Riverside Theatre exterior with the nearby Riviera Theatre

It is proper that the two movies appearing on the Riverside’s marquee are Woody Allen’s. He belongs up there, since he was not only a great New Yorker, though born/raised in Brooklyn, he was part of the Manhattan landscape and a personal favorite of mine. I practically lived in the Riverside, during the ‘50’s, working as an usher during my High School (Rice) years and as a devoted patron before and after that period. In this photo, you can see a bit of the Nedicks hot dog store. My best friend was the manager and entire staff of this wonderful food emporium. Without it, I would have starved. My pay, which was fifty cents an hour for ushering, wasn’t enough to keep my dog, “Dutchess” alive, never mind a 6ft 2 inch eating machine. Thanks to my buddy, I ate all my meals at Nedicks, as free-bees and he got to see all our films the same way. As I look at these photos, I swell with nostalgia and a great longing for those happy days. Yes, things got very good for me in the later years, as I finished school, survived fighting a war, came home to enjoy a fantastic career as an Art Director on Madison Avenue, marry my true love and raise a family straight out of the Andy Hardy casting department. Now, in my golden years, when I think about the best times ever,I remember the “old neighborhood and the old gang”. Wonderful times, wonderful memories. By the way, No real New Yorker ever said Nedicks. It was always lovingly called “Needicks” with two e(e)s.

Manhattan Marty.