RKO Keith's Richmond Hill Theatre

117-09 Hillside Avenue,
Richmond Hill, NY 11418

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Bway
Bway on January 10, 2005 at 10:36 am

Here’s the online version of the story, but unfortunately, the online version does not have the photo in it.

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(free nytimes login account needed)

I have not been in the theater since very early 90’s. It has the be at least 15 years or so. (They also do flea markets on Sundays for anyone that wants to take a peak inside). From the description, it appears that the theater has changed little and is exactly like I remembered it the description of it I gave above in this thread, right down to the curtain still being there.

RobertR
RobertR on September 14, 2004 at 11:39 pm

An ad from the 4/28/58 Long Island press shows both Keiths playing a re-release of Jennifer Jones in “Song of Bernadette” alond with Lex Barker in “The Deerslayer”. The second feature was in Cinemascaope. I guess this was to capitalize on “Farewell to Arms” which was winding into the first run neighborhood houses at that time.

Bway
Bway on August 24, 2004 at 8:09 pm

Interesting, I never was in the Flushing Keiths, nor ever read it;’s page….I think I’ll do that now. I heard it also was a quite ornate theater.

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on August 24, 2004 at 5:57 pm

my error it was in flushing

EMarkisch
EMarkisch on August 24, 2004 at 3:30 pm

As far as I know, the Richmond Hill Keith’s was never triplexed. Although I never saw a movie there, I did go to one of their bingo games and everything was pretty much as Bway described above. Perhaps, longislandmovies has this theater confused with the RKO Keith’s in Flushing.

Bway
Bway on August 24, 2004 at 3:06 pm

My last sentence was supposed to read, “As I mentioned earlier in this thread this is THE theater that probably clinched my INTEREST in old theaters”.
I also forgot to mention that all the chandeliers were still present on either side of the balcony level too, and they occasionally would be lit during the flea markets, but not often. Some of the light fixtures throughout the theater still had the original light bulbs yet! Those really old ones that looked sort of like flames. I remember them specifically in the light fixtures near the front emergency exit doors. The sconce was broken, but the light bulb was still there and original – and lit!

Bway
Bway on August 24, 2004 at 3:01 pm

Really? It was multiplexed? Are you sure? If it was, all evidence was taken away, because as a flea market even in the early 80’s, the balcony was in full view, and “undamaged”, meaning all plasterwork was still there. The ceiling is also undamaged (and in original paint (or at least it was when I was last there) and in clear view, The walls were painted beige up to about ¾ of the way up (the procenium arch was beige on the sides, and original on top.

It’s been a while, and I never was in there as a theater, but here’s how I remember it as a teenager going to the flea markets there.
You walked down an ornate lobby, with “foggy mirrors” from filth to a second set of doors and an “inner lobby” with a huge ornate and filthy chandelier. There was a marble staircase on the left, and a wrapping balcony level overlooking the “inner lobby”, but don’t remember what was on the right. (maybe the former concession area?). I actually snuck up that marble staircase during one of the flea markets as a kid to check out the balcony level, which was thick with cobwebs.
Then another set of doors that took you into the main auditorium. On the right was second staircase up to the balcony (in the main auditorium), and they had a makeshift concession stand in front of that to serve food at the flea market.
If looking up to the balcony from the orchestra level, all the seats were there, and there was no evidence that it had ever been partitioned off, either from the main auditorium, or in half.
Unless it was a REALLY bad triplexing, where sound would have traveled from one theater to the next, I can’t see any evidence that the theater was multiplexed. I don’t know if it is still the case, but even the original tapestry curtain still existed on the stage back in the 80’s! It was in the down position, and they (to my horror even then) cut a part of it to put in a doorway to get to the stage area.
As I mentioned earlier in this thread this is THE theater that probably clinched my interet old theaters, just walking through that as a kid in it’s “era of the past” state.

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on August 24, 2004 at 2:30 pm

I WAS ONLY HERE ONCE SO I AM NOT SURE , BUT I REMEMBER IT AS A TRIPLEX. WALK IN CANDY STAND IN THE CENTER AND A TWO SIDED MARBEL STAIR CASE TO SECOND FLOOR . THE LARGEST MENS ROON I EVER SAW IN A THEATER

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on August 24, 2004 at 2:16 pm

longislandmovies, what WAS the last day this theater showed films ? What DID you end up removing from it ? What do you mean, “What a bad multiplex job here” ? The RKO Keith was never, to my knowledge, multiplexed, before it stopped showing films. Please explain. Thank you.

