RKO Alden Theatre
165-16 Jamaica Avenue,
Jamaica,
NY
11432
165-16 Jamaica Avenue,
Jamaica,
NY
11432
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Showing 101 - 125 of 126 comments
Yes, that is the number posted on two large signs currently on the structure. There is an additional much smaller sign (“office for rent”) posted in one of the second floor windows with a cell number. It appears to be 347-276-6041. May be 6091.
Jack4c… that number is no longer in service. Perhaps the sign has been there for some time. I’d love to know if any of this theater survives, besides just the other shell.
The building appears vacant and for rent currently, at least what I believe was the Alden. The number on the for rent sign is 212 840- 9699. It’s the large red brick structure on the east side of 165th St. halfway down the block south of Jamaica Av.
This August of 1958 ad for “The Fly' shows up what Warren said about the product split that happened because of the Merrick and Alden. All the RKO’s are getting the "The Fly” and “Space Master X-7” but because it is booked in the Merrick the Alden is holding over the previous weeks “The Light in the Forest” and “The Story of Perri”.
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the alden was my favorite theater because they had the best movies of the day all of the warner brothers movies with stars like cagney raft, davis, crawford, bogart,and bacall.
the savoy was on jamaica ave and adistance from my house. so i went to the plaza.on saturdays the the price was eleven cents .i usally had sixteen cents . eleven cents for the movie and five cents for a box of good and plenty
I don’t remember the hillside, carleton linden plaza or marlboro. The Savoy I do remember in the ‘50s. Triple features – a war movie, a monster movie and a western – all in one long afternoon!
I saw the Three Stooges perform at the Valencia in about ‘61 or so during their resurgence at that time in TV.
in the previous comment i ment linden not liden
the pecking order of the movie houses in jamaica during my time wre as follows.valencia,alden,merrick.jamaica,hillside,carleton,liden,plazaaand the marlboro.
this theater is where i saw night and day also to have and have not with the young beautiful and unforgettable lauren bacall.also objective burma and most othe big warner brothers movies of the 1940s .at this point in time movies and baseball were bigger than life
How odd it seems to see a film saying “direct from Radio City” and then playing the Alden, but 1971 was probably right before it went into it’s decent of horror and kung-fu films
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“Blacula” played the Alden in 1973
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For what it’s worth, in resolving a four-plus month-old mystery, Fred Astaire’s final film was the 1981 thriller (and former Showtime staple) ‘Ghost Story’.
You cant go wrong with a fun double bill like this!! The main feature had in it’s cast the legendary stripper Lili St. Cyr
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Since the entrance was on 165th street, the address of 9211 165th St should be used for this theaters address
Yes, that would be better than “Jamaica and 165th” as it says now. However, the Jamaica Ave address could also be used (the new entrance through what was once a store on Jamaica Ave which became the permanent and only entrance once RKO took over). So this theater really has two addresses (even though the building never moved). Hmmm, I wonder what happens when you have two addresess for the same theater, if they use the last address the theater used or the original.
Valencia-
I’m pretty sure Mr. Astaire made some other films after Francis Ford Coppolla’s film version of FINIAN’S RAINBOW in 1968. Remember his romancing Miss Jennifer Jones while trying to fleece her out of her money in Irwin Allen’s THE TOWERING INFERNO? I do. Saw it back when at the KINGSWAY.
The last time I attended the Alden was in 1968 to see Fred Astaire’s last film “Finian’s Rainbow”. The years passed and the Alden demised. However I did hear a “rumor” about the still remaining auditorium behind the present retail spaces that a poor Pentecostal church was looking to rent the space for their services. Evidently the rumor has been proved false or the deal never went through.
Well, it’s refreshing to find that there are people who remember and value this treasure. I grew up in Jamaica in the fifties and all of Jamaica Ave. was filled with gems of one kind or another. Anyone remember the Savoy theater? A slightly more run down sibling of the others, but they had contests with prizes in addition to triple features. The Valencia had live acts, including The Three Stooges in about 1961.
Alan M. Shore
I’ve been in the Alden recently—the manager took me to their storage room which is the balcony and proscenium. There’s a drop ceiling from the balcony front to the stage, and the seats have been removed. Other than that, it is very much intact!
This is very interesting that the theater may still be sitting there behind all of the retail in the lobbies. What stores currently occupy the lobbies of the building?
Thank you, Warren, for this information. I am pleased that the links to images I have posted are “provoking” the posting of this new information.
The Alden is visible on the right side of the following images :
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6367
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6397
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?24041
Loew’s Valencia (q.v. on this site) is also visible in image 24041. The pointed top of the baroque facade is visible in the upper left corner.
I think the whole theatre is still there behind all of the retail
I remember the last year or so RKO-Century did not renew the lease on the Jamaica Avenue entrance and it was turned into a store. The 165st entrance was opened for the first time in decades. They half assed re-lit the 1930’s marquee. After a shooting in which a security guard got killed the theatre closed. It seems like retail is in the lobbies only and the theatre may be intact inside.
The RKO Alden Theatre is located at 165th Street & Jamaica Ave..