RKO Madison Theatre

PKoch,
Thanks for your reply concerning Madison’s sign and the adjoining buildings.
Well when I looked up at the massive size of this building, I noticed three things, a bricked up doorway, stair supports removed, and fading paint,it was so hard to decipher what it said, but I do remember seeing a post with that painted sign still visible.
I beleive the section running from Wyckoff ave to Metropolitan Ave was known as the Lutheran Extension, referring to the cemetery it abutted.

PKoch,
The day I visited the outside of the former RKO Madison, I did not go on the EL, but I stood adjacent to the main entrance, the view was rather obstructed
but I did notice a faded sign painted on the wall, one of this once proud theater’s few remnants. I saw a picture in above postings.
Thanks for your comments friends, about the El and its tower, perhaps this building was an early remnant of when this line terminated at Myrtle and Wyckoff. I did notice a building to Madison’s right, over to the corner, it had an ornate facade, it appeared to be 1920’s vintage, anybody know its early function?

They used to use the old tower for offices. It wasn’t used as a tower in many decades, perhaps since the express track was removed. It was however used for offices all these years. Those offices have since been moved into the brand new station building they just completed recently, so the tower is a casualty of the new station building….

PKoch….they took the Wyckoff Tower down from the el last weekend from what I heard….another end of an era. While I would assume the view to the Madison from the station is enhanced, it must be strange without the tower there.

Hello friends, well as I previously posted, I intend on visiting the former Madison, and as luck has it, well it was not a sell out, but I attempted to go on a Sunday and low and behold I was done in by a sign of the times…No Parking!! I circled five times and had enough..but..I parked in the hydrant placed to the right and got out and stood beside that grand palace..briefly of course and gazed..that white facade looked distinct, only to have a drab sign placed over the front. I did notice the fire exit door on Madison’s balcony level was bricked up, I hope to see the other side on my next attempt,and i must say that the fire escape has been removed, a clue to me that the balcony may be altered. I felt the same way as I did in my Oasis post, the anticipation seeing that big building, and knowing you were going to a place you know you would enjoy yourself. I feel like Madison theater’s last fan!!

Pkoch, Thanks for your reply concerning the various areas of Ridgewood and their “liabilities”.

Concerning the fountain in Madison’s lobby, I never got a follow up call concerning this matter, I did however read in prior postings that The RKO Keith’s on Northern Blvd. did indeed have a fountain.The page even included a photo of the ornate and unusual fountain located in the lobby. The fountain was removed in later years towards Keith’s demise, and is rumored to be in a Greenwich Village eatery. What can we say about Mr. Huang? A shady developer, who apparently is disrespectful of others, the environment, and above all ,historic structures. He is relieved of ownership of Keith’s but should do jail time for his heinous crimes. Hang em' high!

PKoch, Brooklyn Jim,Lost Memory,
Thank you for your replies concerning the possibility of a fountain being in The Madison’s lobby. I am following up on my friends statement about its possible existence, he was there in the 70’s, perhaps he may have confused this feature with another theater. I loved the pictures of Madison’s interior,in a lot of ways, it appears to be an attempt, to outdo the Ridgewood, which was stated in prior posts. Their configuration seem identical, but Madison’s balcony area appears much larger than Ridgewoods. Also Madison’s got the edge on the ornate features,and seating capacity.Sadly, since this beauty has been altered,many small features that I enjoy looking at are gone,the photos only touch the elegant design this theater once had.
LOst Memory, i will say hello indeed, to Mae and Eddie.

Thanks for your reply PKoch,my answer to why I never saw films at the Madison, from what I can recall, since I was a pre teen at the time my mother resricted my roaming in the neighborhood. She was concerned that something would happen to me if I passed Cypress Ave, (which borders Ridgewood Theater, been there 100 of times) She kind of scared me into not going that far into Ridgewood, thus missing out on a theater that I really should have been to. My mother was being overprotective, I guess I should feel fortunate for that. I have proceeded to read every posting and have a “roadmap plan” to follow. “Bway” has inspired me to visit it today, and view whats left of what I should have seen back in the 70’s. If it did not burn in ‘78 more remnants would be intact. According to Bwy’s description, Its throughly sheetrocked, perhaps covering the fire damage.

Hafta echo PKoch’s initial comment: no recollection at all of a fountain in the RKO Madison’s lobby. (Not even sure they provided us with a drinking fountain.) Didn’t the RKO Keith’s in Flushing have one? [“HANG HUANG!” is still the battle cry over there for his recent desecrations.]

I lived in Glendale from 1965 to 1997, but still reside in Queens, and attended the Oasis and Ridgewood , during the 70’s, but unfortunately, never attended The Madison. After reading the postings I feel I missed out, on history and experience, for some reason, don’t know why,I was so close yet so far. I was impressed with the descriptions of this theater, I did not search all of them, but a friend who attended told me there was a fountain..in the lobby!Can anyone elaborate on this? A previous posting has said that there are no remnants of the old theater, perhaps because of fire damage, and the ornate front facade is obscured by a large sign. I’m so curious about what I missed, that I’m planning to visit the defunct theater, now a department store, just to say I’ve been there!I cant believe a gem like this is not landmarked!

Yes, it must have been the Alhambra. I tried to think back to the late 40s when my mother took me down to Sunday School and Church on the Putnam trolley and I was sure I remembered the theater being at one of the turns onto or off of Wyckoff. But I guess I was wrong as looking at the remains of the building via Local.live I see that it fits what I remember – a corner building with a corner entrance and marque. We also used that line to get to downtown Brooklyn when I went to the optometrist and optician in the Williamsburg Bank building.

I don’t remember what was at the corner of Halsey and Wyckoff before they built the Red Carpet Hotel. But I think it was just regular old buildings, perhaps with stores on street level.