The building looks remarkably nice on the outside. It did when I took the photo of the SHore above in my October 2004 comment too.
But of course, from the interior photos, the interior is not as lucky.
Yes, I agree, Ken’s photo show clean lobby and hall areas. I don’t think those ever looked all that bad though, even in the 80’s. The auditoriums of the Ridgewood were another story though, from what I remember. To be fair though, I havening been there in a long time, so have no idea how the auditoriums are cleanliness wise.
As for parking, I believe you have to pay for parking at Atlas Park, which may be a detriment.
Ed, you are right! It was recently that those large arched windows were bricked up into smaller windows! I didn’t even notice that on the local live image which must be a couple years older. it looks even more like a theater entrance in that local live image.
I agree with you, I believe the auditorium is where the bank is. However, I still believe the lobby area is that building in the photo. It’s even screaming “removed marquee”, just look at that black area where the “fulton mall” sign is in my photo, and the fresh cement in Ken’s photo.
Warren, do you have access to the photo of the Fulton you mentioned in the IRT subway book above on your October 14th, 2004 comment?
I suppose that the answer lies in between both theories. I am convinced that the building in the photo is the lobby/entrance to the old Loews Fulton. Like I said, if you take the alterations of adding those windows in the former large areas of the arched sections, the building screams “theater”. It just looks odd now because they put normal windows in on each of the floors. I wish we could find an old photo of the old Loews Fulton.
Anyway, it is entirely possible that the auditorium was demolished, while keeping the front part of the building, the “lobby building”. (Think of the Ridgewood theater where the lobby building is in line with all the other store buildings, but the auditorium is behind all of them). That may have been the case for the Fulton.
They may have demolished the auditorium, and built the bank.
BTW, when did the Fulton close? Perhaps if we find out when the Fulton closed, and when the bank was built, it may give some more insight.
I agree Erwin. While I think the Atlas could have made the Ridgewood put on the endangered species list unless the management does make some effort to improve the theater, I think you may be on to something with the Cinemart. The Atlas will probably eat heavily into the Cinemart’s business too.
The Cinemart may be able to survive if they find a niche. Although that may not be the case today, in the 80’s and 90’s, I always found the Cinemart played “weird” movies.
It was also the “Fulton Mini-Mall” when I took the photo. Apparently, they have refurbished the exterior of the photo (steam cleaned, etc) in the last year between when I took the photo and when Ken took his.
You can almost see the verticle sign hanging on this building. I am convinced that is the lobby area of the Loews Fulton.
Also, look at the building again in the photo linked below (or Kens photo), there was a vertical sign down the center of the building, and you can tell that on either side, those arched windows were originally large arched windows, from Marquee to the top of the building. They at some point bricked in the smaller windows there now. You can see the color of the bricks are different in those arched areas. That is more than likely the facade, and lobby area of the old theater. The auditorium may have been torn down perhaps, but the main entrance is that building:
Yes, that is a photo of the Regent, aka Slave theater.
I don’t think the photo Ken and I photographed is the wrong building, it even looks like it had one of those large vertical signs over the marquee on the building at one time. You can see the clamps that held it up.
So you mean that the photo I took above, (the same building you took a photo of) is only the main entrance and lobby area? I didn’t go around back when I took my photo last year.
Haha, uh oh…. I guess I am cursed, as I am posting here!
I feel like a traitor to the Ridgewood Theater adding this one!
Well, I felt it needed to be added, and who knows, perhaps the Atlas will make the owners of the Ridgewood do necessary upgrades to the place. The Atlas and the Ridgewood can live side by side, but the Ridgewood can’t take for granted that they are the only game in town now…as they aren’t anymore.
Let’s just hope that the Atlas 8 woun’t spell the end for the old workhorse, the Ridgewood, which I believe someone mentioned is one of the oldest CONTINUOUSLY operating movie theater in NY State
Peter, I wasn’t in the balcony past the late 70’s, so it it could very well be that the balcony was already partitioned off when I saw ET. I really can’t remember. I could swear the double features were the first time I saw a movie downstairs, mwith that being divided up, but again, I was young, and perhaps it was a different movie. I clearly remember the unpainted sheetrock wall, and it was the downstairs left theater that I remember seeing that….but whether it was with the Fly or nor, I can’t really clearly remember.
