed into the theatre’s entrance, narrowly missing the boxoffice but zooming into the first lobby, where it was stopped by a solid stone wall.”
Thanks, SWC, for a great post.
Thank goodness there wasn’t a 45,000-pound 50-by-100-foot wall of undulating glass fabricated in Madrid, strung like a harp, entirely supported by a tracery of stainless steel cables, in place! (But I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for that 19 story condo that Flushing so desperately needs!)
Almost a replay of the ‘55 incident posted by Warren on 10/1/2004:
“On May 4th, 1955, two Flushing HS students were killed and a third person critically injured when an out-of-control car smashed into the theatre’s entrance, narrowly missing the boxoffice but zooming into the first lobby, where it was stopped by a solid stone wall. The car’s owner was also dead, and apparently suffered a heart attack while driving on Northern Boulevard near the theatre. Eyewitnesses claimed the car was going about 50mph when it jumped the sidewalk. Damage to the lobby was minimal, and the 800 patrons in the theatre that afternoon never knew that the accident had happened, according to a report in The New York Times. "
WABC-TV Ch. 7 is who was originally reporting the story.
Posting from www.queenscrap.com
Could this possibly be a remake of that Dirty harry movie where he crashes into a storefront?
“Dirty Honda & Empty Orchestra”
Can anyone post a photo of the theater after the accident Friday morning?
FLUSHING (WABC) — A driver heading the wrong way on Northern Boulevard crashed into a historic movie theater in the Flushing section of Queens.
The driver apparently lost control and careened into the front of the now-vacant RKO Keith’s Theater at 135-35 Northern Boulevard just after 6 a.m.
Officials say his 21-year-old female passenger sustained chest and leg injuries. She was taken to Flushing Hospital.
The driver was taken into police custody and is being questioned on suspicion of drunk driving.
Eyewitness News is told he was driving his passenger home from a nearby karaoke club at the time of the crash.
Police closed several lanes of Northern Boulevard while the Buildings Department responded to assess the structural integrity of the building.
The 80-year-old theater’s lobby and the grand foyer were designated as interior landmarks by the city Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1984.
‘55 Here is the link: View link
You may be able to glean some info with PS (I’ve tried) but you really need some prior knowledge (knowing to expect Keith Albee, Flushing helps); the 4th line may be 'North of’ or ‘Main &'
btw I saw both of those shows at the RKO; the stooges befriend a nerd who builds up his strength as a galley slave – (didn’t work for the stooges)and comes out as Hercules – funny.
Here is Clay’s web site: http://www.claycoleshow.com/
SWC, I tried looking on your site for that photo but couldn’t locate it. Was hoping maybe it was in higher resolution there… I can’t make out what that sign says because it seems to break down as you blow it up.
On Friday January 26, 1962, the Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly-Joe DeRita) embarked on a three day promotional tour for their latest feature film, THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES. They were accompanied by “The Herculean Giant” (almost 8 foot tall Dave Ballard) and popular DJ Clay Cole, who was one of the stars of the co-feature, TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK.
On Saturday January 27, they appeared at the RKO Flushing at 7:50 PM.
Must have been hot that summer since the 2nd and 3rd floor windows are open to let the hot air out.
So anyone out there know what the sign reads after
Keith Albee
FLUSHING?
Boymelgreen Developers in an article posted above by LM on Aug. 14th 2008, listed the address as 135-35 Northern Boulevard.
LM, you posted the correction back on Aug. 3rd. 2005.