Flickgrrl

From 1988 to 1996, I enjoyed dozens of quality movies at the Ritz 5. I was impressed by the well staffed elegant lobby, the luxurious chairs, and the program books. It was neat to see the movies listed on the exterior and movie poster display cases, features today's multiplexes often lack.

The medium sized auditorium that is 1st on the left when you enter is a nicely sized theater. The 1st movie I enjoyed in that auditorium was Wings of Desire, in 1988, but the most memorable was The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, which somehow seemed just right for that auditorium.

The Ritz theaters helped keep Center City important. Long after mainstream movies no longer exclusively played first in Center City, arthouse movies often exclusively entered the Ritz theaters before being presented in the rest of the region.

Society Hill neigbhors were apprehensive, even protested, that they didn't want a moviehouse. But after the Ritz was built, it became a major asset and many neighbors enjoyed at least one movie every weekend.

31 years was a long run! Thanks, Ritz.

Until the Ritz arrived, the best artfilm house in Phila was the Bandbox in Germantown and for all our great movie experiences there (including using our umbrellas when the roof leaked from rain), we welcomed the stylish comfy Ritz and the consistent quality of the films. It guided our choice to move to Society Hill Towers from Penn Valley. In fact, standing at my window just above the theater, I could look down at showtime and announce to my husband, Archie, "There's a line forming. Time to go down."

It was our living room, sometimes our dining room and most definitely, our consistent social life--heated film discussions continued at parties afterwards or across the street at the different iterations from City Bites to Positano Coast. Who could guess then that the Ritz 3 would become the Ritz 5 and then, within a four-block radius, add more venues at the Bourse and the Ritz East? What a significant part of city life we were afforded!

We laughed, we cried, we scratched our heads over the latest Fassbinder, Tarkovsky, Godard, etc., and we made sure to plan nothing for the two weeks of the International Film Festival, where we,happily, watched a once small retinue of film buffs grow each year. Once I laughed so hard--I think it was during BANANAS, when Woody Allen as a revolutionary leader in Cuba, was ordering hundreds of corned beef sandwiches, some with mustard and cole slaw, some without--that my earring fell off and rolled to the front of the theater.

Another time, we witnessed cinema reality. One night, coming out of THE BIG LEBOWSKI, along with a tough band of bowlers (whom we were sure had never come to such a movie house before), we saw a woman wailing down Dock St., "It's like the movie. Someone has crowbarred my car"--referring to the scene when one character avenges the bashing of his car by doing the same to the perpetrator's vehicle.

My husband, Archie, a vrai cinemaniac, considered film his daily bread. Somehow, a film went to his central core and he was able to get to its central core. Besides, he thought every film was Jewish, even when there was absolutely no Jewish content at all. One night, at THE TANGO LESSON, he was vindicated and we laughed so uproariously and inappropriately that we were stared down by those around us. In the middle of THE TANGO LESSON, an apparently very white-bread film, the tango teacher turns to the female protagonist (played by Sally Potter) and announces, "I am Jewish," and she said, "I feel Jewish." In the next scene, they are standing with a menorah in a synagogue.

Now, we must hope that the new owners will continue with the quality of the films and venue as well as the Ritz-y sense of community and bonhommie. Will they change the name, do you think?

I asked the Landmark spokesperson about the name and they couldn't comment until next week. In other markets where they have taken over the local arthouses, they have stuck with the theater's original name.

I have very mixed emotions about this. Yes, Landmark is the premiere art-house exhibitor in the nation at the moment, very corporate, but the dimuniative Ritz chain was always something of an elegant mom-and-pop operation, small and initimate, an upscale "neighborhood" place. In short, it was ... Philadelphia. While I'm sure Landmark will show approximately the same fare, I doubt if that specific ambience will survive intact. Somehow, it will be "different." What bothers me the most is the abandonment by Landmark of the Ritz 16 in Voorhees, N.J., a theater which Carrie has accurately and astutely described (I'm paraphrasing now) as the best movie house on the East Coast. I agree with Carrie, hands-down. With new owners, will the Ritz 16 be able to compete with Landmark for the same titles that the Ritz management always played day-and-date with its Philly theaters? (A no-win situation, right?) Or will it be made into a family-friendly mainstream house, replete with nosiy arcade games in the lobby? If that happens, I guess we can assume that all those b&w portraits of great filmmakers that line the hall of the Ritz 16 will go into some garbage heap. I know die-hard Philadelphians rarely venture to New Jersey to see a film, but I urge everyone who happens to read this to pay a visit to the Ritz 16 in Voorhees to see what is being sacrificed, to see it before it is gone. The Ritz 5, The Ritz East and The Ritz Bourse will survive and hopefully prevail, but who knows what will happen to the Ritz 16? I find this profoundly disturbing, perhaps the most disturbing movie news that I've encountered in a long time. One final thought: I've always thought of Landmark as the Miramax of film exhibitiors. You can read whatever you want into that observation.

