Ridgewood Theatre
55-27 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
55-27 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
31 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1,976 - 2,000 of 2,835 comments
I think King saw the shorter (64 minute) version, because I think he made a reference to it being about that length, in his non-fiction work, “Danse Macabre” (1980). Another factor in nearly laughing himself into a hernia was, by his own admission, the generous quantity of marijuana he had smoked, prior to, and while, viewing the film.
Black bar across the top of her (almost) bare bosom ? But I waited through 64 minutes of bubble-machine tuning to see that ! That’s not fair !
I’m reminded of Hazel Court nearly falling out of the top of her dress in “The Raven” (1964).
Legend has it that Phil Tucker, the director of “Robot Monster” (‘53), tried to commit suicide after viewing the daily rushes.
American prints have been edited for length: 60-64 minutes, depending on which video/DVD* company released it, but in the 1980s, the tape version released by Sony ran a full 20 minutes longer. I wonder which version Stephen King saw that prompted his comment above about the hernia.
“Minutiae,” Frankie? Cowabonga, dude! That’s an intellectual’s $100 word, further proof that Frankie & LM could NEVER be one and the same. LOL! (But I’m still wondering if “robbie dupree” is the CT pseudonym of Jack Nicholson? Hey, Jack, make yourself feel right at home. Hit someone with a golf club…
[“I must re-calculate…” – Ro-Man]
From PKoch: <<mikemovies, that would be “Robot Monster”, the movie so horrible, it wasn’t released … it escaped ! Watch Ro-Man tune his WW II surplus radio bubble-machine on a kitchen table outside his cave in the Western desert.>>
Yes… and all in the glory of 3-D, although I only ever saw this hilariously awful classic (second perhaps only to “Plan 9 From Outer Space” for most brilliantly inept film ever) on local TV – I can’t recall if this one played on WNEW channel 5, WOR channel 9 or WPIX channel 11, but I know I suffered through it on numerous occasions as a young'un.
Mantan Moreland played Chan’s chauffer during the Sidney Toler years in the 1940’s, long after Warner Oland retired his Oriental make-up job and the series had shifted from Fox to Monogram. Moreland’s particular acting “style” and the characters he played would certainly not be looked upon favorably in today’s society.
Thanks, frankie. I am only familiar with Warner Oland as Charlie Chan, though.
“Hot punk, cool funk, even if it’s old junk, it’s still rock ‘n roll to me !”
Confucius ? How about Kung Fu Tze ?
For further scholarly research :
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046248/
Link to IMDb page on “Robot Monster”.
mikemovies, that would be “Robot Monster”, the movie so horrible, it wasn’t released … it escaped ! Watch Ro-Man tune his WW II surplus radio bubble-machine on a kitchen table outside his cave in the Western desert.
Featuring the timeless performance of Selena Royle.
Stephen King once wrote that, if the film had been fifteen minutes longer, he may have laughed himself into a hernia while watching it.
Well, easy on the plaster & bricks ! It’s much more fun hearing about movies you guys love, and your history when you went to these theaters, and things about the neighborhoods. I like seeing & hearing how these theaters looked, but not too much minutiae. Charlie Chan say: “One picture worth thousand words.” Any Mantan Moreland fans out there ?
“OOO, LORD, I wonder what Confusion would say about this here now ?”
“No, no, Birmingham ! Not Confusion !
CONFUCIUS !”
“Well, it’s still all confusion to ME !!!
Great Gawdamighty !”
I will try to make the trivia easier but not too easy. I need sometime to work on it. I have a movie question fella’s. What was the name of the movie that had a monster with a gorilla suit and a diving helmet? I vote yaaaah for the brick lesson.
BklynJim, as you may have surmised, I couldn’t agree with your last post more !
Lost Memory, I had had a similar thought about posting my address here. “the stalker might show up at your house for dinner.” Like Dr. Hannibal Lecter having his old friend, Dr. Chilton, for dinner ?
Trivia For Dummies ? How about “Dummy Trivia” ?
