RKO Keith's Richmond Hill Theatre

117-09 Hillside Avenue,
Richmond Hill, NY 11418

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Showing 51 - 75 of 427 comments

Bway
Bway on April 16, 2009 at 11:30 am

Yes. I didn’t realize the old marquee was under there. It wasn’t until the movie company that was filming a movie there in the 2000’s wanted an old look, and removed the aluminum, and to everyone’s surprise the original, and intact marquee was still under there. The marquee was then at least cosmetically restored, and remained as the Bingo hall sign until the new current owner so uncerimoniously destroyed the RKO Keiths lettering.

Bway
Bway on April 16, 2009 at 10:31 am

Thank you Lost, that’s how i rememeber the Keiths when i first set foot into it, and that is actually the theater that began my interest in theaters, as once inside, it was like a diamond in the rough, and I was hooked…..

Panzer65
Panzer65 on April 13, 2009 at 4:13 pm

Re posting a link to the photos of the RKo Keith’s Richmond Hill, a very fascinating theater.

View link

Bway
Bway on April 2, 2009 at 5:42 pm

Thanks Warren.

Luis Vazquez
Luis Vazquez on February 14, 2009 at 10:01 am

Thanks Warren! I moved to nearby South Ozone Park (118th Street & 111th Avenue)in November of 1970 and so the Keiths was already closed by then. I went every once in a while to Jahn’s which was right next door to the Keiths and it’s funny how I didn’t really give it much thought that this old theater sat unused (as far as I’m concerned, a flea market counts as unused). I was never curious as to what it looked like inside.

Back then, we had an embarassment of movie palaces still open and so it took a lot for one to stand out. From my youth, the only ones that I have clear recollections of being in awe when walking through the lobby and sitting in the auditorium watching a film were Loew’s Valencia, Radio City and the RKO Keiths Flushing. The Elmwood gets an honorable mention. Most of the other theaters were probably in such bad shape or had their decorative elements painted over or hidden that you didn’t wonder what it was like in its prime.

Oddly enough. my interest in palaces started in the late 80’s when I started to go “clubbing” and many of the most famous discos of the era were in old theaters like Studio 54 (Gallo Opera ouse), The Saint (Loews Commodore), Shout (Miller), Club USA (Forum) and Palladium (Academy of Music). I remember admiring the beauty of these theaters and wanting to know more.

That’s why I am so grateful for Cinema Treasures. I have found out more about theaters and the business of movie exhibition than I ever could have imagined through the posting of dedicated people like Warren Harris, Howard Bass and many others.

It has been fascinating to see the efforts to save theaters like The Boyd (Successful), The Jersey (Successful), The St. George (Successful) and The Ridgewood (Work in Progress) and painful to see the lack of success at theaters like the RKO Keiths Flushing and Richmond Hill, Loews Kings and the Demille.

For now, I am trying to generate interest in landmarking Ziegfeld Theatre now that it is approaching its 40th anniversary and will therefore be eligible.

We have gone from a wealth of palaces to a precious few. Cinema Treasures is helping to protect what is left and for that we should all be thankful!

Luis Vazquez
Luis Vazquez on February 13, 2009 at 11:45 am

OK! I’ll play…..November 1967

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on February 12, 2009 at 10:39 am

Good work, Warren and Bway, and thanks. Let’s keep on this.

Bway
Bway on February 12, 2009 at 10:15 am

It would be interesting to find out the exact date. This does narrow it to between 1964 and 1968, as it was mentioned that it was a Bingo hall by 1968.

johndereszewski
johndereszewski on February 9, 2009 at 10:48 pm

Warren, besides Jahn’s, which was actually only one of many ice cream parlours with that name, the Triangle Hofbrau had a significant regional reputation. One of its delicacies – Turtle Soup – was widely known throughout NYC. (Fortunately, the place went out of business before the PETA people caught wind of this!)

I agree with the other commentators that the cinematic development of this theater makes little economic sense. Most Richmond Hill residents visit the Kew Gardens and the Cinemart – or make the slightly longer trek to the Midway or Branden – to satisfy their motion picture needs. I know that’s what my wife did when she lived in the area.

Bway
Bway on February 9, 2009 at 4:39 pm

I remember looking up to these chandeliers in the 80’s already….back then the chrystals were only grey….now they are black! Again, amazing all this still is there, so long later. It’s still in such intact condition, even if a diamond in the rough.

View link

Bway
Bway on February 9, 2009 at 4:32 pm

Actually, if you click next on that photo, there’s other photos of the interior of the Keiths on “flea market” day.

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on February 9, 2009 at 4:29 pm

Didn’t think you were, LuisV !

Thanks for the pic, Lost Memory !