I can't thank the Posell family enough for opening the Ritz Theaters here, and for sticking with them for so many years. I was very sad when I heard of Ray Posell's death and wondered if the family would maintain the theaters. I must say that I rued the day that the Ritzes would be sold, and some entity other than a family that loved movies would take over the theaters. I hope that Landmark understands what a treasure they have and doesn't meddle with movie venues that film afficionados in Philadelphia treasure.

I came to the love of movies at four when my dad took me to the theaters on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, long before the casinos made Boardwalk property too valuable to house movie palaces. I adore movies so much I wound up marrying a Penn film professor (not only for that reason).

I have loved the Ritz Theaters for years (starting when the Ritz 5 was the Ritz 3). Before the Ritz Theaters came to Philadelphia, I went to New York every month or so to catch the art house movies that never seemed to make it here. Once the Ritzes arrived, those trips became less necessary. It was always wonderful to go to the Ritz where the audiences were usually quiet, and your feet rarely stuck to the floor. The people who worked there were always helpful and gracious. I remember one afternoon when I went to see a highly tauted movie that shall remain nameless. I spent just a few minutes watching the film, thought the movie was highly over-rated, and then realized it was intolerable. I left the theater and begged the man taking tickets to let me see a different film. He took pity on me and agreed, and I was lucky enough to see A Sunday in the Country, an incredible Bertrand Tavernier film which I might never have seen. I hope that Landmark Films will retain the Ritz employees and let their employees be as flexible.

Long before Harlan Jacobson brought Talk Cinema to Philadelphia, I attended one of Richard Brown's Film 101 courses in Manhattan. Brown brought preview screenings and celebrities to theaters in New York. I thought it would be great for Brown to bring his course here. Before I talked to him, I contacted Ray Posell. Posell was open to the prospect. He said, "I will support any idea that creates more interest in movies in Philadelphia." I approached Brown. He declined, saying, "I always thought that Philadelphia would be a great place to raise a family..." And presumably not a great place to have preview screenings for mass audiences.

As a co-curator (with my film professor husband John Katz) of documentaries at The Philadelphia Film Festival, I had the opportunity in the 1990's to introduce many documentary films, including The Turandot Project, about an opera staged in China, and Runaway, an Iranian movie, to packed houses in the largest venues at the Ritz Theaters, thanks to Ray Posell's willingness to support the festival. Those films might never have screened in Philadelphia and would never have screened in huge venues had it not been for Posell's unflagging dedication to having wonderful movies shown in Philadelphia.

Thanks again to Ray Posell and his wife Dorothy for bringing the best movies of the last few decades to Philadelphia. To the Landmark Theaters I would say, "You have big shoes to fill. Nothing is broken. The Ritz Theaters (named the Ritz Theaters) with the people who work there now are just what Philadelphia film fans need and love. Don't change anything."

My Ritz memories are perhaps the fondest memories of my deteriorating youth. My first job found me at the Ritz more often than my home. So much so, I had to move closer. My husband and I had our first date there. My best friend and I conducted so many "tag team" sassy fights there we could write a book. My mom and I would meet in the evening for movies and she would always pack me a sandwich (even though I was living on my own).
Not forgetting the films I saw at the Ritz that changed my life, the theater was an institution that was on a different level. Philadelphia has its affect on things, and this arthouse theater was no exception. I can't guarantee that Landmark can keep that feeling alive. It is the people that work at the Ritz, the people that work with the Ritz, and the people who frequent the Ritz that will morn it's identity. I hope it remains.
If not, the memories are all there for me. It was my version of "Cheers". Everyone knew my name (complete with a perfect cup of coffee without having to say a word). I will miss the old Ritz dearly, but oddly enough my friendships that I made there will live on. Thank you Mr. Posel.

