George Tabor, I have to respectfully disagree with the characterization of this neighborhood as one of decline. What I found is that while the area retail, while decidedly low brow, has not created an atmosphere of decline and fear. The area around the RKO Keiths has never been a retail mecca with chain stores and the like. I moved to nearby Richmond Hill area in 1970 and even then, the area around the Keiths seemed stuck in some sort of limbo.
I think we feel it is a decline because the stores and restaurants that we remember growing up are now gone. Jahn’s is being replaced by Montezuma. The Triangle Hofbrau, by a pool hall. Who’s to say that 50 years from now, Monetezuma will be remembered as the local dining hot spot and the Pool Hall the popular meeting place for the neighborhood? :–)
The sad reality is the the Keiths was closed before I even moved to Queens. I’ve never seen it open. That said, I still am very pessimistic about the Keiths. It has been sold and the new owner is going to have to demand a decent return on investment and perhaps in these trying economic times more people will play bingo and keep this place afloat for a decade or so more, but I just don’t see daily Bingo with a Sunday Flea Market tossed in as a viable business model.
Thank you John, I couldn’t have said it better myself, though I am now much more comfortable with “off topic” commentary than I was before due to the cordial and informative disucssions that we have had on this page.
Back to business: Landmarking is essential to saving the Ridgewood. Arguably, the best feature of the Ridgewood is the Facade and, at a minimum, this can and should receive landmarking on its own merits. The potential problem is, as has been stated by many previously, the interior of the Ridgewood just doesn’t rate when compared to the true palaces in the city: The Loews Wonder Theaters, Radio City, the St. George, The Beacon and most of the Broadway Legit houses. On an interior architectural level, the relatively new Ziegfeld and Paris theaters are much more deserving of landmark status that the Ridgewood.
The Ridgewood’s landmark appeal lies in its history as the oldest theater in the country to have shown continuous films until its recent closure and the connection that this particular theater has had over the decades with its neighborhood; especially after the tragic loss of The Madison. I don’t really know if that will be enough.
Unfortunately, without landmark designation, I think it will be very difficult to save this theater and the case for landmarking on an architectural basis, in my opinion, is weak.
I passed by the Kew Gardens Cinema yesterday and I saw a wonderful site! There was a line around the corner and onto Austin Street to get into the theater for the first showings around 12:30. I don’t live in the area, though I own an apartment which I sublet and therefore brings me to the neighborhood periodically. I really would love to someday see a film at this theater. When I was growing up and lived in the area in the 70’s this theater was a porno house and I never saw a line to get in though I am told it did pretty good business. Thank goodness for the VCR/DVD.
To the comments above about safety, let me add that this area has always been one of the safest in the city. That is what was truly shocking about the Kitty Genovese murder. That it could happen here scared everyone, no matter where they lived. Kew Gardens always has been and continues to be a very safe place to live and visit.
Scott, there are so many. I look through the theaters and I can’t believe how beuatiful and ornate they once were. Loews Triboro in Astoria (Queens) is one that springs to mind. It’s truly astounding that they were allowed to be destroyed without much protest. In the beginning, I think it had to do with the fact that there were just so many around to begin with.
Luckily, we didn’t lose them all and some of the best examples are still with us today specifically, Radio City, The Hollywood, all five Loews Wonder Theaters, The New Amsterdam and now, the fully restored Beacon.
Hi Scott, It’s amazing that you mention the 72nd Street Theatre as I only came across it fairly recently and was amazed at how beautiful it was and how little people know about it.
Another theater that is underappreciated is Proctors 58th St Theatre. Maybe, part of that has to do with the unfortunate name but this too was a huge and beautiful theater that people have virtually totally forgotten about.
Finally, The Center Theatre, which was a sister theater of sorts to Radio City and built just a block away. It was stunning in its “modern” way and I find it amazing that virtually no one remembers that this theater ever existed.
