RKO Keith's Theatre
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
51 people
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Please excuse me if the answer to my question is discussed above. I haven’t read this section for a while. Is the theatre still sitting there? Have they started to tear it down?
Then the fact that the New York article refers to RKO Plaza as an “entertainment and residential complex” should cast further doubt as to whether the journalist is writing with any sort of authoritative knowledge about the scope of the project and the extent of the theater’s restoration. As far as I can recall, the project has always been classified as largely residential with a small mix of ground level retail, restaurants and some sort of senior center. Or, is this what now constitutes “entertainment” in the eyes of real estate developers?
You’re probably right, Warren. “Hall” as in “Foyer”. Still, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the complex referred to as including an “entertainment” center. Or has it? Anyway, that would seem to imply preserving more of the theater than just the lobby for such use, wouldn’t it?
If you grew up in Brooklyn as I did, even if you didn’t know much about baseball, you were born a Dodgers worshipper and Ebbets Field was their cathedral.
Francesca
I wonder if the print version of the article was less slipshod, Jeffrey, in its identification of the projects depicted. Still, your last point lands well. The author certainly stands in the minority with respect to her assessment of the Mets' new home, indicating her haste to work personal opinion into the piece rather than report objectively. I still think there is some manipulation of language being perpetrated by Boymelgreen and their pocket politicians when it comes to the project, designed to throw the casual preservationist off the scent. As far as I can decipher from all of this, only the landmarked portions of the Keith’s will be preserved. And those portions are limited to the grand foyer and mezzanine. Furthermore, a portion of that landmarked space will have to be destroyed in order to facilitate the undulating glass facade that is proposed to allow passers-by a peak inside from the sidewalk. It’s really quite a farce. If I’m wrong, then I’ll be very pleasantly surprised. I’ll be the first to sing Boymelgreen’s praises. But I don’t plan on clearing my throat any time soon.
Note the following about the article link above:
1. The article is in New York magazine, not the New Yorker
2. The caption in the article’s initial group of illustrations is incorrect; that’s the new Mets stadium at bottom right, not top right
3. The author may or may not know what she’s talking about regarding the RKO Plaza; given her remark about “The Mets’ new and disappointingly retro-style stadium (why do we still mourn Ebbets Field?)” one doubts she would even give a rat’s rear end about whether or not the RKO Keith’s is actually being preserved.
This isn’t the first time we’ve been given the vague impression that the RKO Plaza project might include a full restoration of the theater. I think the politicians, beaurocrats and developers involved in the deal have purposely phrased any discussion of the project in such a way as to result precisely in this sort of confusion. We’ve been dissecting the semantics and political rhetoric in various articles, websites and Op-Ed letters for about a year – check back to a lot of the posts in October through January in particular and you’ll find the same questions as those posed by Warren just today.
That is a very intresting point, Warren. It is something that will be looked into. Thank you for pointing it out! Here’s the article in the New Yorker magazine, for all those who are interested:
www.newyorkmetro.com/realestate/features/2016/17152/index.html
Nevermind I got what you are saying!
To Jeffrey1955:
“The Elephant Man” was rated PG
The one thing that jumps out at me? Every single picture, with the exception of The Elephant Man, is rated “R”.
Came across an old copy of Newsday I saved from the time just after John Lennon’s murder. I also have copies of the NY Post and Daily News from this time and it seems that only in Newsday did theater chains like RKO run these sort of throwback block ads:
RKO block ad
Elsewhere in the paper, RKO also had a smaller block for its bargain-priced third run cinemas (at the time priced at “80 cents at all times”) such as the Mineola, Valley Stream and Hempstead Theaters.
Cool, the Ink Spots. I keep forgetting that back in the days it wasn’t unusual to have a live musical act performing between the showings of films. It was before my time, but it was a good idea. The only live performances I’ve even seen before a film was the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.
Thank you all for answering my question of what was of the building sitting there on Northern and Main St. I over heard one day a person on the bus mentioning, a movie theatre, I guess thats when it peak my interest in doing some research. I grew up in queens, but too young to have witnessed the movie theatre once there. All I get to see now is just rusty beams and boarded up doors and windows. A month ago, I had the chance to go to a music concert at the old loews Paradise Theatre in the Bronx, the interior was amazing, I loved it, so I can only imagine how beautiful the RKO Keith’s Theatre was.
About the old Alexanders/Caldor & Woolworth, I miss all that, ahhh memories. The only good things is that where Woolworth was once, is now a OldNavy, but honestly we don’t need anymore asian markets or trinkets stores there.
Thanks again.
I appreciate it. Thank you very much for sharing them!!!
