You’re most welcome, Michael, and thanks again for all your hard work and dedication to save the Ridgewood Theatre !
I just walked by the Ridgewood Theatre this morning. The one detail I noticed, that I hadn’t seen from recent photographs, was that, although the cases that held the movie placards were empty, there were still little cards at their bottoms giving show times.
Yes, once upon a time, Dem Beatles ! The Fab Four !
Panzer65 : Yes, I agree with, and understand you, completely. I hope the Ridgewood does not burn soon, thereby preventing it from ever re-opening as, or becoming, a theater, again.
Yogi Berra ? “It Ain’t Over ‘Till It’s Over” ?
At least the Madison survived as a store, whereas the Commodore is now completely gone.
As Grover Whalen was known as “Mr. New York”, however much I might like to think of myself as “Mr. Ridgewood”, or “Mr. Ridgewood Theatre”, I don’t think I would ever be granted, nor could I accept, such an honor.
The one and only film I saw at the Drake was “Return Of The Jedi” on Sunday, May 5, 1985. It didn’t look that great inside, and I felt slightly uneasy due to the run-down, unclean condition within.
Have you ever listened to any of The Beatles' music ?
See you at the Parthenon !
Panzer65, I’m glad my Twilight Zone reference was not lost upon you.
Bway, I know what you mean … the Ridgewood is at an urgent crossroads, and there is very little (if anything) that we can do about it. I’ve enjoyed the comments too, but have this feeling of powerlessness from discussing the past of the Ridgewood Theatre while being unable to do anything to help it in the present.
Before reading the Queens Courier article that Warren posted the link to, I didn’t know that, not only the Ridgewood Theatre, but Myrtle Avenue itself, had fallen on such hard economic times.
Admittedly, I’m only in Ridgewood once a month, but, when I am, Myrtle Avenue always seems thriving and busy. There may not be an active storefront in every building, but neither do I see vacant, burned-out buildings with homeless squatting inside, or in use as shooting galleries for junkies.
Ah, but Noah Rosenberg’s Courier article did mention the “bastion of the homeless” in the Ridgewood Theatre’s “shadowy secret rooms”.
Regarding the former RKO Madison Theatre, the back of the entrance-outer lobby part of the building is completely connected with the main auditorium portion, unlike the Ridgewood Theatre, as previously noted. I think the only restrooms in the RKO Madison were on the balcony level, with none at street level. I think the only non-theater use of the building was that small store in the eastern end of the facade on Myrtle Avenue.
I’m not sure if there was anything else to the second story of the entrance-outer lobby part of the RKO Madison, other than the exit staircase from the balcony to the outer lobby.
Regarding the former RKO Madison Theatre, the back of the entrance-outer lobby part of the building is completely connected with the main auditorium portion, unlike the Ridgewood Theatre, as previously noted. I think the only restrooms in the RKO Madison were on the balcony level, with none at street level. I think the only non-theater use of the building was that small store in the eastern end of the facade on Myrtle Avenue.
I’m not sure if there was anything else to the second story of the entrance-outer lobby part of the RKO Madison, other than the exit staircase from the balcony to the outer lobby.
I just tried it. Great tool, but the images are a little old. They still show that red-roofed green tower at the turn of the el at Myrtle, Wyckoff and Palmetto.
Thanks, Panzer65, for the compliment and the answer.
Thanks, Lost Memory, for the additional details. I remember that alley on Cypress Avenue with the locked entrance gate. I was last near there the last Saturday of September 1998, at the small barbershop next door to it where I got my last haircut in Ridgewood.
Nothing up there on the third floor of the entrance part of the building, except maybe mannequins that come to life one month out of the year ….. “Marsha ? Marsha !”
In “The After Hours”, on “The Twilight Zone” ….
Or just type in 54-30 Myrtle Avenue for the Madison Theatre ….
I was twelve when I saw “The Sound of Music” at the Ridgewood with my mother. How old were you, Panzer65, when you saw it there ?