Ohh, and I forgot to mention….as for seeing the inside of the Ridgewood again….for me it’s a little different because even though I did go to many movies int he Ridgewood when it was still one theater, and remember it, I also went to many movies (probably many more) when it was already cut up through out the 80’s, so I remember that pretty clearly too, and perhaps even more vividly than when it was one theater, so to me, it is like visiting that old girlfriend when she was already “old and used up”, and still looks like I last remembered.
Lost, yes, all the “decorative” elements of the theater like the plaster ceiling, etc is all original. From what I remember from the 80’s, the “multiplexing false walls” are all just plain sheetrocked walls, without ornamentation of course. So when you sit in the theater, let’s say the right balcony theater, the right wall would be a fancy plaster wall (painted of course in high, high gloss dark paint just like everything else), the ceiling would be all original, and the left wall would be a plain non descript sheetrock wall, also painted the same color as the original wall in dark high gloss paint.
When I saw the movie downstairs, when it was first multiplexed (again, I “think” that was the time I saw the Fly-Alien double featute it was a sheetrock wall that cut the downstairs in half, and at that time, it was still bare sheetrock with joint compound, if I remember correctly….it was even before they painted it, so it must have been pretty early on.
Astanaax, you are correct.
People have to remember that it is also changing preferences that caused the demise of the large theaters. In the days before TV, or during the rise of TV, these large movie houses was the only entertainment people had, so of course these large palaces filled up.
With the dawn of TV, it was a big blow to movie houses. Then notice when the last of the big theaters either went out completely or the ones that remained were often times cut up into multiplexes….and that was around the time of the dawn of VHS movies. That was the second big blow to the large palaces.
I’m sorry, it must have been Aliens, not Alien that I saw the double feature with. That was 1986, so it must have been around 1985 that they cut the Ridgewood up. (I estimate 1985, because it was the first time I went to see a movie in it as a cut up theater…but it could have been done the prior year). I saw ET there too, and I “think” it was still one theater at the time. That was 1982.
I am not sure what the process of cutting the Ridgewood up was. I know it briefly became a “3-Plex” originally. I don’t remember what configuration that was though.
Does anyone remember what they cut up first? Did they do the downstairs as two and the balcony as one before cutting up the balcony to make a total of 5 auditoriums? I remember very clearly that the end of the marquee on the Ridgewood (the part that faced front had “3-Plex” on it).
Warren, thanks. That’s just how I remember the ceiling dome from the last time I was in the center balcony theater. I think I described the dome above somewhere.
Now Warren….the thing we are awaiting more than anything would be interior HISTORIC photos!! And you are probably one of the few that can come up with them! Please, if you ever come across them, many of us would be so grateful to see it as one theater. I only vaguely remember it as one theater, as I was quite young when I went to movies there as a single theater.
I think I remember it first broken up around the time I saw Alien and The Fly in a double feature. I “think” that’s the first time I was in there as a multiplex, and it was the downstairs left theater that I saw it in. I remember thinking to myself that this wall down the center really ruins the theater. It was a sheetrock wall, pretty fresh, and my father and I sat in the section right next to the wall (which would have been the middle of the orchestra level had it not been broken up. I remember it like it was yesterday.
rivjr, the demise of the great movie palaces is not unique to just New York. It happened in cities all over the country, and little suburban/rural theaters too. It’s a phenomena that is almost a blanket phenomena. Also, the loss of the middle class in NYC in the 50’s and later was also not unique to New York. That also happened in cities across the country with suburbanification. And the closure of theaters is not just unique to “not so nice” neighborhoods. That also happened even in the best of neighborhoods. The only ones to survive were the ones basically that were multiplexed up.
Lost, the Ridgewood looked much like it does now in Ken’s photos back in the late 80’s and early 90’s when I was last in there. Although however, it appears cleaner in the photos! Apparently it may even be better maintained than back then.
