Re a comment way back, the 110 Drive in was actually in Melville at the western intersection of Rt 110 and the north service road of the Long Island Expressway. It was a big one 2, 500 cars. After a lot of research on this site I couldn’t find it and have made an attempt to post it. Wish me luck it’s my first posting.
And the illuminated clock was to the left of the proscenium. A trivia question (for which I do not know the answer)– whose advertising did it carry? And where was the drinking fountain?
And one final thought – at the time the theatre closed the seating capacity was down to 880 according to a spokesperson at Century. The downsizing occurred when new seats were installed with more space between the aisles.
The last six rows were smoking. And don’t forget the children’s section and the matron.
Nobody said there was a balcony. I just referred to rumors, particularly with that huge staircase (with the projectionist booth directly at the top of the stairs.)
And may I elaborate on my original posting – Bellerose “Proper” was the incorporated Village.
Also on the rumor mill was the origin of the name. Supposedly after two sisters, Belle and Rose.
I never could figure why they called it the Park East. Initially, I thought they were going to retain the Park, but didn’t. It closed simultaneously with the opening of the Park East. This naming has caused confusion in the postings on both theatres.
From all of the above it is apparent that the Park theatre at Jericho and Lakeville was around for a long time. It was so tiny I can’t believe the seating capacity shown. When Century modernized it, minimally, they also replaced the tiny marguee with shuch a huge one considering the size of the building. When Century opened the Park East further East in what I would consider Garden City Park they simultaneous closed the Park.
For many years Century ran the Valley Stream. When they built the Green Acres they gave it up. Prior posting mention Skouras. I think the Century chain may have been a spin off from that because I remember a number of theatres being listed as Skouras/Century, among them the Lynbrook.
Somewhere between being the Regent and Boulton Center it was the Hollyrock. There was a cafe infront and a screen showing movies. Bizarre – a little like the current Studio One in NYC that has stage plays in a setting like that.
The main floor now houses a law office among other things. I’ve been told that the balcony is still intact including the seats. This was another theatre that didn’t have a signboard marquee – the alan and lindenhurst are two others which come to mind.
Sometime back I read something interesting – the theatre was on leased land. Clearview has purchased the land under its theatre. I wonder if that was a common practice.
It always seemed to me that the Alan and Franklin had the same design albeit different facades. The Alan had no flashy marquee. The first time I went there I missed it. In later years they added a big signboard attached to the front of the theatre.
Anybody remember when they went single feature for a bit?
I lived in Bellerose Terrace (as opposed to “the Proper”) in Nassau County. Just around the corner from the movies. At 225th Street the street began it’s dual identity of Jamaica Av/Jericho Tpke. The Tpk was the Nassau side. Jericho took over both sides of the street in Floral Park. My address was Bellerose 26 until zip codes came in when it became 11426. My phone did have a Floral Park exchange. Over the years the theatre was shuttered several times, once before Century took over, the other toward the end when Century closed it making the Floral the dollar house. However, the Bellerose had a better location and they reopened it.
I remember the old, boxy incandescent lit marque, white name bulbs, yellow running lights, the installation of the new marque. If my childhood memories are correct the bathrooms were initially to the left of the lobby and downstairs. Century constructed a large second floor lounge. The original talk was they planned on adding a balcony.
The had one great projectionist who made everthing very theatrical, especially the way he treated 20th century fox films.
Films showed often included a foreign one on the double bill. On memorable double – To Bed or Not to Bed together with Seduced and Abandoned and no, they were not porn. This theatre never had that.
There were two Amityville theatres on the same site. When Broadway was widened the first, and smaller one, fell. A new theatre, double the size was erected in its place. In ads it was referred to as
The Big A.
A few other side notes on the theatre. When Jericho Tpke was widened the overhanging marquee had to be removed. New “signboards” were affixed to the facade of the theatre. At the same time the, I’ll call it top to bottom “floral” sign was also removed. Not to many LI theatres had this feature – the Fantasy, Queens, Valencia, and Triboro come to mind. What is the correct term for this feature?
