The Film Daily Yearbook;1926 and 1927 edition’s give an address at 1416 St. Johns Place, Brooklyn and a seating capacity of 1,628. In the 1930 edition of F.D.Y. the street address is given as 1410 St. Johns Place with a seating capacity of 1,508. Operated by Randforce Theatres from at least 1941, it closed in 1954 and is now in use as a MET Supermarket.
Lost Memory;In the five weeks I was in NYC I visited 175 theatre buildings and took over 400 photographs. Unfortunately I just didn’t get time to go out to Richmond Hill on this occasion. Next time!…..
The National Theater opened on 14th October 1921 and closed in 1957. The seating capacity given in Film Daily Yearbook’s; 1926 and 1927 edition’s is 1,300. In the 1930 and 1941 edition’s of F.D.Y. seating is given as 1,262. I can’t find the operator in the 1940 edition of F.D.Y. (certainly not Loew’s – was it ever?) but in 1943 it is listed as being operated by Brandt Theaters, same in 1950.
Bway; You are correct regarding the orignal decorative treatments on the original side walls and ceilings of the two outer balcony screens. It is a large panel on the side-wall (maybe this contained a painted mural when the theatre first opened?) The sheet-rock walls which divide off the centrally located screen are plain with no decoration.
However in the larger center screen in the balcony, the sheet-rock walls have plain panels fixed to them all along both walls. OK, they are cheap looking, but do relieve the monotony of a plain walled auditorium, which at least in this screen also has the large central ceiling dome from the original 1916 decoration of the theatre
The floor covering on the foyer floor is similar to a rubberised linoleum. Inside the auditoriums the concrete stairs/steppings have floor paint, with no covering or carpeting.
For the sake of clarity, we can easily make this theatre page the Rivoli/Burlington/Gay Theatre, 3811 McCalla Avenue and retain the Gay/Strand Theatre, 415 S. Gay Street to its own page, adding aka Gay Theatre.
As promised to you all….here is my set of photographs that I took of the Ridgewood Theatre on 25th June 2006. Apologies for the rather poor quality of the interior shots, but the bad (almost non-existant lighting) was not in my favour. I have lightened the photos as much as possible, so hopefully you will get some idea of the auditorium interiors. Also apologies for some blurry shots of the foyer, again the lighting is not good and I wasn’t using a tripod.
As I mentioned in my posting above (26th June 2006) I attended a screening in the left hand side screen located in the former balcony area and managed to view the other two screns up there. I did not go into the two screens in the former orchestra level. Perhaps some local will ‘do’ those for us and report back?
Ok, so there is my input, I know this theatre is held dearly in the memories of many of you (hence the great number of postings for this particular movie theatre. Well unlike many on this site, the Ridgewood Theatre remains in use as a movie theatre! Please support it, otherwise you will loose it. If I can travel all the way from the UK, and then from my base in N.Y.C. right across town to see a movie (using the handy Metro as transportation), then I would hope that both current resident locals in Ridgewood and other resident New Yorkers will do the same (and regularly too!).
The building was pre-existing in 1902 as records show alterations were done to it in that year. The Globe Theatre was open by 1913 according to newspaper advertisements in that year and a seating capacity was given as 906. It is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915. Architect Edward Kleinert was responsible for alterations to the building in 1926.
It was operated by the Sander’s family during the 1930’s and into the 1940’s. For some time later it was operated by the Brandt Circuit and closed as a movie theatre in the mid-1950’s. It became a public market in 1958, then was in use as a factory in 1988.
The plans to convert into a Beth Israel Medical Center were proposed in early 1996 and these plans describe the removal of the decorative ceiling amongst other alterations. It must have been at this time that the auditorium was stripped out. As stated above, the buiding never became a medical center!
The current use for the former Globe Theatre, as seen in June 2006, is as an artists studio (pottery artist). I believe the artist actually lives on the premises.
Looking the the building today, it is incredible to believe that it still exists, but it does.
