Comments from Jeffrey1955

Showing 151 - 175 of 410 comments

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jun 8, 2008 at 12:54 pm

I think the bottom line is, if the Keith’s were in Times Square, Trump or somebody would be interested. But it’s in Queens. Of course, if it were in Times Square it could probably make money. In Queens, it would have to be part of some major redevelopment project. You know, like with a new baseball stadium, new stores, new housing… too bad there’s nothing at all like THAT going on nearby…

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jun 7, 2008 at 2:11 pm

That “press release” is one of the most unprofessional pieces of PR crap I’ve ever read — and I’ve read PLENTY of PR crap. They simply lifted whole sections out of Boymelgreen’s boiler-plate PR statements for THEIR plan, and recycled it to make it seem like there’s a plan “in place” — when, in fact, there is NO plan in place. The fact that the identical sentence about condo buyers being able to “use a portion of their unit as a home office” is repeated just a few lines apart, shows just how badly this release was put together.

It would appear that this piece of property just keeps attracting the bottom-feeders in NYC real estate.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jun 6, 2008 at 10:28 pm

I have never before heard of a “vacant” site being sold on the basis of a development “plan” that the previous owner drew up and then abandoned.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Allerton Theatre on Jun 5, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Whoops, sorry — that link didn’t seem to work; go to http://maps.live.com, put in 744 Allerton Ave, Bronx, NY as the location, and choose Bird’s eye View; you’ll see the building on the south side of Allerton.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Allerton Theatre on Jun 5, 2008 at 1:20 pm

The street view photos on Google Maps and the Bird’s eye View photos on LiveSearch both show Payless still there, and those appear to be fairly recent. Interestingly, viewing the building from the rear in the Live Search Bird’s eye View (http://tinyurl.com/3ocwn6) you can see that the theater building has a stepped roof that actually peaks in the middle, rather than at one end — which seems kind of curious to me.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Allerton Theatre on Jun 4, 2008 at 10:07 pm

Comparing the two photos, it appears that allegation is correct — although the actual theater entrance and marquee would have been to the left in the second photo, behind the corner building in the foreground.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about De Luxe Theatre on Jun 3, 2008 at 5:11 pm

Boy, that photo kind of defines the gritty 70s!

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Greenwood Features on Jun 2, 2008 at 10:21 pm

“my friend’s the projectionist and she showed me everything.”

Ah, to be young again.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jun 2, 2008 at 10:19 pm

‘Twas beauty killed Donald Manes?

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Palace Theatre on May 28, 2008 at 7:11 pm

Incredible finds! You ought to post this to some of the other RKO Stanley Warner/Proctor’s theaters mentioned…or at least make sure the guys in charge here are aware of it, so they can alert others somehow. This is BIG…really BIG!

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Palace Theatre on May 16, 2008 at 2:58 pm

This is really a great story, one which I hope will receive wider press coverage. And the description of the Palace at the top should be updated as well — describing its status as “closed” and its future as “uncertain” now seems inaccurate.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Palace Theatre on May 15, 2008 at 12:15 pm

Hey shoeshoe, if you write for Fairfield Weekly, do you know Lorraine Gengo? She used to be the editor, but I think she left. I’m an old friend of her mother.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Eagle Theater on May 5, 2008 at 2:11 pm

Boy…that just looks worse all the time!

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Allerton Theatre on May 3, 2008 at 5:40 pm

So let’s see: it went from 1232 seats, to 918, to 771, to 0. Guess that’s progress.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Drake Theatre on May 3, 2008 at 5:35 pm

p.s. As for there being a bowling alley downstairs, I really don’t recall that. But I do remember there being a bowling alley in the area known as Woodhaven Lanes — and if you want a classic example of just how confused the community names in Queens can be, try Googling “Woodhaven Lanes.” You’ll immediately get a page on which it is variously referred to as:

Woodhaven Lanes, in Forest Hills
Brunswick Woodhaven Lanes – Rego Park, NY 11374 – …
Brunswick Woodhaven Lane – Queens/Middle Village – Flushing, NY 11385
Brunswick Woodhaven Lanes in Flushing

How many more places can it be?