I started going to serious movies with my Grandparents in the late 1980s at theaters like the Castor and AMC Olde City but the best times were always at the Ritz. I was a full fledged Ritz junky by the time I was a teenager. So many good memories... The Cook The Thief His Wife And Her Lover, Monsieur Heir, The Music Teacher, The Piano, Schinder's List, Belle Epoch, Short Cuts, Kika, A la mode, Oliver Oliver, Damage, The Snapper, The Crying Game, Heavenly Creatures, The Music of Chance, Pulp Fiction, Nico Icon, Richard III, Kids, Crash, Hamlet, Exotica, The Bridges of Madison County, I Shot Andy Warhol, Safe, Lost Highway, Criminal Lovers, POLA X, Irreversible, Saraband, A Prairie Home Companion, Army of Shadows, the list goes on and on... The big screen at the Ritz Five is still the best place in Philly to catch a picture. The Ritz Filmbill has some of the best filmwriting in town. It was a honor to have my 2000 feature film, A Chronicle of Corpses unspool at the Ritz at the Bourse for a few weeks back in 2002. Everytime Ray and I corresponded he was perfect gentleman, full of enthusiasm and sound advice. With his passing, so ends a huge era in Philadelphia's Cinema history. I shall morn and miss this man who gave me so many happy hours in the dark.

Having worked for Allied Advertising, I was lucky enough to attend many screenings at all 4 Ritz theatres. The most memorable film I attended was "Garden State" at the Bourse and Zach Braff was in attendance for a Q&A.
There is just something special about seeing films at the Ritz. It is a bastion for films that you can't see anywhere else, and even though I reside in the 'burbs, and no longer work at Allied, it is always a treat to go downtown and see a movie at the Ritz.
And hopefully, Landmark will continue the fine tradition of the Toblerone candy bar. It just wouldn't be the Ritz without it.

I believe that the first film I saw at the Ritz was "The Return of the Secaucus Seven". It was a first date. We sat in the front row. We more or less fell in love that night and dated for about six months (a very long time for me at that age). Now she's married to an accountant in MN.

Without making this into some sort of eulogy, because I hope that the Ritz Theaters remain as we know and love them (please, Landmark).... I have great memories of so many films at the Ritz theaters, mostly at the Ritz Five.

I'm pretty certain that the first movie I ever saw at the Ritz, soon after I started college, was War of the Roses. This was perhaps the most miserable date of my young college days. (Life lesson: you might want to learn whether your date's parents went through a bitter, ugly divorce before choosing War of the Roses as the evening's entertainment. And offer your date a little more information about the movie beforehand). But I was taken with the theater and the quality of the offerings. Other fond memories:

Memphis Belle -- went with a big group of college friends, got there right as it was starting, and had to sit in the front row. My neck was sore for a couple days, but great flick.

Reservoir Dogs - my introduction to Tarantino and the end of any other associations with Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle."

Schindler's List -- one of the first half-dozen or so movies I saw with my wife when we began dating. It was a rainy winter night and she accidentally stepped into a giant puddle as we crossed Dock Street to get in the ticket line, soaking one foot completely. It was hard to keep from breaking into wildly inappropriate giggles every time we thought about it during the movie.

Being completely and gleefully blown away by Pulp Fiction.

Being completely and gleefully charmed by The Secret of Roan Inish.

Discovering a hilarious little film called "Safe Men" at a Phila. Film Festival screening, co-starring a then-little-known Paul Giamatti.

Blair Witch, pre-hype. Or at least, pre-mainstream hype.

Countless others over the years...our Ritz-going tapered off once we had our first child, but it was -- and still is -- a treat every time we get to any of the Ritz Theaters. Here's hoping that Landmark doesn't mess too much with a local treasure.

I'll second the value of things like the interiors and the filmbill. You could do a lot worse in other big cities in terms of the "art-house" moviegoing experience. That an independent was able to do so much by comparison may be both impressive and inevitable.

Dammit - why couldn't Cuban buy one of Philly's sports teams instead?

