I did not sit on the sidelines. I put time & effort & sweat & tears into the triboro to have all my hopes dashed by a crooked politician. The same goes for the Keiths. I just got tired of fighting city hall. NY, the entertainment capital of the world, has destroyed virtually all of their picture palaces in Times Square. While losing a lot, Chicago has at least 2 in the loop. San Francisco has a few & Oakland has two. New York does not have a good track record saving its history. Throw in Penn Station & you make it complete. When you do the equivelent of what I did on the Triboro & the Keiths early on, get back to me.
When the Triboro went down, I wonder what happened to the brass plaque with his likeness on it that was on the lobby wall. I think this may have been in all his theaters
It’s all about the Benjamins. If the Colisseum was in NYC instead of Rome it would have been bulldozed years ago.I tried to save the Triboro & it was done in by dirty politics. The same thing with the RKO Keith’s. Same villian Democrat Donald Manes. Lamb did very few atmospherics . NYC had 2 & now it has none. I will always remember how, overriding a NYC Landmarks Commission vote to landmark the Triboro’s exterior he said it was nothing unique or noteworthy. I guess the same reasoning went into the Keiths. The theater was all one style but only the lobby was deemed worthy. Sounds like Alice In Wonderland.Although NYC has lost a ton & SF the Fox which was a ton in one building, Chicago holds the prize as having the most lavish theaters ever built & the most of them pounded into dust in the name of progress.
Watch Midnight Cowboy. In the very beginning, John Voight looks out a hotel window onto Broadway. Across the street & on the left hand side is what looks like a big drop cloth. Behind that is the demolition of the Paramount taking place.
By the way, that hotel was also the site of a nother NYC landmark -the Camel sign with the guy blowing smoke rings.
I knew Jim Foley well. He was one of the best friends you could have. I have great memories of him. He took me on a tour of the Landmark when I visited him
In the very beginning are shots of people toiling at various jobs at night. One small bit is a single woman with a pail & mop mopping the floor in that huge rotunda.
I was in it many years ago on a theater tour. That majestic lobby needs to be restored along with the rest of the theater. To think of the many palaces Chicago has lost is mind numbing.
I was in the Kings right before it closed. The lobby is as big and imposing as a train staion. The auditorium was never twinned as there was basically no balcony, The company that took over after Loew’s had the misfortune of having that dog The Exorcist Part 2 as its first booking. I believe it closed shortly thereafter. The Wonder of the Wonder theaters is that they are all still standing Having seen pictures of the way it looks now it has experienced severe water damage. I look forward to seeing it resurrected. There was a basketball court underneath the orchestra seats. I wonder what has come of this.
Not many icons left. The years from 55 thru 85 were brutal. Many of the best5 were lost . The worst tragedy was the loss of the San Francisco Fox.It was probably the most palatial palace ever built in the US.
Do not waste the postage . She could care less. I thought only the GOP were heartless. Manes could have taught classes in meaness .We had 8000 signatures on petitions for the Triboro & it meant nothing. All that mattered to him was money. All the money in the world could not help him.
It will be laugable what is ultimately saved. Naturally the politicians will pat themselves on the back on the great job they did & they will be beaming with civic pride.I make it a habit never to listen to a politician on a full stomach.
Radio City must be desparate booking Sheen. I guess there are a lot of crazy people in the world
I went to what was to have been the last show before it was demolished. I still have the ticket & program. It is a shame the Roxy down the block had to go.
There is unfortunately no use for a big theater like this in Flushing. The people will not support it. For others not in the area you need parking. Liability there. you than need different types of restaurants. Unless you like oriental food with no other choice you are out of luck. You would than have to get funding to restore a theater with 2 strikes already against it.
Do not get me wrong. I would love for the theater to be restored as I there very early on in the bid to get it landmarked. Manes killed another dream & Schulman twisted the knife. Give the theater a decent burial & restore the lobby.
The theater itself is shot. I thought it might be salvageable until I saw picture of it. It is beyond hope. I have been in enough theaters over the years all over the country & can tell you it is too late for the Keiths. We can thank Manes, Schulman & all the democrats on the than city counsel for what happened.
Interesting story re the Hollywood. What is now the entrance was originally the side entrance. The original entrance (art deco I believe) was on Broadway in the middle of the block. If you walk by you will see what appears to be an entrance to a small office building . That was the original entranceway. They jettisoned it as they had to pay separate rent for it and decided it was not worth it. No idea when this took place however.
To Luis V
I did not sit on the sidelines. I put time & effort & sweat & tears into the triboro to have all my hopes dashed by a crooked politician. The same goes for the Keiths. I just got tired of fighting city hall. NY, the entertainment capital of the world, has destroyed virtually all of their picture palaces in Times Square. While losing a lot, Chicago has at least 2 in the loop. San Francisco has a few & Oakland has two. New York does not have a good track record saving its history. Throw in Penn Station & you make it complete. When you do the equivelent of what I did on the Triboro & the Keiths early on, get back to me.
Not anytime soon
Tell old Claire the “cancer” was created by her predecessor the late unlamented Donald Manes.
