Ridgewood Theatre
55-27 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
55-27 Myrtle Avenue,
Ridgewood,
NY
11385
31 people
favorited this theater
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You’re welcome, Peter! The LPC stands for Landmarks Preservation Commission, the organization that has a tendency of frowning upon Queens. However, I must remain optimitic. The proposal, noted as a “Request For Evaluation,” will contain detailed current photos of the exterior & streetscape, historic photos, a few paragraphs documenting its history & architectural significance, as well as your article and possibly others. I am also hoping to include letters of support from preservation groups, individuals, and elected officials. The more material included, the stronger it will be for our case. I’ll keep everyone posted.
Thanks, NativeForestHiller (Michael). My pleasure ! I take it that the “infamous LPC” is none other than the Landmark Preservation Committee ? It’s too bad we can’t present this Ridegwood Theater page, and its size, to the LPC as proof that the Ridgewood Theater should be landmarked. Or can we ?
Or will you ?
Congratulations, Peter, for generating superb press coverage!!! I haven’t had too much time on my hands recently, but I do plan on finalizing my visual & written research for this theater, and submitting it to the infamous LPC. Hopefully, it will be preserved for posterity! – Michael
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."
Great job, Peter! Thx for the link. Mendoza &Diaz should have YOU on the payroll!
Also loved the reference to Hizzoner John Vliet Lindsay’s 1969 Blizzard, the impending Valentine’s Day storm of which he declared that it wouldn’t snow and promptly went on vacation. If memory serves me correctly, no salt spreaders were ordered out, and the Borough of Queens was snowbound for a week. And the Ridgewood Theater lost its marquee under the weight of all that white stuff.
You’re welcome, Lost Memory and Bway, and thanks for your acknowledgments ! My pleasure !
That’s great Peter! Nice work!
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.
I went by the Ridgewood Theater last night about 9:30, and the place looked great all lit up. The marquee sparkled, the lobby and it’s original floor just radiated through the doors. I wish I had my camera with me, as I would have snapped a photo. Actually, I was completely impressed with the way Myrtle Ave looked in general last night. I ate at the White Castle at Wyckoff and Myrtle, and then had to go to Glendale for something, and drove the whole length of Myrtle Ave from Wyckoff to the JR Parkway. I can’t explain it, the Christmas lights sparkling above, the Ridgewood Theater, all the lights from the stores, the brand new “retro” lamp posts….the place looks better than it has in years. It’s definitely improving fast. It was never really “bad”, but it was getting seedy. I even glanced through the doors of the Liberty Department Store (RKO Madison Theater), and even that looked good (well let’s not get into the fact that the Madison has been gutted…)
Seriously, really impressed.
You’re welcome, mikemovies.
I assume theater 2 and 3 are the orchestra level theaters, and 1, 4, and 5 are the balcony, assuming from left to right if facing the screen?
Hope you fella’s had a happy holiday. Thanx PKoch for sending emails to the Times Newsweekly and The Queens Chronicle. Perhap’s I can help by sending emails to some of the other news organizations given by NativeForestHiller. The owners must be aware of the age of the Ridgewood Theatre. Perhap’s they just don’t care and are holding on to the Ridgewood Theatre until an irresistible offer comes along.
does anyone know the seating capacities and does any have digital sound
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.
Hi Peter! Thank you very much for contacting the Queens Chronicle & Times NewsWeekly about Ridgewood Theatre’s 90th. I appreciate your dedication! Did you submit a formal press release or a casual e-mail? If you would be willing to contact more local papers, their e-mail addresses are as follows. Also, please let me know if you would like some quotes from me. Feel free to e-mail me at or correspond through this forum.
Queens Tribune:
, , (Editor Brian Rafferty)
Daily News:
(Nicholas Hirshon)
Queens Courier:
Queens Ledger & affiliates:
Times Ledger series (i.e. FH Ledger, Ridgewood Times, etc)
, (Reporter Nathan Duke)
Queens Gazette:
If the owners are not planning a celebration, that would be a very poor business tactic for the oldest extant theater & noteworthy unofficial Queens landmark!
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.
“By the time the papers pick up the story, the anniversary will be over.” – Lost Memory
For tomorrow, Saturday, 12/23, suggest the Ridgewood immediately book “Dumb & Dumberer,” starring Diaz & Mendoza, those laughable, loveable buffoons we love to rag on. The combined spirits of Bud Abbott & Lou Costello truly live on! LOL!
(2nd feature could be “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Any other titles come to mind, guys?)
Happy Holly Daze to all the Ridgewood Regulars!
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.
Perhap’s we should send an e-card to remind the owners of the Ridgewood Theatre’s anniversery. Do we know there email address fella’s. Mr Hirschon of the Daily News might be interested in writing about this occasion.
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).
‘The Departed’ is a great crime drama. Lot’s of suspense. DiCaprio and Damon turn in good performances. Jack Nicholson is included fella’s although his performance isn’t as good as DiCaprio and Damon. I would rate it four out of five stars. See it for yourself.
Anthony said…Don’t waste your money on ‘Babel’. Very B O R I N G, yawn.
Agree chum. And as predicted, it got 7 nominations for golden Globe; yech to those foreign critics.
And to aggravate the issue, “The Departed” only got 6 nominations. It is on its way to ranking alongside “The Unforgiven” on my list of favorites.
Clint got two nominations. Puts me in s difficult position of picking between Eastwood and Scorcese’s “Departed”.
Ciao, Tony