Well, I have no idea what you are trying to say, or who you are talking about (but it seems you realize you made a mistake) , but all I know is that I have no “aliases”, “Bway” is the only name/handle I have ever used on this site….., and I have never been involved with any sort of “flamewar” with anyone on this site either.
Bruce, you are so correct. I had the pleasure of seeing a movie in the El Capitan some years back, just after Disney renovated it, and it is truly a sight to behold.
As you said, there are so many abandoned, or unused theaters on Hollywood Blvd. A shame some of the other studios didn’t think like Disney did.
Thank goodness we still have the Chinese Tehater (which I also had the pleasure of seeing a movie in), and the Pantages (which I was never in, but I think it’s in pretty good shape too). I don’t know if they still show movies at the Pantages, or if it’s just for live shows now.
Actually, the Ridgewood Theater-Cinemart “controversy” of the oldest CONTINUOUSLY operating theater looks like it’s solved right here, the “Brooklyn” controversy of the Ridgewood noitwithstanding, it appears the Cinemart was closed for a little while in between….
I agree, it’s not so nice that it has this humiliation as it’s current use, but porn has saved many a theater from the wrecking ball or gutting. At least there is a chance one day that it can return to being a “real” theater again, as it is somewhat intact.
Wow, Hollywood sure looked different judging by that aerial view from 1958! I know that church is still there in the background, that’s on Highland Ave, but is now somewhat obscured by so many other buildings. When did they put the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd?
Hey that’s pretty cool, I am going to be in Hollywood and Los Angeles area in a few weeks, I will have to go check that out. I don’t rember that being there the last time I was there some years back, but obviously it was…
Perhaps because the Ridgewood is still a theater, and maybe still uses the old air conditioning system, unlike the Madison or the Parthenon? The Parthenon was also a much smaller building.
The water tower was on the Madison until somewhat recently. Last I looked, and it was a while ago, the tower was gone, but the ladder that used to go to the top of it was still there….the ladder to no where….
Haha, Lost, right to the right of the photo you took, at the corner of Cypress and Putnam…in the shadow of the Ridgewood Theater is the little taco/tex mex food place I always stop in when in Ridgewood…. It’s run by Chinese people (haha, and cooking Mexican food), but it’s really, really good!
Lost, I think that tower may have something to do with the air conditioning (it’s probably an old system). Not sure though. I don’t think it has anything to do with “flushing the toilets”, lol.
Anyway, as for tonino…. Ridgewood never ever became a burnt out area like Bushwick did. There’s nothing really to “recover” from, as it never fell like Bushwick did. The new brick accented sidewalks did keep Myrtle Ave looking decent of course though.
That “barber shop” survived into the 70’s with the store. I don’t remember it still bein a barber shop when I was down there, but I remember a glass enclosed “store within a store” down there in the basement of that children’s clothes store, and remember being down there during the going out of business sale. I don’t know if that was the late 70’s or very early 80’s. After the childrens store closed, it became “Michelle’s Dept Store” which sold things like curtains, clothes, housewares, etc. They didn’t use the basement though, but you could see in the floor where the opening used to be.
Of course today, as I mentioned, both stores were combined (Mc Crory’s and that childrens store), and is now where “The Fair” is, which is a higer end linens, curtains, (Bed, Bath, and Beyond-type of store). They don’t use the downstairs of either the old McCrory’s store or the Childrens stores. I believe because of current ADA (American’s with Disabilities) legislation, they are not allowed, as it would not have access to wheelchair or disabled people, and it woundn’t be worth the cost to install an elevator of course, so to comply, they just don’t have stores with lower levels anymore….
I have a similar recolection of the marquee of the old Gramercy theater on 23rd St in manhattan…..I would pass under it everyday for a year when I used to go to that neighborhood everyday….I can tell you almost every movie that was in there back then, as like you said, I guess you just look up as you walk under, and it all stashes into memory….
You could be right PKoch, I remember shopping in Woolworths there when going back to Ridgewood for something, but couldn’t place the date. It was after I moved out of the area though. Right after it closed as Woolworths, it became a Foot Locker or Athlete’s Foot sneaker store, which didn’t last long. Currently, the store has been cut up into two stores, and I think they are a higher end children’s clothes store, and I forgot what the other one is. to my surprise, they are both decent looking stores, not the “99 cents” and the like type of stores I usually seem to see coming along Myrtle Ave often times.