I can’t rememeber what the original color scheme was when it was still one theater, before it was cut up, however, it was blue already in the late 80’s when they cut it up. The railing ballistrades were painted brown. The floor in the halls was similar to what you would see gym, as mentioned.
The carpet was stripped out already when it was multiplexed, and the floors painted back then already too.
Wow, it’s like a time capsule. The movie posters for the coming attractions are still hanging on the walls. Roxanne, Superman 4…. Those movies were released in 1987 I believe, so the theater must have closed in 1987.
The following 20 years did it’s toll on the building. It needs a lot of work, but it is a diamond in the rough. it’s a beautiful building, and much of it’s great features are all still there waiting to be restored.
Ed, the place is a real beauty. They did a tremendous job restoring the old theater. They had to completely recreate the lobby, as a fire in the 50’s destroyed it, and it was made much smaller and nondescript when they rebuilt the lobby soon after.
At some point, the Patchogue was twinned (perhaps even triplexed), and that was at some point in the 80’s. It closed around 1989 to movies (give or take a year). At somepoint, all the interior was covered over in sheetrock (I am not sure if that was after the 50’s fire, or with the 80’s multiplexing), but thankfully, it only covered over the interior ornamentation, not destroyed it.
In the 1996 renovation, they were able to remove the sheetrock/plywood wall covering and expose the beauty of the Patchogue Theater as a diamond in the rough. They the restored it beautifully to it’s former glory.
That’s a great photo Warren. I can actually visualize the expressway. The building in the distance on the right of course is the block with the Maspeth theater, and that is still there. The expressway comes through in that somewhat empty area, and where the trolley barn is, and of course all the buildings on the left are gone too I believe.
The right hand balcony theater is the one I probably saw the most movies in back in the 80’s. I remember seeing Beverly Hills Cop II in there, and this is the theater that the person i was with and I came to see Beverly Hills Cop II one afternoon. It was a bright, hot summer day, and we were slightly late, and we ran right from outside to the right balcony. The movie had already started, and our eyes had not yet adjusted to the darkness (after being outside in the bright sun), and it was SO dark. We couldn’t see a thing! And the balcony has these little steps every so often, and we were literally crawling and stumbling trying to find a seat! We actually almost sat on someone! Finally, we stumbled to empty seats, and began watching the movie. About 15 minutes later, to my horror, I looked over to the aisle, and it was not as dark as we thought when we came in once our eyes adjusted, and the people in the theater must have been laughing at us as we did that spectacle up the aisle, as they could certainly see us!
I also saw one of the Friday the 13th movies in this theater (I think #5 or #6). We sat in the first row behind that ballistrade railing. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Finally (in addition to many other movies, but those are the ones I remember most in the right balcony) was the last movie I saw at the Ridgewood…..Problem Child with John Ritter. That was also in the right balcony.
I really have to take Ken’s advice and go back one day.
Ken, thank you so much for the photos. The place looks exactly like I remember it. It has changed very little over the last 15 years since I saw a movie there.
And You are absolutely correct. If the Ridgewood is so “near and dear” to so many people here (and obviously it is, hense perhaps one of the theaters on this site with the most comments), many of us should be embarrased that we have not seen a movie in the theater in so long (me included).
We all lament the loss of so many theaters, and comment on “if only we could go and see a movie at the Madison Theater, or the Roxy in Manhattan, or fill in the blank with any demolished or gutted theater, and here we are with a theater that many of us cherish from our childhoods, but yet so many of us say (again me included), it’s been 20, 30 years since we set foot inside. Why is that? The Ridgewood is STILL playing movies and we all have the opportunity to see one there. Why is it that everyone states how they only wish they can see a movie at the Oriental, or the Loews 46th St, or againb, fill in any name here, and yet here we have a theater that is still open to the public, but how many of us actually have seen a movie there lately. We really should be embarrased that someone can come across the ocean to a theater that holds so many memories to so many of us, but we don’t go, when to some of us it is perhaps only an hour away from us….
The building looks remarkably nice on the outside. It did when I took the photo of the SHore above in my October 2004 comment too.
But of course, from the interior photos, the interior is not as lucky.
Not to mention the Oasis! I went there quite often when I lived in Ridgewood (and it was open) often.
