Peter, the Mini-Madison is now a park for the School that is now in the old RKO Bushwick Theater. I still can’t imagine a theater on this small trianglar piece of land. I would love to see a photo of it when it was still there. With all the photos available of the RKO Bushwick out there, it’s amazing that one never showed up with the old Mini-Madison in the background.
I don’t know what they are doing to this building. While the middle has been removed, the whole building gutted, and the roof removed, why would they keep the side walls? Perhaps that is all they are taking down at this time?
Here’s a photo I took yesterday of the at least partial demolition of the theater. Compare to a 2004 photo I took:
Here’s a photo I took yesterday at the location of the old Jefferson Casino, aka Grove theater….to match with the historic 1908 Brooklyn Pix photo of the theater:
Wow, so Disney is selling the theater? Why?
Do they own any of the other theaters on Hollywood Blvd? I know they have done some things at the Pantages.
John, thanks so much for the heads up! Ironically, when I went back I TOO didn’t have my camera. It hasn’t changed then since my Aug 21st post above….that’s what it looked like when I saw it back in August too…..
I wonder what they are doing to it….
It has to be. I think the photo was taken with a telephoto lens….look at how close together the trees look. When you zoom, it squooshes everything closer together in illusion. I looked at the aerial image of the location at local.live, and the first building that is cornered off which is next to the Grove on Jefferson is still there, so the 5 lots with the new houses do take up the whole area where the Grove used to be, and they are all about 20 feet wide….so it’s just an illusion that the Grove isn’t 100+– feet deep.
The depth of the old Grove was about 100 feet (there are now 5 lots with new homes cut out of the side that faces Jefferson, each about 20 feet wide).
The Wyckoff’s depth is 103 feet, so the depth was about the same. I don’t know if the Grove went from Jefferson to Hancock (sorry I said Cornelia before, I meant Hancock). But even if it only went 100 feet, it still would be about 100 X 100, which is about what the Wyckoff is give or take.
Yes, in 1908, this would have been the Jefferson Casino. That should probably be added to the aka names at the top of this page. At the time of this photo, remember this was called “Hamburg Ave”, so it wouldn’t have been called the Wilson Theater until some time after the street was changed to Wilson Ave.
As for the size of the building, it took up the whole block between Cornelia and Jefferson St, and is about as wide as any of these similar theaters, such as the Wyckoff Theater, etc.
In 1908, Wilson Ave was still called “Hamburg Ave”. It was changed to “Wilson Ave” after WWI, after Woodrow Wilson. At the time, it was felt that “Hamburg Ave” was to “German” sounding, so the name was changed.
I would assume that the theater was called something else other than “Wilson Theater” or “Rige” theater at the time of this photo, which is 1908. It was too early to be called “Wilson Theater” because Wilson Ave was still called Hamburg Ave at the time of this photo. Perhaps it was the Rige theater before Wilson? I wonder if “Rige” was someone’s name, or was it perhaps “Ridge” because this was considered part of Ridgewood at the time?
I wish I had some of my father’s photographs….he said he used to stand outside the Madison when the movie stars would pull up in their limos, and had photos of them getting out and walking into the theater in a big todo. Unfortunately, one day back in the 70’s, he thought it was a good idea to “clean up”, and threw it all out.
He mentioned one movie star coming for some movie (I have to ask him which film or who it was, I don’t remember), but everyone was standing in front of the theater waiting for his limo to pull up in front of the Madison Theatre, and instead, he walked up the stairs from the L train subway just down the blocks to everyone’s surprise, and just nonchalantly walked into the theater, it wasn’t until he was under the marquee that anyone noticed him!! And of course by that time the crowd went wild.
He also remembers some horror movies playing at the Madison Theatre…and the management would have actors come out and run up and down the aisles in costumes scaring everyone in the theater in the dark…..he said all you would hear is screams through the whole movie!! Imagine stuff as dramatic as that in a movie theater today…it just doesn’t happen….
He also remembers the Madison’s organ playing when you walked into the theater. They would have a ball bouncing up and down over the words to the song, and the people in the theater would be singing along as the organ played.
There are so many stories that this building holds.