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on August 24, 2004 at 2:12 pm

only in this theater once on its last day, as i worked for RKO, TO DECIED WHAT WE WERE TO REMOVE.What a bad multiplex job here but what this theater must of been like was still evident.

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on August 24, 2004 at 10:49 am

Bway, I know what you mean about the RKO Keith in Richmond Hill. It’s in its own “Twilight Zone”, painfully teetering, seemingly, on the cusp between gutting and demolition, and full restoration. The American Museum of Sound Recording used to be there, but is not there now. Jahn’s, next door, is in much the same condition of seemingly being about to close.

Perhaps the ongoing gentrification of Richmond Hill will bring about changes for the better for both landmarks.

Bway
Bway on August 24, 2004 at 10:06 am

Everytime I see that photo, I wish more and more the RKO Keith would be restored. The current owner has beutifully restored the marquee (I think after a movie company removed the 50’s covering on the marquee). There was talk that they were going to partially restore it, and a radio museum would be put there, but I think that fell through.
I used to love walking though that theater as a kid because it’s such a diamond in the rough. All the old features are still there, just waiting for restoration. It’s probably more painfull to look at that theater just “so close, yet so far away” than other ornate theaters, such as the Madison that are totally gutted with no hope of returning to their glory. At least with the RKO Madison, as sad as it is that it’s interior had been destroyed, at least you can write that one off. There is no way you can write the RKO Keith off just sitting there in all it’s tarnished glory.

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on August 23, 2004 at 5:21 pm

Thanks, lostmemory. I’m glad you found the Richmond Hill Historical Society website. I’m mentioned by name there on the Jamaica el page.
Or, at least I was.

RobertR
RobertR on August 23, 2004 at 10:45 am

I was looking at the Keiths the other day and since the downstairs is currently used the owner should close off the balcony and make it a triplex cinema.

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on June 4, 2004 at 7:04 pm

There is a better view of the RKO Keith Richmond Hill Theater in the following image :

http:/www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?31151

This is an older image in which the theater actually appears to be showing movies ! It can be seen to the right of the streetcar. Between the right edge of the streetcar and the left edge of the RKO Keith is the entrance and one window width of Jahn’s famous ice cream parlor, still open as of April 3, 2004.

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on May 20, 2004 at 1:03 pm

The RKO Keith Richmond Hill Theater may be glimpsed in the distance in the following image :

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?24492

It’s the water tower and peaked roof to the upper right of the upper right corner of the front of the train (silver car) in this image.

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on April 26, 2004 at 12:51 pm

M_acevedo, thanks for your comment, and for mentioning the Richmond Hill Historical Society. “Bway” introduced me to their site, and I have seen the material on the RKO Keith of Richmond Hill on the site, and I am mentioned by name on the “update” page regarding images of the Jamaica el. Like you, I think webmasters should donate relevant material to each other. Those images of the Jamaica el came from another website at my suggestion, and with that website’s webmaster’s permission.

I am very fond of that part of Richmond Hill, and was last there this past April 3rd. I had an ice cream sundae in Jahn’s. I was glad to find it still open, though with so few customers, compared even to April 1990, that I wonder how it remains open. It’s so dark inside. I’ve been in brighter and more cheerful funeral parlors.

I know what you mean about Richmond Hill’s “jaw-dropping Victorian splendor”. I’ve enjoyed it myself. You’ll see more of it on Kevin Walsh’s site at :
www.forgotten-ny.com on the Richmond Hill page under street scenes.

Bway
Bway on April 26, 2004 at 10:45 am

I agree, the theater should be identified as RKO Keith’s Richmond Hill Theater. I had a lot of trouble finding the theater in the database, and finally found it by searching “RKO”, which finally let me find it. If I didn’t know it was an RKO theater, I may still not have found it because Keith’s is not in the title.

