RKO Keith's, Once upon a time In Flushing, NY there was a place called ...

The RKO Keith's Theater was not only a historic movie theater located in heart of Flushing NY, but was a centerpiece of the Flushing community and was perhaps the most gracious of the old-time movie palaces. The RKO Keiths was designed by noted theater architect Thomas W. Lamb, It was built in 1928 and opened on Christmas Day. The RKO had a three story facade, and the auditorium interior was designed in a Spanish Baroque Revival style, one of a kind. The theater remained open to the public through the early 1980s. The ticket lobby and grand foyer of the Keith's were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and granted landmark status by the City in 1984. The theater was closed in 1986 and then gutted illegally by the building's new owner Thomas Huang who also dumped 10,000 gallons of waste oil into the basement of the theater. He was indicted and plead guilty to two felony charges. He was sentenced to five years probation and a $5,000 fine and ordered by the court to remediate conditions in the theater in lieu of serving jail time. Over the years, this magnificent theater fell victim to greed and is now merely a shell of its former self. But even though its partly demolished, the theatre remains mostly intact and resounds with memories of its magnificent heyday. Legal battles continued, as the Keith's fell into a state of complete disrepair, The theater that once hosted the many Vaudeville acts, Marx Brothers, Mae West, Judy Garland and movies on the silver screen had become a thorn in the side of downtown Flushing. In 2011, the RKO Keith was sold to Manhattan developer Patrick Thompson for $20 million dollars to build a 17-story apartment building. and a promise to restore the once grand foyer. Whatever the outcome and I'm rooting for a full restoration of the RKO Keiths, my youth is inextricably linked to that magical place where first dates became second dates. Where friends shared popcorn and laughed and sometimes cried. And where memories that will last a lifetime were made. (Photo Source) Google Image, LI & NYC Places that R No More, Save the Flushing RKO Keiths Facebook Group. (Music By) James Taylor - Our Town & Jake Shimabukuru - In My Life. (Video Produced By) Thomas Byrne/Tommyb512. DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringement intended.I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE FOOTAGE OR MUSIC USED IN THIS VIDEO. THEY ARE MADE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, NOT PROFIT. #tommyb512