It is a very old building, which according to records had an alteration done to an existing building in 1902. In 1908 alterations were done and it opened as the Vaudeau Theatre in January 1908 whick was operated by the Bay Ridge Amusement Co. By 1910 until 1913 it had been renamed the Konigswald Gustave Theatre (Swedish for King Gustave). In the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 it is listed as operating as the Sunset Theatre.
I would say that the C/O mentioned by lostmemory which was issued in 1926 for an an existing building, was possibly for an enlarged building with a new seating capacity.
The Sunset Theatre actually closed in 1951 and has been in use as a supermarket for many years.
Listed in Trows Business Directory 1912 as being operated by Elias Bernstein. The American Film Directory 1914-1915 lists it as the Etude Theatre (although the address is incorrectly given as #5422 Third Avenue).
It was re-named the Alben Theatre in the mid-1930’s and I believe it closed as a movie theatre in the mid-1950’s.
I have taken an external look around the building today and it is actually not painted blue & white as Orlando states in his post. The original stonework/bricks are unpainted and there are some decorated stone features on the facade. The building today is in use as a paper goods wholesale’s outlet.
Listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 as the Bayside Theatre Bell Avenue nr. Montauk. Looks like the theatre could have been rebuilt or expanded in 1920?
Just for the record…..
Also listed in 1914-1915 is the Hillside Lyceum Theatre, Bell Avenue.
Listed in both the 1926 and 1927 editions of Film Daily Yearbook as the Bayside Theatre (Bell Avenue) with a seating capacity of 350.
There is also another Bayside Theatre listed in both these editions and it had a seating capacity of 1,800. In 1927 there is also a 1,560 seat Coolidge Theatre listed.
The 1,439 seat Capitol Theatre made its debut in 1927 and by 1930 was the only theatre operating in Bayside.
Apologies for the triple postings. The site was playing up (again) and I didn’t want to re-type all that text!
Hope you found it interesting? Admission is $8 Adults and $5 Children and seniors. There were a dozen waiting outside the theatre when I arrived at 5;45, but as it turned out, four of those were theatre staff awating the manager and projectionist to arrive to allow them to set up for opening.
I didn’t get to see into the two screens in the former stalls area.
I attended an early evening screening at the Ridgewood Theatre last Thursday evening. The roller shutter gates were opened up at 6pm to allow purchase of tickets and by the time I had climbed the stairs to attend a screening of “The Omen 666” in the left hand side screen located in the former balcony, the preview trailers were already on-screen. I took the opportunity to take a look at the other two screens located in the former circle and they too were already screening preview trailers. I did take some photographs of the balcony foyer areas (which I will post up a link to when I return to London).
The configuration of the three balcony screens seems to be that the two side screens are entered from the balcony foyer at what would have been the front of balcony section close to the former side boxes. There are exits out of the building at that level (in fact during the show they were opened briefly whilst the movie was screening, when a couple of non-paying patrons entered, allowing daylight into the auditorium). There is still a large side-wall panel, now painted over in a dark brown colour (as are all the auditoriums) which I presume must have featured a painted mural scene when the theatre first opened?. Plaster decorative details in the ceiling can also be made out in the darkness. The two side screens only extend forward to just beyond the original front of the balcony, possibly due to the remains of the side boxes being in the way?
The center screen in the balcony is entered via another set of marble stairs from the main balcony foyer and could have originally been the entrance to the rear balcony section when it was a single screen theatre. Here in the current configuration the screen extends way beyond what would have been the front of the original balcony, over the former front stalls. This seems to be the larger the three screens located in the balcony level. What would have been the original cross aisle at the back of the balcony is now bricked up and in use as the projection booth serving the three screens. Of course the side-walls in this screen are new from the conversion, but the original domed ceiling is clearly visible in the darkened gloom.
Presentation in the screen I attended was good, the sound was clear although the picture was not as bright as I would have liked. All auditoriums were clean and the audience well behaved (yes, thay actually watched the movie in silence). There are no screen curtains in any of the screens.