Thanks Warren I did mean WWII. My skills need sharpening I keep erasing things. And on the subject of post WWII theatres, the only one built, other than in conjuction with the Roosevelt Field and Green Acres shopping centers, was the Shore in Huntington. All four were Century.
As a child I was always in awe of the size of the balcony. The main floor didn’t seem all that large. I also remember the rumble of the old LIRR steam locomotives as they would roar past on the express tracks.
To my recollection this house was identical to that of the Sayville. As with all of the theatres operated by Prudential there was a small smoking loge for which you paid a premium.
Yes the Amity, located on Carmans Road in South Farmingdale, although some sources list this area as North Massapequa, had another name when it reopened after the fire. I believe it was Studio 78 (not 76 as another posting would suggest). Why 78? Because that’s when it reopened. This was a long narrow space.
When Century’s Meadows opened it was a big deal. There had been no theatres built since WWI particularly one that seated 2,200. Would you believe I remember the original phone number AXtel 7-2700. The opening was really something with a number of Hollywood stars in attendance, I remember seeing the newsreel of the event at a local Century theatre. I believe one of the celebs was Linda Darnell.
I remember the weekly Century theatre guide mailed so my home had the image of a pair of binoculars with the caption “Watch for Century’s Meadows”.
The actual name of the theatre was the Hempstead Turnpike Drive In. I always thought that the actual town was Plainedge but I prefer to quibble about the name which is what really counts.
To set the records straight this theatre originally opened as the Bethview under the AIT banner. After it slipped into porn it was given new names as the owners tried to reinvent it. First Cine Capri and then Old Bethpage. When Cultural Arts Playouse took it over they gutted it and reconfigured the seats. What had originally been the left wall was a semit-thrust stage with the audience in front and slightly to the sides.
Re a comment way back, the 110 Drive in was actually in Melville at the western intersection of Rt 110 and the north service road of the Long Island Expressway. It was a big one 2, 500 cars. After a lot of research on this site I couldn’t find it and have made an attempt to post it. Wish me luck it’s my first posting.
And the illuminated clock was to the left of the proscenium. A trivia question (for which I do not know the answer)– whose advertising did it carry? And where was the drinking fountain?
And one final thought – at the time the theatre closed the seating capacity was down to 880 according to a spokesperson at Century. The downsizing occurred when new seats were installed with more space between the aisles.
The last six rows were smoking. And don’t forget the children’s section and the matron.
Nobody said there was a balcony. I just referred to rumors, particularly with that huge staircase (with the projectionist booth directly at the top of the stairs.)
And may I elaborate on my original posting – Bellerose “Proper” was the incorporated Village.
Also on the rumor mill was the origin of the name. Supposedly after two sisters, Belle and Rose.
I never could figure why they called it the Park East. Initially, I thought they were going to retain the Park, but didn’t. It closed simultaneously with the opening of the Park East. This naming has caused confusion in the postings on both theatres.
From all of the above it is apparent that the Park theatre at Jericho and Lakeville was around for a long time. It was so tiny I can’t believe the seating capacity shown. When Century modernized it, minimally, they also replaced the tiny marguee with shuch a huge one considering the size of the building. When Century opened the Park East further East in what I would consider Garden City Park they simultaneous closed the Park.
For many years Century ran the Valley Stream. When they built the Green Acres they gave it up. Prior posting mention Skouras. I think the Century chain may have been a spin off from that because I remember a number of theatres being listed as Skouras/Century, among them the Lynbrook.
Somewhere between being the Regent and Boulton Center it was the Hollyrock. There was a cafe infront and a screen showing movies. Bizarre – a little like the current Studio One in NYC that has stage plays in a setting like that.
The main floor now houses a law office among other things. I’ve been told that the balcony is still intact including the seats. This was another theatre that didn’t have a signboard marquee – the alan and lindenhurst are two others which come to mind.
Sometime back I read something interesting – the theatre was on leased land. Clearview has purchased the land under its theatre. I wonder if that was a common practice.