I think it stems from the fact that New York City just had so many incredible palaces that it was very easy for some of them to be almost invisible; especially if they were a little off the beaten path. That’s one of the reasons that I am so greatful for this web site. I would never have otherwise found out about these showplaces if it weren’t for Cinema Treasures.
Thanks for the mention of The Paradise. Yes, I would consider the Paradise. From what I read it too was a spectacular palace. For me, I would consider a mega palace any theater that seated at least 3,500 people, but others could go as low as 3,000 I suppose or as high as 4K.
Simon, thanks for your comments. Had I had the opportunity to have actually seen the Roxy, Capitol, Brooklyn Fox, Center, Paramount, Rivoli, Proctor’s 58th Street, the list goes on and on, I would probably still be crying as well for what we have lost in New York.
Alas, my appreciation for movie palaces came later in my life when I realized, too late, how special they were and that they will never be built like this again. As it is, my appreciation for the old theaters grew back in my disco days when many of New York’s best discos were in old theaters. The Saint (Loews Commodore), Palladium (Academy of Music), Studio 54 (Gallo Opera House), Xenon (Miller Theater), Club USA (The Forum). These were all beautiful theaters and I was able to appreciate the architecture from a different perspective than as a moviegoer.
It’s too bad that, ultimately, only Studio 54 was able to survive long enough to be saved. It has since reverted back to the legitmate stage and I have seen many productions there.
The pain of what was lost in New York is tempered somewhat by what we have been able to save and what can potentially be saved. We still have Radio City, The Beacon, 4 out the 5 Loews Wonder Theaters (Paradise, 175th Street, Valencia, Jersey), St. George, Beacon, Apollo, New Amsterdam, Hollywood, Ziegfeld and the Paris. In addition, there are about 2 dozen landmarked Broadway houses many of which have played films in their past. Waiting in the wings?….The Loews Kings, The Brooklyn Paramount, The Liberty and others.
No other city still has this kind of inventory (except arguably Los Angeles). That is why it is so shameful when other cities don’t protect what little they have left. Philadelphia is struggling to protect its lone remaining palace, The Boyd. Most cities, have just one or two restored palaces.
In San Francisco, it’s not just the Golden Gate that needs protection. There are other theaters in the neighborhood but the surrounding neighborhood is just awful. Others have said that SF is hesitant to address the homeless issue because of its liberal values and I think that’s nonsense. Very few cities are more liberal than New York, and this city has cleaned up Times Square and, by law, provides shelter to the homeless which is why it is not very noticeable here. The theaters have to be able to attract clientele and it is difficult for them to do so with such aggressive panhandling and open drug use on the streets. It’s a shame. I feel that if New york could do it (and it was really bad here), any city could do it!
Simon, thanks for your comments. Had I had the opportunity to have actually seen the Roxy, Capitol, Brooklyn Fox, Center, Paramount, Rivoli, Proctor’s 58th Street, the list goes on and on, I would probably still be crying as well for what we have lost in New York.
Alas, my appreciation for movie palaces came later in my life when I realized, too late, how special they were and that they will never be built like this again. As it is, my appreciation for the old theaters grew back in my disco days when many of New York’s best discos were in old theaters. The Saint (Loews Commodore), Palladium (Academy of Music), Studio 54 (Gallo Opera House), Xenon (Miller Theater), Club USA (The Forum). These were all beautiful theaters and I was able to appreciate the architecture from a different perspective than as a moviegoer.
It’s too bad that, ultimately, only Studio 54 was able to survive long enough to be saved. It has since reverted back to the legitmate stage and I have seen many productions there.
The pain of what was lost in New York is tempered somewhat by what we have been able to save and what can potentially be saved. We still have Radio City, The Beacon, 4 out the 5 Loews Wonder Theaters (Paradise, 175th Street, Valencia, Jersey), St. George, Beacon, Apollo, New Amsterdam, Hollywood, Ziegfeld and the Paris. In addition, there are about 2 dozen landmarked Broadway houses many of which have played films in their past. Waiting in the wings?….The Loews Kings, The Brooklyn Paramount, The Liberty and others.