When I watched “The Sound of Music” with my dad at his nursing home in Queens the summer of 1998, 30 ½ years later, during the song “Edelweiss”, I thought of Ridgewood in general, and Edelweiss Import House, across Myrtle Avenue from the Ridgewood Theatre, in particular :
Thank you, Lost Memory, for your help, and for mentioning when Cappy’s Pool Room became Hank’s Billiards. You are somewhere between me and once upon a time in age.
Looking again at the aerial view : what intrigues me now is the the fact that only about a third of the back edge of the roughly square entrance, or outer lobby, which opens onto Myrtle Avenue, touches the southern corner of the silver-roofed auditorium part of the building, with the rest hanging out facing empty alley space between buildings. Where the two touch, of course, is the entrance from the outer to the inner orchestra lobby. That’s why the orchestra level rest rooms had windows out onto that empty alley space between buildings.
You’re most welcome, Michael, and thanks again for all your hard work and dedication to save the Ridgewood Theatre !
I just walked by the Ridgewood Theatre this morning. The one detail I noticed, that I hadn’t seen from recent photographs, was that, although the cases that held the movie placards were empty, there were still little cards at their bottoms giving show times.
I just signed the petition via e-mail. Lost Memory, I heartily agree with you about the plaque honoring Michael Perlman.
I just signed the petition via e-mail.
Thanks, RobertR. I’ve done a little reading about him on the Internet.
You’re most welcome, once upon a time, and thank you !
But I’m still not sure there’s much I can do personally to re-open the Ridgewood Theatre and have movies showing there again.
Yes, but the Ridgewood opened 3 years and 11 months earlier, and lasted six years, two months and two weeks longer than the Astoria did.
I don’t think so, but it would be great if we could, and the Ridgewood became another Beacon Theatre, featuring live musical venues !
Paul McCartney appeared with Billy Joel on Friday July 18th also !
Panzer65, I quite agree with you about the Beatles. I know what you mean about the song “In My Life”.
Yes, I read your story on the Commodore page. Thanks again for posting it. Yes, it WAS heartbreaking how that theater was treated.
Shea Stadium : were you there for the Billy Joel concerts two weeks ago ?
Yes, once upon a time, Dem Beatles ! The Fab Four !
Panzer65 : Yes, I agree with, and understand you, completely. I hope the Ridgewood does not burn soon, thereby preventing it from ever re-opening as, or becoming, a theater, again.
Yogi Berra ? “It Ain’t Over ‘Till It’s Over” ?
At least the Madison survived as a store, whereas the Commodore is now completely gone.
Link to wikipedia page for Grover Whalen :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Whalen
As Grover Whalen was known as “Mr. New York”, however much I might like to think of myself as “Mr. Ridgewood”, or “Mr. Ridgewood Theatre”, I don’t think I would ever be granted, nor could I accept, such an honor.
The one and only film I saw at the Drake was “Return Of The Jedi” on Sunday, May 5, 1985. It didn’t look that great inside, and I felt slightly uneasy due to the run-down, unclean condition within.
Thanks, Bway !
And thanks for the compliment, Warren ! It’s no clique. You’re welcome to join us any time. In the words of Tropicana’s Jim Dooley :
“Come on in ! The bilge is fine !”
And please don’t continue to discriminate against Lost Memory, Bway, once upon a time, zitch, and Panzer65 by failing to indict them as well !
I don’t think it’s 5 million, GerardC, but why do you think that is ?
Someone besides Warren and yourself MUST remember the Astoria ?
once upon a time :
Have you ever listened to any of The Beatles' music ?
See you at the Parthenon !
Panzer65, I’m glad my Twilight Zone reference was not lost upon you.
Bway, I know what you mean … the Ridgewood is at an urgent crossroads, and there is very little (if anything) that we can do about it. I’ve enjoyed the comments too, but have this feeling of powerlessness from discussing the past of the Ridgewood Theatre while being unable to do anything to help it in the present.
Before reading the Queens Courier article that Warren posted the link to, I didn’t know that, not only the Ridgewood Theatre, but Myrtle Avenue itself, had fallen on such hard economic times.