MarcoAcevedo
MarcoAcevedo on April 26, 2004 at 10:23 am

I think the theater should be identified here as the RKO Keith’s in Richmond Hill, since that is how residents remember it, and mostly because anyone walking by today would see the grand original marquee proudly displaying “RKO Keith’s."Granted it could cause confusion with its better known cousin in Flushing. I "discovered” this theater online while browsing through the Richmond Hill Historical Society’s website after coming back home from a Saturday afternoon stroll through the neighborghood’s jaw-dropping Victorian splendor. I had missed the Keith’s (as well as Jahn’s Ice Cream Parlor next door) not having gone down the length of Hillside but plan on getting back there as soon as possible. The Society has a couple of pages on the Keith’s which should be of great interest to visitors of Cinema Treasures. One documents in photos the unveiling of the original intact marquee under the later sheet-metal one by the film crew of the movie “The Guru” which did location shooting there and eneded up using the old marquee in ther shots. The other has a 1939 photo of marquee and local Legion post marching band at the opening of the double-feature “Grand Illusion” and “Wife, Husband and Friend.” Maybe your webmaster can get permission to use one of these shots for this page?

Bway
Bway on April 16, 2004 at 4:10 pm

I think I can trace my interst in theaters to the RKO Keiths in Richmond Hill. When I was about 12, occasionally I used to go with my parents to the RKO Keiths in Richmond Hill for the Flea Markets in the mid 80’s. They would go looking at the stuff, and I would go off on my own and explore the theater. The “relic” condition of it fascinated me! The very opulent lobby with the mirrors, chandeliers, and plasterwork, sitting there filthy just fascinated me. Also all the chandeliers along the ceiling up in the balcony. The theater was sort of trashed, but so much of the theater’s glory days was there. Many of the old sconces were lit up on the walls back then, sitting there filthy.
One day during a flea market as a kid, I snuck up to the balcony. All that was stopping me was a chain across the stairs with the ornate railing. I ran up there when no one was looking, and really searched the nooks and crannies. Soot, and years of dust and cobwebs covered everything, including the draperies and crystal chandeliers. I also snuck behind the stage curtain on one trip there. The ornate curtain had been cut, and makeshift doorway put in it.
The ornate paintings and murals all survived way up on the ceiling of the theater, although all the walls were painted beige about halfway up to the ceiling. The proscenium arch was beige on the sides, and the top was still original with gold etching, and all different colors. The theater seemed so interesting because of all the old stuff sitting there, like a diamond in the rough.
I have not been back to the RKO Keith’s in probably at least 15 years, so have no idea what changes (or removal of old stuff) have taken place since back then.
I was sorry to hear that the museum plans fell through, it would have been nice to see the theater restored. At least around 15 years ago, so much of the old theater was still intact (aside from the seats on the main level), so it was very possible to save with restoration unlike so many other theaters. I hope that is still the case today.

EMarkisch
EMarkisch on March 23, 2004 at 6:07 pm

Shouldn’t the name of this theater be the RKO Keith’s – Richmond Hill?
My wife, who grew up in Richmond Hill, as well as friends and acquaintances from the area always refer to this theater as the Keith’s. Years ago I recall that newspaper ads for the RKO chain always had to differentiate between the two Keith’s theaters in the borough of Queens. The one in Richmond Hill and the other in Flushing, which is referred to correctly elsewhere on this site.

maryannmorrongiello
maryannmorrongiello on February 6, 2004 at 9:08 pm

I lived in Richmond Hill until I married at age 22….In the fabulous 60’s I went there when the rock band Dave Clark Five were appearing, I remember my older brother holding me and my twin up so we could get a glimpse of them. We always went to Jahn’s Ice Cream Parlor next door. I loved that neighborhood, especially Richmond Hill Library down the block from there. What memories. When I was dating my husband, we would stop in to Glenn’s Tavern across the street from the RKO. Some nights, we had dinner in Salerno’s restaurant. Anyone else have any memories…write me at
Mary Ann Morrongiello (Manders)

MarkW
MarkW on January 10, 2004 at 5:18 am

The balcony and seats are still intact.

William
William on January 9, 2004 at 3:31 pm

The RKO Richmond Hill Theatre once seated 2234 people.