Thanks, Bklyn Jim. You’re welcome. You remember correctly the Feburary 9 1969 blizzard, and lack of snow clearing in Queens. I remember being snowbound then very well. Even the TV show “Dark Shadows” was affected.
I think Mayor Lindsay also took a critical pasting for doing nothing about the Christmas 1969 blizzard, or, being expected to do SOMETHING about it, having done nothing after the Feb 1969 storm.
Here is the part of my thank-you e-mail to the Times Newsweekly detailing my recollections of the Feb 9 1969 blizzard, and how it affected the Ridgewood Theater. The “other Cinema Treasures member” I refer to who heard the marquee strain and collapse, is none other than our own “April W”, to be found above on this page :
“Yes, the Ridgewood Theater marquee collapsed under the weight of snow from the blizzard of Sunday, February 9, 1969, "Beatles Day” that year, marking the 5-year anniversary of their historic appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on CBS on Sunday, February 9th, 1964. I was at home that day listening to all-day Beatles on WNEW 102.7 FM. I also remember watching the film “Fail Safe” on TV that evening, perhaps on ABC Channel 7, with The Beatles' “Eight Days A Week” on the radio in the background. Another contributor to the Ridgewood Theater page of the Cinema Treasures fansite, my age, and, like myself a former Ridgewood resident and St. Brigid School graduate, lived across Myrtle Avenue from the Ridgewood Theater, above Ridgewood Toyland at the time, and remembers hearing the creak, sway and strain of the cables and chains supporting the marquee before they gave way, and of course the sound of the marquee itself falling to [and hitting] the sidewalk."
The current on-line edition of The Times Newsweekly (former Ridgewood Times) for the week of December 28, 2006 acknowledged my e-mail about the 90-year anniversary of the Ridgewood Theatre in its “Our Neighborhood The Way It Was” column. The link to the article is provided above.
Those are all good questions, Bway, and I hope you get answers to them, whether here or elsewhere, but unfortunately I know the answers to none of them.
Thank YOU, Delores, MsDee380, for posting all YOUR memories. I don’t recall The Ramsey Sisters, but I do recall the Delfonics(“La La La La La Means ‘I Love You’”, spring 1968, “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time”, spring 1970, The Dells (“Stay In My Corner”, fall 1968) and of course Solomon Burke (“Everybody Needs Someone To Love”). Yes, the Loews Gates was indeed at Gates Avenue and Broadway, and had two entrances, one on each street. It is now the Pilgrim Baptist Church.
From the year of my birth (1955) until 1966 my family doctor, Dr. Wilchfort, had his office in a brownstone house on your block of Palmetto Street between Bway and Bushwick Avenue, on the odd-numbered, northwest side, but closer to Bushwick Avenue, and the telephone building.
Yes, Bushwick suffered much devastation, especially after the July 13, 1977 blackout. Tourists from Europe used to be bussed into Bushwick from Manhattan, to gawk at the devastation, which they likened to Europe after WW II, but Bushwick is now being re-developed, and the RKO Bushwick is now the School For Social Justice, its interior gutted and completely changed, its exterior preserved.
I last passed by your old block on July 15, 2006, on the B-52 Gates Avenue bus, on the way from the BAM Rose Cinema in downtown Bklyn to my old neighborhood of Ridgewood.
You’re welcome, Native Forest Hiller. I submitted a casual e-mail to both papers. I have as yet received no replies from either paper. Yes, please provide me with quotes. I may e-mail more newspapers, as you have suggested.
There are apartments both for rent and for sale. The neighborhood has improved, but I am not sure I would feel safe living there again. Good idea about restoring one of the closed movie theaters.
Happy holidays to all !
So far, I have seen no mention of the Ridgewood Theater’s upcoming 90 year anniversary in either the Times Newsweekly or the Queens Chronicle, so I will probably e-mail both papers later today to remind them of this event.
Which raises an interesting question : which NYC theaters closed during the Depression, and which remained open, and why ? I understand that some were able to remain open with events such as “Dish Night” for the ladies.
Lost Memory, thanks for this heads-up. I have not yet checked the Times Newsweekly nor the Queens Chronicle for mention of the Ridgewood Theater’s upcoming 90th year anniversary, but I will be picking up a copy of the Queens Chronicle on Friday on my monthly visit to Ridgewood, and so can check it then.
The next issue of the Times Newsweekly comes on-line tomorrow (Thursday December 21st).
So true, ERD, as this site attests. It’s also true of the NYC subway and el system. We still suffer the lack of the 2nd and 3rd Avenue els in Manhattan, as well as several BMT elevated lines in Brooklyn.
Thanks, Bklyn Jim. You’re welcome. You remember correctly the Feburary 9 1969 blizzard, and lack of snow clearing in Queens. I remember being snowbound then very well. Even the TV show “Dark Shadows” was affected.
I think Mayor Lindsay also took a critical pasting for doing nothing about the Christmas 1969 blizzard, or, being expected to do SOMETHING about it, having done nothing after the Feb 1969 storm.