First: "Au revoir, les enfants"

Most memorable: "Malcolm X" on opening night

Hopefully this Landmark chain will keep the Ritz Theaters running. My fondest memories of The Ritz are during my high school and college years, when a friend of the family gave me his year-round passes to the theater. For about 5 or 6 years, I had unlimited access to films being show there. This was in the late-70s/early-80s. I remember seeing the 5 Hitchcock classics that were restored and re-released, The Draughtsman's Contract, The Tin Drum, and so many more. Sadly, for all the cool, cheap dates these free passes afforded me, I had little to show for it but a number of "friends."

However, my luck would turn once I started paying to see the films being shown. My first proper date with my wife was The Accidental Tourist at the Ritz 5. Not a great movie - and the worst seats in the house (front row, far right) - but the beginning of a great affair.

Another most memorable occasion was the night we saw a rough cut of Jungle Fever, with Spike Lee sitting a few rows in front of us. The film was lacking a lot of incidental background sound and still had a lot of rough edges (including an inflammatory opening by Spike, which I believe was cut from the theatrical release). Talk about a film with extreme highs (all scenes with Samuel Jackson) and extreme lows (much of the rest of the movie)! We never got around to seeing the final cut. The version we saw and the experience we had was too cool a memory to tamper with.

I see someone here is worried about the state of the Ritz 16. I don't know that it will suffer. Plenty of film lovers LIVE in New Jersey and appreciate having an art house in their own neck of the woods. The parking lot for that place is packed no matter when we go.

The thing I miss most about all the Ritz Theaters - and I've felt this way for the last half dozen years or more - is the lack of foreign fare, especially from countries other than Spain. Films from Germany, other Central European countries, Scandanavian countries, and elsewhere used to be more common. Now, the theaters need to keep about 40% of the screens filled with the most vaguely "artsy" commericial and faux-indie movies. What am I missing whenever a movie like The Devil Wears Prada is playing on one of the screens? I know, I know - it helps keep these places in business. The free passes are long gone!

Good luck to the folks who owned and ran the theaters.

Carrie-- Several people here who have posted comments write as if the Ritz theaters are moving into their last weeks. Perhaps you should clarify matters by reminding them that the theaters were indeed sold but to another chain specializing in art films. Also writer frankenslade (see above) doesn't seem to understand that the Ritz 16 in Voorhees is not part of the sale to Landmark, that it is up for grabs to whoever is interested. I'm concerned about that, too. True, its parking lot is always full but that won't stop its new owners from changing the policy there and bringing in more commercial films exclusively. --Jan

Jan,

I thought the people were saying 'bye to the old Ritz before they welcomed Landmark. From what I understand negotiations are continuing on the Ritz Sixteen in Voorhees. If my sources are correct, an operator sensitive to the theater's mix of art films and worthy mainstream is very interested.

Best.

Carrie

I just started going to the Ritz two years ago but I have had many good memories. My favorite was when I when to see Caché and when the credits started to roll, someone behind me said "WHAT THE F***?!" It was hilarious!

I also loved seeing Army of Shadows there. It was such a great feeling seeing a classic during it's first U.S. theatrical run. I love the Ritz, hopefully it doesn't change too much.

Jan, I did understand correctly from the articles I initially read that the Ritz 16 was not part of the Landmark sale. What was not clear from the first article I read (maybe in the Inquirer???) was that the Ritz 16 was also for sale. If that's the case, I do hope it lands in good hands. I would hate to lose that place as a nearby option, although I don't doubt that any successful "art" theater these days will be kept afloat by "artistic" fare like The Devil Wears Prada. Jeez, the funeral for the Ritz theaters we once knew could have been staged long ago.

The selling of the Ritz Philadelphia theaters is a time to reflect on the personal vision of deceased Ritz theater
owner Ray Posel and his ability to find the highest level of management professionals to operate the theaters for him over the many decades that the Ritz Theaters operated as a family business here in Philadelphia.
It is one thing to book good films, it is another to present them in a theater with the style and consistency that
made the Ritz the prime destination for film lovers for over four decades. Much like the talents of Larry Magid and Electric Factory Concerts in the music business, Ray Posel had the vision and commitment to bring to Philadelphia, before any one else, the films that made the Ritz a film palace in much the same way that Electric Factory Concerts made the original Electric Factory, Spectrum and Tower Theater the venues that contributed to the cultural blossoming of Philadelphia in the 1970's.
The meeting of art and commerce is an area that has always held a fascination for me. Film,theatrical & concert production is often full of stories of strong personalities and the
foibles of the owners, agents, actors, musicians, critics,
and publicists who create that thing called "show business". The thing that has always impressed me are the talented few who can not only bring their cultural vision to fruition ,but who have the business accumen to grow their businesses into those that help define a city , in this case - Philadelphia. I am suggesting that in the same way Larry Magid's love of jazz music and musicians led him to open the Electric Factory, and the Bijou Cafe , and then to bring Live Aid here to Philadelphia , Raymond Posel's vision for Philadelphia of a palace for movie lover's - The Ritz Theaters, has resulted in a venue that has created film going as a viable art form, and entertainment destination, for millions of Philadelphians over the course of four decades.
The Landmark Theatres are acquiring a cultural destination - much more than three mere movie theaters. Let's hope that they can continue to honor the responsibility that this involves.