Yes, I agree, Ken’s photo show clean lobby and hall areas. I don’t think those ever looked all that bad though, even in the 80’s. The auditoriums of the Ridgewood were another story though, from what I remember. To be fair though, I havening been there in a long time, so have no idea how the auditoriums are cleanliness wise.
As for parking, I believe you have to pay for parking at Atlas Park, which may be a detriment.
Ed, you are right! It was recently that those large arched windows were bricked up into smaller windows! I didn’t even notice that on the local live image which must be a couple years older. it looks even more like a theater entrance in that local live image.
I agree with you, I believe the auditorium is where the bank is. However, I still believe the lobby area is that building in the photo. It’s even screaming “removed marquee”, just look at that black area where the “fulton mall” sign is in my photo, and the fresh cement in Ken’s photo.
Warren, do you have access to the photo of the Fulton you mentioned in the IRT subway book above on your October 14th, 2004 comment?
I suppose that the answer lies in between both theories. I am convinced that the building in the photo is the lobby/entrance to the old Loews Fulton. Like I said, if you take the alterations of adding those windows in the former large areas of the arched sections, the building screams “theater”. It just looks odd now because they put normal windows in on each of the floors. I wish we could find an old photo of the old Loews Fulton.
Anyway, it is entirely possible that the auditorium was demolished, while keeping the front part of the building, the “lobby building”. (Think of the Ridgewood theater where the lobby building is in line with all the other store buildings, but the auditorium is behind all of them). That may have been the case for the Fulton.
They may have demolished the auditorium, and built the bank.
BTW, when did the Fulton close? Perhaps if we find out when the Fulton closed, and when the bank was built, it may give some more insight.
I agree Erwin. While I think the Atlas could have made the Ridgewood put on the endangered species list unless the management does make some effort to improve the theater, I think you may be on to something with the Cinemart. The Atlas will probably eat heavily into the Cinemart’s business too.
The Cinemart may be able to survive if they find a niche. Although that may not be the case today, in the 80’s and 90’s, I always found the Cinemart played “weird” movies.
It was also the “Fulton Mini-Mall” when I took the photo. Apparently, they have refurbished the exterior of the photo (steam cleaned, etc) in the last year between when I took the photo and when Ken took his.
You can almost see the verticle sign hanging on this building. I am convinced that is the lobby area of the Loews Fulton.
The bank’s address is 1281 by the way:
Click here for photo
Also, look at the building again in the photo linked below (or Kens photo), there was a vertical sign down the center of the building, and you can tell that on either side, those arched windows were originally large arched windows, from Marquee to the top of the building. They at some point bricked in the smaller windows there now. You can see the color of the bricks are different in those arched areas. That is more than likely the facade, and lobby area of the old theater. The auditorium may have been torn down perhaps, but the main entrance is that building:
Click here for photo
Perhaps Warren or someone can come up with a historical photo of the Fulton?
Yes, that is a photo of the Regent, aka Slave theater.
I don’t think the photo Ken and I photographed is the wrong building, it even looks like it had one of those large vertical signs over the marquee on the building at one time. You can see the clamps that held it up.
Here’s the link Ken was trying to post:
View link
So you mean that the photo I took above, (the same building you took a photo of) is only the main entrance and lobby area? I didn’t go around back when I took my photo last year.
Haha, uh oh…. I guess I am cursed, as I am posting here!
I feel like a traitor to the Ridgewood Theater adding this one!
Well, I felt it needed to be added, and who knows, perhaps the Atlas will make the owners of the Ridgewood do necessary upgrades to the place. The Atlas and the Ridgewood can live side by side, but the Ridgewood can’t take for granted that they are the only game in town now…as they aren’t anymore.
Let’s just hope that the Atlas 8 woun’t spell the end for the old workhorse, the Ridgewood, which I believe someone mentioned is one of the oldest CONTINUOUSLY operating movie theater in NY State
Peter, I wasn’t in the balcony past the late 70’s, so it it could very well be that the balcony was already partitioned off when I saw ET. I really can’t remember. I could swear the double features were the first time I saw a movie downstairs, mwith that being divided up, but again, I was young, and perhaps it was a different movie. I clearly remember the unpainted sheetrock wall, and it was the downstairs left theater that I remember seeing that….but whether it was with the Fly or nor, I can’t really clearly remember.
