RKO Madison Theatre
54-30 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
54-30 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
21 people
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Showing 826 - 850 of 1,251 comments
I was refering to the fact that a film such as this appeals to such a small percentage of the market and is not geared toward a working class area. Even now it could only fly in a limited booking in Manhattan and a few art houses in the boroughs.
Good idea, Ed. It makes sense. That would have caused more of a stir in 1966 at the Bushwick than at the Madison, especially with the help of Stokeley Carmichael and H. Rap Brown.
That’s true, Bway. Thanks. Ridgewood has become heavily Hispanic, but never became predominantly black, despite the fears in that direction at that time of many Ridgewoodites, including my family and myself.
I remember reading or seeing something in the 1970’s and ‘80’s to the effect that “housing discrimination against blacks in Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village is among the worst in NYC”.
Someone once commented to me that if a black family ever moved into Middle Village, their home would probably be fire-bombed.
But the Madison isn’t/wasn’t located in a “predominatly black neighborhood”***. It never was, even when it was operating yet.
***Not that there’s anything wrong with that
I imagine Robert is referring to the fact that the Moor Othello was being portrayed by a white actor (Laurence Olivier), which might have fueled some fires in predominantly black neighborhoods during the heat of the Civil Rights movement.
What do you find shocking about it, RobertR ?
I wonder what the RKO Bushwick was like in 1966. By then, my family and I, living in adjacent Ridgewood, considered Bushwick a “bad, unsafe” neighborhood, and only attended movies at the Madison and Ridgewood. Our sole routine business in Bushwick ended when our family doctor moved from Palmetto between Bway and Bushwick to 70th Avenue in upper Ridgewood in 1966.
Even in 1966 it’s shocking for Othello to be playing like this at the Madison, Bushwick and Kenmore.
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Jaws of Death features Richard Jaeckel in a low budget shark movie. Jaeckel trains sharks to destroy his enemies. The theme of this movie is in some ways akin to certain fella’s on this website. haha
Ah… “Master of the Flying Guillotine”… one of the chop-sockey genre’s greatest (and most outlandish) entries. A martial arts classic that was a key influence on a young Quentin Tarantino. But, let me stop this musing before Warren swoops in to admonish me and poke fun at all of us for quibbling over the RKO’s closing date!
Peter, last Halloween, the Boulton Center theater (former Regent) in Bay Shore had a Hitchcock night, where they played Psycho and The Birds in a double header. It would have been a chance for me to see it in an old single screen theater, but wasn’t able to get over there.
It’s a performing arts center, but it still has the capacity to show film, which is nice, and they occasionally do stuff like that.
Thanks, EdSolero.
BTW, I recall “Suspiria” and “The Fury” playing at the Ridgewood as a double bill in mid to late May 1978, seven months after the assumed closing of the RKO Madison.
Lost… I did alot of that same research you did on the Madison, using the Times online archives. There are some gaps in what the Times has digitized, but I searched every single “Weekend Movie Clock” I could find from late 1977 through early 1978. The very latest Movie Clock where I could find the Madison listed was that 9/23/77 one. Here’s an image:
Brooklyn – 9/23/77
Looks like Dario Argento’s hypnotic thriller “Suspiria” was playing on a double bill, judging from the showing times. Perhaps it was paired with “Devil’s Express” as it seems to have been over at the Loew’s Metropolitan". Unfortunately, as you know, the archives are missing any Movie Clocks for the month of October and that first weekend in November so there is no way of knowing if there were other showings prior to 11/11/77. There is a 9/30/77 movie clock that does not list the Madison at all, but it seems that in many of these clocks, some of the boroughs and outlying areas got abreviated coverage (Queens would often be cut off alphabetically at Jackson Heights and the Jamaica theaters were frequently missing) so that’s really no positive verification. I think we’ve narrowed it down pretty well, however. Halloween ‘77 is probably a good recollection from Don Novack and gels with the sketchy info and other memories we have.
Good idea, Lost Memory.
Yes, the RKO Madison was a perfect old Gothic place to see a horror movie, as I know from having seen several there myself. “The Exorcist” must have been pretty impressive there in July or August 1976, even with, or perhaps because of, the theater’s failing, run-down condition.
Bway, “Psycho” was a sight to behold at the BAM Rose Cinema this past Saturday, July 15th, even though I know the film by heart, and have three copies of it !