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Drake Theatre on May 3, 2008 at 5:26 pm

John, thanks for that information. I suspect that the Drake would not want to be known as a Middle Village venue, because the Arion already was drawing the Middle Village crowd, and the Drake wanted to be identified with the area from which it was most likely to draw — whether that was thought of as West Forest Hills (at it apparently was initially) or Rego Park.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Polk Theater on Apr 15, 2008 at 11:12 am

Nice job supplying him with the photos, Warren! (And, I suspect, giving him the idea for the article…?)

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Polk Theater on Apr 3, 2008 at 11:31 pm

Not unless they were directly in the path of one of his highways.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Polk Theater on Apr 2, 2008 at 10:42 pm

I know I saw that series, but I can’t remember how long ago it was. I do have Robert Caro’s Moses biography, The Power Broker, which is of course the authoritative work and the basis for much of what was said about him in the film. Fascinating, and deeply flawed, personality — and the ultimate irony is that, though he built all those roads, detested mass transit and was determined to pave over just about everything, he never learned to drive!

Anyway, now back to the Polk’s Red Hot XXX Double Feature, “I Can’t Drive A Stick” and “Rear-Ended Thanks to Robert Moses.” Sorry, all out of popcorn.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Polk Theater on Apr 2, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Well, you certainly make some very reasonable, intelligent arguments. I agree completely that the city has improved in many ways since that 70s – 90s period. But whether you “have to” tear down in order to build is open to question. Was it really necessary to tear down Penn Station in order to build a new MSG? Was it really necessary to tear down the Singer Building in order to build whatever that glass box is that stands in its place? Most decisions are based on the economic conditions at the time and speculation, not on real necessity. Look at all the additional “land” being created over the West Side rail yards, or the Atlantic rail yards. How much of that is going to be utilized for middle class housing — REAL middle class housing that families can actually afford? And how many housing units would be available if real estate interests weren’t warehousing buildings and controlling the market to ENSURE that prices are driven up? And what does any of this have to do with the Polk Theatre? Not a blessed thing, as usual, but thanks for the opportunity to vent!

We now return you to Hot Nurses in today’s XXX Polk double feature.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Polk Theater on Apr 2, 2008 at 12:21 pm

LuisV, your rose-colored glasses need a cleaning. The fact that large parts of NYC in the 70s and 80s were dangerous and filthy doesn’t mean that architecturally significant buildings had to be demolished to change things. Yes, there’s a lot of exciting stuff being built. But there’s no reason why existing stuff can’t be preserved and made clean and vital. “Economic feasibility” in the city has come to mean driving the middle class completely out of Manhattan, and turning Queens into a wasteland of architecturally dreadful Fedders specials (see ForgottenNY.com for details) without so much as a blade of grass around the paved-over front lawns. You’re confusing expediency with feasibility, and squeezing every last bit of profit out of property with responsible, sustainable development.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Palace Theatre on Mar 17, 2008 at 6:38 pm

Hey shoeshoe, if you do get your behind-the-scenes tour, be sure to bring a camera!

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Polk Theater on Mar 11, 2008 at 12:27 pm

R before E, E before R… doesn’t much matter now that it’s G O N E, does it? It’s just a shame nobody was able to salvage the marquee — especially if the original art moderne lettering was still underneath. That was a gem, and should have gone to that museum of vintage neon signs.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about Loew's 167th Street Theatre on Mar 9, 2008 at 3:08 pm

I doubt there were many more stage productions of anything like “Bagels and Yox” after that. The Jewish population in that area was rapidly departing in the mid to late 60s. We moved from E. 167th and College Ave. to Queens in ‘63. My aunt had moved from Belmont Avenue to Concourse Village, on the other side of the Concourse near 161st St., around 1965 or 66. She hung on for a while, but moved to Florida in the early 70s. My uncle had lived in the vicinity of E. 167th and Sherman Ave., but moved to Central Ave. in Yonkers around '65 or '66.

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Feb 28, 2008 at 12:16 am

Neat photos! Thanks for sharing!