After my movie had finished I waited for houselights to come on so I could take a better look, but to no avail, the non-sync sound came on and the auditorium remained dark, awaiting its next audience. I checked in the other two screens and “Cars” was just finishing its credits in the center screen where the sound was overloud and had a sort of ‘bump’ to it, as though there was a malfunction on the projector sound head. (I am glad I didn’t choose to see the movie in that screen!) Again no house lights in that screen or in the other side screen which by then was empty.
I took some auditorium photographs, but I think they will be too dark to see anything.
I attended an early evening screening at the Ridgewood Theatre last Thursday evening. The roller shutter gates were opened up at 6pm to allow purchase of tickets and by the time I had climbed the stairs to attend a screening of “The Omen 666” in the left hand side screen located in the former balcony, the preview trailers were already on-screen. I took the opportunity to take a look at the other two screens located in the former circle and they too were already screening preview trailers. I did take some photographs of the balcony foyer areas (which I will post up a link to when I return to London).
The configuration of the three balcony screens seems to be that the two side screens are entered from the balcony foyer at what would have been the front of balcony section close to the former side boxes. There are exits out of the building at that level (in fact during the show they were opened briefly whilst the movie was screening, when a couple of non-paying patrons entered, allowing daylight into the auditorium). There is still a large side-wall panel, now painted over in a dark brown colour (as are all the auditoriums) which I presume must have featured a painted mural scene when the theatre first opened?. Plaster decorative details in the ceiling can also be made out in the darkness. The two side screens only extend forward to just beyond the original front of the balcony, possibly due to the remains of the side boxes being in the way?
The center screen in the balcony is entered via another set of marble stairs from the main balcony foyer and could have originally been the entrance to the rear balcony section when it was a single screen theatre. Here in the current configuration the screen extends way beyond what would have been the front of the original balcony, over the former front stalls. This seems to be the larger the three screens located in the balcony level. What would have been the original cross aisle at the back of the balcony is now bricked up and in use as the projection booth serving the three screens. Of course the side-walls in this screen are new from the conversion, but the original domed ceiling is clearly visible in the darkened gloom.
Presentation in the screen I attended was good, the sound was clear although the picture was not as bright as I would have liked. All auditoriums were clean and the audience well behaved (yes, thay actually watched the movie in silence). There are no screen curtains in any of the screens.
After my movie had finished I waited for houselights to come on so I could take a better look, but to no avail, the non-sync sound came on and the auditorium remained dark, awaiting its next audience. I checked in the other two screens and “Cars” was just finishing its credits in the center screen where the sound was overloud and had a sort of ‘bump’ to it, as though there was a malfunction on the projector sound head. (I am glad I didn’t choose to see the movie in that screen!) Again no house lights in that screen or in the other side screen which by then was empty.
I took some auditorium photographs, but I think they will be too dark to see anything.
I attended an early evening screening at the Ridgewood Theatre last Thursday evening. The roller shutter gates were opened up at 6pm to allow purchase of tickets and by the time I had climbed the stairs to attend a screening of “The Omen 666” in the left hand side screen located in the former balcony, the preview trailers were already on-screen. I took the opportunity to take a look at the other two screens located in the former circle and they too were already screening preview trailers. I did take some photographs of the balcony foyer areas (which I will post up a link to when I return to London).
The configuration of the balcony screens sems to be that the two side screens are entered from the balcony foyer at what would have been the front of balcony section close to the former side boxes. There are exits out of the building at that level (in fact during the show they were opened briefly whilst the movie was screening, when a couple of non-paying patrons entered, allowing daylight into the auditorium). There is still a large side-wall panel, now painted over in a dark brown colour (as are all the auditoriums) which I presume must have featured a painted mural scene when the theatre first opened?. The two side screens only extend forward to just beyond the original front of the balcony, possibly due to the remains of the side boxes being in the way?
The center screen in the balcony is entered via another set of marble stair from the main balcony foyer and could have been the entrance to the rear balcony section when it was a single screen theatre. Here in the current configuration the screen extends way beyond what would have been the front of the original balcony, over the former front stalls. This seems to be the larger the three screens located in the balcony level. What would have been the original cross aisle at the back of the balcony is now bricked up and in use as the projection booth serving the three screens.