No other city still has this kind of inventory (except arguably Los Angeles). That is why it is so shameful when other cities don’t protect what little they have left. Philadelphia is struggling to protect its lone remaining palace, The Boyd. Most cities, have just one or two restored palaces.
In San Francisco, it’s not just the Golden Gate that needs protection. There are other theaters in the neighborhood but the surrounding neighborhood is just awful. Others have said that SF is hesitant to address the homeless issue because of its liberal values and I think that’s nonsense. Very few cities are more liberal than New York, and this city has cleaned up Times Square and, by law, provides shelter to the homeless which is why it is not very noticeable here. The theaters have to be able to attract clientele and it is difficult for them to do so with such aggressive panhandling and open drug use on the streets. It’s a shame. I feel that if New york could do it (and it was really bad here), any city could do it!
Thanks Michael, I guess I owe you an apology. When I looked remembered my prior postings at the pages for the Crossbay Theater and the RKO Keiths Richmond Hill, I realized that I had engaged in the same neighborhood recalls that we find here on the Ridgewood. I guess my issue was that there was so much of it on this page but who am I to judge how much is too much? So, please except my apology. :–)
Many of the comments above are very critical of the area immediately surrounding this theater. My personal experiences over a four year period was that the area had actually gotten worse and not better. It’s been over a year since I was last in San Francisco and was wondering if anything has gotten better. San Francisco’s handling of the disgusting neighborhood has been shameful especially considering the city’s reliance on tourism.
I submitted in 2 weeks ago but it does not appear to have registered. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have an actual address, but I will resubmit it soon. I needs to be listed as it is a still existing theater and we need to find out more about it.
I saw 60 minutes last week and its main story was the shut down in Wilmington of DHL which provided this town with most of its jobs (around 8,000). The mayor expects 20% of the retail in town to fail. What a shame. I saw the theater in the background as the cameras were panning the historic downtown district which looked desolate. Nonetheless, it encouraged me to look the theater up to find out more. What I found out is that the theater web site doesn’t work and there are no interior photos on this page. I hope this theater survives.
I’m not familiar with Baltimore, but I do know that the Senator in not “Downtown”. What is the general area like around the Senator. Is it a neighborhood retail strip? Is it stable? Considered safe? Fair or not, my impression of Baltimore is that it is nice around Inner Harbor and Dicey virtually everywhere else. I hope I’m wrong because I do feel that the future of this country is in cities and why it is important to save buildings of our past like the Senator that we can use to create the cities of the future.
Howard Haas…Thank you for such a wonderful intro to this theater. It’s even more heartbreaking that this theater never even made it to 1960. Unfortunately, this theater was just too big and too lavish for the market to support.
As an aside, was the Mastbaum the first of the mega movie palaces to be demolished in the country?
Please guys, I mean no offense. I have wonderful memories of growing up in Queens myself (South Ozone Park) and so I know where you’re coming from, but I don’t believe this is the place to discuss it. It is called Cinema Treasures, not Neighborhood Treasures. This should be about the Ridgewood Theatre, memories of the theater and the efforts to save this historic theater.
For some reason the Ridgewood page, almost alone among all CT theater pages has become more about the neighborhood and not about the theater.
My point and it has been expressed by many others, is that we have had to turn off our alerts to the Ridgewood page because the comments are usually not about the theater or theater subjects.
When I first joined CT, I asked to be notified when someone commented on the Ridgewood page but i ultimately had to delink it because the vast majority of the posts were about comments that had absolutely nothing to do with this theater in particular or even theaters in general.
I recently signed up again with the controversy about the theater shutting down and the drive to landmark it but it has now become, yet again, a neighborhood bulletin board. There are other forums for that including personal correspondence. This is Cinema Treasures!
