The Ridge Theatre closed its doors last night after 63 years of screening movies. Its fate? Demolition, and then condos. Welcome to Vancouver.
On Thursday I saw my last-ever movie at the Ridge: My American Cousin, a film starring Shawn’s boss, Maggie Langrick, the Arts & Life Editor at the Vancouver Sun. Little did we know that she was a full-on child actress back then, starring not only in this 1950s-era coming of age biopic (shot beautifully in the Okanagan in 1985), but she also played the daughter in Harry and the Hendersons – who knew?
While I didn’t go to the Ridge frequently, I do have my nostalgic associations with the theatre.
I fondly remember seeing Quentin Tarantino’s double feature Grindhouse when it was first released at midnight sometime in 2007, then emerging from the theatre at some ungodly hour of the morning.
I also remember sometime in 1995 or 1996, winning tickets over the phone to Spike & Mike’s Sick and Twisted Animation Festival through UBC’s radio station, CiTR. I had just dyed my hair purple that very day, and the Ridge Theatre was where I showed off my purple locks to all the 20-somethings in attendance. I probably went to a handful of those Spike & Mike’s animation festivals, and they never changed, but that was my experience at the Ridge.
Anyhow, I have nothing much to add other than there goes another piece of Vancouver history…