Actually, seriously, I would think the Madison would have been a truly great place to see a horror movie. As you enter into it’s imposing Gothic exterior, ornate interior, and perhaps it’s somewhat failing condition by the 1970’s if they were planning to close soon anyway, it must have been the perfect setting to see a horror movie.
I remember my father telling me how he and his friends were scared to death when they saw Psycho in the theater when it came out. I don’t remember if he told me he saw it in the Ridgewood or the Madison, but either way, he said it was a sight to behold.
Yes, mikemovies, perhaps we will, and that will be good indeed, for the exact date could then go into the banner for the RKO Madison at the top of this page.
Great work. Perhaps in time we will be able to find the exact date of the Madison theatre closing.
Thanks for so excusing me, Bway, and thereby cutting me some slack. I was probably preoccupied with thoughts of school and my studies, all those times I passed the RKO Madison on the way from home to the subway (L line) and vice versa.
Until I see evidence to the contrary, I will go on assuming that the RKO Madison closed right after Halloween 1977, as we know from Lost Memory’s last post that the RKO Madison stopped advertising somewhere between Sep 23 and Nov 11, 1977.
Thanks, guys, for helping to answer the question, “When did the RKO Madison in Ridgewood show its last film ?”
I think we will excuse you not remembering what exact date it closed, Peter, seeing that it’s about 30 years ago…we’ll let you slide!!
Annoying blanks in my memory, at that, because from August 1976 through February 1978 I walked past the RKO Madison about ten times a week, and didn’t necessarily notice what was playing there, or, if I did, I forgot. I MUST have noticed when it was closed, but, for reasons that are still not clear to me, do not remember the date I noticed.
Good work, guys. Lots of interesting detail. Thanks. It goes far in filling in the blanks in my memory.
We know for sure it was open until August of 1977 (see my ad above for Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane)
i don’t remember anything in there pryer to 1980…it could have been in the 80’s..after a burn -out summer and fall i took a cross
country drive to calif. when i got back i ran babyhugies in commack
part of the obi chain…in the summers i would live and work in hamton bays at obi east and also an on air shift at WLNG,sagharbor..
early 80’s left new york to work in my first love radio..
20 something years later back on long island doing just that..
THIS JUST IN……ISIP THEATRE MAY BE CLOSED….FILM AT 11..
oh yah..back to lost memory…it may have not been a storm but,
enough for me to take lirr and 2 buss’s to get to the madison..
wally1975
LM, NYC experienced blizzards in back-to-back Januarys, 1977 & 1978.
In his 8-7-06 post (1:58pm), PKoch sounded pretty specific in his dates – and reasons – for the (former RKO) Madison’s closing. Wally1975 could be accurate for the “RKO” closure, but still off by several months regarding the second and final closing, as recalled by Peter. All the other pieces of the puzzle fit, including yours, RobertR’s and the majority of Wally’s.
Wally
Did anyone ever re-open the Madison for a short time after RKO? A projectionist I worked with said an independent opened it up again for the summer after RKO closed it. The last time I was there it was still an RKO, but I do remember going past when it was closed for good and on the marquee covering the RKO signs were large metal Coca-Cola signs. They looked odd there but seemed to be there to cover up the RKO logo.
i’m thinking jan of 77…i do remember a snow storm
right before it closed…if that helps…i’m sure there’s a weather web that could pin point the month and year..as far as the movie..
sorry i can’t help you…i was to busy cleaning out files and snack bars to remember that…
after that they fired the manager of 59th street east…i went there…did star wars come out in spring 77?? if it did that was the year..[winter] madison closed..i asked for more money…with that
there was a price…they sent me to fordham and the picture was
star wars…star wars played in the old balcony and they had two
pictures in each of the downstairs smaller theatres..the picture downstairs was an hard “R” called GUMS! a soft porn kinda' like jaws
about a mermaid that gave head…and bit off more then she could chew…to the tune of the jaws theme music track..
did elvis die in aug 77/? during the summer run of star wars was playing then and then came the black out..and riots..
if the events above happened in 77 then the madison closed in jan or feb of 77.
more later on the rko radio network
wally 1975
wally 1975
What was the closing date of the RKO Madison theatre wally1975? Many of the fella’s have been trying to find that answer for a long time. Perhaps you can shed some light on the subject.