Glenwood Theatre

You’re welcome, Panzer65. Perhaps both Warren and Bway will be posting on this page again before too long.

The view of the movie screen from an opera box would be quite skewed, so I would think they would only be occupied during live stage shows.

Panzer65, please keep posting here. No, I’ve never viewed a motion picture from an “opera box”, though, like yourself, as a kid, I looked at them within the Ridgewood and Madison, and wondered about them as much as you did.

For history, perhaps Warren could help.

For details of building construction within the Glenwood, perhaps Bway could help. He’s been great that way about what’s left inside what was once the RKO Madison.

PKoch, your welcome sir, I’m new to this site and really enjoy sharing the memories of attending the classic movie houses.
I have additional information concerning any remnants of the old Glenwood theater in the now defunct bowling alley. I phoned a fellow league bowler who also attended from 1976 to 1983. Prior postings had mentioned the second floor, my friend said that halfway down the two alleys situated on both walls on either side there appeared to be a panel inserted that seemed to block was he said appeared to be opera boxes, he said the shape of the paneling made him believe this. We also speculated that perhaps these panels were blocking a window , but we don’t recall the outside wall being sealed up.

I bowled in leagues at the Glenwood from 1976 till its closing in 1983. The only distinguishable trait left from the theater is the marquee which was overhauled to accommodate the Glenwood Bowl name. The main entrance was on Decatur St., the original entrance under the marquee was a lounge. In reference to the balcony,it was accessable from the side entrance and appears to be a replacement staircase. The second floor/balcony perhaps was altered to a full floor,there were lanes on the second floor, and prior posts claim you could look down on the bowlers downstairs which did not exist when I bowled there. The renovation to a bowling alley was constructed very well, you would never know it was a theater.

Lostmemory claimed on the RKO Madison site that the Glenwood had a Wurlitzer organ which was installed in 1921. Caa anyone verify this?

I can’t recall ever seeing or hearing it.

Shalom, ciao, and excelsior

I remember the Glenwood as both a movie theatre when I was a child and a bowling alley when I was a teenager. There was an Italian Restaurant on the corner of it that I remember served a knife and fork with your pizza (which we all thought was strange) and an awning and blind store a few stores from it both east of it and another blind store across from it called Geppels. It was a quick walk from Glendale where myself and all of my friends lived. A great place to spend a Saturday afternoon. The tresle was the cut off as we knew it for Brooklyn.

It appears the Glenwood was one of the first “larger” theaters to close in Ridgewood. ANyone know when exactly it actually closed to showing movies?

The homeless in “Dark Days,” prior to their eviction by Amtrak and finding suitable other apartments above ground, built functioning living quarters made of wood and other materials in those tunnels! The colony had electricity, courtesy of tapping into Con Ed lines, plus running water for the longest time. Amazing…and yet sad.

[“Human beings will never burrow underground unless they are compelled.” – Chauncey M. Depew, U.S. Senator 1899-1911. The building of the IRT subway, c. 1900-04, proved him wrong. 75 years later, the homeless and other disenfranchised folks proved him right!]

Yep, you mentioned “Electric” & “Indestructible.”

Here’s some quality bilge for the day: Just received and watched a 4-star documentary re NYC’s homeless in the tunnels under Penn Station, “Dark Days,” directed by Brit newcomer Marc Singer. Can’t praise it highly enough! (Anyone interested can snag a copy by using eBay’s search command for Dark Days DVD. Got my sealed copy for only $13.99 – and worth every penny. The extras are as good as the documentary.)

“No link is too big or too small.”

I’ll be sure to let Jimmy Dean know that. – Plugz-R-Us

[Will we get scolded again if it appears we’re having way too much fun?]

The Belvedere is now a church, the United Church Of Christ, or something similar. I last walked past it Saturday, July 1st, 2006. In summer 1998, the theme of its Vacation Bible School for kids was “To Eternity … And Beyond !”, based on Buzz Light Year’s “To infinity … and beyond !” from the Disney Pixar “Toy Story” movies.

The Belvedere is located on the south side of Myrtle Avenue, in Glendale, just west of Cypress Hills Street.

The Glenwood was definitely the theater that became a bowling alley near the railrod trestle at Fresh Pond and Myrtle. The old “Glenwood” marquee even survived right to when they tore the building down for the post office.

I only went there once or twice as a kid in the mid 70’s, so don’t remember the interior all that much….but as far as I know, the bowling alley was set up on the orchestra level of the old theater. I have no idea if any old theater ornamentation remained on the ceiling or walls or anywhere, but I also very vaguely recall an area above where you can sit at tables and eat and watch the bowlers…so that must’ve been the balcony area….it’s a very vague memory, so can’t say for sure.