Steven Duchovnay
Publisher,
Ritz Filmbill

The sale of the Ritz Theaters was a shock to me although I must admit it was not a totally unexpected surprise. Ever since the passing of Ray Posel it became more apparent that his children would most likely want to sell the Ritz as they, (the children), lived in various places within the U.S.

As mentioned in several messages already, Landmark Theatres will most likely not change the faces of the various Ritz locations within Philadelphia. New Jersey's Ritz 16 located in Voorhees New Jersey was a different story.

Rumor had it that the reason National Amusements, the new owner of the Ritz 16 took control a few days prior to May 1, 2007, was to prepare for "Spiderman 3". Indeed the posting on National Amusements web site does have "Spiderman" playing on almost one half hour intervals within the several theatres at the Ritz 16 on 4, May 2007. But the news is not all bad as I learned Tuesday night, 1, May 2007. I was told by a long time employee at the Ritz 16 that due to a throng of complaints, emails and many, many verbal conversations of concerns between Ritz 16 regulars and the ownership of National Amusements that just within the past weekend N.A. has made changes in their original Ritz 16 plans. It seems that half of the 16 theatres are going to remain what N.A. calls "CineArt" film venues. In fact, in order to comfort all the people who have expressed this concern, N.A. will also build a doorway which will physically seperate the two sides of the Ritz 16 which will isolate them more away from the pop-movie side. It should also be remembered that prior to the recent sale of the Ritz 16 they were also playing a fair amount of more mainstream films already.

The employee I spoke to stated that the N.A.'s plans for the Ritz 16, with the addition of recent announcements regarding the "CineArt" scheme as well as plans for an upscale new coffee shop within the theater may not be such a bad change to the Ritz 16.

We will wait and see.

I, too, have many fond Ritz memories...first going to the Ritz Five to see Much Ado about Nothing, and when the Voorhees location opened, being swept away by The English Patient.

Honestly one of the reasons I eventually settled in Voorhees was for the Ritz theater! I find the National Amusements acquisition of the Ritz 16 very troubling. Just to see "the changes" I saw Spiderman 3 there this past night, and already, the place seemed "cheapened" with lousy popcorn and new dingy uniforms for the employees. They also apparently have lifted the rules on children attending, and three of the four previews were for kids flicks.

However, if what David Rinek posted is true, then hope remains, and perhaps these early weeks and months will simply be growing pains until the kinks are worked out.

According to the National Amusements website, this Friday at the Ritz in Voorhees, they will be opening 3 traditional art-house films (The Valet, Waitress, and Away from Her) and one new mainstream release (Georgia Rule). They are also still showing Black Book (Zwarboek), which is excellent and a good sign, as I saw this film a few weeks ago before the official change over. Though only the second official week under new management, it does look like despite some "physical" changes, they will be keeping the same varied line-up. I just hope the faithful keep turning out in strong numbers and weren't scared away as I initially was.

Also, on their lobby marquee, the rules for children are still listed, so perhaps they were originally going to change that, but have since changed their minds? We shall see.

So far, a nervous sigh of relief from this film buff.

Bravo to Landmark. We went to see a movie at the Bourse last week and it felt just like it did before the takeover. there were very few changes and the ambience was the same. national amusements could take a tip from Landmark in how to take over a theater. The 16 is upsetting.
deni

Bravo to Landmark. We went to see a movie at the Bourse last week and it felt just like it did before the takeover. there were very few changes and the ambience was the same. national amusements could take a tip from Landmark in how to take over a theater. The 16 is upsetting.
deni

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