On Jan. 26, Philadelphia lost a landmark. No, I’m not talking about the Liberty Bell, City Hall, or Jim’s Steaks on South Street; but the beloved movie theater Ritz at the Bourse. After 30 years of operations, the Cohen Media Group, who purchased Landmark Cinemas that owns the three Ritz theaters in Philly, decided to close the five-screen multiplex that specialized in showing unique art house, international, and independent movies.
Going to a movie at the Ritz made for plenty of unforgettable experiences. When you purchased your tickets from the outside window and walked into the lobby, you were met with the iconic escalators that went down to the theaters. As you descended to the cinema, a neon glowing sign that read “RITZ AT THE BOURSE” hovered over your head.
On the bottom floor, an employee would rip your ticket and the concession stand filled the air with a sweet buttery scent. When you walked into the theaters, you were met with a giant screen equipped with impressive sound and seat that kicked back, which were perfect for relaxing.
While the amenities made for the truest cinematic experience, the film selection stood out above all. Every week’s film selection was a mixed bag. Usually there were a couple spots reserved for the nationally released dramas or indies, like those you may see nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. But for the most part, they screened unheard of foreign films from rising directors, documentaries on a range of unthinkable subjects, and ambitious art house movies that flew under the radar.
On top of these quirky films, they would hold screenings of movies with the director or actors of the film present for a discussion every month or so. They even had the distinguished cinemateur Tommy Wisaeu present and discuss his timeless masterpiece The Room.
The Ritz embodied everything a cinephile dreams of for a theater. Considering it was an hour away from me, I only had three occasions to catch a movie there, but each one was memorable. I saw the excellent World War I French drama The Guardians, the beautiful French racing melodrama Racer and the Jailbird, and the mysteriously haunting Chinese film Burning. Where else could you catch movies like that?
Professor of Communication Robert Scott touched upon how special theaters like the Ritz are. “I’m always disappointed to hear about the loss of another arthouse theater. They have traditionally served as an important venue for international cinema, independent films, older classic titles and much more,” Scott said.
They always seemed to have something different. Even though I couldn’t go as much as I’d like, every week I’d check their times just to see what was out in the world.
This is why the loss of the Ritz presents a devastating blow to Philly’s film scene. While the other two Ritz Theaters still stand (Ritz East and Ritz V, which don’t offer a selection like Borse did), there aren’t too many theaters in the city. Sure, there’s the Philadelphia Film Society’s Center and Roxy Theaters, but the selection isn’t much different from any other indie theater or even a chain’s. You could consider the Ambler Theater and the Bryn Mawr Film Center as a part of the area’s indie film scene, but they’re not centrally located in the city like the other theaters are.
Meanwhile, every block in New York City seems to have an independent theater that actually shows special films. The Film Society at the Lincoln Center, the IFC Center, Quad Cinema, and Film Forum are just some I know right off the top of my head. I understand Philly doesn’t have anywhere near the same population or size as New York City, but to not have a single theater like that is sad.
After the fall of the Ritz, the independent theater scene’s future is in question. Chair of Management and Decision Sciences Professor Stuart Rosenberg, Ph.D., thought the Ritz’s closure was, “A sign of the times—with the increasing number of options that people have for watching movies outside the theatre—but there are moviegoers who prefer independent movie houses over big corporate multiplexes. The latter category has more comfortable seating, but generally will not show films that the independents will,” said Rosenberg.
Rosenberg also noted the lack of moviegoers in his own classes. “When I bring up current films with my students, I’m surprised by how few of them go to the movies. In today’s environment it can be difficult for movie theatres to be successful, and the problem is even more acute for independent theatres,” he noted.
Like the rest of us, Rosenberg concluded with, “I certainly hope that there will continue to be a place for them.”
On the other hand, Scott saw an alternate future for small theaters. “It’s interesting that Netflix signed a lease to keep New York City’s iconic Paris Theater open so it could offer theatrical exhibition for its more prestigious films. It would be wonderful if this caught on in other communities,” Scott added.
Netflix took over the Paris Theatre last November so they can screen their films in order to have them qualify for Oscar nominations. If the Paris Theatre experiment is successful in New York City, maybe we’ll see similar cinemas pop up in the Philly area. Better yet, maybe Netflix could take over the Ritz building.
While the escalators have come to a halt at the Ritz, all we can do is hope and continue our support for independent cinemas. If there’s something you’ve never heard of at an indie cinema, take a leap of faith and check it out. Whether it’s good or bad, you’re keeping the foundation of film alive.
IMAGE TAKEN from www.inquirer.com