Here is the part of my thank-you e-mail to the Times Newsweekly detailing my recollections of the Feb 9 1969 blizzard, and how it affected the Ridgewood Theater. The “other Cinema Treasures member” I refer to who heard the marquee strain and collapse, is none other than our own “April W”, to be found above on this page :
“Yes, the Ridgewood Theater marquee collapsed under the weight of snow from the blizzard of Sunday, February 9, 1969, "Beatles Day” that year, marking the 5-year anniversary of their historic appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on CBS on Sunday, February 9th, 1964. I was at home that day listening to all-day Beatles on WNEW 102.7 FM. I also remember watching the film “Fail Safe” on TV that evening, perhaps on ABC Channel 7, with The Beatles' “Eight Days A Week” on the radio in the background. Another contributor to the Ridgewood Theater page of the Cinema Treasures fansite, my age, and, like myself a former Ridgewood resident and St. Brigid School graduate, lived across Myrtle Avenue from the Ridgewood Theater, above Ridgewood Toyland at the time, and remembers hearing the creak, sway and strain of the cables and chains supporting the marquee before they gave way, and of course the sound of the marquee itself falling to [and hitting] the sidewalk."
You’re welcome, Lost Memory and Bway, and thanks for your acknowledgments ! My pleasure !
View link
The current on-line edition of The Times Newsweekly (former Ridgewood Times) for the week of December 28, 2006 acknowledged my e-mail about the 90-year anniversary of the Ridgewood Theatre in its “Our Neighborhood The Way It Was” column. The link to the article is provided above.
I had a glance myself when I went to Ridgewood Savings Bank this past Friday December 22nd.
Thanks, Bway, for your trip report. I’m glad to read that Ridgewood is looking so good.
Thanks, BklynJim, and the same to you, too !
Those are all good questions, Bway, and I hope you get answers to them, whether here or elsewhere, but unfortunately I know the answers to none of them.
Thanks, Warren and Bway.
You’re welcome, mikemovies.
EdSolero, I agree with you whole heartedly !
Thanks for mentioning this, hardbop.
Happy New Year to you and everyone else here on Cinema Treasures !
I am not now, nor have I ever been, either Bway or mikemovies, although Bway and I are e-pals outside this board.
Come on, guys, can’t we play nice here ?
Thank YOU, Delores, MsDee380, for posting all YOUR memories. I don’t recall The Ramsey Sisters, but I do recall the Delfonics(“La La La La La Means ‘I Love You’”, spring 1968, “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time”, spring 1970, The Dells (“Stay In My Corner”, fall 1968) and of course Solomon Burke (“Everybody Needs Someone To Love”). Yes, the Loews Gates was indeed at Gates Avenue and Broadway, and had two entrances, one on each street. It is now the Pilgrim Baptist Church.
From the year of my birth (1955) until 1966 my family doctor, Dr. Wilchfort, had his office in a brownstone house on your block of Palmetto Street between Bway and Bushwick Avenue, on the odd-numbered, northwest side, but closer to Bushwick Avenue, and the telephone building.
Yes, Bushwick suffered much devastation, especially after the July 13, 1977 blackout. Tourists from Europe used to be bussed into Bushwick from Manhattan, to gawk at the devastation, which they likened to Europe after WW II, but Bushwick is now being re-developed, and the RKO Bushwick is now the School For Social Justice, its interior gutted and completely changed, its exterior preserved.
I last passed by your old block on July 15, 2006, on the B-52 Gates Avenue bus, on the way from the BAM Rose Cinema in downtown Bklyn to my old neighborhood of Ridgewood.
You’re welcome, Native Forest Hiller. I submitted a casual e-mail to both papers. I have as yet received no replies from either paper. Yes, please provide me with quotes. I may e-mail more newspapers, as you have suggested.
I e-mailed both The Times Newsweekly and The Queens Chronicle about an hour ago about the 90 year anniversary of the opening of the Ridgewood Theater.
There are apartments both for rent and for sale. The neighborhood has improved, but I am not sure I would feel safe living there again. Good idea about restoring one of the closed movie theaters.
Happy holidays to all !
So far, I have seen no mention of the Ridgewood Theater’s upcoming 90 year anniversary in either the Times Newsweekly or the Queens Chronicle, so I will probably e-mail both papers later today to remind them of this event.
Thanks, Warren.
Thanks.
Thanks, Warren. What year is this from ?
Which raises an interesting question : which NYC theaters closed during the Depression, and which remained open, and why ? I understand that some were able to remain open with events such as “Dish Night” for the ladies.
Will do, Lost Memory.
Lost Memory, thanks for this heads-up. I have not yet checked the Times Newsweekly nor the Queens Chronicle for mention of the Ridgewood Theater’s upcoming 90th year anniversary, but I will be picking up a copy of the Queens Chronicle on Friday on my monthly visit to Ridgewood, and so can check it then.
The next issue of the Times Newsweekly comes on-line tomorrow (Thursday December 21st).
Has anyone posted a link to an image of what it used to look like ?
So true, ERD, as this site attests. It’s also true of the NYC subway and el system. We still suffer the lack of the 2nd and 3rd Avenue els in Manhattan, as well as several BMT elevated lines in Brooklyn.