RKO Keith's Theatre
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
51 people
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The RKO-CW people sold this theatre just days before they sold the rest of the company to Cineplex. When The Grand Pooh-bah of Cineplex found out he went to the guy who bought it and offered him the sun, the moon and the stars to buy it back, but was refused. While I generally view Cineplex and The Grand Pooh-bah with contempt for ruining so many decent theatres New York, I will admit that on these big old palaces they did do a decent job of restoration [e.g. the lobby of the Loew’s Met in Brooklyn]. This would have been one that I would have been glad to see him take over.
It’s a shame that the slimeball who let the Keith’s deteriorate wasn’t jailed years ago for his disregard of the landmarks law. And the City of New York is culpable for letting him get away with it. The City could have declared eminant domain and bought it from this guy and sell it to someone committed to restoration, like Cineplex.
Much has been talked about here about the lobby of the Keith’s. Any word on what the main auditorium’s condition is in? From what I gather it’s not that great of condition, maybe even totally trashed. Does anything remain of the walls or ceiling, or anything? I would love to see photos of the Keith’s both in it’s heyday or current shambles, anyone know of any available on the net?
I rememmber attending my first Rock n Roll show at the Flushing RKO. It was emceed by Murray the K deejay from 1010 WINS. The show featured Wicked Wilson Pickett and introduced two new bands from England, Cream and The Who. I remember Pickett strutting up the aisles with his mike cable trailing behind singing “Funky Broadway” and “Midnight Hour”. Cream and the Who did only a couple of numbers and were LOUD and raw but pumped up the crowd.
I remember going to the rock and roll shows at the Keiths. What a great memory and theater. Going to a show was truly and event.
The Keiths continues to stand tall and proud at the juncture
of Main and Northern.However,
its in absolute shambles at this point.The theater
portion of the building is in total disrepair and is
going to be torn down by Boymelgreen Developers to make
way for residential building and some retail.The lobby
is in bad shape but restoreable.It has landmark status
and will be restored to its original glory.It will be
incorporated into the new structure.It is a very slow process
as Boymelgreen is working with community officials to
come up with the best possible plan for the site.The last plan
was rejected due to its size and scale.Here is good story on the
condition of the lobby.Although its been bruised and battered
by years of neglect and deliberate actions by the former owner of the property,it is in suprisingly good shape.Here’s the article:
View link
The idiot who destroyed the interior of that theatre should be hung on main street! What a disaster. That place should have been preserved with landmark status and made into a museum. What a great place to watch a movie. Of course most of the people who live there now weren’t around, probably not even in this COUNTRY, when it was open. What a sad, sad outcome for such a glorious palace…
thanks Warren, your right, it was Pitkin, on Pitkin Ave.
I was there many many times, it was a beautiful theater. When I was a kid, 50’s 60’s, during intermission the sky would actually move, or atleast look liked it moved. Years later, it had stopped and the theater owner told me it was in need of repair. My mom told me there was a theater in brooklyn, long since closed that did the same thing. I think it was the Pickford ave?? Not sure, anyway, the Fluching Keith’s was and still is the best theater I have ever been in.
the last time i was there – was to see the movie “popeye” with robin williams…
are there any pictures of the inside of the keiths??? i was young and the last movie was “popeye” and i don’t really remember much.. just that it was grand…
There was a building to the immmediate W with a facade that was shaped in the letter D – it was for the Deborah foundation (a group founded to fight TB). They ran Bingo and Adult Dances, presumably to raise funds. I thought there was a clinic there too but it wasnt a hospital per se. The closest hospital was Parsons Hospital.
It was the biggest & best theatre in downtown Flushing. I saw many
1st run films of every genre and the size just amplified the
laughs/screams of the patrons. Remeber seeing LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR, THE FRONT, WILLIE WONKA to name a few. Also Mel Brooks' SILENT MOVIE in the right hand side orchestra section, to this day was the only comedy I have ever seen jaded, too-cool NYers go bananas laughing over. Chester37a is correct, RUNNING SCARED was the last flick shown there (which I also saw, there)-I used to drive my Mom to Bingo at the hospital next door and for years the posters hung in the displays.The story of the Keith’s is the story of Flushing, change happened but not necessarily for the better.