The introduction for this page leaves much to be desired, although a lot of introductions are like this on the site. Even some much more important or famous theaters than the Madison have even shorter or worse introductions!
I have mentioned a few times, that the last sentence of the intro is completely wrong….not only does the store take up the entire outer and inner lobbies, in addition to the whole auditorium on the orchestra level….it also takes up a good part of the former stage area as the store. The whole downstairs of the building is basically used for the store.
As for the second sentence, about the personal appearances, that is VERY true. My father used to stand outside the theater on certain nights, and the ACTUAL movie stars would make appearances at the Madison theater to promote their films. I know it happened in the 50’s and the 60’s. Sad, that by just a decade later, this theater would meet it’s untimely end.
Panzer… I don’t think it’s a good idea just to show up unannounced. That would be true for any situation like this. Remember, the building, while it has history, is now a store. That is the fact of the whole thing, and has to be remembered. It’s a place of business, and most of the time a manager or anyone won’t appreciate someone just showing up unannounced.
Just keep in mind that it is store, and is a place of business…
But please feel free to contact me or Mr Bill though….
I think the address may be wrong. I always thought the Haven was on the right side of Jamaica Ave if headed to Jamaica….but if I am not mistaken, the even numbers are that side.
Actually, that would be fine….a palm tree in front of a marquee would look more “Hollywood”, and wouldn’t block it if you “have” to have a tree in front of a marquee (which seems silly to begin with)…..
I love trees and all, and think they add to the look of most streets….but WHY in the world would they plant a tree right in front of a theater marquee? Don’t these people think when they open the hole in the sidewalk about placement?
I thought that one day they would make the photo feature operate again. There are MANY really historic or famous theaters that don’t have a photo on the site!!
Peter, the Mini-Madison is now a park for the School that is now in the old RKO Bushwick Theater. I still can’t imagine a theater on this small trianglar piece of land. I would love to see a photo of it when it was still there. With all the photos available of the RKO Bushwick out there, it’s amazing that one never showed up with the old Mini-Madison in the background.
I don’t know what they are doing to this building. While the middle has been removed, the whole building gutted, and the roof removed, why would they keep the side walls? Perhaps that is all they are taking down at this time?
Here’s a photo I took yesterday of the at least partial demolition of the theater. Compare to a 2004 photo I took:
Eagle Theater 2004
Here are the photos from Yesterday:
Eagle Theater 2008
Eagle Theater 2008
Here’s a photo I took yesterday at the location of the old Jefferson Casino, aka Grove theater….to match with the historic 1908 Brooklyn Pix photo of the theater:
Click here for 2008 Photo I took
Click here for 1908 Photo 100 Years ago to the year
I was in it about 5 years ago, and it is absolutely stunning inside.
Thanks BW!
Wow, so Disney is selling the theater? Why?
Do they own any of the other theaters on Hollywood Blvd? I know they have done some things at the Pantages.
John, thanks so much for the heads up! Ironically, when I went back I TOO didn’t have my camera. It hasn’t changed then since my Aug 21st post above….that’s what it looked like when I saw it back in August too…..
I wonder what they are doing to it….
It has to be. I think the photo was taken with a telephoto lens….look at how close together the trees look. When you zoom, it squooshes everything closer together in illusion. I looked at the aerial image of the location at local.live, and the first building that is cornered off which is next to the Grove on Jefferson is still there, so the 5 lots with the new houses do take up the whole area where the Grove used to be, and they are all about 20 feet wide….so it’s just an illusion that the Grove isn’t 100+– feet deep.
The depth of the old Grove was about 100 feet (there are now 5 lots with new homes cut out of the side that faces Jefferson, each about 20 feet wide).
The Wyckoff’s depth is 103 feet, so the depth was about the same. I don’t know if the Grove went from Jefferson to Hancock (sorry I said Cornelia before, I meant Hancock). But even if it only went 100 feet, it still would be about 100 X 100, which is about what the Wyckoff is give or take.
Yes, in 1908, this would have been the Jefferson Casino. That should probably be added to the aka names at the top of this page. At the time of this photo, remember this was called “Hamburg Ave”, so it wouldn’t have been called the Wilson Theater until some time after the street was changed to Wilson Ave.
