MarkW is definitely a different and single person. He is not any of the other people here, I know him from a different forum, and is most definitely not any of the other people here, and can vouch for his credibility.
Thanks for the photo. I used to pass under that marquee everyday when I went to college (I went to Baruch for a few years). I used to get out of the subway at Madison Square and 23rd St, and walk to Lexington and 23rd….
That year, movies spent so much time there. Instead of the normal standard letters on the marquee, they would use actual logo letters from the film they were playing. For example, I rememer “Three Men and a Little Lady” playing there for almost a month, and it had the actual font and style of the movie name as it appears on the posters on the marquee. Fantasia by disney also was there for over a month that year. i think it was 1990.
Very nice! it’s a shame it’s not going to be a movie theater anymore, but at least it will still be a theater, even if a concert hall. That’s gotta be better than another Walgreens on the marquee….
I think we can all agree that the site does need some sort of research area or chat area, etc. While we all came together through the various theater pages, many have formed “freindships” if you can call it that, and there are often times that there is theater-like discussion that is not necessarily relevant to any particular theater, etc, but is relevant to the site. I mean, talking about a particular movie may not be appropriate to the Ridgewood Theater perhaps, however, what are ANY of the theaters on this site without the movies? Isn’t that what it’s REALLY all about in the end? Otherwise, we may just close all the theaters, and turn them into Walgreens stores without the movies….. You get my drift.
As for the Ridgewood Theater, I think many of the people that talk here are talking in the Ridgewood, as the Ridgewood Theater is the common link that most of the discussions under this theater form from, or at least the common link that brought the people that talk in this theater section together.
I DO agree, it would be utterly impossible for a newcomer (or even a veteran) cinematreasures user to be able to come to the Ridgewood Theater section and easily find the valuable information spread throughout this very long page, as it is SO long at this point, however, it would be very hard to delete a lot of it too, there is a lot of research (for many other theaters as of course, there is no other place to discuss it) in this page that would be a shame to lose.
I don’t know of a page that displays each theater and the amount of posts it has, but I am sure the Ridgewood Theater ranks up there with “the big ones” such as Radio City, and many of the other more famous theaters in lines of comments….. Not bad for the old workhorse Ridgewood Theater, that is one of the oldest still operating continuously theaters in all of New York State, if not the country….
The Regent Theater in Bay Shore is currently the Boulton Center. The Regent was a porn theater for a while (which kept it alive, and happier days came when it was renovated into the Boulton Center. It’s a performing arts center now, but it still does show movies (like on Halloween they may do an Alfred Hitchcock double header for example). Click their official link which is listed in the description of the Boulton Center:
Holy crap!!!!! it’s a complete sin what they are doing! they completely destroyed the front of the building!
They have completely DESTROYED the terracotta for some cheap looking “brickface” covering! How in the world can they have done such a thing!! They have cemented into the terracotta where it hasn’t been removed! It’s a travesty!! Shame on them!! The photos are horrifying!
Ohh oh, can we remove the photo from this page? I know robert accidentally posted the image instead of the link, but it messes up the whole page. He posted the correct link in the above post under the photo.
Amazingly, it’s virtually identical right down to the boxes. The layout is actually a “Exit plan”, so it doesn’t give actual row letters, but the layout is the same. The chart shows all the exit doors, stairways, etc in any possible direction. When I get a chance, I will scan it and post it here.
Thanks! I guess this is it. These old programs are so interesting, the old ads are great. It also gives a layout of the theater for seating in each one.
I have found a whole pile of programs for the old Colonial Theater, and assume it’s for this one. The programs date to 1904, and it’s almost a complete set. For example, “Mother Goose” was playing during the week of March 21, 1904, and someone penciled in that it ran for 7 weeks.
I think it’s this theater, but the only address it gives is “For space in this program address:
Colonial Theatre Program, Room 901, COlonial Building, Boston. No street given.