Presentation in the screen I attended was good, the sound was clear although the picture was not as bright as I would have liked. All auditoums were clean and the audience well behaved (yes, thay actually watched the movie in silence). There are no screen curtains in any of the screens.
After my movie had finished I waited for houselights to come on so I could take a better look, but to no avail, the non-sync sound came on and the auditorium remained dark, awaiting its next audience. I checked in the other two screens and “Cars” was just finishing its credits in the center screen where the sound was overloud and had a sort of ‘bump’ to it, as though there was a malfunction on the projector sound head. (I am glad I didn’t choose to see the movie in that screen!) Again no house lights in that screen or in the other side screen which by then was empty.
I took some auditorium photographs, but I think they will be too dark to see anything.
The Utica Theatre was certainly not demolished as seen here in my exterior photographs taken in May 2006;
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183677633/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183678375/
The Film Daily Yearbook;1926 and 1927 edition’s give an address at 1416 St. Johns Place, Brooklyn and a seating capacity of 1,628. In the 1930 edition of F.D.Y. the street address is given as 1410 St. Johns Place with a seating capacity of 1,508. Operated by Randforce Theatres from at least 1941, it closed in 1954 and is now in use as a MET Supermarket.
The Victoria Theatre opened on 27th July 1912 and closed, as stated above around 1922.
Here are a couple of recent(May 2006) photographs I took of the exterior of the building;
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183662232/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183669888/
Here are two recent(May 2006) exterior photographs I took of the Empress/Crown Theatre:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183637081/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183637615/
Lost Memory;In the five weeks I was in NYC I visited 175 theatre buildings and took over 400 photographs. Unfortunately I just didn’t get time to go out to Richmond Hill on this occasion. Next time!…..
Two recent(May 2006) exterior photographs I took of the Carroll Theatre:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183625560/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183625955/
The National Theater opened on 14th October 1921 and closed in 1957. The seating capacity given in Film Daily Yearbook’s; 1926 and 1927 edition’s is 1,300. In the 1930 and 1941 edition’s of F.D.Y. seating is given as 1,262. I can’t find the operator in the 1940 edition of F.D.Y. (certainly not Loew’s – was it ever?) but in 1943 it is listed as being operated by Brandt Theaters, same in 1950.
Here is a photograph of the exterior I took in May 2006:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183558877/
Here are a couple of recent exterior photographs I took of the Fox Savoy Theatre in May 2006:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183529587/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183530562/
Joe From Florida; The photo’s are of the Rogers Theatre, Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn, which is the theatre this page is dedicated to.
The ‘other’ Rogers Theatre, Broadway, Brooklyn would still have the J & Z Lines Elevated running against it (but the theatre has been torn down!)
The Rogers Theater opened in either 1936 or 1937 and closed in 1967. Here are a couple of exterior photgraphs I took of the building in May 2006. The facade has had a new brick cladding, but the side walls remain the old brick:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183463409/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183463786/
A set of photographs I took of the former Loew’s Kameo Theatre in May 2006. Especial Thanks go to the Philadelphian Sabbath Cathedral for allowing me access and permission to record these images:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183386861/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183387293/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183387728/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183388489/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183389132/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183389499/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183389969/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183390417/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183390815/
Current May 2006 photographs I took of the Flatbush Pavilion (including one of the former auditorium):
http://flickr.com/photos.kencta/183326058/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183328319/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183328664/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183329070/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/183329495/
Bway; You are correct regarding the orignal decorative treatments on the original side walls and ceilings of the two outer balcony screens. It is a large panel on the side-wall (maybe this contained a painted mural when the theatre first opened?) The sheet-rock walls which divide off the centrally located screen are plain with no decoration.