So now I’m afraid I will have to unlink again unless this page goes back to being about this theater (or other theaters) and not about miscellaneous memories of where “you” grew up.
I apologize in advance for the tone of this post, but it’s frustrating.
Wow! A population of almost half a million people and just 3 multiplex theaters to cater to them. That’s amazing.
But I guess the %’s aren’t that much different in Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx based on their populations. The exception would be Manhattan, but only because many people come into the city to go see a movie and make a bigger night of it.
Quite a differnce from the days when there were dozens of theaters to choose from in your borough. I’m starting to feel like one of those old geezers…..“Why, back in my day we had only one screen at each theater…and that’s the way we liked it!”
One of the first things I would love to see restored is that rather unusual, but incredibly beautiful Blade with the “BOYD” name. This giant punctuation mark, as it were, would tell Philadelphia and the world that the Boyd Theatre is back and here to stay!
Thank you so much for the update JNic. I’ve been very curious over the status of this space for quite some time. While it doesn’t look like it could possibly be a theater space again, could it work as an “event” space like the Hudson Theater at the Milennium Hotel in Times Square or the old Banking Halls like Bowery Savings Bank buildings on 42nd St and The Bowery itself, the old Citibank branch on Wall Street and the Greenwich Savings Bank on Broadway?
What about a nightclub? So many of the most illustrious Discos of the past were housed in spectacular old theaters: The Saint (Loews Commodore), The Palladium (Academy of Music), Xenon (Miller Theatre), Studio 54 (Gallo Opera House), and Club USA (The Forum?).
Today, to my knowledge, no clubs exist inside an old theater in New York and that’s a shame because that is a wonderful adaptive reuse of a grand theater’s space.
My last choice would be retail, but I will reserve my judgment on that until I see what Marc Ecko as done with the Times Square Theatre directly across the Street from the Liberty. It is due to open in the next few months.
Based on the limitations of the space the use of it will have to be creative. Museum of the Broadway Theater perhaps?
Something will eventually happen here. The space is too valuable and since it is landmarked it should be preserved for whatever new purpose it is used for.
It’s rather poignant that the Apollo is celebrating 75 years with a grand restoration and (if you look closely at the photo) in the background is the marquee for the Victoria which is currently in limbo.
Does this theater still have the capacity to show films? The actual web site is not clear though a prior post says that it does. No one, however, has even posted a comment saying that they have seen a film at this theater after Reverend Ike took over.
I mention it because “In The Heights” the 2008 Tony award winner for best musical has announced that the feature film rights have been sold and we can expect a film version of this incredible musical in the next 1-2 years.
What better place to hold the World Premiere that at the Loews 175th Street Theatre, which actually is “In The Heights”!
Imagine the glamour, the red carpet, the attention that it would give to this incredible building!
I’m hoping that this theater is foreclosed on by the city of New York for non payment of taxes. Then, it can be sold to a real operator who will use this showplace as it was meant to be used: A Showplace for the residents of The Bronx…..and beyond!
From most of the comments above, it won’t be long before a bank or the city take action on the current owners.
ERC: That’s just nuts! I’m not doubting you, but I just can’t see someone going through the expense of renovting a theater and then just letting it sit there. I can’t comment on The Ritz but at The Paradise, the theater was stunningly restored! As beautiful as the day it opened (or so it has been stated by people who have seen it in person). Why would that owner go through that kind of meticulous restoration and then do nothing with it?
Regardless, these are isolated instances and my hope is that the public will eventually have access to these gems in the near future. The best part? They have in fact been saved! They have been restored! They have already beaten the odds.
George Tabor, I have to respectfully disagree with the characterization of this neighborhood as one of decline. What I found is that while the area retail, while decidedly low brow, has not created an atmosphere of decline and fear. The area around the RKO Keiths has never been a retail mecca with chain stores and the like. I moved to nearby Richmond Hill area in 1970 and even then, the area around the Keiths seemed stuck in some sort of limbo.