PKoch, you have some memory! Not only remember when the Woolworth’s opened….but what was playing at the Madison too!
Yes, the “Big Woolworth” had a more modern sign, and looked pretty new in the 70’s from how I remember it. The older Woolworths bushwickbuddy mentioned, (which lasted until the end of the Woolworth’s chain by the way), still had the original “F.W. Woolworth’s” sign right to it’s final day. It closed some time in the early 90’s, along with what was left of the Woolworth chain back then.
Yes, Kresge’s was right next to the old Woolworths, and was the first to close. The one on the next block, between Onderdonk and Forest was a two story 5 and 10 (basement) “Mc Crory’s” (It may have been Grants before that, but that was before my time if so). Next to that was some children’s store, which also had a downstairs. Currently, “The Fair” which used to be a fixture at the corner of Onderdonk and Myrtle took over the old children’s store and Mc Crory’s in the mid 90’s when they moved from the original corner.
Yes, I also remember that Woolworths on the Madison’s block. We used to call that one the “Big Woolworth”, because it had the downstairs (where the toys, etc were). We called it the “Big Woolworth” because there was another, smaller one a few blocks over on Myrtle (between Seneca and Onderdonk).
I just noticed after all this time that the opening paragraphs of the Madison are wrong. At least the last part of the opening section:
Quote:
*I think the current retail space is only in the lobby and I wonder if the whole theater is still intact inside… *
That is incorrect, as there is no doubt the Liberty Dept Store takes up way more than just the lobby. You can actually see the old outline of the balcony when in the store, and you can esily see you are in the old auditorium. That should be corrected.
Yes, I have a similar recollection (vague) of when they were gutting the Madison. I also remember looking in, and seeing nothing but “black”, and also strings of lights hanging in there. Remember, the Madison was not converted from “The Madison” to Odd Lot. It was converted from The Madison to Consumers first. Consumbers was a Service Merchandise kind of store, where you stand at large table looking at catalogs, see what you want, right it down, and then give a slip to a worker. They then go in the back to get the merchandise item you ordered and bring it to you. Consumers occupied the front part of the building, at least the public part. It only took up perhaps the old lobby area, and I asssume the auditorium was used as the warehouse.
It wasn’t until after Consumers closed that the Madison became Odd Lot, and then you could wander into the whole theater area, except they put the fake drop ceiling in the auditorium area, although you could see the roundness outline of the old balcony, just like you can see today in Liberty Dept Store.
At some point the Madison Theater burned, but I don’t remember if it was between the Madison Theater and Consumers, or if it was between Consumers and Odd Lot. I believe it was after Odd Lot closed, but don’t remember.
Furthermore, after Odd Lot, the Madison theater became “Busy Bee Stores”, which was a flea market compartment store. That also didn’t last all that long.
I loved your city the many times I have come to it (before Katrina), but yes, I did notice a strong disparity between “those that had, and those that didn’t”, and that was just from experiencing the city in a week or two week period at a time. Unfortunately, even I could see that the city’s only real business seemed to be tourism, and once out of the tourist area, there was some real poverty there. I can’t even imagine what it must be like now with the devastation outside of the main parts of the city. Even then a street such as Canal St was plagued with a “has been” look. Beautiful old buildings along it’s stretch, but vacant stores on ground level, and vacant apartments above seemed to be the norm, especually as you ventured on Canal further away from the river.
There seemed to be a glow of hope once the streetcar was extended, and it seemed to be cleaning up each time I returned it looked a little better, but now, with the Katrina setback, I am sure everything is uncertain. It has to be a strange way to live.
Hopefully time will heal.
Wow, very sad. I believe the Orpheum is at a similar progression unfortunately. very sad. Again, if these two theaters are in such horrible shape after the flood, just imagine what the Joy must look like, which was already deteriorating before the flood….
I was suppposed to go on business to New Orleans this coming year, but those plans were transferred elsewhere. I may get there in about a year though, so hopefully by then things will look brighter.
Well, I have no idea what you are trying to say, or who you are talking about (but it seems you realize you made a mistake) , but all I know is that I have no “aliases”, “Bway” is the only name/handle I have ever used on this site….., and I have never been involved with any sort of “flamewar” with anyone on this site either.
And what exactly did I do?
Bruce, you are so correct. I had the pleasure of seeing a movie in the El Capitan some years back, just after Disney renovated it, and it is truly a sight to behold.
