Comments from optimist008

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optimist008
optimist008 commented about Largest seat count in a 1960'S single screen theater? on Sep 16, 2008 at 3:24 pm

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optimist008
optimist008 commented about Largest seat count in a 1960'S single screen theater? on Sep 16, 2008 at 3:23 pm

Justin,
According to Boxoffice magazine, the Paramu Tenplex seating was originally just over 1900 seats. And Century’s Paramus theater nearby seating was just over 1800 seats, not the 2000 appearing in their opening day newspaper ad. But when Boxoffice did a profile of that theater they mentioned 2000 seats…do building and fire inspectors actually count seats before issuing certiciates of occupancy??

Seriously, many zoning codes have seat to parking spot ratios that are required, so maybe some of the seat counts magically are altered in plans submitted for approval to municipalities. I have the dates of the boxoffice magazines if you want to verify the seat counts. The had a court battle over opening Century Paramus and the 1800 seat count was mentioned several times.

optimist008
optimist008 commented about Regal profit falls; digital upgrade advances on Jul 29, 2008 at 9:29 pm

Their 18 plex in New Rochelle, NY is one of their top grossing theaters in the entire chain. They ran 24 hour shows of “The Dark Knight” during opening week. The theater is always crazy busy, too much for me at times, but they struck gold with this location.

Aren’t they partners in National Cine media and isn’t that venture a money maker??? Outside of trailers, why doesn’t Fathomevents ever advertise in newspapers??

optimist008
optimist008 commented about Central Plaza Cinema on Jun 8, 2008 at 5:22 pm

stevebob,

Yes, Central Plaza was that BIG and Century’s Mall theater in nearby New Rochelle, NY seated about 12-1300. You might want to start a separate posting about 1960’s and 70’s single screen theaters that had large amounts of seating. One of the Century 1960’s theaters in Long Island ( possibly Valley Stream) had slightly over 2000 seats!!

General Cinema’s Menlo Park single screen in Edison, NJ probably was up there too with it’s huge original seat count.

optimist008
optimist008 commented about TOP 200 USA GROSSING MOVIE THEATERS: Anybody have such a list? on Oct 27, 2007 at 3:41 pm

longislandmovies,

Thanks for the reply. What is Renttrack please?
Googled them with no results.

Thanks

optimist008
optimist008 commented about RARE BOOK: American Film Exhibition by Gary Edgreton: Why so hard to find??? on Oct 22, 2007 at 8:48 pm

Warren, thanks for your informative reply.

Ross, thanks for your’s as well. My niece got it from one of the NYC university libraries above and I will likely scan or photocopy it as it is not of a high quality typeface to begin with. Many thanks for the tip on ProQuest…who are they anyway? A rare book source I suppose?

Many thanks again..both of you please drop me a line if you have any Westchester County theater questions not answered on this forum.

optimist008
optimist008 commented about Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers on Nov 22, 2004 at 10:05 pm

This theater opened as a fourplex in 1977 by original owner B.S. Moss with “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

optimist008
optimist008 commented about Cineplex Odeon Route 17 Triplex on Nov 22, 2004 at 3:41 pm

When are they actually closing down?
Want to take one last look myself.
Must have been a wonderful one screen place way back.

Thank You and Happy Holidays.

optimist008
optimist008 commented about Kimball Theatre on Nov 18, 2004 at 4:45 pm

movieman007,

What ever happened to the projectionist union based in Mount Vernon?
I worked as an usher in the mid-1970’s at Hartsdale Cinema 2.
Bobbie Dente ran the union back then. How did the local lose control over the theaters? I thought there was a countywide fire code requiring licensed projectionists ???

Please email me at:

Thank You

TR

optimist008
optimist008 commented about Central Plaza Cinema on Nov 17, 2004 at 10:25 pm

P.S.

The upstairs auditorium was known as the “Smoking Loge” and tickets for it costed about another 25 cents or so. The seats and armrests were much more cushioned than downstairs, and had little square attached metal ashtrays. Another vivid memory from this wonderful theater, was a big standee and petition against “Pay TV” during the mid-late 1960’s. Unique to this theater also, were Japanese films being shown Saturday mornings in the mid 1970’s to that ever growing population from the nearby Edgemont section of Greenburgh. And the theater architect would likely vomit blood if he saw this place now. The projection is never lit bright enough either.

optimist008
optimist008 commented about Kimball Theatre on Nov 17, 2004 at 7:12 pm

What a shame to see this childhood icon go up in smoke!!
Hopefully the marquee will survive the fire.

Tom Rossi
Yonkers

optimist008
optimist008 commented about Central Plaza Cinema on Nov 17, 2004 at 7:09 pm

Yes, the two level cascading fountain as to your left when you enter into the lobby up the stairs. I have so many fond memories of this theater from growing up to it from it’s opening in late 1966. For a modern theater, it was absolutely one of the best without a doubt until it was twinned in 1974. The lobby was so special with that water fall turned on. The lobby even had a mini art gallery way back and a plaque was hung up in memory ot Mr. Belmont who was the first manager later killed in a fatal car accident. The plaque donated by the employees is nowhere to be found. Belmont Ave in Yonkers is named after his family. All this I know since I had worked for General Cinema’s nearby Hartsdale Cinema Two just up the road.
Anytime I visit Central Plaza, it’s both saddening and irritating to see it needlessly ruined without the water fall, the classy haninging globe lights were removed, the window curtains taken out in place of garish black tint, and that opulent red carpeting was removed. Even the planter of fake plants on the landing of stairway leading to the second level were removed, leaving a disgusting empty space. How hard is it to maintain fake plants??? The rubber on the stairs reminds me of a gymnasium somewhere. Why did they remove the beautiful red carpet ?

Tom Rossi
Yonkers