Interestingly, it gave attractions for representative NY Theaters too for the same week (3/21/1904), for example:
New Empire Theater – The Other Girl
Garrick Theater – The Ruling Power
Criterion Theatre – Merely Mary Ann
Savoy Theater – Raffles
New Lyceum Theater – The Admirable Crichton
Hudson Theater – Man Proposes
new York Theater – The Tenderfoot
I remember the nightclub, “The Arena” over there, across from Antelyes Animal Hospital, but not the German restarant. “The Arena” had it’s name in huge concrete letters across the top of the building. It later (late 80’s-early 1990’s) became the showroom for I think LaFres Ford.
Actually, my suspiscion is that the corner building was torn down because they may have widened Greenpoint Ave. The building in the old photo looks like it had a lot more frontage on Manhattan Ave than the one story Mc Donalds does. It may just be an illusion, but it really appears like the lot has been made smaller, probably due to the widening of Greenpoint Ave there. The other 18th Century buildings on that block that they didn’t tear down for redevelopment, although, it appears the old corner building did not house retail, a necessity on a corner such as that.
Yes, I agree, the theater was obviously deliberately destroyed inside by the current owners, as there’s no way that theater could have gotten THAT bad in the 4 years since it closed to showing movies in 2002. It was an operating, working theater just 4 years ago!! In fact, the openning first two paragraphs above of the initial description of the Commodore was written around 2001, just before the theater closed, and it is even mentioned that it is “in good shape” (the 2002 parragraph was an addition, added later),
Wow, great photo! It’s so bizarre that they tore that nice brick building on the corner down. I wonder if it burned or something, as I can’t see why they would otherwise tear down down and have replaced it with the non-descript one story building the Mc Donalds is in now. The other buildings on the block still stand. Here’s a photo I took of the American, AKA CHopin Theater back about two years ago:
Ohh! So that’s where Tally’s was, right across from the Orpheum.
I am planning to be in Los Angeles early next year, I have to check out what’s there now.
I know the exterior shots of this video are in front of the COmmodore, and further along Broadway, but is the interior footage also from the Commodore? This is Avril Lavigne’s video “My Happy Ending”, which was filmed very shortly after the Commodore closed. The exterior is obviously the COmmodore, but what about the interior? The interior theater footage is of an old and what seems to be abandoned theater, but I am not sure if it’s the Commodore. If it’s not, anyone have any idea what theater the interior theater footage is from?
Unfortunately, the Keiths began it’s decline in the 80’s already…plunged decline because of it’s former owner. The Kings, while it began it’s decline, wasn’t plunged into it, as it at least only suffered neglect or deferred maitenance, whereas the Keiths was actually attacked and intentionally had aspects of it demolished. The Kings only suffers from time, the Keiths suffered from destruction.
In the center of the “pie”, I remember in the 80’s, they had a sign in that black area that had either “3-Plex” or “5-plex” on it. It was a large number, with “plex” in smaller letters written right throiugh the middle of it. I don’t know when they took that down.
Yes, they probably took the vertical sign down when the marquee collapsed. They probably thorugh the bolts were getting old on that too, and better remove it before it came down like the marquee did. All you needed was a windy day, and if it wasn’t secure, it would have blew off, so I guess they figured to take it downn before that happened.
I believe the marqee in the 30’s photo was pronbably the original, but perhaps not. The Madison had a very simple marquee when it first opened, from photos I have seen, but those were very popular at the beginning. I think it was only the late 20’s or early 30’s when they started using those fancy marquees with all the lights flashing, so it is possible that the Ridgewood’s marquee was also one of those simpler old fashioned marquees, before getting the ornate one that is seen in the 1930’s photo.
I agree, the current marquee on the Ridgewood is too small, as it’s slanted to a pie shape, rather than a squared off marquee like the old one.
Here’s an easy reference link to a photo of the RIdgewood I took about two years ago….I posted it above, but it would be some large project to find it with all the posts in this thread:
Wow, Ed, those photos are great!! It’s a real shame the theater isn’t being used as a theater anymore, but no one can complain, as it’s obviously in loving hands….
MarkW is definitely a different and single person. He is not any of the other people here, I know him from a different forum, and is most definitely not any of the other people here, and can vouch for his credibility.
Thanks for the photo. I used to pass under that marquee everyday when I went to college (I went to Baruch for a few years). I used to get out of the subway at Madison Square and 23rd St, and walk to Lexington and 23rd….
