We are in need of photos for the website. Is anyone in posession of photos that they would be willing to give permission for us to use? Inside as well as outside.
Even if you don’t own them, but aware of their wherabouts, that would be awesome!
We are also in the process of incorporating and putting together a 501c3. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Anywhere you know of that we could go to for grants, etc.. We are also looking for a 501c3 that we could “piggyback” on til ours is up and running. We want to do this right the first time, and do it quickly! Please email me at with any info or pics. Thanks.
3/19/09 – Queens Tribune ran a Feature Story today! : View link
3/18/09 – The NY daily News ran an article today: View link
3/17/09 – and another… Ran in “The Real Deal”, New York State’s Real Estate Industry’s Bible Publication: View link
3/17/09 Another Article! This one ran 3/12/09 in the Queens Examiner: View link
3/12/09 – check the Queens Tribune for the article they ran on our efforts. It is not available online, unfortunately.
3/14/09 – The RKO Keith’s hits the press! Read the article about this facebook group in the National Trust for Historical Preservation’s Online Magazine: View link
Flushing ’s Landmark RKO Keith’s Theatre is once again in the spotlight, an amazing, 23 years after its closure. This is the result of a bursting of the real estate bubble and the formation of a grassroots organization “Friends of the RKO Keith’s Flushing ,†which managed to gather an also amazing 1,000+ membership in the first week of its conception. Formed one short month ago, by members of the Facebook Group. The group has tapped into a wellspring of interest, extending beyond Flushing ’s boundaries, to include former residents and many others, who have attended graduations, dance classes, concerts or saw classic films at the theatre, in addition to current residents who see the potential of this venue. All this suggesting that the former show palace represents something much more than just another inert landmark. The building is now for sale again ($24 million) after the failure by the current owner to develop the site as a 19 story luxury condominium. Faced with the reality of a lasting and depressed real estate market, the survival of any developer is questionable and the sale of this property at a profit is extremely unlikely. Flushing may be left holding a foreclosed property, with little to show for those 23 years of vacancy. Ironically, among Flushing’s landmarks: The Bowne House, Quaker Meeting House (being restored), Kingsland Homstead, Latimer House and Town Hall, only the RKO site and shell structure has the location and size as is to become a revenue generating event center. The “Friends of the RKO Keith’s Flushing †seek to preserve the entire building and give it a purpose in keeping with its storied past.
I contacted a woman I met on Facebook who worked there at the candy counter towards the end. This is what she wrote:
“the fountain was gone shortly before i started working there…the fountain no longer exists…there was a big fight that was being shown in the theater ( i think it was a mohammad ali fight)and at the last few minutes the projector had issues and the crowd went wild and caused a riot…the manager who was a friend of mine was working and he couldn’t calm the crowd and locked himself in the office,called the cops and the crowd broke the fountain and did a lot of damage to the lobby before the cops broke it up….years later the office door still had the huge dents from where people threw pieces of the fountain into it…”
Very true. And there are other theaters near The Fox that have also been renovated, also in better shape than the RKO Keith’s. Much better shape. But this is only one theater, still standing, although barely. Is it wrong to ask for just one?
I emailed the real estate company that was said to represent Boymelgreen Developers in the sale of the RKO Keith’s, Massey Knakal Realty Services, and they said they are no longer representing the developers. Anyone know who is?
A theater here in the San Francisco Bay area just went under renovation. The Fox Theater in Oakland. It actually opens Friday after being closed for 40 years. Go to http://www.oaklandfox.com/ for more info on this project.
I believe there are many theaters out there that could be saved. I’m sure the Loews Theater would be equally as valuable to their community if restored/renovated. Please understand, having grown up one block behind the Keith’s, my heart is in this theater. I’ve also started a facebook page, “Save the RKO Keith’s in Flushing” to make people more aware. Maybe it is a pipe dream, but you can’t blame someone for trying! I know I’m just coming into this whole mess, but you gotta try.
Warren G Harris, what ever happened to the photos you posted in the past? I tried to click on many of them, but none of them seem to open except those that were recently posted. And thanks for the link, I saw that one already. Cheers!
