Peter Koch, I’ll depend on your memory for this one. I believe the last movie I saw at the Ridgewood Theater was “Gone With the Wind” again, unless it was at the Madison. (This, of course, was pre-VCR and TIVO where certain movies would be re-screened every number of years). The other reason I address this to you is that my best friend’s mom took us to see the movie and I see that you graduated from St. Francis Prep in 1973 – well her son, Frank Burgio, probably graduated somewhere around that time. Did you know him?
Peter K – you are definitely one of the nostalgic writers I was talking about – your memory is amazing!
LostMemory – you are feeling what I and others feel about this site
(Sorry Warren) – the Ridgewood & the Madison theatres are our common memory which in turn links us to the neighborhood and each other. Noone else from outside the areas understands this sentimental journey we go on when we enter this site, it connects people to wonderful, shared remembrances. I was on a trip to Florida last month and while doing some chores in my Condo, my husband called me and said come on down by the pool – there was a “girl” originally from Ridgewood who lived about 3 blocks from me on DeKalb & Irving (Brooklyn side) across from the old Robert Hall — well this stranger and I talked about Ridgewood for over an hour (as I proceeded to get very sunburned) – we understand that special bond of growing up in the same neighborhood in the sixties. She knew Fr. Kelly from St. Brigid and the Kirshbomb(Sp?) family/gang.
So keep up the memories and Long Live the Ridgewood Theatre for bringing us together!
Very insightful post Lost Memory — I really enjoy this site and the other nostalgic writers on it – thanks for your/our memories!
Does anyone remember if the Beatle movie a “Hard Days Night” played at the Ridgewood or the Madison theater? I tend to think it was the Ridgewood but can’t say for sure. It was one of the most fun times at a movie. All the girls screamed their heads off and you couldn’t hear anything, but my friends and I watched it at least three times in a row that day and heard it the last time when most of the children’s section emptied out (we ducked the matron to stay later!)
P. Koch – You mentioned a Robert Osolinik in your 3/21 post — did he have a sister Carolyn who graduated St. Brigid in 1966 and went onto Christ the King HS?(I went to school with her).
Haven’t posted here in a while but I really enjoy the Ridgewood/St.Brigid etc. memories. I am from the “Brooklyn” side near Wyckoff Heights Hospital. My first “official” date was at the Ridgewood Theater with a young Austrian boy Jimmy (last name omitted to “protect the innocent”) along with my friend Vicky and her date “Tiny”.
I believe King Solomon was a small supermarket on Knickerbocker – if that was the one, my friend’s husband used to work there part-time.
Up to a few years ago, that diner was still open on DeKalb and Wyckoff – I remember a lot of Sanitation men went there and I think there was a bar called the “White Shutter Inn” across the street.
I’ll bet the “girls” growing up back in the day remember a children’s clothing store called “Betesh” run by a man called Irving – they had beautiful dresses and it was a place to buy Communion and Confirmation dresses.
It’s out of the neighborhood, but did anyone take the bus down Myrtle Ave. to go the Jahn’s – the ice cream Parlor and get a free sundae on their birthday or try to eat a “kitchen sink”? It was near Salerno’s Italian Restaurant and not far from the Triangle Hofbrau – a German Restaurant.
St.Brigid’s Class of 1966 (talk about dinosaurs). I was trying to find a website for St. Brigid to send a note to Fr. Kelly and came across this great site. I can’t wait to read through it in its entirety. I also went to Christ the King H.S., class of 1970.
I lived on Stanhope St. across the Street from what was then called Wyckoff Heights Hospital (Later worked there) I do remember waiting outside the Madison Theater to see the Dave Clark 5. I remember seeing “A Hard Day’s Night” with the Beatles at the Ridgewood theater many times – but with all us young girls screaming throughout the movie, we had to wait until the last show to actually hear the movie (in those days you could watch the movie over and over and over again – noone used movie time schedules) Anyone remember the matrons? I used to go to the Corato’s Pizza off of Myrtle Avenue near the old Madison Diner – is it still there? Anyone remember the Villa Maria Restaurant off of Myrtle? I remerber when Frs. Kelly and McCabe came to St. Brigid’s school. Sadly, Fr. McCabe, who left the priesthood to get married and raise a family, died a number of years ago – I think he was hit by a car – not definite about that.
I was from the “Brooklyn side” of Ridgewood (now called Bushwick) so I remember also shopping on Knickerbocker Avenue. I also belonged to an American Legion marching band on Hart Street and Wilson Ave.
Anybody remember Hart Lanes Bowling Alley (About a block away from the old Wagner Theater that used to show German films)? Looking foward to reading some more neighborhood memories.