However in the larger center screen in the balcony, the sheet-rock walls have plain panels fixed to them all along both walls. OK, they are cheap looking, but do relieve the monotony of a plain walled auditorium, which at least in this screen also has the large central ceiling dome from the original 1916 decoration of the theatre
The floor covering on the foyer floor is similar to a rubberised linoleum. Inside the auditoriums the concrete stairs/steppings have floor paint, with no covering or carpeting.
For the sake of clarity, we can easily make this theatre page the Rivoli/Burlington/Gay Theatre, 3811 McCalla Avenue and retain the Gay/Strand Theatre, 415 S. Gay Street to its own page, adding aka Gay Theatre.
The Film Daily Yearbook;1950 edition lists the Gay Theatre, 3811 McCalla Avenue with a seating capacity of 300.
Listed as the Gay Theatre in two earlier editions of F.D.Y. that I have(1941 and 1943) with a seating capacity of 278.
As promised to you all….here is my set of photographs that I took of the Ridgewood Theatre on 25th June 2006. Apologies for the rather poor quality of the interior shots, but the bad (almost non-existant lighting) was not in my favour. I have lightened the photos as much as possible, so hopefully you will get some idea of the auditorium interiors. Also apologies for some blurry shots of the foyer, again the lighting is not good and I wasn’t using a tripod.
As I mentioned in my posting above (26th June 2006) I attended a screening in the left hand side screen located in the former balcony area and managed to view the other two screns up there. I did not go into the two screens in the former orchestra level. Perhaps some local will ‘do’ those for us and report back?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181107127/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181107664/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181108262/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181108667/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181109276/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181109828/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181110473/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181111074/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181111488/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181111880/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181112285/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181113601/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181115220/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181115673/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181116506/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181116966/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181117189/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181117558/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181117919/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181118228/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/181118521/
Ok, so there is my input, I know this theatre is held dearly in the memories of many of you (hence the great number of postings for this particular movie theatre. Well unlike many on this site, the Ridgewood Theatre remains in use as a movie theatre! Please support it, otherwise you will loose it. If I can travel all the way from the UK, and then from my base in N.Y.C. right across town to see a movie (using the handy Metro as transportation), then I would hope that both current resident locals in Ridgewood and other resident New Yorkers will do the same (and regularly too!).
The building was pre-existing in 1902 as records show alterations were done to it in that year. The Globe Theatre was open by 1913 according to newspaper advertisements in that year and a seating capacity was given as 906. It is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915. Architect Edward Kleinert was responsible for alterations to the building in 1926.
It was operated by the Sander’s family during the 1930’s and into the 1940’s. For some time later it was operated by the Brandt Circuit and closed as a movie theatre in the mid-1950’s. It became a public market in 1958, then was in use as a factory in 1988.
The plans to convert into a Beth Israel Medical Center were proposed in early 1996 and these plans describe the removal of the decorative ceiling amongst other alterations. It must have been at this time that the auditorium was stripped out. As stated above, the buiding never became a medical center!
The current use for the former Globe Theatre, as seen in June 2006, is as an artists studio (pottery artist). I believe the artist actually lives on the premises.
Looking the the building today, it is incredible to believe that it still exists, but it does.
It is a very old building, which according to records had an alteration done to an existing building in 1902. In 1908 alterations were done and it opened as the Vaudeau Theatre in January 1908 whick was operated by the Bay Ridge Amusement Co. By 1910 until 1913 it had been renamed the Konigswald Gustave Theatre (Swedish for King Gustave). In the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 it is listed as operating as the Sunset Theatre.
I would say that the C/O mentioned by lostmemory which was issued in 1926 for an an existing building, was possibly for an enlarged building with a new seating capacity.
The Sunset Theatre actually closed in 1951 and has been in use as a supermarket for many years.
Listed in Trows Business Directory 1912 as being operated by Elias Bernstein. The American Film Directory 1914-1915 lists it as the Etude Theatre (although the address is incorrectly given as #5422 Third Avenue).
It was re-named the Alben Theatre in the mid-1930’s and I believe it closed as a movie theatre in the mid-1950’s.
