Movie Fundraiser at Midway Theatre to Clean Up Continental Avenue

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Coming Attractions: A Cleanup & Beautification of Forest Hills

The Maltese Falcon to Play at Historic Midway Theatre

By Michael Perlman | mperlman@queensledger.com

Event flyer

Continental Avenue is about to become much cleaner and beautified, as long as community residents, business owners, and property owners are willing to lend their support. Afterall, it is historically “The gateway to Forest Hills,” and one’s community is at their fingertips. On November 20 at 7:30 PM, residents of Forest Hills and all communities are invited to the “Movie Night At The Midway” fundraiser at the historic Regal United Artists Midway Theatre at 108-22 Queens Boulevard. Doors will open at 6:30 PM. “The Maltese Falcon,” a 1941 American film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor, will be screened.

The fundraising event will also mark a continued celebration in honor of the Midway’s 82^nd birthday, and a historical presentation will be delivered by this columnist, prior to the classic film’s screening. The Midway, which opened on September 24, 1942, was designed by America’s foremost theater architect Thomas White Lamb in the Art Moderne style, and was named after the victorious WWII Battle of Midway. It achieved a record as one of Queens’ longest continuously operating movie theaters.

Tickets cost $25 and 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the long-awaited Continental Avenue cleanup. The eventful lineup will feature raffles. Sponsors include the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce and Forest Hills Community Projects Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce, and dedicated to quality of life matters, such as sanitation and beautification.

Event site, Historic Midway Theatre upon completion, 1942, Courtesy of Michael Perlman

“As I walked along Continental Avenue, as I do almost every day, I looked at it with different eyes than before,” said President Leslie Brown of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce. “When a place is so familiar sometimes, you just don’t look at it with a critical eye. I saw more clearly the need to make the gateway to Forest Hills shine, and become clean and welcoming.” A few decades ago, Brown performed a good deed by enlisting the support of business owners to have Honey Locust trees planted along the bustling thoroughfare, which continue to convey serenity and beauty.

Since the early 20^th century, Continental Avenue has been lined with historic Tudor buildings, such as the former Forest Hills Theatre, One Continental Avenue, the earliest commercial building at 107-02 71^st Avenue, the former HSBC and adjacent shops, and has been joined by more recent banal commercial additions, destroying the European style Forest Hills Mini Mall. In recent years, on the rise is grime, trash, graffiti, and vendors competing with shops, in addition to a lack of landscaped tree pits and less attention to historic architecture. Until a few decades ago, Continental Avenue and Austin Street was nicknamed “The Village,” and was much more welcoming based on cleanliness, preservation, and mom and pop shops.

Publication boxes become graffitied trash bins, Photo by Michael Perlman

Brown’s vision to coordinate the Midway movie night fundraiser originated after receiving many calls about the condition of Continental Avenue. She took a tour with this columnist, began taking photos and creating a wish list, and explained, “I wanted to engage the community to help raise funds for the Continental Avenue cleanup. A former board member and I coordinated two movie nights in the past, which raised funds for humanitarian causes entailing Alzheimer’s and the Ronald McDonald House. The movie nights were very successful, and I thought, let’s do it again for the Forest Hills community and Continental Avenue.”

Brown pinpointed the cause of Continental Avenue’s neglect. “There is extremely high traffic on this avenue. We have the subway, buses, and the Long Island Railroad. Residents, commuters, and business owners must be reminded that they are an important part of keeping Continental Avenue clean. There should be no littering or graffiti, so part of this is also educating and reminding the public.”

Graffiti buildup on storefronts, Photo by Leslie Brown

Grime, chained items, & tree pits lacking landscaping, Photo by Michael Perlman

This event’s fundraising goal is at least $5,000, which would achieve success for commercial power-washing at this time. This is phase 1 of the project, which Brown believes will require several months between fundraising and its completion. “It will go a long way to make our street brighter and cleaner,” said Brown. Phase 2 will address graffiti removal and the newspaper boxes, which are not only graffitied, but frequently used as trash depositories, including obscene products. “We need to clean up these unsightly areas,” she continued. Phase 3 will include beautifications, which may encompass historic façade embellishments and landscaping. Much is to be determined.

The Midway Theatre’s management team has long been regarded as supportive neighborhood partners. Brown explained, “When I approached the general manager of the Midway with this idea, he was very enthusiastic and happy to provide the space and the film. It was his idea to also celebrate the 82 wonderful years the theater has been serving Forest Hills with an Academy Award-winning film from that era. We put our heads together and came up with The Maltese Falcon, a great classic film that appeals to a variety of audiences.”

Brown feels honored to have a historic theater on Queens Boulevard, and feels that the setting is ideal for a community event, and a classic film is a harmonious match for the theater’s origins. Raised in Forest Hills, she recalls its days as a single-screen theater. “It showed one movie at a time. As a little girl, it was exciting to enter the large lobby with its sweeping staircase. It still had multi-yellow lights around the marquee, and I loved seeing it lit at night. I am so happy that the theater’s facade is relatively the same. It adds to the rich history of our community.”

Hopes have been surfacing throughout the community for the long-term maintenance and beautification of main thoroughfares, such as Continental Avenue, Austin Street, Queens Boulevard, and Yellowstone Boulevard. For Brown, an immediate goal is to have Continental Avenue in shape, ensuring its cleanliness and making it increasingly welcoming for residents and visitors alike. “It is a one step at a time project. I hope when business owners, residents, and community leaders see what a difference this will make, it will be something that everyone will want, and they will keep the project going,” she said.

Historic Forest Hills Theatre with a longtime vacancy, Photo by Michael Perlman

Steve Melnick is a 30-year Forest Hills resident and longtime community volunteer, who founded Friends of MacDonald Park, tidied up Queens Boulevard medians, painted, and planted flowers. When asked about Continental Avenue, he replied, “Many people just have no pride or respect for their community. There are too many sloppy sidewalk vendors and the homeless making their own mess on the sidewalk. A thorough movement by the Department of Sanitation on littering and businesses not cleaning their sidewalk is necessary, and no, sweeping the mess into the street is illegal. If we are to live and work together, then we must all do our share of keeping our community clean and safe.” He also feels that business and property owners should take responsibility by cleaning and power-washing sidewalks.

“I’d like to see more trees planted and a more aggressive daily street cleanup maintenance plan in place,” said Stuart Morrison, a longtime resident and volunteer who takes pride in painting and has been supporting historic preservation initiatives. He continued, “Since the Covid era, the once beautiful Continental Avenue business district has been in decline with large empty storefronts, but I’m hopeful that it can soon be restored to its original luster. It is of major importance to have the former Duane Reade, Rite Aid, and HSBC large empty storefronts occupied by new businesses that will complement Continental Avenue’s ambiance.”

“I hope residents will attend Movie Night At The Midway and/or donate to our Continental Avenue Cleanup Project,” said Brown. Donations can be made by visiting www.foresthillschamberofcommerce.org and clicking on the project’s donation section. Supporters can also volunteer year-round to address quality of life and beautification matters by emailing Leslie Brown at fhchamber@aol.com

The Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce consists of 125 local members. “Culture brings the community together, and commerce makes the community thrive,” said Brown, who takes pride in the Chamber’s 3 C’s mission, which encompasses commerce, community, and culture. She continued, “Forest Hills is home to Forest Hills Gardens, but all of Forest Hills is a historical district that needs to be preserved. Whether community members own a business or are commercial, residential, or co-op owners, it is vital to the economic well-being to have the gateway to Forest Hills and our business district be known for all of our great shopping, dining, and services. It cannot be a place that is unsightly.”

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