KathyO
Peter Koch, I’ll depend on your memory for this one. I believe the last movie I saw at the Ridgewood Theater was “Gone With the Wind” again, unless it was at the Madison. (This, of course, was pre-VCR and TIVO where certain movies would be re-screened every number of years). The other reason I address this to you is that my best friend’s mom took us to see the movie and I see that you graduated from St. Francis Prep in 1973 – well her son, Frank Burgio, probably graduated somewhere around that time. Did you know him?
Peter K – you are definitely one of the nostalgic writers I was talking about – your memory is amazing!
LostMemory – you are feeling what I and others feel about this site
(Sorry Warren) – the Ridgewood & the Madison theatres are our common memory which in turn links us to the neighborhood and each other. Noone else from outside the areas understands this sentimental journey we go on when we enter this site, it connects people to wonderful, shared remembrances. I was on a trip to Florida last month and while doing some chores in my Condo, my husband called me and said come on down by the pool – there was a “girl” originally from Ridgewood who lived about 3 blocks from me on DeKalb & Irving (Brooklyn side) across from the old Robert Hall — well this stranger and I talked about Ridgewood for over an hour (as I proceeded to get very sunburned) – we understand that special bond of growing up in the same neighborhood in the sixties. She knew Fr. Kelly from St. Brigid and the Kirshbomb(Sp?) family/gang.
So keep up the memories and Long Live the Ridgewood Theatre for bringing us together!
Very insightful post Lost Memory — I really enjoy this site and the other nostalgic writers on it – thanks for your/our memories!
Does anyone remember if the Beatle movie a “Hard Days Night” played at the Ridgewood or the Madison theater? I tend to think it was the Ridgewood but can’t say for sure. It was one of the most fun times at a movie. All the girls screamed their heads off and you couldn’t hear anything, but my friends and I watched it at least three times in a row that day and heard it the last time when most of the children’s section emptied out (we ducked the matron to stay later!)
P. Koch – You mentioned a Robert Osolinik in your 3/21 post — did he have a sister Carolyn who graduated St. Brigid in 1966 and went onto Christ the King HS?(I went to school with her).
Haven’t posted here in a while but I really enjoy the Ridgewood/St.Brigid etc. memories. I am from the “Brooklyn” side near Wyckoff Heights Hospital. My first “official” date was at the Ridgewood Theater with a young Austrian boy Jimmy (last name omitted to “protect the innocent”) along with my friend Vicky and her date “Tiny”.
I believe King Solomon was a small supermarket on Knickerbocker – if that was the one, my friend’s husband used to work there part-time.
Up to a few years ago, that diner was still open on DeKalb and Wyckoff – I remember a lot of Sanitation men went there and I think there was a bar called the “White Shutter Inn” across the street.
I’ll bet the “girls” growing up back in the day remember a children’s clothing store called “Betesh” run by a man called Irving – they had beautiful dresses and it was a place to buy Communion and Confirmation dresses.
It’s out of the neighborhood, but did anyone take the bus down Myrtle Ave. to go the Jahn’s – the ice cream Parlor and get a free sundae on their birthday or try to eat a “kitchen sink”? It was near Salerno’s Italian Restaurant and not far from the Triangle Hofbrau – a German Restaurant.
St.Brigid’s Class of 1966 (talk about dinosaurs). I was trying to find a website for St. Brigid to send a note to Fr. Kelly and came across this great site. I can’t wait to read through it in its entirety. I also went to Christ the King H.S., class of 1970.
I lived on Stanhope St. across the Street from what was then called Wyckoff Heights Hospital (Later worked there) I do remember waiting outside the Madison Theater to see the Dave Clark 5. I remember seeing “A Hard Day’s Night” with the Beatles at the Ridgewood theater many times – but with all us young girls screaming throughout the movie, we had to wait until the last show to actually hear the movie (in those days you could watch the movie over and over and over again – noone used movie time schedules) Anyone remember the matrons? I used to go to the Corato’s Pizza off of Myrtle Avenue near the old Madison Diner – is it still there? Anyone remember the Villa Maria Restaurant off of Myrtle? I remerber when Frs. Kelly and McCabe came to St. Brigid’s school. Sadly, Fr. McCabe, who left the priesthood to get married and raise a family, died a number of years ago – I think he was hit by a car – not definite about that.
I was from the “Brooklyn side” of Ridgewood (now called Bushwick) so I remember also shopping on Knickerbocker Avenue. I also belonged to an American Legion marching band on Hart Street and Wilson Ave.
Anybody remember Hart Lanes Bowling Alley (About a block away from the old Wagner Theater that used to show German films)? Looking foward to reading some more neighborhood memories.
KathyO