The problem is though that there would have to be some profitable use for the theater if anyone was to spend millions upon millions of dollars for it to be restored. In Flushing, finding that sort of use would be extremely hard. Even as a multiplexed theater it had trouble staying afloat, it’s harder for any use, even as a one auditorium restored theater.
No one is going to throw millions into a building that will not be profitable after it is done, no matter how great of a building it was.
It is so sad to see what happened to the RKO, but also what about Main Street as well. I used to work in McDonalds on Main st. in 1980 and when the RKO was still open. It was a great place to see a movie and like has been said before the lobby was awsome. Only the Loews Valencia on Jamacia Ave, and Lowes 175st Harlem looked better(Rev Ikes church). All of main st has changed. Alexanders, then Caldors and now nothing! I also got a job at Crazy Eddie in 1986 and used to work until close, 10pm. Man the area was so empty at night it was scary! Flushing was and is truly a travelers hub for Queens, just like Queens Plaza, Jamacia and Archers Aves and the 179st station. Many of the changes that have happen are usally for the worst but some must be made.
The RKO should be saved if at all possible. But with everything else in life MONEY talks. Someone wants to get make money on the site not spend money! It been 20 years and still no progress. This is unbelieveable! I just hope that someone will step up to the plate and do something quick!
It is really sad to drive by and see its current state and know the history of the RKO! and Main Street as well!
To promote his new film “The Ladies Man,” Jerry Lewis appeared on stage at this theater on July 13, 1961.
Thanks Ed. Yeah, the Richmond Hill Keiths is a diamond in the rough. It unfortunately does desperately need a renovation inside, but, what is so wonderful about it is that even though it’s in desperate need of some help inside, it also hasn’t undergone any major alterations either. Last I was in there for a flea market, even the chandeliers hung in the theater yet, filthy and full of cobwebs, but all still there just the same. The plasterwork was painted beige on the wall, but it’s relatively intact, as is the ceiling (which still has original colorful goldleaf paint, contrasting with the beige walls. The extched mirrors still hang in the lobby, the marble on the floor. The marquee was uncovered by a movie company, and after they were done, the owner of the building restored it further. The current owners obviously have some interest in the building as they beautifully restored the marquee. Obviously, they can’t restore the theater as it should be, as there wouldn’t be a profit in it. Some organization would have to do that, and it would have to have some sort of profitable purpose, which may be hard to find. But in the mean time, It’s a diamond in the rough, and even though a bingo hall flea market, the building is being minimally maintained (which is good, as it’s not sitting there derelict by any means), awaiting a potential renovation – one day.
The only thing the fate of the Keiths in Richmond Hill and the Keith’s in Flushing have in common is the name, other than that, it’s a pretty clear have and have not scenario.
Read more here:
/theaters/3972/
There’s links to photos in that thread too.
Yes. The original marquee had that French curve as you see in vintage photos of the Keith’s and as evidenced by the steel framework that is now exposed as the abandoned hulk awaits its fate. As with so many other theaters in NYC (the Paramount in Times Square, for example), the old curved marquee was replaced by a square box that was built on top of the old one. Such was the case with the RKO Keith’s in Richmond Hill, where the original marquee was found more or less intact behind the square-box marquee that had been hung over it decades ago. The old marquee was refurbished by the production company for a period set film that filmed some exterior shots outside of the Richmond Hill Kieth’s.
Why does it appear to be a straight rectangle marquee? The original was curved, IINM, and the abandoned theater has a curved remnant of a marquee. Was the marquee in Warren’s photo just posted simply covering the original, which is now exposed once again on the abandoned building?
Thanks for that shot, Warren. I’m not sure that’s exactly the marquee I remember as a kid when I saw, say, “Star Wars” here… was it altered again in the late ‘70’s just prior to the triplexing? I seem to recall more or less the same boxy shape, but a lighter background behind the movie titles. And I don’t recall the cluster of lights along the corner edges. I’m also remembering blue as a dominant color, for some reason. Maybe the lettering of the theater’s name? Time has certainly dimmed the recollection.
Last time I drove by the site (about 2 weeks ago) no signs of demolition were in evidence.
bobosan, thanks. It appears they were just beginning to concrete block up the windows in your earlier photo.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get a historic photo from that angle to compare.
Also Warren, nice photo. To only see the marquee dressed up with words again…
Nice photo, Warren, but … talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! Great promotional line on the marquee: “A RARE REWARDING SCREEN EXPERIENCE”! Why not just say “NOT THE CRAP WE NORMALLY SHOW”?
Here is a webpage I created showing the RKO Keith in 1990 (top) and 1994. I took the photos from almost the exact same spot.
http://bobby19850.tripod.com/
In the top picture, you can see the windows on the second floor, many of them broken. By 1994, they were all boarded up.