As you said, there are so many abandoned, or unused theaters on Hollywood Blvd. A shame some of the other studios didn’t think like Disney did.
Thank goodness we still have the Chinese Tehater (which I also had the pleasure of seeing a movie in), and the Pantages (which I was never in, but I think it’s in pretty good shape too). I don’t know if they still show movies at the Pantages, or if it’s just for live shows now.
Wow, this is great, thanks so much for posting this, it’s almost akin to seeing the first photos of the Titanic back in the 80’s!
Actually, the Ridgewood Theater-Cinemart “controversy” of the oldest CONTINUOUSLY operating theater looks like it’s solved right here, the “Brooklyn” controversy of the Ridgewood noitwithstanding, it appears the Cinemart was closed for a little while in between….
I agree, it’s not so nice that it has this humiliation as it’s current use, but porn has saved many a theater from the wrecking ball or gutting. At least there is a chance one day that it can return to being a “real” theater again, as it is somewhat intact.
Wow, Hollywood sure looked different judging by that aerial view from 1958! I know that church is still there in the background, that’s on Highland Ave, but is now somewhat obscured by so many other buildings. When did they put the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd?
Hey that’s pretty cool, I am going to be in Hollywood and Los Angeles area in a few weeks, I will have to go check that out. I don’t rember that being there the last time I was there some years back, but obviously it was…
Perhaps because the Ridgewood is still a theater, and maybe still uses the old air conditioning system, unlike the Madison or the Parthenon? The Parthenon was also a much smaller building.
Haha, they call the once “Putnam Ave” a “small park” on their map:
http://www.freshtaco.com/location_ridgewood.html
The water tower was on the Madison until somewhat recently. Last I looked, and it was a while ago, the tower was gone, but the ladder that used to go to the top of it was still there….the ladder to no where….
Haha, the taco place doesn’t serve fried rice, only Spanish rice….but the menu is set up like your traditional Chinese restaurant!
http://www.freshtaco.com/menu_ridgewood.html
Haha, Lost, right to the right of the photo you took, at the corner of Cypress and Putnam…in the shadow of the Ridgewood Theater is the little taco/tex mex food place I always stop in when in Ridgewood…. It’s run by Chinese people (haha, and cooking Mexican food), but it’s really, really good!
Lost, I think that tower may have something to do with the air conditioning (it’s probably an old system). Not sure though. I don’t think it has anything to do with “flushing the toilets”, lol.
Anyway, as for tonino…. Ridgewood never ever became a burnt out area like Bushwick did. There’s nothing really to “recover” from, as it never fell like Bushwick did. The new brick accented sidewalks did keep Myrtle Ave looking decent of course though.
That “barber shop” survived into the 70’s with the store. I don’t remember it still bein a barber shop when I was down there, but I remember a glass enclosed “store within a store” down there in the basement of that children’s clothes store, and remember being down there during the going out of business sale. I don’t know if that was the late 70’s or very early 80’s. After the childrens store closed, it became “Michelle’s Dept Store” which sold things like curtains, clothes, housewares, etc. They didn’t use the basement though, but you could see in the floor where the opening used to be.
Of course today, as I mentioned, both stores were combined (Mc Crory’s and that childrens store), and is now where “The Fair” is, which is a higer end linens, curtains, (Bed, Bath, and Beyond-type of store). They don’t use the downstairs of either the old McCrory’s store or the Childrens stores. I believe because of current ADA (American’s with Disabilities) legislation, they are not allowed, as it would not have access to wheelchair or disabled people, and it woundn’t be worth the cost to install an elevator of course, so to comply, they just don’t have stores with lower levels anymore….
Wow, that was some marquee! Beautiful. Thanks for reposting those photos, as you said, they needed to be reposted, as it’s a long thread….
Hahaha, looks familiar…Good ole Ridgewood Theater.
Putnam “Street” the caption says, LOL.
I have a similar recolection of the marquee of the old Gramercy theater on 23rd St in manhattan…..I would pass under it everyday for a year when I used to go to that neighborhood everyday….I can tell you almost every movie that was in there back then, as like you said, I guess you just look up as you walk under, and it all stashes into memory….