I have taken an external look around the building today and it is actually not painted blue & white as Orlando states in his post. The original stonework/bricks are unpainted and there are some decorated stone features on the facade. The building today is in use as a paper goods wholesale’s outlet.
Listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 as the Bayside Theatre Bell Avenue nr. Montauk. Looks like the theatre could have been rebuilt or expanded in 1920?
Just for the record…..
Also listed in 1914-1915 is the Hillside Lyceum Theatre, Bell Avenue.
Listed in both the 1926 and 1927 editions of Film Daily Yearbook as the Bayside Theatre (Bell Avenue) with a seating capacity of 350.
There is also another Bayside Theatre listed in both these editions and it had a seating capacity of 1,800. In 1927 there is also a 1,560 seat Coolidge Theatre listed.
The 1,439 seat Capitol Theatre made its debut in 1927 and by 1930 was the only theatre operating in Bayside.
Apologies for the triple postings. The site was playing up (again) and I didn’t want to re-type all that text!
Hope you found it interesting? Admission is $8 Adults and $5 Children and seniors. There were a dozen waiting outside the theatre when I arrived at 5;45, but as it turned out, four of those were theatre staff awating the manager and projectionist to arrive to allow them to set up for opening.
I didn’t get to see into the two screens in the former stalls area.
I attended an early evening screening at the Ridgewood Theatre last Thursday evening. The roller shutter gates were opened up at 6pm to allow purchase of tickets and by the time I had climbed the stairs to attend a screening of “The Omen 666” in the left hand side screen located in the former balcony, the preview trailers were already on-screen. I took the opportunity to take a look at the other two screens located in the former circle and they too were already screening preview trailers. I did take some photographs of the balcony foyer areas (which I will post up a link to when I return to London).
The configuration of the three balcony screens seems to be that the two side screens are entered from the balcony foyer at what would have been the front of balcony section close to the former side boxes. There are exits out of the building at that level (in fact during the show they were opened briefly whilst the movie was screening, when a couple of non-paying patrons entered, allowing daylight into the auditorium). There is still a large side-wall panel, now painted over in a dark brown colour (as are all the auditoriums) which I presume must have featured a painted mural scene when the theatre first opened?. Plaster decorative details in the ceiling can also be made out in the darkness. The two side screens only extend forward to just beyond the original front of the balcony, possibly due to the remains of the side boxes being in the way?
The center screen in the balcony is entered via another set of marble stairs from the main balcony foyer and could have originally been the entrance to the rear balcony section when it was a single screen theatre. Here in the current configuration the screen extends way beyond what would have been the front of the original balcony, over the former front stalls. This seems to be the larger the three screens located in the balcony level. What would have been the original cross aisle at the back of the balcony is now bricked up and in use as the projection booth serving the three screens. Of course the side-walls in this screen are new from the conversion, but the original domed ceiling is clearly visible in the darkened gloom.
Presentation in the screen I attended was good, the sound was clear although the picture was not as bright as I would have liked. All auditoriums were clean and the audience well behaved (yes, thay actually watched the movie in silence). There are no screen curtains in any of the screens.
After my movie had finished I waited for houselights to come on so I could take a better look, but to no avail, the non-sync sound came on and the auditorium remained dark, awaiting its next audience. I checked in the other two screens and “Cars” was just finishing its credits in the center screen where the sound was overloud and had a sort of ‘bump’ to it, as though there was a malfunction on the projector sound head. (I am glad I didn’t choose to see the movie in that screen!) Again no house lights in that screen or in the other side screen which by then was empty.
I took some auditorium photographs, but I think they will be too dark to see anything.
I attended an early evening screening at the Ridgewood Theatre last Thursday evening. The roller shutter gates were opened up at 6pm to allow purchase of tickets and by the time I had climbed the stairs to attend a screening of “The Omen 666” in the left hand side screen located in the former balcony, the preview trailers were already on-screen. I took the opportunity to take a look at the other two screens located in the former circle and they too were already screening preview trailers. I did take some photographs of the balcony foyer areas (which I will post up a link to when I return to London).