It always seemed to me that the Alan and Franklin had the same design albeit different facades. The Alan had no flashy marquee. The first time I went there I missed it. In later years they added a big signboard attached to the front of the theatre.
Anybody remember when they went single feature for a bit?
I lived in Bellerose Terrace (as opposed to “the Proper”) in Nassau County. Just around the corner from the movies. At 225th Street the street began it’s dual identity of Jamaica Av/Jericho Tpke. The Tpk was the Nassau side. Jericho took over both sides of the street in Floral Park. My address was Bellerose 26 until zip codes came in when it became 11426. My phone did have a Floral Park exchange. Over the years the theatre was shuttered several times, once before Century took over, the other toward the end when Century closed it making the Floral the dollar house. However, the Bellerose had a better location and they reopened it.
I remember the old, boxy incandescent lit marque, white name bulbs, yellow running lights, the installation of the new marque. If my childhood memories are correct the bathrooms were initially to the left of the lobby and downstairs. Century constructed a large second floor lounge. The original talk was they planned on adding a balcony.
The had one great projectionist who made everthing very theatrical, especially the way he treated 20th century fox films.
Films showed often included a foreign one on the double bill. On memorable double – To Bed or Not to Bed together with Seduced and Abandoned and no, they were not porn. This theatre never had that.
There were two Amityville theatres on the same site. When Broadway was widened the first, and smaller one, fell. A new theatre, double the size was erected in its place. In ads it was referred to as
The Big A.
A few other side notes on the theatre. When Jericho Tpke was widened the overhanging marquee had to be removed. New “signboards” were affixed to the facade of the theatre. At the same time the, I’ll call it top to bottom “floral” sign was also removed. Not to many LI theatres had this feature – the Fantasy, Queens, Valencia, and Triboro come to mind. What is the correct term for this feature?
Thanks Warren I did mean WWII. My skills need sharpening I keep erasing things. And on the subject of post WWII theatres, the only one built, other than in conjuction with the Roosevelt Field and Green Acres shopping centers, was the Shore in Huntington. All four were Century.
The theatre was leveled in 2007. The free standing marqee is all that remains. It had been boarded up to prevent vandalism.
Saw Gertrude Berg in “Dear Me the Sky is Falling” and a production of the Nutcracker there. Probably still have the Playbills for same.
As a child I was always in awe of the size of the balcony. The main floor didn’t seem all that large. I also remember the rumble of the old LIRR steam locomotives as they would roar past on the express tracks.
To my recollection this house was identical to that of the Sayville. As with all of the theatres operated by Prudential there was a small smoking loge for which you paid a premium.
Yes the Amity, located on Carmans Road in South Farmingdale, although some sources list this area as North Massapequa, had another name when it reopened after the fire. I believe it was Studio 78 (not 76 as another posting would suggest). Why 78? Because that’s when it reopened. This was a long narrow space.
When Century’s Meadows opened it was a big deal. There had been no theatres built since WWI particularly one that seated 2,200. Would you believe I remember the original phone number AXtel 7-2700. The opening was really something with a number of Hollywood stars in attendance, I remember seeing the newsreel of the event at a local Century theatre. I believe one of the celebs was Linda Darnell.
I remember the weekly Century theatre guide mailed so my home had the image of a pair of binoculars with the caption “Watch for Century’s Meadows”.
The Bethpage was a free standing theatre under the AIT banner. It was never under UA (or Prudential which was the fore runner of UA)
The actual name of the theatre was the Hempstead Turnpike Drive In. I always thought that the actual town was Plainedge but I prefer to quibble about the name which is what really counts.
To set the records straight this theatre originally opened as the Bethview under the AIT banner. After it slipped into porn it was given new names as the owners tried to reinvent it. First Cine Capri and then Old Bethpage. When Cultural Arts Playouse took it over they gutted it and reconfigured the seats. What had originally been the left wall was a semit-thrust stage with the audience in front and slightly to the sides.