Even though I don’t reside in Oakland, CA, or on the West Coast generally, it’s very unsettling to read/hear of a revered movie theatre that brought so many people together and showed so many different kinds of films closing.
Sounds like a beautiful theatre…and a beautiful response to this situation. Here’s wishing all the best of luck to you guys in your endeavor to have the Ridgewood landmarked.
Interesting website about Scollay Square. I remember it as a young kid in the early to mid-1960’s, before the new Boston City Hall was put in. That was sort of the tail end of the “old” Scollay Square.
The West End was a cool place, before it got bulldozed out of existence. The theatre looked cool.
I grew up in a suburb that was roughly 20 miles due northwest of Boston. When my sister and I were kids, and, for quite some time even after my brother came along, we would often travel into the city for a live theatre show, or a movie. Often, though, my parents would travel into the city by themselve, without us kids, to see a movie or a show, too.
“What needs to happen is that when a major film come in to a metro are it should only be released to a single screen house for the first 2 weeks and then distributed to the multiplexes.
That can be something to think about with Ridgewood. Convert it back to a sibgle screen and make it a "Premier” first run house for both Brooklyn and Queens. A deal should be struck with the major studios. Call it going back to the future."
sounds like a fabulous idea, EastCoastRocker! Here’s wishing that somebody would run this idea by theatres here in our area.
As far as I know, movie theatres in my area are open and functioning as usual. It’s not at all surprising that, during this serious near-depression economic downturn, that people are flocking to the movies. People want to forget about reality for awhile, and to be immersed in a movie shown on a great big, wide screen, in a REAL movie theatre, with the lights down low. Imho, staying home and watching a movie on TV has never been much of a cheerer-upper.
That’s a good question, Ret. AKCl(NAC) Bob Jensen. Not only should a 70mm film festival like this be done here in the United States, but it should be done as a road show, in various big cities throughout the United States, including Boston.
Don S., I think the combination of movie piracy, coupled by VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as cam-corders all helped to undermine the movie business. I think that illegal piracy of movies started this trend, and, in the early 1980’s, the United States Supreme Court voted…by ONE vote, to allow movies to be made into videos to be played on VCR’s, which in turn led to DVD’s and, ultimately, Blu-Ray.
Sad, indeed.
Even though I don’t reside in Oakland, CA, or on the West Coast generally, it’s very unsettling to read/hear of a revered movie theatre that brought so many people together and showed so many different kinds of films closing.
Thanks for the information, Joe.
It looks like a sweet little cinema theatre. Thanks for the photos, Lost Memory.
Thanks for the warning, HowardBHaas. I’ll make sure to avoid the above link at all costs.
I’ll be on the lookout.
Hmmmm…interesting.
Sounds like a beautiful theatre…and a beautiful response to this situation. Here’s wishing all the best of luck to you guys in your endeavor to have the Ridgewood landmarked.
Same here, Justin, although I’d admittedly love to see the inside of the Castro Theatre some day.
Did I mention that I saw Gordon Lightfoot at the Orpheum in concert roughly 23 years ago? He was excellent.
Interesting website about Scollay Square. I remember it as a young kid in the early to mid-1960’s, before the new Boston City Hall was put in. That was sort of the tail end of the “old” Scollay Square.
The West End was a cool place, before it got bulldozed out of existence. The theatre looked cool.
Yup. I figured that out.
The Rivoli sounds like it was a neat theatre to attend!
Oh, well. 1900 of your closest friends? Didn’t know anybody had such a huge circle of friends. (lol)
Could very well be, JohnMLauter.
How awesome, rvb!!
I grew up in a suburb that was roughly 20 miles due northwest of Boston. When my sister and I were kids, and, for quite some time even after my brother came along, we would often travel into the city for a live theatre show, or a movie. Often, though, my parents would travel into the city by themselve, without us kids, to see a movie or a show, too.
This:
“What needs to happen is that when a major film come in to a metro are it should only be released to a single screen house for the first 2 weeks and then distributed to the multiplexes.
That can be something to think about with Ridgewood. Convert it back to a sibgle screen and make it a "Premier” first run house for both Brooklyn and Queens. A deal should be struck with the major studios. Call it going back to the future."
sounds like a fabulous idea, EastCoastRocker! Here’s wishing that somebody would run this idea by theatres here in our area.
Sounds like you had lots of fun back in your youth, Joe G.
As far as I know, movie theatres in my area are open and functioning as usual. It’s not at all surprising that, during this serious near-depression economic downturn, that people are flocking to the movies. People want to forget about reality for awhile, and to be immersed in a movie shown on a great big, wide screen, in a REAL movie theatre, with the lights down low. Imho, staying home and watching a movie on TV has never been much of a cheerer-upper.
This, too, looks like a nice theatre inside.
Looks like another handsome movie theatre!
That’s a good question, Ret. AKCl(NAC) Bob Jensen. Not only should a 70mm film festival like this be done here in the United States, but it should be done as a road show, in various big cities throughout the United States, including Boston.
Don S., I think the combination of movie piracy, coupled by VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as cam-corders all helped to undermine the movie business. I think that illegal piracy of movies started this trend, and, in the early 1980’s, the United States Supreme Court voted…by ONE vote, to allow movies to be made into videos to be played on VCR’s, which in turn led to DVD’s and, ultimately, Blu-Ray.
Good luck to all of you down there. Hope they re-open the Patio Theatre for you.
Oh, and some of the Charlie Chaplin movies and the old James Bond movies, too, are wonderful.