As a result of garth’s comment I paid a visit to the oldstatenisland website and had a wave of nostalgia overtake me. The last time I saw the Strand was in 1948. As a kid living in Brooklyn, a visit to my aunt and uncle, who lived in Elltingville. was a trip to the country. This was the pre Verrazano bridge period. The only theatre in the area was the Strand in Great Kills…the next town down the line. I remember vividly walking a couple miles on a dirt road one night to get to the Strand; all the while listening to a baseball game on my portable radio. It was a great little theatre.
The Electra was the theatre of choice whenever you wanted something different. It was here that you saw foreign films such as
“La Ronde” and “Orpheus” among many others. Also classic British films such as “Henry V” and “Great Expectations”. The theatre was almost a working film course. An annual favorite was the double bill of “King Kong” and “Gunga Din”. The Electra also showed “Citizen Kane” yearly. To top it all, Saturdays would offer you the free comic books with their covers removed. I wish I could have met the owner and been old enough to appreciate him.
The Bay Ridge along with the Electra were the theatres of my childhood. Funny that ij mentions Hubert “Cubby” Selby in his comment.For those who don’t know, Selby was the author of “Last Exit to Brooklyn” and “Requiem For a Dream”. Cubby and I along with Gil Sorrentino (another respected author) almost lived in those theatres.
Since it was just up the street from PS-102, I would hit the Bay Ridge 2 or 3 times a week. I remember the day the ticket price went up from a dime to 11 cents…had to run home six blocks to get another penny. Vaudeville night was every Thursday with acts on their way up but mostly on their way down…Lash LaRue and his black whip for example. A beautiful theatre.
In addition to running features following their showings at the Loew’s Alpine, the Bay Ridge picked up films after they ran at the RKO Dyker.
As a result of garth’s comment I paid a visit to the oldstatenisland website and had a wave of nostalgia overtake me. The last time I saw the Strand was in 1948. As a kid living in Brooklyn, a visit to my aunt and uncle, who lived in Elltingville. was a trip to the country. This was the pre Verrazano bridge period. The only theatre in the area was the Strand in Great Kills…the next town down the line. I remember vividly walking a couple miles on a dirt road one night to get to the Strand; all the while listening to a baseball game on my portable radio. It was a great little theatre.
The Electra was the theatre of choice whenever you wanted something different. It was here that you saw foreign films such as
“La Ronde” and “Orpheus” among many others. Also classic British films such as “Henry V” and “Great Expectations”. The theatre was almost a working film course. An annual favorite was the double bill of “King Kong” and “Gunga Din”. The Electra also showed “Citizen Kane” yearly. To top it all, Saturdays would offer you the free comic books with their covers removed. I wish I could have met the owner and been old enough to appreciate him.
Bob Camfiord
The Bay Ridge along with the Electra were the theatres of my childhood. Funny that ij mentions Hubert “Cubby” Selby in his comment.For those who don’t know, Selby was the author of “Last Exit to Brooklyn” and “Requiem For a Dream”. Cubby and I along with Gil Sorrentino (another respected author) almost lived in those theatres.
Since it was just up the street from PS-102, I would hit the Bay Ridge 2 or 3 times a week. I remember the day the ticket price went up from a dime to 11 cents…had to run home six blocks to get another penny. Vaudeville night was every Thursday with acts on their way up but mostly on their way down…Lash LaRue and his black whip for example. A beautiful theatre.
Bob Camfiord