I think we feel it is a decline because the stores and restaurants that we remember growing up are now gone. Jahn’s is being replaced by Montezuma. The Triangle Hofbrau, by a pool hall. Who’s to say that 50 years from now, Monetezuma will be remembered as the local dining hot spot and the Pool Hall the popular meeting place for the neighborhood? :–)
The sad reality is the the Keiths was closed before I even moved to Queens. I’ve never seen it open. That said, I still am very pessimistic about the Keiths. It has been sold and the new owner is going to have to demand a decent return on investment and perhaps in these trying economic times more people will play bingo and keep this place afloat for a decade or so more, but I just don’t see daily Bingo with a Sunday Flea Market tossed in as a viable business model.
Thank you John, I couldn’t have said it better myself, though I am now much more comfortable with “off topic” commentary than I was before due to the cordial and informative disucssions that we have had on this page.
Back to business: Landmarking is essential to saving the Ridgewood. Arguably, the best feature of the Ridgewood is the Facade and, at a minimum, this can and should receive landmarking on its own merits. The potential problem is, as has been stated by many previously, the interior of the Ridgewood just doesn’t rate when compared to the true palaces in the city: The Loews Wonder Theaters, Radio City, the St. George, The Beacon and most of the Broadway Legit houses. On an interior architectural level, the relatively new Ziegfeld and Paris theaters are much more deserving of landmark status that the Ridgewood.
The Ridgewood’s landmark appeal lies in its history as the oldest theater in the country to have shown continuous films until its recent closure and the connection that this particular theater has had over the decades with its neighborhood; especially after the tragic loss of The Madison. I don’t really know if that will be enough.
Unfortunately, without landmark designation, I think it will be very difficult to save this theater and the case for landmarking on an architectural basis, in my opinion, is weak.
I passed by the Kew Gardens Cinema yesterday and I saw a wonderful site! There was a line around the corner and onto Austin Street to get into the theater for the first showings around 12:30. I don’t live in the area, though I own an apartment which I sublet and therefore brings me to the neighborhood periodically. I really would love to someday see a film at this theater. When I was growing up and lived in the area in the 70’s this theater was a porno house and I never saw a line to get in though I am told it did pretty good business. Thank goodness for the VCR/DVD.
To the comments above about safety, let me add that this area has always been one of the safest in the city. That is what was truly shocking about the Kitty Genovese murder. That it could happen here scared everyone, no matter where they lived. Kew Gardens always has been and continues to be a very safe place to live and visit.
Scott, there are so many. I look through the theaters and I can’t believe how beuatiful and ornate they once were. Loews Triboro in Astoria (Queens) is one that springs to mind. It’s truly astounding that they were allowed to be destroyed without much protest. In the beginning, I think it had to do with the fact that there were just so many around to begin with.
Luckily, we didn’t lose them all and some of the best examples are still with us today specifically, Radio City, The Hollywood, all five Loews Wonder Theaters, The New Amsterdam and now, the fully restored Beacon.
Hi Scott, It’s amazing that you mention the 72nd Street Theatre as I only came across it fairly recently and was amazed at how beautiful it was and how little people know about it.
Another theater that is underappreciated is Proctors 58th St Theatre. Maybe, part of that has to do with the unfortunate name but this too was a huge and beautiful theater that people have virtually totally forgotten about.
Finally, The Center Theatre, which was a sister theater of sorts to Radio City and built just a block away. It was stunning in its “modern” way and I find it amazing that virtually no one remembers that this theater ever existed.
I think it stems from the fact that New York City just had so many incredible palaces that it was very easy for some of them to be almost invisible; especially if they were a little off the beaten path. That’s one of the reasons that I am so greatful for this web site. I would never have otherwise found out about these showplaces if it weren’t for Cinema Treasures.
