RKO Keith's Theatre
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
51 people
favorited this theater
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I visited the Avery Library at Columbia University and viewed the drawings of the Keith’s. WHEW they were printed on massive heavy rolls of cloth and paper, and covered with dust. Most of the drawings are labeled “revision” or “revised.” A good many dealt with HVAC or drainage and machinery and other engineering specs which I could not make sense of, so I photographed the most interesting drawings relating to decor and layout:
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Examining the elevation drawings of the Ticket Lobby, it looks like there was originally some kind of decorative space or dome above the area where the poster cases were hung…is this correct, or was there no such decorative element?If it had been included it would have encroached upon the available rentable space in the office building above, so it may have been nixed from the start or else removed at a later time.
That’s the problem, there are rumors that the former owner did in fact hack away at the auditorium. No one knows how true that is though unless we can come up with someone with a RECENT first hand account, or some photos.
The auditorium probably looks much worse than it really is, any decor around the stage , the arch and the stage area was all spray painted flat black to darken it when it was triplexed and the screens were hung over all the decoration. I remember seeing the movies in the upstairs auditorium, and if you squinted and let your eyes adjust to the darkness you’d see all the decorative plaster work. I was able to see it better 7 or so years ago when i was able to sneak a peak after the outer plywood wall came down after a storm. ITS NOT THAT BAD! Unless they hacked it away after I saw it that is.
“The Twelve Chairs” was released October 28, 1970, in the U.S. per imdb.com.
My sister tells me that she attended a screening at the RKO Keiths of the Mel Brooks movie “The Twelve Chairs” in which Dom DeLuise made a live appearance. She remembers that hidden under twelve seats at the theater were some kind of door prize. I think that movie came out around 1969.
That’s an awesome photo of the Grand Foyer, Dave! It really makes me wish the RKO could be restored as a theater, but finding the money is a major hurdle. Maybe we could suspend the war in Iraq for a few minutes, and that would pay for it nicely.
Much larger version of the Grand Foyer image here:
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When I got the foyer picture from the Times I was surprised that the decor seems to be mostly intact, very nearly pristine in fact. I thought it would be in much worse shape. It is amazing that the false awnings still hang behind the collonnade-like windows. I wonder if they are the original awnings. I notice that most of the blue paint behind them is faded away completely, but the ceiling aboev looks to be midnight blue. Was the foyer’s ceiling bright daylight blue or midnight blue with stars? Either way I am sure it was spectacular.
Great idea, Jeffrey. It would be a monument to lipservice, corruption and shameless hucksterism. Perhaps it could be named after Donald Manes.
Yes, Bway. I agree with you completely. I only offered that I was optimistic as to the possibility of restoration for the Keith’s based on what I knew about the condition of the New Amsterdam at the time Disney took over. I’m sure the Keith’s lobby is in far better shape than the auditorium, but I’ll wager that it would not be impossible to restore the entire interior to its former glory. I am, however, utterly pesimistic about the likelihood of such a restoration if only because, to the typical developer, downtown Flushing is not as appealing a location for the restoration of a performing arts venue as is Times Square.
It would be great if Queens had its own magnificent cultural center, much like Brooklyn has its Academy of Music… However, BAM has had the good fortune of being located in an area that is very convenient to lower Manhattan and surrounded by areas like Cobble Hill, Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights whose inhabitants are more likely to support such a venue than I suspect those who reside in Whitestone, Bayside and Flushing would. Maybe I’m wrong about that.
Ed, thanks for referencing that earlier Ed Baxter post. I was going to point to it as well, but couldn’t remember who or when it was from — and finding anything in this mountain of posts was more than I could handle!
At this point, I think they ought to sell the air rights, build a tower on stilts above it, enclose the entire original building in glass, provide a glass-enclosed accessway through the lobby and into the auditorium, illuminate the entire thing and call it the Museum of Queens Politics.