When the Triboro went down, I wonder what happened to the brass plaque with his likeness on it that was on the lobby wall. I think this may have been in all his theaters
Anyone want to take a bet as to what the site will look like 1 year from now. I say nothing will happen and it will stay as is.
Get your elected polticians to take a stand now. Get them behind you. It will help a lot & speed up the process.
It’s all about the Benjamins. If the Colisseum was in NYC instead of Rome it would have been bulldozed years ago.I tried to save the Triboro & it was done in by dirty politics. The same thing with the RKO Keith’s. Same villian Democrat Donald Manes. Lamb did very few atmospherics . NYC had 2 & now it has none. I will always remember how, overriding a NYC Landmarks Commission vote to landmark the Triboro’s exterior he said it was nothing unique or noteworthy. I guess the same reasoning went into the Keiths. The theater was all one style but only the lobby was deemed worthy. Sounds like Alice In Wonderland.Although NYC has lost a ton & SF the Fox which was a ton in one building, Chicago holds the prize as having the most lavish theaters ever built & the most of them pounded into dust in the name of progress.
The stories old Jim used to tell when he worked backstage during vaudevilee were priceless.Who knew Moe of the 3 Stooges like to knit?
Watch Midnight Cowboy. In the very beginning, John Voight looks out a hotel window onto Broadway. Across the street & on the left hand side is what looks like a big drop cloth. Behind that is the demolition of the Paramount taking place.
By the way, that hotel was also the site of a nother NYC landmark -the Camel sign with the guy blowing smoke rings.
Amazing that Oakland has 2 restored palaces while NY knocked all of theirs down.Lets hear it for progress.
Way to go NY – By the way, I live in NY.
I knew Jim Foley well. He was one of the best friends you could have. I have great memories of him. He took me on a tour of the Landmark when I visited him
RIP Jim
I was in it many years ago when it was basically abandoned. It had virtually no lobby but the theater itself was quite nice.
Watch the move The Naked City
In the very beginning are shots of people toiling at various jobs at night. One small bit is a single woman with a pail & mop mopping the floor in that huge rotunda.
Talk about thankless jobs.
The Uptown is awesome
I was in it many years ago on a theater tour. That majestic lobby needs to be restored along with the rest of the theater. To think of the many palaces Chicago has lost is mind numbing.
I was in the Kings right before it closed. The lobby is as big and imposing as a train staion. The auditorium was never twinned as there was basically no balcony, The company that took over after Loew’s had the misfortune of having that dog The Exorcist Part 2 as its first booking. I believe it closed shortly thereafter. The Wonder of the Wonder theaters is that they are all still standing Having seen pictures of the way it looks now it has experienced severe water damage. I look forward to seeing it resurrected. There was a basketball court underneath the orchestra seats. I wonder what has come of this.
Not many icons left. The years from 55 thru 85 were brutal. Many of the best5 were lost . The worst tragedy was the loss of the San Francisco Fox.It was probably the most palatial palace ever built in the US.
Do not waste the postage . She could care less. I thought only the GOP were heartless. Manes could have taught classes in meaness .We had 8000 signatures on petitions for the Triboro & it meant nothing. All that mattered to him was money. All the money in the world could not help him.
It will be laugable what is ultimately saved. Naturally the politicians will pat themselves on the back on the great job they did & they will be beaming with civic pride.I make it a habit never to listen to a politician on a full stomach.
Whoopee doo
Her 2 predecessors brought it to the sorry state it is today. Does she want a medal?
Radio City must be desparate booking Sheen. I guess there are a lot of crazy people in the world
I went to what was to have been the last show before it was demolished. I still have the ticket & program. It is a shame the Roxy down the block had to go.
Aspires is being kind.
To compare Linden Place to the Keiths is beyond ludicrous. I walk by it a lot and it is a joke of a building. This is like comparing a Yugo to a BMW.
There is unfortunately no use for a big theater like this in Flushing. The people will not support it. For others not in the area you need parking. Liability there. you than need different types of restaurants. Unless you like oriental food with no other choice you are out of luck. You would than have to get funding to restore a theater with 2 strikes already against it.
Do not get me wrong. I would love for the theater to be restored as I there very early on in the bid to get it landmarked. Manes killed another dream & Schulman twisted the knife. Give the theater a decent burial & restore the lobby.
Thank the above plus Mr Huang & over 25 years of neglect.
What a shame as the outcome could have been different if not for Manes & Schulman.It is their legacy.
The theater itself is shot. I thought it might be salvageable until I saw picture of it. It is beyond hope. I have been in enough theaters over the years all over the country & can tell you it is too late for the Keiths. We can thank Manes, Schulman & all the democrats on the than city counsel for what happened.
If they can salvage the lobby good luck.
Interesting story re the Hollywood. What is now the entrance was originally the side entrance. The original entrance (art deco I believe) was on Broadway in the middle of the block. If you walk by you will see what appears to be an entrance to a small office building . That was the original entranceway. They jettisoned it as they had to pay separate rent for it and decided it was not worth it. No idea when this took place however.