The address is 129-43 Northern Boulevard.
The fountain is gone according to one newspaper report, I’m sure the crooked developer sold it before he drove the bulldozer through the lobby.
Reported in today’s New York Times, the owner of the property, Boymelgreen Developers, have propsed a 19-story condominium tower for the site. The landmarked lobby and grand foyer would be preserved behind a 45,000-pound, 50' high, 100' wide glass curtain wall on the building’s Northern Boulevard frontage and would house restaurants and retail shops. An exhibit in the building would display artifacts salvaged from the theater.
The last motion picture I saw there was a “buddy-picture” called “Running Scared”. It starred Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines, …with Jimmy Smits as the heavy. I think it may have been the last film screened there because, when they shut the joint down the posters for said film were still up. I can remember passing by the theatre and seeing them fading from the sunlight. I saw some fun movies there over the years(Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Airplane,etc.) It was a shame to see it just waste away. I hate passing by that place whenever I’m in town.
Bernie at the Organ was a regular live feature at the RKO Keith’s for many years and well loved.
I work in Flushing & pass by it daily. I got a peek inside & the lobby ( the landmark portion) is basically bare walls. So much for landmark protection. In NYC, it is all about money. History be damned
The theater is also on the National Register of Historic Places and is situated on Northern Boulevard opposite Main Street.
The Kieth’s was an absolutely spectacular theater. Even as a triplex, seeing a film here (particularly in the intact balcony auditorium) was a special treat. The theater actually survivied until 1986, when it was closed by the local real estate magnate and vandal who attempted to gut the theater despite it’s official landmark status and convert the space into a retail mall. There has been much legal and civic turmoil regarding it’s fate over the last 17 years. The operators of the nearby historic Flushing Town Hall have been rumored to be interested in acquiring the theater to restore it to legitemate use as a cultural center, but any efforts there have been thwarted by legal entanglements and lack of funding.
Recently, a deal was announced whereby a commercial interest would redevelop the site for mixed usage but would restore the theater’s landmarked sections to their original glory. Unfortunately, NYC officials did not have the wisdom to give landmark status to the gorgeous auditorium (with it’s atmospheric Moroccan details), but at least the stunning lobby and grand foyer will be preserved under the new plan. I wonder if such a restoration would include a replica of the original fountain that was the centerpiece of the lobby. It was removed years before the landmark commission ever considered the theater for designation, replaced by a large candy-counter.
The Keith’s was the theatre that I saw all of many early eigthies classic horror flicks. the theatre had been cut into three sections. the balcony was where the expected to be popular flick would show and the lower level was divided in two. I saw all of these films opening weekend, Indiana Jones,Heavy Metal, Howlling,Friday the 13th, Jason,Empire Strikes back to name a few. As I sat in the balcony I always wonder who would build a room soo large for trashy films and how much they must have paid someone to paint the ceiling. On the lower level there where vents that you could see to a lit basement floor which I was told that there were corridors down there from the Vaudeville days.
Bob Hope,George Burns, Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx & the Marx Brothers all performed here in Vaudeville.Groucho performed his first show with painted mustache here (his stage clothes & make-up arrived late, so he improvised and it became his trademark). Murray The K also held his show here occasionally in the 60s with CREAM performing here (with a young Eric Clapton)in late ‘66.
My ballet school used to have their recitals at the Keith during the 60’s. I always remember having photo’s taken by the beautiful fountain in the lobby. Too bad it couldn’t be restored as a landmark.
The RKO Keith’s was my childhood theatre and an adventure to attend. It was a grand place on a Sat afternoon for us to enjoy a show and movie. My most memorable movie was “A Night to Remember.”