Ed, location of the New Amsterdam was much more suiting for the chance that Disney took on her. Also, while the New Amsterdam was severely neglected, and lots of well meaning but poorly planed alterations to it even before that, it’s not like it was in any spot deliberately ripped apart like the Keiths aparently was. i don’t know what extent the demolishing that took place was inside the orchestra level of the Keiths, but we can’t go by what the lobby condition is to determine what the Orchestra looks like.
Life… the “factor” you are missing is the fact that Tommy Huang evidently hired a crew to start recklessly demolishing the place at some point and they made a shambles of the mezzanine and orchestra. To what extent I cannot be entirely sure, since I’ve not been in the place since it closed. However, I point you to the very descriptive post above by Ed Baxter on February 27th, 2005, for a detailed accounting of what he saw when he managed to get inside a few years back.
I’m still optimistic that the theater is salvagable – using as a guide the story of the New Amsterdam in Manhattan – but I’m not as optimistic that anyone will be found willing to take a chance on the old gal.
I am dying to see a photo of the auditorium. It’s amazing that such a beautiful building was left to rot.
I understand Jeffrey, to be sure. But I have been around the theatre business my entire life and experience says that these places generally decay in uniform fashion. If one area is devastated then so are all the others. I have never seen an abandoned movie palace where half the building was devastated and the other half was in decent shape. It just does not ring true unless there is a factor I am missing. If someone told me that Huang drove a Bobcat in there and started hacking away at the walls that would be different. Otherwise my money says the auditorium isn’t that bad off. It wouldn’t surprise me if the people who support this glass wall thing want everyone to think that the auditorium (the un-landmarked part) is devastated in order to quiet calls for preservation.
All that being said, if the auditorium is ruined to the point where there is nothing left they certainly ought to do something else with the land.
That’s just the lobby — and only the side adjacent to the door. We can’t see the opposite side where the fountain was removed (prior to Huang) and it’s the auditorium that was alleged to be nearly destroyed.
You know, judging by that large photo of the lobby, the place doesn’t seem to be in too terrible of shape. Bad, yes. But not completely ruined.
I’m up for taking pics as well- if anyone can think of a way how or arranged some way to do it, please let me know!
Not at all! I hope Chang Lee doesn’t. I lightened the image a tad before posting, the original is quite dark…the work lights must not have been enough illumination.
Photobucket shrinks images so this is not the size I wanted it for viewing here, I tried over and over to get it larger in appearance. Anyone who would like to see the slightly larger image can email me here:
it’s a free email account at yahoo so who cares how many spammers take note of it, they just get emptied from the junk folder.
Rikers Island is an island that was named after the First Officer of the Starship Enterprise on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I know — don’t ask. Some kind of time-warp thing. (Hey, if the Enterprise came back to save the whales — maybe they could come back to save the RKO Keith’s…? Just trying to think outside-the-box.)
Hey everyone I scheduled an appointment at the Avery Library to view Lamb’s drawings/designs of this theatre. I was told that I am allowed to bring a digital camera to use without the flash, but I can also purchase copies. Not sure what the drawings will be of, they might just be engineering specs or blueprints, but if there is anything spectacular and marvelous I will let you know and of course share images. I hope I will be able to get some high quality stuff.
Sincerely,
Mr. Anonymous :)
Rikers Island? What is Rikers Island??
I assume we’re looking at some construction reps for Boymelgreen plus the author of the article for which Lee took the photo. I’m with you, Dave… I’d love in to shoot some stuff.
Thank you davebazoo….oops!—I mean Mr Anonymous, for that beautiful photo. I’ve illegally copied it for my memory book and my son and my songsheet.
:) LOL You’re welcome Ed! I was going to superimpose Chang Lee’s name at the bottom just to cover the credit part but who knows, that might even be considered illegally altering the image, no matter if it gives credit to the original photographer. Plus it would have detracted from the image, so I left it as is. I am wondering who those people are standing in the doorway and in the ticket lobby.
I SO want in there to take some photos! I hope it is still in the shape it is in the Lee pic, and has not been further damaged.
We’ll just consider what was published in the Times as a “thumbnail” of what you posted.