Ritz Theatre

Listed as Fox Ritz in 1930 neighborhood directory displayed here

The NY Times for October 22 1959 has a short article reporting that the Ritz Theatre at “Broadway and Eighth Avenue, Brooklyn, owned by the Interboro chain of theaters has been sold to the K. L. & G. Real Estate Corp.” “The theatre section will be converted to a Dan’s Supermarket while a store has been leased to the Imperial chain of cleaning stores”.

The Ritz Movie Theatre on 8th Avenue and 46th Street was just up the corner from where I lived. I went at a very young age, alone, childrens section, about three times a week. I must have seen 100s of movies, old and new. I remember the cartoons on Saturday, one right after the other, and remember contests, like the yo yo contests. This would be in the late 40s early 50s. I became an expert in movie stars and movies before I was 12.

The Ritz Theatre on 8th Ave and 46th Street, Brooklyn holds many fond memories for me. I remember going there for Saturday Matinees and 10 cartoons would be shown along with the regular 2 features. Once in a while they did other things like have model plane races in the theatre with the planes hanging on wires strung from the rear up to the stage area. Other times they gave dishes away to parents. I remember the (hefty) matron dressed in white that was quick to respond with a flashlight in your eyes and a stern warning that “you’ll get kicked out” if you don’t stop (whatever it was you might be doing). It wasn’t the cleanest theatre, but it was a place to spend a Saturday afternoon during the mid 1940’s to mid 1950’s for me. The day World War II was over, I had just come out of the Ritz and people were in the streets banging pans together to celebrate the end of the war.

I believe 2085 Myrtle Ave is the building that now houses a Blockbuster Video store. The building was a furniture store, and had a huge marquee on the front. It was across from the A&P (now Food Dynasty). In the early 1980’s, “Roman Furniture” redid the entire fascade of the building, and removed the marquee (I remember them doing this). Eventually, they went out of business, and Blockbuster Video moved in.
Of course, 2085 is in the old system, not the new Queens system. The RKO Madison Theater was 1562 Myrtle Avenue in the old system and the old address for the Belvedere was 2576 Myrtle Avenue. That would put this Ritz theater about half way between the Madison and Belvedere theaters. Being an odd number it would be on the same side of Myrtle as the Ridgewood theater.
This would lead us right to about the site of the Blockbuster Video building. Unfortunately, I don’t remember what the building istelf looked like before the early 1980’s fascade resurfacing. I only remember the marquee. I believe this is the location of the Ritz Theater. The Blockbuster Video’s current address is 60-15 Myrtle Avenue.

This Ritz Theater is close to the Sunset Park district of Brooklyn.

The 1926 Film Daily Yearbook seems to have erred again. There was a Ritz Theatre in 1926 but it was at 2085 Fulton Street. It opened around 1917 as the LeRoy (sc. 600). For a couple of years in the mid-1920s, the theatre was known as the Ritz. By the end of the decade it was the Paragon and is listed in the 1929 Film Daily Yearbook under that name and with the correct address. LeRoy/Ritz/Paragon closed around 1933.