No, Lost Memory, we liked your plaster lesson fine. As for bricks, how about the orange and yellow Kreuscher bricks that most of the houses in Ridgewood are made of ? Or Edgar Allan Poe’s brick lesson, “The Cask Of Amontillado” ?
As for “bricks with a p” ….
In pace requiescat !
BRICKS! WE WANT BRICKS!!!
With her venomous personality, a “former” relative of mine wouldn’t last 5 minutes on CT. Her favorite drink is vinegar and water on the rocks, just like her life. She’s a lifetime commuter on the “Bi-Polar Express.” Sad.
Everything you elaborated on IS definitely important, Peter, but we sometimes tend to ignore the human element. When intellectual erudition is all that’s put forth in posts, it becomes rather dry and leaves very little for the heart and/or personality. This site has the potential for both, and should have the tolerance to allow both.
Thanks, BklynJim, I shall look forward to that. Good point you made about the enthsiasm for, and love of, movies, and of movie theaters, that is behind much of the “O/T” posting here. True, there’s only so much you can say about plaster, masonry, Wurlitzer organs, NYC title deeds and searches, carpets, marble stairs, mirrors, handrails, balustrades, chandeliers, boxes, grand tiers, drinking fountains, refreshment counters, lobby cards, before people begin to lose interest.
Peter, do NOT post a snailmail addy or even a P.O. Box here. I’ll contact you by year’s end via e-mail and get it to you in person or by USPS at that time. Will be bringing in about 2 dozen for my pals and you guys.
Frankie, I’ll have a copy for you, too. Now get out your MetroCard and take a ride over to the “Rodgewood.” LOL! Great neighborhood, BTW. You’ll love it! :)
LM, I read your posts above and strongly urge the true CT webmeisters not to bounce you or anyone from here. I “lurked” for well over a year before I joined, so I was pretty aware of some of the problems of this list. (I’ve been a member of several lists since 1998, and I’m convinced that it’s the nature of the beast. Really tough to control human nature and the need for attention and recognition without coming off as a wild-eyed, fanatical paperhanging S.O.B. from Austria.)
But I do not advocate anyone’s forfeiture of membership unless, of course, there is absolutely no other alternative to behavior inimical to the good of all. Being off-topic occasionally does not fall into this category. How childish to think so! Unfortunately, there are those who tend to misread some O/T posts and cannot see the enthusiasm and love of movies that are behind them, and that’s truly their loss. There’s only so much one can say about plaster, masonry, design, etc. without putting the rest of the membership into a coma.
mikemovies, I agree with you about Lost Memory. He should NOT leave. Make the trivia questions as easy or as difficult as you wish. Yes, I would enjoy horror movie questions. You never heard of some of the movies I talk about ? Good. You can learn from me, then.
If lostmemory left this website would be much less interesting. Don’t add no more theatres if they don’t want them. Do you fella’s want me to make the trivia questions easier? I can do that. Perhaps you would enjoy horror movie questions. Yikes I never heard of some of the movies you talk about pkoch.
frankie, I have never seen “Stolen Face”, though I have heard of it. I HAVE seen “Les Yeux Sans Visage”, a.k.a. “Eyes Without A Face” and “Horror Chamber Of Dr. Faustus”.
No, Lost Memory, don’t go ! Your pictures and comments are wonderful ! You’re a true fan ! We all love you ! Like I said before, despite Warren’s good points, he has a Messiah Complex. We all know it. Forget him ! He’s less than no one ! Don’t be intimidated ! Let Ross & Patrick handle it ! Now, here’s something off topic, just to get “you know whose” goat ! I just received the newly released DVD of “Stolen Face” with Lizabeth Scott ! Ever see it ? FUN ! Wonder if THAT ever played the Ridgewood ! PS – The new schedule just came out for the Lafayette Theater in Suffern. Check it out !
Thanks, EdSolero.
The links to KenRoe’s photos may be found above at :
posted by KenRoe on Jul 3, 2006 at 6:44pm
“Ran” is Kurosawa’s version of “King Lear”. “Rashomon” is an early masterpiece from the great director – and one of the most beautiful motion pictures ever shot.
