Ritz Theater

The Ritz Theatre was located at 4509 8th Ave. and it seated 1005 people.

According to the 1926 Film Daily Year Book, there was also a 600-seat Ritz Theatre at 2085 Myrtle Avenue. Whatever became of it? I can't trace it because the street numbering system has changed since then. It's possible that the Ritz was re-named and is already listed here.

The 1926 Film Daily Yearbook seems to have erred again. There was a Ritz Theatre in 1926 but it was at 2085 Fulton Street. It opened around 1917 as the LeRoy (sc. 600). For a couple of years in the mid-1920s, the theatre was known as the Ritz. By the end of the decade it was the Paragon and is listed in the 1929 Film Daily Yearbook under that name and with the correct address. LeRoy/Ritz/Paragon closed around 1933.

This Ritz Theater, located on 4509 8th Avenue at 46th Street opened in 1927 and closed in 1960. A seating capacity of 1,037 is given in the Film Daily Yearbook 1930. As stated in the main text, it is currently a supermarket.

Okay, the Ritz theater that I found for Ridgewood is the same one that Warren mentioned. CJDV is saying that it wasn't on Myrtle ave, it was located on Fulton St instead. I also found a Ritz theater on a 1925 silent theater listing. There are three Ritz theaters on that list.
Ritz (180th)
Ritz (Myrtle)
Ritz (Port Richmond)
I don't know where the (180th) Ritz was located but there are no Brooklyn Ritz theaters on that list. Here is the link to that silent theater listing:
http://www.silentera.com/theaters/USA/newYork/newYork/index.html

I did a real estate search for 2085 Fulton Street and there is no such address. 2083 Fulton Street is listed as a Church built in 1910.
New Hope Pentecostal Church
2083 Fulton St
Brooklyn Ny 11233
The next address is 2091 Fulton Street and that is listed as an Industrial Factory built in 1924.

This Ritz Theater is close to the Sunset Park district of Brooklyn.

The 8th Avenue Ritz theater or the Fulton St Ritz theater is in Sunset Park?

The 8th Ave Ritz is in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Thanks Ken. Since I cannot find a 2085 Fulton St address, I'm going to believe that the Ritz theater was on Myrtle ave and research it from there.

I believe 2085 Myrtle Ave is the building that now houses a Blockbuster Video store. The building was a furniture store, and had a huge marquee on the front. It was across from the A&P (now Food Dynasty). In the early 1980's, "Roman Furniture" redid the entire fascade of the building, and removed the marquee (I remember them doing this). Eventually, they went out of business, and Blockbuster Video moved in.
Of course, 2085 is in the old system, not the new Queens system. The RKO Madison Theater was 1562 Myrtle Avenue in the old system and the old address for the Belvedere was 2576 Myrtle Avenue. That would put this Ritz theater about half way between the Madison and Belvedere theaters. Being an odd number it would be on the same side of Myrtle as the Ridgewood theater.
This would lead us right to about the site of the Blockbuster Video building. Unfortunately, I don't remember what the building istelf looked like before the early 1980's fascade resurfacing. I only remember the marquee. I believe this is the location of the Ritz Theater. The Blockbuster Video's current address is 60-15 Myrtle Avenue.

Posted by Theaterat for PhilPhil. The Ritz theater on th Av and 46th st. was hardky ritzy! This was a long and narrow theater with 2 blocks of seats seperated by three aisles. The theater kind of resembled the Harbor inside, but with no balcony or deco features.t was a dirty last run house that generally showed 2 movies. My aunt lived around the corner on 46th st. between 8th and 9 th. aves, so that is how I got to know this theater. There usually was a rowdy crowd, and a noisy one too. I went there a few times, but I nevet really liked to go there. Local residents used to call this theater "the Ratz". Posted by Theaterat for PhilPhil

The Ritz Theatre on 8th Ave and 46th Street, Brooklyn holds many fond memories for me. I remember going there for Saturday Matinees and 10 cartoons would be shown along with the regular 2 features. Once in a while they did other things like have model plane races in the theatre with the planes hanging on wires strung from the rear up to the stage area. Other times they gave dishes away to parents. I remember the (hefty) matron dressed in white that was quick to respond with a flashlight in your eyes and a stern warning that "you'll get kicked out" if you don't stop (whatever it was you might be doing). It wasn't the cleanest theatre, but it was a place to spend a Saturday afternoon during the mid 1940's to mid 1950's for me. The day World War II was over, I had just come out of the Ritz and people were in the streets banging pans together to celebrate the end of the war.

Ken Sele...One of my friends mother lived on 43rd St near 8th. Av. When I read your post, I remember her saying the same thing about the "pots and pans" celebration on the neighborhood.I was only about 3 years old at the time, but I bet it was a happy and memorable occasion.I remember the Ritz too, and clean it definately was not! Posted by Theaterat for Phil Phil

A C/O was issued for a new building at this address on May 7, 1926. Purpose of building: 1080 seat motion picture theater.

A Robert-Morton theater organ was installed in the Ritz Theater in 1926.

Two exterior photos of the current building can be seen midway through the new article about Sunset Park at www.forgotten-ny.com

The Ritz Movie Theatre on 8th Avenue and 46th Street was just up the corner from where I lived. I went at a very young age, alone, childrens section, about three times a week. I must have seen 100s of movies, old and new. I remember the cartoons on Saturday, one right after the other, and remember contests, like the yo yo contests. This would be in the late 40s early 50s. I became an expert in movie stars and movies before I was 12.

The Theater appears to be being used as a supermarket. Any historic ornamentation survive inside?


http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4509+8th+Avenue,+Brooklyn,+NY+United+States&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=40.643819,-74.000881&spn=0.008076,0.019312&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=40.64374,-74.000968&panoid=WejyWIsFfoUzbYslSd9HEA&cbp=12,190.90873945969258,,0,-7.900000000000003

The NY Times for October 22 1959 has a short article reporting that the Ritz Theatre at "Broadway and Eighth Avenue, Brooklyn, owned by the Interboro chain of theaters has been sold to the K. L. & G. Real Estate Corp." "The theatre section will be converted to a Dan's Supermarket while a store has been leased to the Imperial chain of cleaning stores".