Indeed, the did fall like dominoes.
Thanks for the mention of The Paradise. Yes, I would consider the Paradise. From what I read it too was a spectacular palace. For me, I would consider a mega palace any theater that seated at least 3,500 people, but others could go as low as 3,000 I suppose or as high as 4K.
Well, the ONLY thing I saw standing literally standing was the facade. Everything behind the front wall was a pile of rubble.
To me, while not totally demolished, it is pretty much gone. We’ll see what they do to rebuild it.
p.s. The facade was and remains quite handsome which made the pile of rubble behind it so shocking to see.
Simon, thanks for your comments. Had I had the opportunity to have actually seen the Roxy, Capitol, Brooklyn Fox, Center, Paramount, Rivoli, Proctor’s 58th Street, the list goes on and on, I would probably still be crying as well for what we have lost in New York.
Alas, my appreciation for movie palaces came later in my life when I realized, too late, how special they were and that they will never be built like this again. As it is, my appreciation for the old theaters grew back in my disco days when many of New York’s best discos were in old theaters. The Saint (Loews Commodore), Palladium (Academy of Music), Studio 54 (Gallo Opera House), Xenon (Miller Theater), Club USA (The Forum). These were all beautiful theaters and I was able to appreciate the architecture from a different perspective than as a moviegoer.
It’s too bad that, ultimately, only Studio 54 was able to survive long enough to be saved. It has since reverted back to the legitmate stage and I have seen many productions there.
The pain of what was lost in New York is tempered somewhat by what we have been able to save and what can potentially be saved. We still have Radio City, The Beacon, 4 out the 5 Loews Wonder Theaters (Paradise, 175th Street, Valencia, Jersey), St. George, Beacon, Apollo, New Amsterdam, Hollywood, Ziegfeld and the Paris. In addition, there are about 2 dozen landmarked Broadway houses many of which have played films in their past. Waiting in the wings?….The Loews Kings, The Brooklyn Paramount, The Liberty and others.
No other city still has this kind of inventory (except arguably Los Angeles). That is why it is so shameful when other cities don’t protect what little they have left. Philadelphia is struggling to protect its lone remaining palace, The Boyd. Most cities, have just one or two restored palaces.
In San Francisco, it’s not just the Golden Gate that needs protection. There are other theaters in the neighborhood but the surrounding neighborhood is just awful. Others have said that SF is hesitant to address the homeless issue because of its liberal values and I think that’s nonsense. Very few cities are more liberal than New York, and this city has cleaned up Times Square and, by law, provides shelter to the homeless which is why it is not very noticeable here. The theaters have to be able to attract clientele and it is difficult for them to do so with such aggressive panhandling and open drug use on the streets. It’s a shame. I feel that if New york could do it (and it was really bad here), any city could do it!
Simon, thanks for your comments. Had I had the opportunity to have actually seen the Roxy, Capitol, Brooklyn Fox, Center, Paramount, Rivoli, Proctor’s 58th Street, the list goes on and on, I would probably still be crying as well for what we have lost in New York.
Alas, my appreciation for movie palaces came later in my life when I realized, too late, how special they were and that they will never be built like this again. As it is, my appreciation for the old theaters grew back in my disco days when many of New York’s best discos were in old theaters. The Saint (Loews Commodore), Palladium (Academy of Music), Studio 54 (Gallo Opera House), Xenon (Miller Theater), Club USA (The Forum). These were all beautiful theaters and I was able to appreciate the architecture from a different perspective than as a moviegoer.
It’s too bad that, ultimately, only Studio 54 was able to survive long enough to be saved. It has since reverted back to the legitmate stage and I have seen many productions there.
