RKO Keith's Theatre
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
51 people
favorited this theater
Showing 601 - 625 of 1,324 comments
Thanks Warren- the second fountain design, to the right of the one I photographed, is no longer present. I believe I walked through a “portal” (er, one of many ‘missing walls’) and came right upon the one I snapped, immediately to the right of where the other one should have been. These missing elements may also be elsewhere in the country…
SWC- Thanks… part of my own “urban exploration” series.
Warren- thanks for the info, must check out that book.
Thanks (again) to Davebazooka’s efforts to post these drawings from the Avery Library at Columbia. The fountain detail is referenced on dwg. F-3 supp. (no copy yet) looks to be on the order of 16'; if knocked down my guess is it would have been limited to the center statue (toppled and used as a battering ram).
On a more positive note the exterior still looks like its in great shape this level of brick work would never be done today, in this view of the back of the theatre:
Nice shot TStathes, never saw that one before.
Indeed,unless it was taken apart,(other than being vandalized during that Ali fight fracas), one must wonder if it fit through the door!
Street View on GoogleMaps for 368 Bleecker gives no clue as to what might be inside the storefront. But it does seem like an incongruous place for a fountain of that size to have been located!
It says 368 Bleeker, at Charles St, for Cucina Della Fontana in the ‘97 Zagat guide. Maybe even posting a couple of fliers around the village asking if anyone ever worked there, or a posting on Craigslist. It was a big place, the kind you would go to with a group – that fountain must be in countless party snapshots! Maybe it wound up at Rescued Estates on Houston, a place like that.
I wish I could remember, I remember it was large, took up the middle of the place. Maybe we can find some wait staff who worked there somehow. Are there websites for defunct restaurants like there are for defunct cinemas? Anyway, I’ll email one of the shots posted here to an old friend who used to go there more often and I’ll write if I hear anything.
Very interesting- this may be the lead we need. Can you recall if the fountain (at least in the 90s) looked like the one pictured above?
Wow, I just tried to quickly read the whole thread from the beginning. Lots of photos I wish I could see are deleted, but the reason I comment is that I noticed all the questions about the fountain that wound up in a restaurant – I remember going to Cucina Della Fontana at 368 Bleeker in the early 90’s, and there being a huge fountain in the downstairs section of the restaurant, and surrounded by kitchy murals all over the walls. It’s still listed in my ‘97 Zagat’s, however just now looking online I found it is now some other restaurant: Cititour Review: If nothing else, Hue (pronounced Whey) deserves an award for most remarkable transformation of a restaurant space. For a zillion years, this West Village corner spot was the home of the supremely kitschy Cucina Della Fontana, a rococo Italian restaurant complete with Roman fountains.
That is a horrible story…wow. I wonder if any at least saved elements from the fountain if it was really destroyed. By the way, I was going to plug your new facebook group here Ed, so thanks for creating it. Some of us here are members already: View link
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…”
Thank you TStathes.
The third element you’re reffering to seems to very much be a small fountain in the wal. When I was inside a couple years ago, I forget if I noticed it but one on the opposite side was still present and well preserved. It seemed to be a glazed type of ceramic and I believe there’s a vintage image of it posted somewhere here.
This is a side view I took:
A very beautiful fountain in a magnificent palace, nice photo Warren.
Could you tell us what the fixtures are under the staircase?
The one to the left appears to be a chair, the middle one seems to be a case of sort, and the one to the right may be a smaller fountain?
Hi Warren! To help coordinate a revamped preservation effort with people i.e. Ed Tracey & Tom Stathes, do I have your permission to save your RKO Keith’s photos to flickr for placement in a flickr album? I would grant you credit, if you prefer. It would be a huge help. Please let me know. Thanks!
I am not suprised that Massey bowed out of this one, they probably were not paid. As far as the current owner, after 2 agents failed to sell, it does not bode well; as far as ownership in the future goes there are precedents (they do still have to pay property tax and New York is not one of the best places to fall behind):[color=blue]
“Fifty years later, these sensational movie theaters have become rare monuments in urban downtowns. They have disappeared at an alarming rate or have suffered drastic interior renovations to simplify maintenance. "The Buffalo” has been spared this fate despite the presence of the same economic forces. The building was sold by Shea’s Publix Theater chain to Loew’s Theaters who more recently sold the building and continued to rent it. In December, 1974, the theater fell into the city’s hands through foreclosure when the former owner failed to pay back taxes. A non-profit group known as “Friends of the Buffalo” is seeking an arrangement with the city to handle the maintenance of the building while Loew’s continues to rent it.“[/color]
You can thank the Queens Historical Society for that sign. A good starting point:
E-mail:
Website: http://www.queenshistoricalsociety.org
Mail: 143-35 37th Avenue, Flushing, New York 11354
Nope, not wrong. It just doesn’t seem that conditions favor it. Then again, I never thought the Oriental in Chicago would open again and look at it today.
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?
Not to be a wet blanket. But the Oakland Fox was in much better condition.
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.
Thanks Jeffrey1955. That sounds great, but there is no way that a renovation of the Keiths could be deemed anywhere near shovel ready.
Don’t get me wrong, nothing would make me happier than having this theater restored, but there is the immediate problem that the city doesn’t own it. Boymelgreen Develpment does and they have no interest in restoration. They were also asking for a lot of money to sell the property. Even the the city used eminent domain (which would be really hard to do) that process would take years.
Unfortunately, this is in the hands of the awful Boymelgreens.
Besides, if any theater were to be the beneficiary of stimulus funds then it should be the Loews Kings in Brooklyn which, though in ruins, is probably in better shape the the Keiths.
There is however, a spectacular theater that the city does own and is desperatel in need of funding for renovation: The Loews Kings in Brooklyn! If any theater were to be the beneficiary of stimulus funds it should be Kings which, though in ruins, is probably in better shape the the Keiths.
Amen Jeffrey1955.
Amen Jeffrey1955.
Amen Jeffrey1955.