The configuration of the three balcony screens seems to be that the two side screens are entered from the balcony foyer at what would have been the front of balcony section close to the former side boxes. There are exits out of the building at that level (in fact during the show they were opened briefly whilst the movie was screening, when a couple of non-paying patrons entered, allowing daylight into the auditorium). There is still a large side-wall panel, now painted over in a dark brown colour (as are all the auditoriums) which I presume must have featured a painted mural scene when the theatre first opened?. Plaster decorative details in the ceiling can also be made out in the darkness. The two side screens only extend forward to just beyond the original front of the balcony, possibly due to the remains of the side boxes being in the way?
The center screen in the balcony is entered via another set of marble stairs from the main balcony foyer and could have originally been the entrance to the rear balcony section when it was a single screen theatre. Here in the current configuration the screen extends way beyond what would have been the front of the original balcony, over the former front stalls. This seems to be the larger the three screens located in the balcony level. What would have been the original cross aisle at the back of the balcony is now bricked up and in use as the projection booth serving the three screens. Of course the side-walls in this screen are new from the conversion, but the original domed ceiling is clearly visible in the darkened gloom.
Presentation in the screen I attended was good, the sound was clear although the picture was not as bright as I would have liked. All auditoriums were clean and the audience well behaved (yes, thay actually watched the movie in silence). There are no screen curtains in any of the screens.
After my movie had finished I waited for houselights to come on so I could take a better look, but to no avail, the non-sync sound came on and the auditorium remained dark, awaiting its next audience. I checked in the other two screens and “Cars” was just finishing its credits in the center screen where the sound was overloud and had a sort of ‘bump’ to it, as though there was a malfunction on the projector sound head. (I am glad I didn’t choose to see the movie in that screen!) Again no house lights in that screen or in the other side screen which by then was empty.
I took some auditorium photographs, but I think they will be too dark to see anything.
I attended an early evening screening at the Ridgewood Theatre last Thursday evening. The roller shutter gates were opened up at 6pm to allow purchase of tickets and by the time I had climbed the stairs to attend a screening of “The Omen 666” in the left hand side screen located in the former balcony, the preview trailers were already on-screen. I took the opportunity to take a look at the other two screens located in the former circle and they too were already screening preview trailers. I did take some photographs of the balcony foyer areas (which I will post up a link to when I return to London).
The configuration of the balcony screens sems to be that the two side screens are entered from the balcony foyer at what would have been the front of balcony section close to the former side boxes. There are exits out of the building at that level (in fact during the show they were opened briefly whilst the movie was screening, when a couple of non-paying patrons entered, allowing daylight into the auditorium). There is still a large side-wall panel, now painted over in a dark brown colour (as are all the auditoriums) which I presume must have featured a painted mural scene when the theatre first opened?. The two side screens only extend forward to just beyond the original front of the balcony, possibly due to the remains of the side boxes being in the way?
The center screen in the balcony is entered via another set of marble stair from the main balcony foyer and could have been the entrance to the rear balcony section when it was a single screen theatre. Here in the current configuration the screen extends way beyond what would have been the front of the original balcony, over the former front stalls. This seems to be the larger the three screens located in the balcony level. What would have been the original cross aisle at the back of the balcony is now bricked up and in use as the projection booth serving the three screens.
Presentation in the screen I attended was good, the sound was clear although the picture was not as bright as I would have liked. All auditoums were clean and the audience well behaved (yes, thay actually watched the movie in silence). There are no screen curtains in any of the screens.
After my movie had finished I waited for houselights to come on so I could take a better look, but to no avail, the non-sync sound came on and the auditorium remained dark, awaiting its next audience. I checked in the other two screens and “Cars” was just finishing its credits in the center screen where the sound was overloud and had a sort of ‘bump’ to it, as though there was a malfunction on the projector sound head. (I am glad I didn’t choose to see the movie in that screen!) Again no house lights in that screen or in the other side screen which by then was empty.
I took some auditorium photographs, but I think they will be too dark to see anything.