Comments from barkingart

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barkingart
barkingart commented about Palace Theatre on Apr 6, 2010 at 4:41 pm

great to see all the progress since I last posted here 3 years ago! I can’t wait to hear when it is finally restored to the original single theater design.

barkingart
barkingart commented about Palace Theatre on Dec 7, 2006 at 5:30 pm

I went to see movies at the Palace from 1965 to 1984. Disney films, grindhouse films, westerns- you name it. Special double feature matinee programs for kids on the weekends were always fun. During high school, they had midnight shows of Rocky Horror, and sometimes Up in Smoke. After the triplex conversion, I saw Empire Strikes Back and Clash of the Titans in the large “balcony” theater. I always regreted that they carved up the original theater, though. We called the other 2 theaters “bowling alley” theaters because they were so long and narrow. In the mid 70’s, before the conversion, there were some nights where they would really pack ‘em in! I hope the renovation Shoeshoe has been posting about is moving forward, since the last post was almost a year ago.

barkingart
barkingart commented about Ridgefield Playhouse on Dec 7, 2006 at 4:50 pm

My older brother was an usher at the Ridgefield playhouse from 1969 to 1971. It had an interior similar to the Danbury Palace theater befor it was converted to 3 screens- Somewhat art nouveau, with columns on either side of the stage (yes, there was a stage, so it wasn’t just for films). Velvet covered cast iron seats and carpeted floor. I remember seeing Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, Concert for Bangledesh, The Living Desert and The Vanishing Prairie there. As long as my brother was working, I was allowed to see the film for free, so sometimes I would go 3 or more times a week. I usually sat up front and many times I was the only person in the theater.