That year, movies spent so much time there. Instead of the normal standard letters on the marquee, they would use actual logo letters from the film they were playing. For example, I rememer “Three Men and a Little Lady” playing there for almost a month, and it had the actual font and style of the movie name as it appears on the posters on the marquee. Fantasia by disney also was there for over a month that year. i think it was 1990.
Very nice! it’s a shame it’s not going to be a movie theater anymore, but at least it will still be a theater, even if a concert hall. That’s gotta be better than another Walgreens on the marquee….
I think we can all agree that the site does need some sort of research area or chat area, etc. While we all came together through the various theater pages, many have formed “freindships” if you can call it that, and there are often times that there is theater-like discussion that is not necessarily relevant to any particular theater, etc, but is relevant to the site. I mean, talking about a particular movie may not be appropriate to the Ridgewood Theater perhaps, however, what are ANY of the theaters on this site without the movies? Isn’t that what it’s REALLY all about in the end? Otherwise, we may just close all the theaters, and turn them into Walgreens stores without the movies….. You get my drift.
As for the Ridgewood Theater, I think many of the people that talk here are talking in the Ridgewood, as the Ridgewood Theater is the common link that most of the discussions under this theater form from, or at least the common link that brought the people that talk in this theater section together.
I DO agree, it would be utterly impossible for a newcomer (or even a veteran) cinematreasures user to be able to come to the Ridgewood Theater section and easily find the valuable information spread throughout this very long page, as it is SO long at this point, however, it would be very hard to delete a lot of it too, there is a lot of research (for many other theaters as of course, there is no other place to discuss it) in this page that would be a shame to lose.
I don’t know of a page that displays each theater and the amount of posts it has, but I am sure the Ridgewood Theater ranks up there with “the big ones” such as Radio City, and many of the other more famous theaters in lines of comments….. Not bad for the old workhorse Ridgewood Theater, that is one of the oldest still operating continuously theaters in all of New York State, if not the country….
Actually lost, you can search by former names. Just click “previous names” after you do your initial search.
The Regent Theater in Bay Shore is currently the Boulton Center. The Regent was a porn theater for a while (which kept it alive, and happier days came when it was renovated into the Boulton Center. It’s a performing arts center now, but it still does show movies (like on Halloween they may do an Alfred Hitchcock double header for example). Click their official link which is listed in the description of the Boulton Center:
/theaters/8585/
Holy crap!!!!! it’s a complete sin what they are doing! they completely destroyed the front of the building!
They have completely DESTROYED the terracotta for some cheap looking “brickface” covering! How in the world can they have done such a thing!! They have cemented into the terracotta where it hasn’t been removed! It’s a travesty!! Shame on them!! The photos are horrifying!
It’s an abomination!!
View link
Ohh oh, can we remove the photo from this page? I know robert accidentally posted the image instead of the link, but it messes up the whole page. He posted the correct link in the above post under the photo.
Please guys, can we return to the movie being shown in the Kings? You know how people feel about people talking during movies….
Amazingly, it’s virtually identical right down to the boxes. The layout is actually a “Exit plan”, so it doesn’t give actual row letters, but the layout is the same. The chart shows all the exit doors, stairways, etc in any possible direction. When I get a chance, I will scan it and post it here.
Thanks! I guess this is it. These old programs are so interesting, the old ads are great. It also gives a layout of the theater for seating in each one.
I have found a whole pile of programs for the old Colonial Theater, and assume it’s for this one. The programs date to 1904, and it’s almost a complete set. For example, “Mother Goose” was playing during the week of March 21, 1904, and someone penciled in that it ran for 7 weeks.
I think it’s this theater, but the only address it gives is “For space in this program address:
Colonial Theatre Program, Room 901, COlonial Building, Boston. No street given.
Interestingly, it gave attractions for representative NY Theaters too for the same week (3/21/1904), for example:
New Empire Theater – The Other Girl
Garrick Theater – The Ruling Power
Criterion Theatre – Merely Mary Ann
Savoy Theater – Raffles
New Lyceum Theater – The Admirable Crichton
Hudson Theater – Man Proposes
new York Theater – The Tenderfoot
I remember the nightclub, “The Arena” over there, across from Antelyes Animal Hospital, but not the German restarant. “The Arena” had it’s name in huge concrete letters across the top of the building. It later (late 80’s-early 1990’s) became the showroom for I think LaFres Ford.