The pain of what was lost in New York is tempered somewhat by what we have been able to save and what can potentially be saved. We still have Radio City, The Beacon, 4 out the 5 Loews Wonder Theaters (Paradise, 175th Street, Valencia, Jersey), St. George, Beacon, Apollo, New Amsterdam, Hollywood, Ziegfeld and the Paris. In addition, there are about 2 dozen landmarked Broadway houses many of which have played films in their past. Waiting in the wings?….The Loews Kings, The Brooklyn Paramount, The Liberty and others.
No other city still has this kind of inventory (except arguably Los Angeles). That is why it is so shameful when other cities don’t protect what little they have left. Philadelphia is struggling to protect its lone remaining palace, The Boyd. Most cities, have just one or two restored palaces.
In San Francisco, it’s not just the Golden Gate that needs protection. There are other theaters in the neighborhood but the surrounding neighborhood is just awful. Others have said that SF is hesitant to address the homeless issue because of its liberal values and I think that’s nonsense. Very few cities are more liberal than New York, and this city has cleaned up Times Square and, by law, provides shelter to the homeless which is why it is not very noticeable here. The theaters have to be able to attract clientele and it is difficult for them to do so with such aggressive panhandling and open drug use on the streets. It’s a shame. I feel that if New york could do it (and it was really bad here), any city could do it!
Thanks Michael, I guess I owe you an apology. When I looked remembered my prior postings at the pages for the Crossbay Theater and the RKO Keiths Richmond Hill, I realized that I had engaged in the same neighborhood recalls that we find here on the Ridgewood. I guess my issue was that there was so much of it on this page but who am I to judge how much is too much? So, please except my apology. :–)
Many of the comments above are very critical of the area immediately surrounding this theater. My personal experiences over a four year period was that the area had actually gotten worse and not better. It’s been over a year since I was last in San Francisco and was wondering if anything has gotten better. San Francisco’s handling of the disgusting neighborhood has been shameful especially considering the city’s reliance on tourism.
I submitted in 2 weeks ago but it does not appear to have registered. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have an actual address, but I will resubmit it soon. I needs to be listed as it is a still existing theater and we need to find out more about it.
I saw 60 minutes last week and its main story was the shut down in Wilmington of DHL which provided this town with most of its jobs (around 8,000). The mayor expects 20% of the retail in town to fail. What a shame. I saw the theater in the background as the cameras were panning the historic downtown district which looked desolate. Nonetheless, it encouraged me to look the theater up to find out more. What I found out is that the theater web site doesn’t work and there are no interior photos on this page. I hope this theater survives.
Thanks JodarMovieFan, I’ve never been to Baltimore, but someday hope to make it there. As part of my visit I would love to see a film at The Senator.
I’m not familiar with Baltimore, but I do know that the Senator in not “Downtown”. What is the general area like around the Senator. Is it a neighborhood retail strip? Is it stable? Considered safe? Fair or not, my impression of Baltimore is that it is nice around Inner Harbor and Dicey virtually everywhere else. I hope I’m wrong because I do feel that the future of this country is in cities and why it is important to save buildings of our past like the Senator that we can use to create the cities of the future.
Howard Haas…Thank you for such a wonderful intro to this theater. It’s even more heartbreaking that this theater never even made it to 1960. Unfortunately, this theater was just too big and too lavish for the market to support.
As an aside, was the Mastbaum the first of the mega movie palaces to be demolished in the country?
Please guys, I mean no offense. I have wonderful memories of growing up in Queens myself (South Ozone Park) and so I know where you’re coming from, but I don’t believe this is the place to discuss it. It is called Cinema Treasures, not Neighborhood Treasures. This should be about the Ridgewood Theatre, memories of the theater and the efforts to save this historic theater.
For some reason the Ridgewood page, almost alone among all CT theater pages has become more about the neighborhood and not about the theater.
My point and it has been expressed by many others, is that we have had to turn off our alerts to the Ridgewood page because the comments are usually not about the theater or theater subjects.
p.s. I absolutely loved growing up in Queens!
