RKO Fordham Theatre

sjteich: Afraid I can’t offer anymore information than patc but I did post a photo of the District Manager, Charles Oelrich, some Managers and me, Assistant Manager. Jack is in the photo. He’s also in the photo I posted a few months ago of the Troy Donahue/Connie Stevens appearance. He’s to the right of center in a Tux with glasses (I’m behind him).

I was the Assistant Manager of the RKO Fordham under Jack Reis from 1961-1963 or 64(?). Great memories! Ed Gehlert

@ PatC – I believe that your manager Jack Reis may have been my grandfathers long lost half brother. Can you tell me more about him? Approximate age when you worked for him, family members, whether born in USA or an immigrant? Basically any information that you may have. Thank You so much.

Hey Joe, I remember that well. What great times I had working at the RKO Fordham from 1961 to 1969 as an usher, Assistant Chief Usher, then Chief Usher and then was transferred to the newly renovated RKO Stanley Warner Cinerama, Penthouse and Orleans on 47th & Broadway as the Manager of the Cinerama.
But the RKO Fordham will never be forgotten. My first Chief Usher was Martin Schwabb, then Carl, then Roy and then I became the Chief Usher. I remember the uniform with the braids and I had the ushers wear white gloves and I used to check there shoes in the ushers dressing room under the stage to make sure their shoes were polished before they took the floor. Then I became the Assistant Manager under Jack Reis who was the Manager then became the District/Division Manager and I became the manager. I had great ushers Terry, Andre, Sydney, Mike, Danny and many others, the cashiers I remember was Martha, Olivia, Sylvia and Estelle, the porter Monte, the matrons Mrs Ackerman, Mrs Sharky and a mrs hudak, concession Hanna, my doorman was fabulous we called him ‘pop’ he was in his eighties and was so on top of everything. He drove to work everyday in his white car and would keep the rough necks out from sneaking by him to get into the theatre, the projection people Al, Cy and I remember they had a lounge chair on the roof and during the summer I would at times go up there to get a tan, Eddie was the electrician who changed the marquee on Tuesday evenings, Mr Gallagher and another gentleman who ran the air conditioning/heating systems they were the engineers, the two guys selling newspapers under the marquee at night and Sunday mornings, the ladies shop next door. What fun… I could go on and on and on…. I made so many friends back then. I remember as an usher carrying those heavy cans of film up to the projection booth for the projectionists. I remember the loads of and one large handle that controlled the lights backstage for intermission and we had to close the curtain manually. We had a little office in the lobby that was hidden with mirrors where we controlled the marquee lights and the concession stock room was inside there also. The managers office was on the mezzanine floor near the alcove where the telephone booths were.
I also helped out at the Colisseum a couple of times when they needed it, because Mr Reis was the DM of all the Bronx RKO’s.
Those were the days my friend… I could go on and on….

The very first post about this theater mentions it’s placement in “The Wanderers” opening credits. Now available on YouTube, which probably wasn’t around in 2004.
An interesting observation I made is, the films advertised on the RKO Fordham marquee in “The Wanderers” are “Battle Cry” & “War Is Hell”. This was obviously supposed to be an establishing shot that it was set in 1963. JFK’s assassination plays a part later in the film.
In reality though, the two films playing at the Texas Theater when Oswald was caught were “Cry Of Battle” & War Is Hell". Oddly “Battle Cry”-1955 & “Cry Of Battle”-1963 both starred Van Heflin. Was “The Wanderes” director just going from memory, or did “Battle Cry” ring with more resonance given the films gang theme? Guess we’ll hve to rent the director’s cut.

I’m a geezer, age 75, now exiled to the Midwest, who remembers the RKO Fordham, the Valentine, and the Concourse theaters. I wasted much of my youth at them all. But, even after examining their photos and map sites in this terrific CinemaTreasures Website, I can’t recollect their relative locations, in respect to one another, along Fordham Road. I’m sure only that the Valentine Theatre was east of the Concourse Theatre, on the north side of Fordham Road between the Concourse and Valentine Avenue. Could anybody clarify a codger’s dim memories? [i also frittered away time in the Lido, the Paradise, and Loew’s Grand, but I remember where they were!]

RKO11 … I too remember both Davis and Crawford appearing together on stage during the “Baby Jane” run. I’m only about 95 percent sure of that, becasue I was 9 years old. I usually went to the movies on Saturday kiddie matinees, but that night my father took me first to where he was voting (November … Election Day!), then to the RKO Coliseum in Washington Heights. I also remember that it was a double bill with “Count of Monte Cristo,” which they interrupted when the stars appeared. No Baby Jane doll for me either.

Thanks, Unkystan – great story! If you have any more, we’d look forward to hearing them.

The marquee of the RKO Fordham, circa 1956, is visible in the background of this photo.

For bobmarshall

They did in fact come to the RKO Fordham together. I remember it specifically as I did assist them getting off the bus and escort them backstage.
RKO 11

Sorry you didn’t win the doll at the 58th. st. lol….

Response to: I’m sure we’d all love to hear your “Baby Jane” stories!
It was so fantastic preparing for celebrities to visit. We had barricades set up outside and ropes inside the theatre. It was jammed outside as well as inside. When the bus pulled up in front of the theatre, it was pandemonium. I only had the ushers to hold the crowds back outside and inside the theatre. I had a couple of security there too. We had to escort them from the bus, thru the lobby, down the side aisle to backstage.
When Bette and Joan came the crowds went wild. They were so loving to each other coming off the bus and thru the lobby and to the backstage. But backstage they argued, screamed at each other… a battle!!! Then they came out on the stage infront of the screen. Unbelievable… holding hands, so loving and kind to each other. No one ever knew…. But they were fantastic, and what legends!

I will never forget the time we had a special appearance of the Dave Clark 5 group. Unbelievable…what crowds in and outside. When they came out on the stage, everyone screaming, girls throwing bras, shirts etc. down to the stage. We had to have so much security lined up in front of the stage.

Judy Garland was fantastic! So frail, but what a person. Not as much crowds, but so dynamic on and off the stage. What a real legend!
Those were the days, my friend……
We were all so energized.

I want to see if someone remembers….
RKO Theatres had a screen trailer that was shown before each feature. It was a bouncing ball for RKO… Anyone remember it?

I never saw the Disney short about Nazi Germany (1944) but somehow I know the words to “Der Feurer’s Face” by heart.

I remember the RKO Fordham and its rival Loew’s Paradise as being solidly successful theatres until street crime engulfed the Bronx. Remember the Guardian Angels was started nearby when Curtis Swela and others couldn’t tolerate unchecked crime in broad daylight. The two theatres weren’t the only things that died in Fordham because of crime and drugs.

My older brother and I saw RKO’S THE THING (from outer space) circa 1951. Sitting in the balcony’s front row my brother jumped 3 feet in the air during the famous shock scene, but did not drop off the balcony. He’s alive and well in Maryland.

Oops, that was 34 theaters in 4 days. Still, a pretty crazy schedule!