Actually, my suspiscion is that the corner building was torn down because they may have widened Greenpoint Ave. The building in the old photo looks like it had a lot more frontage on Manhattan Ave than the one story Mc Donalds does. It may just be an illusion, but it really appears like the lot has been made smaller, probably due to the widening of Greenpoint Ave there. The other 18th Century buildings on that block that they didn’t tear down for redevelopment, although, it appears the old corner building did not house retail, a necessity on a corner such as that.
Wow! talk about CURRENT information!
Yes, I agree, the theater was obviously deliberately destroyed inside by the current owners, as there’s no way that theater could have gotten THAT bad in the 4 years since it closed to showing movies in 2002. It was an operating, working theater just 4 years ago!! In fact, the openning first two paragraphs above of the initial description of the Commodore was written around 2001, just before the theater closed, and it is even mentioned that it is “in good shape” (the 2002 parragraph was an addition, added later),
Thanks for the update, I was dreading the day this message would come, but knew eventually it would appear here….
Wow, great photo! It’s so bizarre that they tore that nice brick building on the corner down. I wonder if it burned or something, as I can’t see why they would otherwise tear down down and have replaced it with the non-descript one story building the Mc Donalds is in now. The other buildings on the block still stand. Here’s a photo I took of the American, AKA CHopin Theater back about two years ago:
Click here for photo
I believe the Burger King has since closed. ANyone know the current use of the building’s lobby area where the Burger King was?
Ohh! So that’s where Tally’s was, right across from the Orpheum.
I am planning to be in Los Angeles early next year, I have to check out what’s there now.
Here’s a current view of the Bunny/Nova Theater, scroll down about ¾ of the page:
View link
I know the exterior shots of this video are in front of the COmmodore, and further along Broadway, but is the interior footage also from the Commodore? This is Avril Lavigne’s video “My Happy Ending”, which was filmed very shortly after the Commodore closed. The exterior is obviously the COmmodore, but what about the interior? The interior theater footage is of an old and what seems to be abandoned theater, but I am not sure if it’s the Commodore. If it’s not, anyone have any idea what theater the interior theater footage is from?
http://www.youtube.com/v/dH0mb-P3h38
Unfortunately, the Keiths began it’s decline in the 80’s already…plunged decline because of it’s former owner. The Kings, while it began it’s decline, wasn’t plunged into it, as it at least only suffered neglect or deferred maitenance, whereas the Keiths was actually attacked and intentionally had aspects of it demolished. The Kings only suffers from time, the Keiths suffered from destruction.
In the center of the “pie”, I remember in the 80’s, they had a sign in that black area that had either “3-Plex” or “5-plex” on it. It was a large number, with “plex” in smaller letters written right throiugh the middle of it. I don’t know when they took that down.
Yes, they probably took the vertical sign down when the marquee collapsed. They probably thorugh the bolts were getting old on that too, and better remove it before it came down like the marquee did. All you needed was a windy day, and if it wasn’t secure, it would have blew off, so I guess they figured to take it downn before that happened.
I believe the marqee in the 30’s photo was pronbably the original, but perhaps not. The Madison had a very simple marquee when it first opened, from photos I have seen, but those were very popular at the beginning. I think it was only the late 20’s or early 30’s when they started using those fancy marquees with all the lights flashing, so it is possible that the Ridgewood’s marquee was also one of those simpler old fashioned marquees, before getting the ornate one that is seen in the 1930’s photo.
I agree, the current marquee on the Ridgewood is too small, as it’s slanted to a pie shape, rather than a squared off marquee like the old one.
Here’s an easy reference link to a photo of the RIdgewood I took about two years ago….I posted it above, but it would be some large project to find it with all the posts in this thread:
Click here for photo 1
CLick here for photo 2
But of course….it’s way better than “no marquee”!!
Wow, Ed, those photos are great!! It’s a real shame the theater isn’t being used as a theater anymore, but no one can complain, as it’s obviously in loving hands….