Ohh, and I forgot to mention….as for seeing the inside of the Ridgewood again….for me it’s a little different because even though I did go to many movies int he Ridgewood when it was still one theater, and remember it, I also went to many movies (probably many more) when it was already cut up through out the 80’s, so I remember that pretty clearly too, and perhaps even more vividly than when it was one theater, so to me, it is like visiting that old girlfriend when she was already “old and used up”, and still looks like I last remembered.
Lost, yes, all the “decorative” elements of the theater like the plaster ceiling, etc is all original. From what I remember from the 80’s, the “multiplexing false walls” are all just plain sheetrocked walls, without ornamentation of course. So when you sit in the theater, let’s say the right balcony theater, the right wall would be a fancy plaster wall (painted of course in high, high gloss dark paint just like everything else), the ceiling would be all original, and the left wall would be a plain non descript sheetrock wall, also painted the same color as the original wall in dark high gloss paint.
When I saw the movie downstairs, when it was first multiplexed (again, I “think” that was the time I saw the Fly-Alien double featute it was a sheetrock wall that cut the downstairs in half, and at that time, it was still bare sheetrock with joint compound, if I remember correctly….it was even before they painted it, so it must have been pretty early on.
Astanaax, you are correct.
People have to remember that it is also changing preferences that caused the demise of the large theaters. In the days before TV, or during the rise of TV, these large movie houses was the only entertainment people had, so of course these large palaces filled up.
With the dawn of TV, it was a big blow to movie houses. Then notice when the last of the big theaters either went out completely or the ones that remained were often times cut up into multiplexes….and that was around the time of the dawn of VHS movies. That was the second big blow to the large palaces.
I’m sorry, it must have been Aliens, not Alien that I saw the double feature with. That was 1986, so it must have been around 1985 that they cut the Ridgewood up. (I estimate 1985, because it was the first time I went to see a movie in it as a cut up theater…but it could have been done the prior year). I saw ET there too, and I “think” it was still one theater at the time. That was 1982.
I am not sure what the process of cutting the Ridgewood up was. I know it briefly became a “3-Plex” originally. I don’t remember what configuration that was though.
Does anyone remember what they cut up first? Did they do the downstairs as two and the balcony as one before cutting up the balcony to make a total of 5 auditoriums? I remember very clearly that the end of the marquee on the Ridgewood (the part that faced front had “3-Plex” on it).
Warren, thanks. That’s just how I remember the ceiling dome from the last time I was in the center balcony theater. I think I described the dome above somewhere.
Now Warren….the thing we are awaiting more than anything would be interior HISTORIC photos!! And you are probably one of the few that can come up with them! Please, if you ever come across them, many of us would be so grateful to see it as one theater. I only vaguely remember it as one theater, as I was quite young when I went to movies there as a single theater.
I think I remember it first broken up around the time I saw Alien and The Fly in a double feature. I “think” that’s the first time I was in there as a multiplex, and it was the downstairs left theater that I saw it in. I remember thinking to myself that this wall down the center really ruins the theater. It was a sheetrock wall, pretty fresh, and my father and I sat in the section right next to the wall (which would have been the middle of the orchestra level had it not been broken up. I remember it like it was yesterday.
rivjr, the demise of the great movie palaces is not unique to just New York. It happened in cities all over the country, and little suburban/rural theaters too. It’s a phenomena that is almost a blanket phenomena. Also, the loss of the middle class in NYC in the 50’s and later was also not unique to New York. That also happened in cities across the country with suburbanification. And the closure of theaters is not just unique to “not so nice” neighborhoods. That also happened even in the best of neighborhoods. The only ones to survive were the ones basically that were multiplexed up.
Lost, the Ridgewood looked much like it does now in Ken’s photos back in the late 80’s and early 90’s when I was last in there. Although however, it appears cleaner in the photos! Apparently it may even be better maintained than back then.