You could be right PKoch, I remember shopping in Woolworths there when going back to Ridgewood for something, but couldn’t place the date. It was after I moved out of the area though. Right after it closed as Woolworths, it became a Foot Locker or Athlete’s Foot sneaker store, which didn’t last long. Currently, the store has been cut up into two stores, and I think they are a higher end children’s clothes store, and I forgot what the other one is. to my surprise, they are both decent looking stores, not the “99 cents” and the like type of stores I usually seem to see coming along Myrtle Ave often times.
PKoch, you have some memory! Not only remember when the Woolworth’s opened….but what was playing at the Madison too!
Yes, the “Big Woolworth” had a more modern sign, and looked pretty new in the 70’s from how I remember it. The older Woolworths bushwickbuddy mentioned, (which lasted until the end of the Woolworth’s chain by the way), still had the original “F.W. Woolworth’s” sign right to it’s final day. It closed some time in the early 90’s, along with what was left of the Woolworth chain back then.
Yes, Kresge’s was right next to the old Woolworths, and was the first to close. The one on the next block, between Onderdonk and Forest was a two story 5 and 10 (basement) “Mc Crory’s” (It may have been Grants before that, but that was before my time if so). Next to that was some children’s store, which also had a downstairs. Currently, “The Fair” which used to be a fixture at the corner of Onderdonk and Myrtle took over the old children’s store and Mc Crory’s in the mid 90’s when they moved from the original corner.
Yes, I also remember that Woolworths on the Madison’s block. We used to call that one the “Big Woolworth”, because it had the downstairs (where the toys, etc were). We called it the “Big Woolworth” because there was another, smaller one a few blocks over on Myrtle (between Seneca and Onderdonk).
I just noticed after all this time that the opening paragraphs of the Madison are wrong. At least the last part of the opening section:
Quote:
*I think the current retail space is only in the lobby and I wonder if the whole theater is still intact inside… *
That is incorrect, as there is no doubt the Liberty Dept Store takes up way more than just the lobby. You can actually see the old outline of the balcony when in the store, and you can esily see you are in the old auditorium. That should be corrected.
Yes, I have a similar recollection (vague) of when they were gutting the Madison. I also remember looking in, and seeing nothing but “black”, and also strings of lights hanging in there. Remember, the Madison was not converted from “The Madison” to Odd Lot. It was converted from The Madison to Consumers first. Consumbers was a Service Merchandise kind of store, where you stand at large table looking at catalogs, see what you want, right it down, and then give a slip to a worker. They then go in the back to get the merchandise item you ordered and bring it to you. Consumers occupied the front part of the building, at least the public part. It only took up perhaps the old lobby area, and I asssume the auditorium was used as the warehouse.
It wasn’t until after Consumers closed that the Madison became Odd Lot, and then you could wander into the whole theater area, except they put the fake drop ceiling in the auditorium area, although you could see the roundness outline of the old balcony, just like you can see today in Liberty Dept Store.
At some point the Madison Theater burned, but I don’t remember if it was between the Madison Theater and Consumers, or if it was between Consumers and Odd Lot. I believe it was after Odd Lot closed, but don’t remember.
Furthermore, after Odd Lot, the Madison theater became “Busy Bee Stores”, which was a flea market compartment store. That also didn’t last all that long.
I loved your city the many times I have come to it (before Katrina), but yes, I did notice a strong disparity between “those that had, and those that didn’t”, and that was just from experiencing the city in a week or two week period at a time. Unfortunately, even I could see that the city’s only real business seemed to be tourism, and once out of the tourist area, there was some real poverty there. I can’t even imagine what it must be like now with the devastation outside of the main parts of the city. Even then a street such as Canal St was plagued with a “has been” look. Beautiful old buildings along it’s stretch, but vacant stores on ground level, and vacant apartments above seemed to be the norm, especually as you ventured on Canal further away from the river.
There seemed to be a glow of hope once the streetcar was extended, and it seemed to be cleaning up each time I returned it looked a little better, but now, with the Katrina setback, I am sure everything is uncertain. It has to be a strange way to live.
Hopefully time will heal.
Actually, ALL of New Orleans right now is a chicken and egg scenario unfortunately. It’s unbelieveable what happened to that city.
Wow, very sad. I believe the Orpheum is at a similar progression unfortunately. very sad. Again, if these two theaters are in such horrible shape after the flood, just imagine what the Joy must look like, which was already deteriorating before the flood….
I was suppposed to go on business to New Orleans this coming year, but those plans were transferred elsewhere. I may get there in about a year though, so hopefully by then things will look brighter.