Who is heading up the committee to save the RKO Keith’s? I’d love to talk with him/her/them. I live in the San Francisco bay area with my kids and two similar theaters were just renovated and turned into premier entertainment venues. I can’t help but think that it is still very possible to save the grand lady. It ain’t over til it’s over. International promoters like LiveNation (the old Bill Graham Presents) and the like are buying up old theaters, renovating them and bringing in The Temptations, Journey, Dane Cook, Robin Williams and the like. These theaters are the community’s center, and turning the economy around – there are major anchor stores, nightclubs, restaurants and other major empoyers that are coming in and seting up shop, regardless of the economy, becuase they know what a venue like that can do for business. If anyone has any ideas or knows who I can call to discuss this, feel free to email me at Thanks.
I recently found Cinema treasures while looking for another old theater here in California, where I’ve lived for the last 20+ years. I just by chance did a search for the RKO Keith’s. I grew up on Farrington Street (not Avenue), directly behind the theater. I used to go out on dates to the Tower Diner on the corner of Farrington and Northern Blvd before going to the movies at The RKO Keith’s. As kids, we would sneak into movies from the rear of the theater – I guess that’s not possible now, since they’ve built up retail stores in front of the back exits. My grandmother got her hair done every Saturday at the salon just two doors down from the entrance to the theater and we would go with her just to hang out in front of the theater. My grandpa used to hang out in the old bar on the farrington St side of the Keiths and bring us in there when we were kids, sit us at a table in the back and give us each bar shaped shot glasses filled with ginger ale while he had his “own ginger ale”. We would hang out in the plaza on Northern and Main and watch the Memorial and Thanksgiving Day Parades. We still lived in the house at 33-52 Farrington Street when the city was planning to condemn homes in order to build a mall. Lots of incredible memories. I hope they can do something better with the old girl than just hang a glass curtain in front of it. That’s what they do at zoos and maternity wards.
Jeffrey1955, wherrrrrrre arrrrrre yoooooou?
Email me so we can get an answer to where we can track down the info. Or put it up here. Please…. And Thank You. :)
Warren G Harris and others:
We are in need of photos for the website. Is anyone in posession of photos that they would be willing to give permission for us to use? Inside as well as outside.
Even if you don’t own them, but aware of their wherabouts, that would be awesome!
We are also in the process of incorporating and putting together a 501c3. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Anywhere you know of that we could go to for grants, etc.. We are also looking for a 501c3 that we could “piggyback” on til ours is up and running. We want to do this right the first time, and do it quickly! Please email me at with any info or pics. Thanks.
Just wanted to make everyone aware of the articles that have run thus far in the NY papers. If I’ve missed any, please let me know:
3/24/09 – another Article in today’s QNote: View link
3/19/09 – The Times Ledger Ran an Article: View link
3/19/09 – A great video that Tom Stathes put together with Pictures of the inside of the theater:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7KKlprF-ow
3/19/09 – Queens Tribune ran a Feature Story today! : View link
3/18/09 – The NY daily News ran an article today:
View link
3/17/09 – and another… Ran in “The Real Deal”, New York State’s Real Estate Industry’s Bible Publication: View link
3/17/09 Another Article! This one ran 3/12/09 in the Queens Examiner: View link
3/12/09 – check the Queens Tribune for the article they ran on our efforts. It is not available online, unfortunately.
3/14/09 – The RKO Keith’s hits the press! Read the article about this facebook group in the National Trust for Historical Preservation’s Online Magazine:
View link
3/19/08 – ANOTHER article came out today, this one in the Queens Tribune: View link
Thanks Davebazooka! That’s the NY Daily news Article that ran today, 3/18/09. More to come this week in the news – keep watching!
3/17/09 Another Article! This one ran 3/12/09 in the Queens Examiner: View link
3/12/09 – check the Queens Tribune for the article they ran on our efforts. It is not available online, unfortunately.
3/13/09 – Just had our first article in Preservation Online Magazine! Check it out:
View link
Flushing ’s Landmark RKO Keith’s Theatre is once again in the spotlight, an amazing, 23 years after its closure. This is the result of a bursting of the real estate bubble and the formation of a grassroots organization “Friends of the RKO Keith’s Flushing ,†which managed to gather an also amazing 1,000+ membership in the first week of its conception. Formed one short month ago, by members of the Facebook Group. The group has tapped into a wellspring of interest, extending beyond Flushing ’s boundaries, to include former residents and many others, who have attended graduations, dance classes, concerts or saw classic films at the theatre, in addition to current residents who see the potential of this venue. All this suggesting that the former show palace represents something much more than just another inert landmark. The building is now for sale again ($24 million) after the failure by the current owner to develop the site as a 19 story luxury condominium. Faced with the reality of a lasting and depressed real estate market, the survival of any developer is questionable and the sale of this property at a profit is extremely unlikely. Flushing may be left holding a foreclosed property, with little to show for those 23 years of vacancy. Ironically, among Flushing’s landmarks: The Bowne House, Quaker Meeting House (being restored), Kingsland Homstead, Latimer House and Town Hall, only the RKO site and shell structure has the location and size as is to become a revenue generating event center. The “Friends of the RKO Keith’s Flushing †seek to preserve the entire building and give it a purpose in keeping with its storied past.