As for the size of the building, it took up the whole block between Cornelia and Jefferson St, and is about as wide as any of these similar theaters, such as the Wyckoff Theater, etc.
Thanks for all you are doing to try and save the Ridgewood Theater Mike….
A photo of the Grove Theater in 1908 can be seen here:
View link
In 1908, Wilson Ave was still called “Hamburg Ave”. It was changed to “Wilson Ave” after WWI, after Woodrow Wilson. At the time, it was felt that “Hamburg Ave” was to “German” sounding, so the name was changed.
I would assume that the theater was called something else other than “Wilson Theater” or “Rige” theater at the time of this photo, which is 1908. It was too early to be called “Wilson Theater” because Wilson Ave was still called Hamburg Ave at the time of this photo. Perhaps it was the Rige theater before Wilson? I wonder if “Rige” was someone’s name, or was it perhaps “Ridge” because this was considered part of Ridgewood at the time?
Either way, it’s an interesting photo.
Here’s a link I found about the preservation of the Ridgewood:
View link
I wish I had some of my father’s photographs….he said he used to stand outside the Madison when the movie stars would pull up in their limos, and had photos of them getting out and walking into the theater in a big todo. Unfortunately, one day back in the 70’s, he thought it was a good idea to “clean up”, and threw it all out.
He mentioned one movie star coming for some movie (I have to ask him which film or who it was, I don’t remember), but everyone was standing in front of the theater waiting for his limo to pull up in front of the Madison Theatre, and instead, he walked up the stairs from the L train subway just down the blocks to everyone’s surprise, and just nonchalantly walked into the theater, it wasn’t until he was under the marquee that anyone noticed him!! And of course by that time the crowd went wild.
He also remembers some horror movies playing at the Madison Theatre…and the management would have actors come out and run up and down the aisles in costumes scaring everyone in the theater in the dark…..he said all you would hear is screams through the whole movie!! Imagine stuff as dramatic as that in a movie theater today…it just doesn’t happen….
He also remembers the Madison’s organ playing when you walked into the theater. They would have a ball bouncing up and down over the words to the song, and the people in the theater would be singing along as the organ played.
There are so many stories that this building holds.
The introduction for this page leaves much to be desired, although a lot of introductions are like this on the site. Even some much more important or famous theaters than the Madison have even shorter or worse introductions!
I have mentioned a few times, that the last sentence of the intro is completely wrong….not only does the store take up the entire outer and inner lobbies, in addition to the whole auditorium on the orchestra level….it also takes up a good part of the former stage area as the store. The whole downstairs of the building is basically used for the store.
As for the second sentence, about the personal appearances, that is VERY true. My father used to stand outside the theater on certain nights, and the ACTUAL movie stars would make appearances at the Madison theater to promote their films. I know it happened in the 50’s and the 60’s. Sad, that by just a decade later, this theater would meet it’s untimely end.
Panzer… I don’t think it’s a good idea just to show up unannounced. That would be true for any situation like this. Remember, the building, while it has history, is now a store. That is the fact of the whole thing, and has to be remembered. It’s a place of business, and most of the time a manager or anyone won’t appreciate someone just showing up unannounced.
Just keep in mind that it is store, and is a place of business…
But please feel free to contact me or Mr Bill though….
I think the address may be wrong. I always thought the Haven was on the right side of Jamaica Ave if headed to Jamaica….but if I am not mistaken, the even numbers are that side.
Does anyone know when this theater closed?
I am surprised we never found out who the architect for the Keiths is. Is that so hard to find out?
A great article was in the New York Times on Thomas Lamb. The 81st St is one of the theaters pictured in the article:
View link
The RKO Bushwick is mentioned in a wonderful article from the NY Times on Thomas Lamb:
View link
Actually, that would be fine….a palm tree in front of a marquee would look more “Hollywood”, and wouldn’t block it if you “have” to have a tree in front of a marquee (which seems silly to begin with)…..
Why does it only show one movie on the marquee?
I love trees and all, and think they add to the look of most streets….but WHY in the world would they plant a tree right in front of a theater marquee? Don’t these people think when they open the hole in the sidewalk about placement?
I thought that one day they would make the photo feature operate again. There are MANY really historic or famous theaters that don’t have a photo on the site!!