Admittedly, I’m only in Ridgewood once a month, but, when I am, Myrtle Avenue always seems thriving and busy. There may not be an active storefront in every building, but neither do I see vacant, burned-out buildings with homeless squatting inside, or in use as shooting galleries for junkies.
Ah, but Noah Rosenberg’s Courier article did mention the “bastion of the homeless” in the Ridgewood Theatre’s “shadowy secret rooms”.
once upon a time, I would LOVE to read your recollections of moviegoing at the RKO Madison Theatre !
Calloused finger, once upon a time ? I can almost hear you echoing Ringo, at the end of “Helter Skelter”, on the White Album :
“I GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS !”
Lots of folks get more recognition dead than alive, like “The immortal Jim Croce” !
Yes, if that rear wall could talk !
See you at the RKO Madison !
Lost Memory, I entered “5430”, and it worked.
“Maybe only slow dancing was permitted.” :
Remember this cliche, from adult-chaperoned Catholic high school dances ?
“Leave some room for the Holy Ghost !”
“Let the Holy Ghost get his own girlfriend !”
Now on to the Madison Theatre page …
Regarding the former RKO Madison Theatre, the back of the entrance-outer lobby part of the building is completely connected with the main auditorium portion, unlike the Ridgewood Theatre, as previously noted. I think the only restrooms in the RKO Madison were on the balcony level, with none at street level. I think the only non-theater use of the building was that small store in the eastern end of the facade on Myrtle Avenue.
I’m not sure if there was anything else to the second story of the entrance-outer lobby part of the RKO Madison, other than the exit staircase from the balcony to the outer lobby.
Regarding the former RKO Madison Theatre, the back of the entrance-outer lobby part of the building is completely connected with the main auditorium portion, unlike the Ridgewood Theatre, as previously noted. I think the only restrooms in the RKO Madison were on the balcony level, with none at street level. I think the only non-theater use of the building was that small store in the eastern end of the facade on Myrtle Avenue.
I’m not sure if there was anything else to the second story of the entrance-outer lobby part of the RKO Madison, other than the exit staircase from the balcony to the outer lobby.
Type in “5430 Myrtle Avenue Ridgewood NY 11385”. It won’t work with “54-30” or “New York” spelled out.
I just tried it. Great tool, but the images are a little old. They still show that red-roofed green tower at the turn of the el at Myrtle, Wyckoff and Palmetto.
Thanks, Panzer65, for the compliment and the answer.
Thanks, Lost Memory, for the additional details. I remember that alley on Cypress Avenue with the locked entrance gate. I was last near there the last Saturday of September 1998, at the small barbershop next door to it where I got my last haircut in Ridgewood.
Nothing up there on the third floor of the entrance part of the building, except maybe mannequins that come to life one month out of the year ….. “Marsha ? Marsha !”
In “The After Hours”, on “The Twilight Zone” ….
Or just type in 54-30 Myrtle Avenue for the Madison Theatre ….
Thanks, Panzer65.
I was twelve when I saw “The Sound of Music” at the Ridgewood with my mother. How old were you, Panzer65, when you saw it there ?
When I watched “The Sound of Music” with my dad at his nursing home in Queens the summer of 1998, 30 ½ years later, during the song “Edelweiss”, I thought of Ridgewood in general, and Edelweiss Import House, across Myrtle Avenue from the Ridgewood Theatre, in particular :
“Bless my Ridgewood forever …”
Thank you, Lost Memory, for your help, and for mentioning when Cappy’s Pool Room became Hank’s Billiards. You are somewhere between me and once upon a time in age.
Looking again at the aerial view : what intrigues me now is the the fact that only about a third of the back edge of the roughly square entrance, or outer lobby, which opens onto Myrtle Avenue, touches the southern corner of the silver-roofed auditorium part of the building, with the rest hanging out facing empty alley space between buildings. Where the two touch, of course, is the entrance from the outer to the inner orchestra lobby. That’s why the orchestra level rest rooms had windows out onto that empty alley space between buildings.