To join the Facebook Group:
View link
To join the MySpace Page:
http://www.myspace.com/rkokeithstheater
Many thanks to the people who made this happen. You know who you are!
If the following is true, it is very sad…..
I contacted a woman I met on Facebook who worked there at the candy counter towards the end. This is what she wrote:
“the fountain was gone shortly before i started working there…the fountain no longer exists…there was a big fight that was being shown in the theater ( i think it was a mohammad ali fight)and at the last few minutes the projector had issues and the crowd went wild and caused a riot…the manager who was a friend of mine was working and he couldn’t calm the crowd and locked himself in the office,called the cops and the crowd broke the fountain and did a lot of damage to the lobby before the cops broke it up….years later the office door still had the huge dents from where people threw pieces of the fountain into it…”
Very true. And there are other theaters near The Fox that have also been renovated, also in better shape than the RKO Keith’s. Much better shape. But this is only one theater, still standing, although barely. Is it wrong to ask for just one?
I emailed the real estate company that was said to represent Boymelgreen Developers in the sale of the RKO Keith’s, Massey Knakal Realty Services, and they said they are no longer representing the developers. Anyone know who is?
A theater here in the San Francisco Bay area just went under renovation. The Fox Theater in Oakland. It actually opens Friday after being closed for 40 years. Go to http://www.oaklandfox.com/ for more info on this project.
I believe there are many theaters out there that could be saved. I’m sure the Loews Theater would be equally as valuable to their community if restored/renovated. Please understand, having grown up one block behind the Keith’s, my heart is in this theater. I’ve also started a facebook page, “Save the RKO Keith’s in Flushing” to make people more aware. Maybe it is a pipe dream, but you can’t blame someone for trying! I know I’m just coming into this whole mess, but you gotta try.
Amen Jeffrey1955.
Amen Jeffrey1955.
Amen Jeffrey1955.
Is anyone here on Facebook?
Warren G Harris, what ever happened to the photos you posted in the past? I tried to click on many of them, but none of them seem to open except those that were recently posted. And thanks for the link, I saw that one already. Cheers!
Also, who OWNS the RKO Keith’s now? I heard that the current developers backed out.
Who is heading up the committee to save the RKO Keith’s? I’d love to talk with him/her/them. I live in the San Francisco bay area with my kids and two similar theaters were just renovated and turned into premier entertainment venues. I can’t help but think that it is still very possible to save the grand lady. It ain’t over til it’s over. International promoters like LiveNation (the old Bill Graham Presents) and the like are buying up old theaters, renovating them and bringing in The Temptations, Journey, Dane Cook, Robin Williams and the like. These theaters are the community’s center, and turning the economy around – there are major anchor stores, nightclubs, restaurants and other major empoyers that are coming in and seting up shop, regardless of the economy, becuase they know what a venue like that can do for business. If anyone has any ideas or knows who I can call to discuss this, feel free to email me at Thanks.
I recently found Cinema treasures while looking for another old theater here in California, where I’ve lived for the last 20+ years. I just by chance did a search for the RKO Keith’s. I grew up on Farrington Street (not Avenue), directly behind the theater. I used to go out on dates to the Tower Diner on the corner of Farrington and Northern Blvd before going to the movies at The RKO Keith’s. As kids, we would sneak into movies from the rear of the theater – I guess that’s not possible now, since they’ve built up retail stores in front of the back exits. My grandmother got her hair done every Saturday at the salon just two doors down from the entrance to the theater and we would go with her just to hang out in front of the theater. My grandpa used to hang out in the old bar on the farrington St side of the Keiths and bring us in there when we were kids, sit us at a table in the back and give us each bar shaped shot glasses filled with ginger ale while he had his “own ginger ale”. We would hang out in the plaza on Northern and Main and watch the Memorial and Thanksgiving Day Parades. We still lived in the house at 33-52 Farrington Street when the city was planning to condemn homes in order to build a mall. Lots of incredible memories. I hope they can do something better with the old girl than just hang a glass curtain in front of it. That’s what they do at zoos and maternity wards.