I can’t rememeber what the original color scheme was when it was still one theater, before it was cut up, however, it was blue already in the late 80’s when they cut it up. The railing ballistrades were painted brown. The floor in the halls was similar to what you would see gym, as mentioned.
The carpet was stripped out already when it was multiplexed, and the floors painted back then already too.
Wow, it’s like a time capsule. The movie posters for the coming attractions are still hanging on the walls. Roxanne, Superman 4…. Those movies were released in 1987 I believe, so the theater must have closed in 1987.
The following 20 years did it’s toll on the building. It needs a lot of work, but it is a diamond in the rough. it’s a beautiful building, and much of it’s great features are all still there waiting to be restored.
Ed, the place is a real beauty. They did a tremendous job restoring the old theater. They had to completely recreate the lobby, as a fire in the 50’s destroyed it, and it was made much smaller and nondescript when they rebuilt the lobby soon after.
At some point, the Patchogue was twinned (perhaps even triplexed), and that was at some point in the 80’s. It closed around 1989 to movies (give or take a year). At somepoint, all the interior was covered over in sheetrock (I am not sure if that was after the 50’s fire, or with the 80’s multiplexing), but thankfully, it only covered over the interior ornamentation, not destroyed it.
In the 1996 renovation, they were able to remove the sheetrock/plywood wall covering and expose the beauty of the Patchogue Theater as a diamond in the rough. They the restored it beautifully to it’s former glory.
That’s a great photo Warren. I can actually visualize the expressway. The building in the distance on the right of course is the block with the Maspeth theater, and that is still there. The expressway comes through in that somewhat empty area, and where the trolley barn is, and of course all the buildings on the left are gone too I believe.
Wow, this photo almost gave me the chills:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181117558/
The right hand balcony theater is the one I probably saw the most movies in back in the 80’s. I remember seeing Beverly Hills Cop II in there, and this is the theater that the person i was with and I came to see Beverly Hills Cop II one afternoon. It was a bright, hot summer day, and we were slightly late, and we ran right from outside to the right balcony. The movie had already started, and our eyes had not yet adjusted to the darkness (after being outside in the bright sun), and it was SO dark. We couldn’t see a thing! And the balcony has these little steps every so often, and we were literally crawling and stumbling trying to find a seat! We actually almost sat on someone! Finally, we stumbled to empty seats, and began watching the movie. About 15 minutes later, to my horror, I looked over to the aisle, and it was not as dark as we thought when we came in once our eyes adjusted, and the people in the theater must have been laughing at us as we did that spectacle up the aisle, as they could certainly see us!
I also saw one of the Friday the 13th movies in this theater (I think #5 or #6). We sat in the first row behind that ballistrade railing. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Finally (in addition to many other movies, but those are the ones I remember most in the right balcony) was the last movie I saw at the Ridgewood…..Problem Child with John Ritter. That was also in the right balcony.
I really have to take Ken’s advice and go back one day.
Ken, thank you so much for the photos. The place looks exactly like I remember it. It has changed very little over the last 15 years since I saw a movie there.
And You are absolutely correct. If the Ridgewood is so “near and dear” to so many people here (and obviously it is, hense perhaps one of the theaters on this site with the most comments), many of us should be embarrased that we have not seen a movie in the theater in so long (me included).
We all lament the loss of so many theaters, and comment on “if only we could go and see a movie at the Madison Theater, or the Roxy in Manhattan, or fill in the blank with any demolished or gutted theater, and here we are with a theater that many of us cherish from our childhoods, but yet so many of us say (again me included), it’s been 20, 30 years since we set foot inside. Why is that? The Ridgewood is STILL playing movies and we all have the opportunity to see one there. Why is it that everyone states how they only wish they can see a movie at the Oriental, or the Loews 46th St, or againb, fill in any name here, and yet here we have a theater that is still open to the public, but how many of us actually have seen a movie there lately. We really should be embarrased that someone can come across the ocean to a theater that holds so many memories to so many of us, but we don’t go, when to some of us it is perhaps only an hour away from us….
Thanks Warren. It’s so strange not to see the Expressway in the distance as you would now.