When I first joined CT, I asked to be notified when someone commented on the Ridgewood page but i ultimately had to delink it because the vast majority of the posts were about comments that had absolutely nothing to do with this theater in particular or even theaters in general.
I recently signed up again with the controversy about the theater shutting down and the drive to landmark it but it has now become, yet again, a neighborhood bulletin board. There are other forums for that including personal correspondence. This is Cinema Treasures!
So now I’m afraid I will have to unlink again unless this page goes back to being about this theater (or other theaters) and not about miscellaneous memories of where “you” grew up.
I apologize in advance for the tone of this post, but it’s frustrating.
Wow! A population of almost half a million people and just 3 multiplex theaters to cater to them. That’s amazing.
But I guess the %’s aren’t that much different in Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx based on their populations. The exception would be Manhattan, but only because many people come into the city to go see a movie and make a bigger night of it.
Quite a differnce from the days when there were dozens of theaters to choose from in your borough. I’m starting to feel like one of those old geezers…..“Why, back in my day we had only one screen at each theater…and that’s the way we liked it!”
:–)
One of the first things I would love to see restored is that rather unusual, but incredibly beautiful Blade with the “BOYD” name. This giant punctuation mark, as it were, would tell Philadelphia and the world that the Boyd Theatre is back and here to stay!
Thank you so much for the update JNic. I’ve been very curious over the status of this space for quite some time. While it doesn’t look like it could possibly be a theater space again, could it work as an “event” space like the Hudson Theater at the Milennium Hotel in Times Square or the old Banking Halls like Bowery Savings Bank buildings on 42nd St and The Bowery itself, the old Citibank branch on Wall Street and the Greenwich Savings Bank on Broadway?
What about a nightclub? So many of the most illustrious Discos of the past were housed in spectacular old theaters: The Saint (Loews Commodore), The Palladium (Academy of Music), Xenon (Miller Theatre), Studio 54 (Gallo Opera House), and Club USA (The Forum?).
Today, to my knowledge, no clubs exist inside an old theater in New York and that’s a shame because that is a wonderful adaptive reuse of a grand theater’s space.
My last choice would be retail, but I will reserve my judgment on that until I see what Marc Ecko as done with the Times Square Theatre directly across the Street from the Liberty. It is due to open in the next few months.
Based on the limitations of the space the use of it will have to be creative. Museum of the Broadway Theater perhaps?
Something will eventually happen here. The space is too valuable and since it is landmarked it should be preserved for whatever new purpose it is used for.
It’s rather poignant that the Apollo is celebrating 75 years with a grand restoration and (if you look closely at the photo) in the background is the marquee for the Victoria which is currently in limbo.
Does this theater still have the capacity to show films? The actual web site is not clear though a prior post says that it does. No one, however, has even posted a comment saying that they have seen a film at this theater after Reverend Ike took over.
I mention it because “In The Heights” the 2008 Tony award winner for best musical has announced that the feature film rights have been sold and we can expect a film version of this incredible musical in the next 1-2 years.
What better place to hold the World Premiere that at the Loews 175th Street Theatre, which actually is “In The Heights”!
Imagine the glamour, the red carpet, the attention that it would give to this incredible building!
I’m hoping that this theater is foreclosed on by the city of New York for non payment of taxes. Then, it can be sold to a real operator who will use this showplace as it was meant to be used: A Showplace for the residents of The Bronx…..and beyond!
From most of the comments above, it won’t be long before a bank or the city take action on the current owners.
ERC: That’s just nuts! I’m not doubting you, but I just can’t see someone going through the expense of renovting a theater and then just letting it sit there. I can’t comment on The Ritz but at The Paradise, the theater was stunningly restored! As beautiful as the day it opened (or so it has been stated by people who have seen it in person). Why would that owner go through that kind of meticulous restoration and then do nothing with it?
Regardless, these are isolated instances and my hope is that the public will eventually have access to these gems in the near future. The best part? They have in fact been saved! They have been restored! They have already beaten the odds.