RKO Keith's Richmond Hill Theatre

Here’s the online version of the story, but unfortunately, the online version does not have the photo in it.

View link
(free nytimes login account needed)

I have not been in the theater since very early 90’s. It has the be at least 15 years or so. (They also do flea markets on Sundays for anyone that wants to take a peak inside). From the description, it appears that the theater has changed little and is exactly like I remembered it the description of it I gave above in this thread, right down to the curtain still being there.

Interesting, I never was in the Flushing Keiths, nor ever read it;’s page….I think I’ll do that now. I heard it also was a quite ornate theater.

As far as I know, the Richmond Hill Keith’s was never triplexed. Although I never saw a movie there, I did go to one of their bingo games and everything was pretty much as Bway described above. Perhaps, longislandmovies has this theater confused with the RKO Keith’s in Flushing.

Really? It was multiplexed? Are you sure? If it was, all evidence was taken away, because as a flea market even in the early 80’s, the balcony was in full view, and “undamaged”, meaning all plasterwork was still there. The ceiling is also undamaged (and in original paint (or at least it was when I was last there) and in clear view, The walls were painted beige up to about ¾ of the way up (the procenium arch was beige on the sides, and original on top.

It’s been a while, and I never was in there as a theater, but here’s how I remember it as a teenager going to the flea markets there.
You walked down an ornate lobby, with “foggy mirrors” from filth to a second set of doors and an “inner lobby” with a huge ornate and filthy chandelier. There was a marble staircase on the left, and a wrapping balcony level overlooking the “inner lobby”, but don’t remember what was on the right. (maybe the former concession area?). I actually snuck up that marble staircase during one of the flea markets as a kid to check out the balcony level, which was thick with cobwebs.
Then another set of doors that took you into the main auditorium. On the right was second staircase up to the balcony (in the main auditorium), and they had a makeshift concession stand in front of that to serve food at the flea market.
If looking up to the balcony from the orchestra level, all the seats were there, and there was no evidence that it had ever been partitioned off, either from the main auditorium, or in half.
Unless it was a REALLY bad triplexing, where sound would have traveled from one theater to the next, I can’t see any evidence that the theater was multiplexed. I don’t know if it is still the case, but even the original tapestry curtain still existed on the stage back in the 80’s! It was in the down position, and they (to my horror even then) cut a part of it to put in a doorway to get to the stage area.
As I mentioned earlier in this thread this is THE theater that probably clinched my interet old theaters, just walking through that as a kid in it’s “era of the past” state.

longislandmovies, what WAS the last day this theater showed films ? What DID you end up removing from it ? What do you mean, “What a bad multiplex job here” ? The RKO Keith was never, to my knowledge, multiplexed, before it stopped showing films. Please explain. Thank you.

Bway, I know what you mean about the RKO Keith in Richmond Hill. It’s in its own “Twilight Zone”, painfully teetering, seemingly, on the cusp between gutting and demolition, and full restoration. The American Museum of Sound Recording used to be there, but is not there now. Jahn’s, next door, is in much the same condition of seemingly being about to close.

Perhaps the ongoing gentrification of Richmond Hill will bring about changes for the better for both landmarks.

Thanks, lostmemory. I’m glad you found the Richmond Hill Historical Society website. I’m mentioned by name there on the Jamaica el page.
Or, at least I was.

Sorry that link should be :

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?31151

The RKO Keith Richmond Hill Theater may be glimpsed in the distance in the following image :

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?24492

It’s the water tower and peaked roof to the upper right of the upper right corner of the front of the train (silver car) in this image.

I agree, the theater should be identified as RKO Keith’s Richmond Hill Theater. I had a lot of trouble finding the theater in the database, and finally found it by searching “RKO”, which finally let me find it. If I didn’t know it was an RKO theater, I may still not have found it because Keith’s is not in the title.

I think I can trace my interst in theaters to the RKO Keiths in Richmond Hill. When I was about 12, occasionally I used to go with my parents to the RKO Keiths in Richmond Hill for the Flea Markets in the mid 80’s. They would go looking at the stuff, and I would go off on my own and explore the theater. The “relic” condition of it fascinated me! The very opulent lobby with the mirrors, chandeliers, and plasterwork, sitting there filthy just fascinated me. Also all the chandeliers along the ceiling up in the balcony. The theater was sort of trashed, but so much of the theater’s glory days was there. Many of the old sconces were lit up on the walls back then, sitting there filthy.
One day during a flea market as a kid, I snuck up to the balcony. All that was stopping me was a chain across the stairs with the ornate railing. I ran up there when no one was looking, and really searched the nooks and crannies. Soot, and years of dust and cobwebs covered everything, including the draperies and crystal chandeliers. I also snuck behind the stage curtain on one trip there. The ornate curtain had been cut, and makeshift doorway put in it.
The ornate paintings and murals all survived way up on the ceiling of the theater, although all the walls were painted beige about halfway up to the ceiling. The proscenium arch was beige on the sides, and the top was still original with gold etching, and all different colors. The theater seemed so interesting because of all the old stuff sitting there, like a diamond in the rough.
I have not been back to the RKO Keith’s in probably at least 15 years, so have no idea what changes (or removal of old stuff) have taken place since back then.
I was sorry to hear that the museum plans fell through, it would have been nice to see the theater restored. At least around 15 years ago, so much of the old theater was still intact (aside from the seats on the main level), so it was very possible to save with restoration unlike so many other theaters. I hope that is still the case today.

I lived in Richmond Hill until I married at age 22….In the fabulous 60’s I went there when the rock band Dave Clark Five were appearing, I remember my older brother holding me and my twin up so we could get a glimpse of them. We always went to Jahn’s Ice Cream Parlor next door. I loved that neighborhood, especially Richmond Hill Library down the block from there. What memories. When I was dating my husband, we would stop in to Glenn’s Tavern across the street from the RKO. Some nights, we had dinner in Salerno’s restaurant. Anyone else have any memories…write me at
Mary Ann Morrongiello (Manders)

The RKO Richmond Hill Theatre once seated 2234 people.