RKO Keith's Richmond Hill Theatre

Yes. I didn’t realize the old marquee was under there. It wasn’t until the movie company that was filming a movie there in the 2000’s wanted an old look, and removed the aluminum, and to everyone’s surprise the original, and intact marquee was still under there. The marquee was then at least cosmetically restored, and remained as the Bingo hall sign until the new current owner so uncerimoniously destroyed the RKO Keiths lettering.

Re posting a link to the photos of the RKo Keith’s Richmond Hill, a very fascinating theater.

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Thanks Warren! I moved to nearby South Ozone Park (118th Street & 111th Avenue)in November of 1970 and so the Keiths was already closed by then. I went every once in a while to Jahn’s which was right next door to the Keiths and it’s funny how I didn’t really give it much thought that this old theater sat unused (as far as I’m concerned, a flea market counts as unused). I was never curious as to what it looked like inside.

Back then, we had an embarassment of movie palaces still open and so it took a lot for one to stand out. From my youth, the only ones that I have clear recollections of being in awe when walking through the lobby and sitting in the auditorium watching a film were Loew’s Valencia, Radio City and the RKO Keiths Flushing. The Elmwood gets an honorable mention. Most of the other theaters were probably in such bad shape or had their decorative elements painted over or hidden that you didn’t wonder what it was like in its prime.

Oddly enough. my interest in palaces started in the late 80’s when I started to go “clubbing” and many of the most famous discos of the era were in old theaters like Studio 54 (Gallo Opera ouse), The Saint (Loews Commodore), Shout (Miller), Club USA (Forum) and Palladium (Academy of Music). I remember admiring the beauty of these theaters and wanting to know more.

That’s why I am so grateful for Cinema Treasures. I have found out more about theaters and the business of movie exhibition than I ever could have imagined through the posting of dedicated people like Warren Harris, Howard Bass and many others.

It has been fascinating to see the efforts to save theaters like The Boyd (Successful), The Jersey (Successful), The St. George (Successful) and The Ridgewood (Work in Progress) and painful to see the lack of success at theaters like the RKO Keiths Flushing and Richmond Hill, Loews Kings and the Demille.

For now, I am trying to generate interest in landmarking Ziegfeld Theatre now that it is approaching its 40th anniversary and will therefore be eligible.

We have gone from a wealth of palaces to a precious few. Cinema Treasures is helping to protect what is left and for that we should all be thankful!

Good work, Warren and Bway, and thanks. Let’s keep on this.

Warren, besides Jahn’s, which was actually only one of many ice cream parlours with that name, the Triangle Hofbrau had a significant regional reputation. One of its delicacies – Turtle Soup – was widely known throughout NYC. (Fortunately, the place went out of business before the PETA people caught wind of this!)

I agree with the other commentators that the cinematic development of this theater makes little economic sense. Most Richmond Hill residents visit the Kew Gardens and the Cinemart – or make the slightly longer trek to the Midway or Branden – to satisfy their motion picture needs. I know that’s what my wife did when she lived in the area.

Actually, if you click next on that photo, there’s other photos of the interior of the Keiths on “flea market” day.

Great photo Lost. I remember the first time I walked into the Keiths, some time in the early 80’s, with my parents when we went to the flea market. I was in awe of the building, and it’s diamond in the rough appearance even then already. As I mentioned WAY up on this page somewhere, it’s probably “the” theater that got me interested in theater buildings. I remember, I went off on my own then already to explore the place….even snuck up into the balcony back then.
Even back then, it gave a glow of how could this beautiful building have all this crap lying around being used as a flea market. it didn’t seem appropriate judging the grandeur of the building.
And back then, the ceiling of the auditorium was still all original, as was the top 1/3 of the walls and procenium arch. The beige paint only went up about 2/3 of the way up the walls, and the top part and the ceiling, as well as the curtain over the the sage was all original colors yet, and spectacular they were.

It’s amazing that the theater survived so well intact as it is today, more than 40 years since it was last used as a theater. it would be a shame for it to have survived all this time and now be destroyed.

Yes, Lost Memory, that’s true.

Yikes!!!! It’s not always about me! :–)

Thanks Lost Memory and yes, I do mean you!

Thanks, Lost Memory. I don’t get it, either.

…..due to the same problem it has today, sort of an out of the way, less dense area.

When did the RKO Keith’s Richmond Hill stop showing movies ? 1968 ? 1970 ?

I agree with Luis on this. While it is quite sad to see Sorrentinos gone, the Hofbrau gone, and most of all, Jahn’s, I don’t find this to be a “declining” neighborhood. Different, yes. In “decline”, no.
Demographics change, Luis said it right, 50 years from now, in all likeliness, people will be sitting on some internet message board (or whatever people use to communicate then), and lament the loss of their old “Montezuma Restaurant” and the old “Pool Hall” under the el…..
The golden age is never the present age, as humans, we always look back at out pasts as the “golden age”.

That being said, I also agree that I just don’t see the area surrounding this theater to make a live theater, or even a restored movie theater in this location viable. Let’s not remember that the RKO Keiths, even when open, was never really a shining star in profitiablility. It probably was a little overbuilt even when it was first placed there……