Bway
Bway on February 9, 2009 at 4:29 pm

Great photo Lost. I remember the first time I walked into the Keiths, some time in the early 80’s, with my parents when we went to the flea market. I was in awe of the building, and it’s diamond in the rough appearance even then already. As I mentioned WAY up on this page somewhere, it’s probably “the” theater that got me interested in theater buildings. I remember, I went off on my own then already to explore the place….even snuck up into the balcony back then.
Even back then, it gave a glow of how could this beautiful building have all this crap lying around being used as a flea market. it didn’t seem appropriate judging the grandeur of the building.
And back then, the ceiling of the auditorium was still all original, as was the top 1/3 of the walls and procenium arch. The beige paint only went up about 2/3 of the way up the walls, and the top part and the ceiling, as well as the curtain over the the sage was all original colors yet, and spectacular they were.

It’s amazing that the theater survived so well intact as it is today, more than 40 years since it was last used as a theater. it would be a shame for it to have survived all this time and now be destroyed.

Luis Vazquez
Luis Vazquez on February 9, 2009 at 4:19 pm

Wait, wait…In my defense….In my post, in the scond paragraph, I did say “I don’t get it” and then in the very next post, Peter K says “Thanks Lost Memory, I don’t get it either” It makes sense that I would assume he was talking about me! :–)

So, I just want to let everyone know I’m not an egomaniac!

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on February 9, 2009 at 4:13 pm

Yes, Lost Memory, that’s true.

Luis Vazquez
Luis Vazquez on February 9, 2009 at 3:46 pm

Warren, you are correct. I believe that RKO made a mistake even opening this theater here. Let’s not forget that, back in the day, the Loews Willard and Garden theaters were just down Jamaica Avenue towrd Wodhaven and the incredible Valencia, Savoy, Hillside, Alden and other Jamaica palaces were just up the road in the other direction. Add in the Midway and Forest Hills (not far away), the Austin in Kew Gardens and the two fairly big theaters The Lefferts and The Casino which were on Richmond Hill’s true main retail street, Liberty Avenue, and it didn’t leave you much audience to fight over. The battle was over before it ever really started.

Luis Vazquez
Luis Vazquez on February 9, 2009 at 3:39 pm

Yikes!!!! It’s not always about me! :–)

Thanks Lost Memory and yes, I do mean you!

Luis Vazquez
Luis Vazquez on February 9, 2009 at 3:17 pm

Ummm. It was me not Lost Memory. That’s OK though. :–)

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on February 9, 2009 at 3:09 pm

Thanks, Lost Memory. I don’t get it, either.

Luis Vazquez
Luis Vazquez on February 9, 2009 at 3:06 pm

It’s an odd area. Kew Gardens, which is right next door is a beautiful neighborhood of many stately homes on winding tree lined streets. The area is also interspersed with fairly large buildings that were almost all rentals but were mostly converted to coops in the 80’s. Richmond Hill to the south has lots of old Victorian homes and is also pretty nice and yet……..

I kind of don’t get it! It is also why I don’t view that as a area in decline. I think most people would be overjoyed to live in this immediate neighborhood. The problem is that this particular nexus is so bland. There’s no other way to describe it and maybe it starts with the RKO Keiths being a Bingo Hall/Flea Market for over 40 years. It’s kind of the 800 lb flea bitten gorilla in the room!

:–)

Bway
Bway on February 9, 2009 at 2:53 pm

…..due to the same problem it has today, sort of an out of the way, less dense area.

Bway
Bway on February 9, 2009 at 2:53 pm

I think it was in the 60’s already, but not sure of the actual date. It closed very early on already, for the reasons stated….it was unfortunately never a real profit maker.

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on February 9, 2009 at 2:48 pm

When did the RKO Keith’s Richmond Hill stop showing movies ? 1968 ? 1970 ?

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on February 9, 2009 at 2:46 pm

Good points, Bway. Thanks.

Bway
Bway on February 9, 2009 at 1:48 pm

I agree with Luis on this. While it is quite sad to see Sorrentinos gone, the Hofbrau gone, and most of all, Jahn’s, I don’t find this to be a “declining” neighborhood. Different, yes. In “decline”, no.
Demographics change, Luis said it right, 50 years from now, in all likeliness, people will be sitting on some internet message board (or whatever people use to communicate then), and lament the loss of their old “Montezuma Restaurant” and the old “Pool Hall” under the el…..
The golden age is never the present age, as humans, we always look back at out pasts as the “golden age”.

That being said, I also agree that I just don’t see the area surrounding this theater to make a live theater, or even a restored movie theater in this location viable. Let’s not remember that the RKO Keiths, even when open, was never really a shining star in profitiablility. It probably was a little overbuilt even when it was first placed there……