Now, the pay-off would be to find out when “Godzilla” played at the Ridgewood ! Sorry, I DID mean misanthrope, and of course I meant “have FUN”, not “have GUN”, although Warren is (to paraphrase Sheridan Whiteside) the greatest living argument for mercy killing ! But seriously, I wonder how attendance is at the Ridgewood these days ? I hope I won’t be too disillusioned when I go. Would like to hear from anyone who’s been there recently.
Thanks, BklynJim, how do I get my DVD sampler mailed to me ? Post my home address here ?
I like “Mah-Nah Mah-Nah”, also, especially on Red Skelton, fall 1969, with that lunar landing scene.
But during the first Godzilla movie ? You guys should work for Mystery Science Theater 3000 !
Lost Memory, you like Kool and the Gang also ? Have you noticed how they started out sounding like a black self-parody with “Jungle Boogie” in early 1974, then sounded whiter and whiter, and sounded whitest of all with “Cherish The Night” in 1985 ?
My best friend and I always dug that bass riff in their summer 1974 hit, “Hollywood Swingin”.
Lost Memory, I’ve gotten used to my high heels. It’s that 18-hour push-up bra that still bothers me.
jackeboy, I wouldn’t call the US version of Godzilla a “cheesy monster movie”, because, for me, it still evokes the dread and terror of the “demon lizard from hell”. I had said oboe in the background, in a previous post, but it may be a bassoon instead, doing the duet with those stark, grim piano chords.
Besides “Ran”, did Kurasawa also do a version of “Rashomon” ?
Getting back to Godzilla, the US version is a cheesy monster movie, while the original version is more of a cautionary tale against nuclear power.The credited director worked very closely with Akira Kurasawa, which led to rumours that Kurasawa has a hand in the making of Gojira.The original version is a much better movie then you would have thought possible if you have only seen the American version with the Raymond Burr footage.
OK, Peter, a DVD sampler has been reserved for you. The scene you referenced (“…scorched flesh permeating the air…”) is on this thing, BTW. Got one for EdS, Bway Chris and mikemovies if they want it…
In the ‘56 Burr version, the dubbing was hysterically awful. One of the elder Japanese guys (the dubbee) had a translator (the dubber) who could not pronounce the word “phenomenon.” Not once, not twice, but three times it was “phe-mom-eh-nah.” The group of people I last saw it with instantly broke into the Muppets’ “Manha Manha.” Priceless!
LM, despite Patsy’s (or Sybil’s) grand entrances on Ladies' Night, you still get only ONE copy. Nice try, pal! LMAO!
And mikemovies, I’m failing your quizzes at an alarming rate! :(
“On ladies night I’m also Patsy. LOL”
“We all know Ob-La-Di-Bla-Da, but can you show me where you are ?”
– Beatles (Harrison), “Savoy Truffle”, White Album, 1968
“he is King Misogynist !!!” Are there any women posting on this site ? I think you might mean King Misanthrope Curmudgeon.
I’ve seen both American and Japanese versions of “Godzilla” and have enjoyed them both. In the original Japanese release, the Japanese characters more or less speak for themselves. In the American release, they are more like “props” that the Raymond Burr character talks about. Yet, I still love Raymond Burr’s grim, doomy, purple lines, heard over those views of Tokyo in smoking ruins, about “the odor of scorched flesh” and “the living hell of another world” and “for some, there would BE no tomorrow”, with that grim, stark, low oboe and piano music in the background.
Hi, Guys ! This is the real Frankie speaking ! One of my goals is to get to the Ridgewood, even though I live in what we used to call South Brooklyn. Would love to see the Rodgewood. I’ve never been. I don’t blame you all for over-reacting to Warren. Well-informed as he is, and wonderful as his pictures are, he is King Misogynist !!! I’ve castigated him about it before, but he keeps on tickin' ! Glad you all agree with me. he needs to be buried alive in cement under the Loew’s Kings !!! Comforting thought: there’s only ONE of him ! He’s the greatest living argument against cloning ! Anyway, boys, I went to a local movie on Saturday afternoon, and not only was it a full house, —– but nobody talked ! Will report back when I check out the Ridgewood. Have gun, kids —– and don’t let The Warren bite !!!