Squire Theater

115 Middle Neck Road,
Great Neck, NY 11021

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Showing 1 - 25 of 43 comments

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on July 10, 2021 at 1:32 pm

Please update, became 7 screens on February 14, 1997 (grand opening ad in photos), UA sold the theatre last April 1996, went independent and was closed in the fall for renovations to 7 screens. @rivest 266, ad was one week earlier.

rivest266
rivest266 on June 2, 2021 at 3:50 pm

7 screens on February 21st, 1997. No grand opening ad in Newsday.

rivest266
rivest266 on June 2, 2021 at 3:46 pm

Grand opening ad posted.

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on September 11, 2020 at 8:27 pm

Please update theatre closed permanently due to Covid-19 Theatre just announced on their Facebook page

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on November 9, 2019 at 3:25 pm

Please update, it was taken over by Wurtzburgh before Clearview bought his theatres.

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on November 1, 2019 at 9:15 pm

Please update, UA open it as a triplex on March 25, 1983

fred1
fred1 on August 9, 2019 at 3:19 am

Actually the official name is “The Great Neck Cinemas at the Squire” according to their website https://www.greatneckmovies.com/

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on August 8, 2019 at 10:40 pm

Please rename Great Neck CInemas

wally 75
wally 75 on April 13, 2019 at 10:23 am

I was what UA called a “City Manager” of the Squire and Playhouse back in 70’s before moving on to the Rivoli N.Y. 1975. The only reason I mention it, was talking to someone about when it snowed on Easter Sunday…and there were lines down the block at both theatre’s. Maybe someone can remember the year and what was playing at the Squire and Playhouse.

robboehm
robboehm on April 12, 2019 at 3:47 pm

The Squire was a leased property and Bow Tie was not the sole owner. Was just the management of the theater taken over or a purchase made? The original Squire lease only ran until 2020.

DARCYDT
DARCYDT on April 12, 2019 at 11:31 am

The former owners of the defunct Movieworld in Douglaston, NY have taken over the Squire.

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on April 1, 2019 at 4:43 pm

The theater was taken over by the former owners of Movieworld Douglaston

bmccinemash
bmccinemash on November 26, 2015 at 11:35 pm

The strange thing about the Squire was that U.A. Eastern Theatres offices were on top of the Theatre when I worked for U.A. in the 70’s as a Manager at the U.A. Quartet so I spent a lot of time in the Squire, where at the time Mr. Al Lowey was the Manager of both the Squire and the Playhouse and Hope Masades was his Asst., So when Clearview took it over in 1996 it was like a old homecoming for me. I left Clearview in 2001 a year after Clearview was brought by Cablevision and they changed our operating procedures so I left to buy theatres in Florida and form my ow3n company with 2 partners

bmccinemash
bmccinemash on November 26, 2015 at 11:19 pm

The history of the Squire is a little off, U.A. did not close the theatre because of bankruptcy, they sold the building to a gentleman by the name of Warren Whurtzberger who then renovated the theatre to 7 screens and because of his money problems he sold the 7 plex to Clearview Cinemas in 1996. I know this because I was the Division Manager for Clearview Cinemas for Long Island at the time of the sale and was responsible for bringing the Squire into the fold as well as the Franklin also owned by Whurtzberger, who had overextended himself with loans from Boston Concession in order to by and renovate the Squire

robboehm
robboehm on May 19, 2015 at 2:18 pm

Photo with original marquee uploaded.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on December 4, 2014 at 9:41 pm

In 1941, the Esquire Theatre company, operators of the Squire Theatre, were involved in an arbitration case with five major film companies and the operators of the rival Playhouse Theatre. Esquire had filed a claim that the 30-day clearance given the Playhouse was unfair. As part of their case they compared the condition of their newer theater with that of the old Playhouse which had grown a bit shabby. An article about the case in the July 19, 1941, issue of Showmen’s Trade Review included this description of the Squire:

“…approach to the theatre is made through a store on Middle Neck Road, 20 feet wide and 80 feet long, which has been subdivided into a series of vestibules and lobbies, and this terminates in an auditorium approximately 70 feet in width by 135 feet in length. The auditorium is divided into two parts, the lower level and the stadium level, the lower level containing approximately 660 seats, and the stadium containing 330 seats.

“After leaving the entrance lobbies, one approaches a large promenade which terminates in a lounge approximately 16 by 30 feet in size, off of which are anterooms, and the toilet facilities for ladies and gentlemen.

“Part of the original lot, which was 90 feet in width, has been devoted, to exit facilities and boiler room and heating and cooling apparatus. The stadium is completely fireproof in construction, as is the projection booth and the adjacent spaces in the projection booth.

“In addition to the adequate lighting facilities throughout the auditorium Acousticon units for hard of hearing have been installed on 20 chairs.”

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 10, 2013 at 11:50 pm

Here is a link to the Anne Meara piece cited in my previous comment.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 10, 2013 at 11:48 pm

A reminiscence by Anne Meara, who grew up in Great Neck in the 1930s, includes a paragraph in which she mentions going to the Squire Theatre with her mother:

“She loved movies and would take me with her whenever she could. I was thrilled. We would walk down Middleneck Road to the Squire theatre. The Squire Theatre was the Enchanted Wood of Great Neck circa 1935.”
If the Squire was open around 1935, it was probably the proposed house that was announced in the April 11, 1935, issue of The Film Daily:
“DeLuxer for Great Neck

“A 700-seat deluxe house, with adjoining parking space for 250 cars, is to be built in Great Neck, L. I., on a site owned by Pomander Square, Inc. House has been leased to a client of D. Seymour Wolfson, attorney, who is withholding the lessee’s name for the present.”

I’m not familiar with Great Neck, so I don’t know where the parking lot would have been, assuming it was built.

wally 75
wally 75 on June 21, 2011 at 12:49 am

It’s has 3 theatres now….and you’re right about the ease to get there….

robboehm
robboehm on June 20, 2011 at 11:10 pm

Islip probably has more potential for sub division. Also it’s at a better location, near where Rt 111 intersects with Main St/Montauk Highway. And, it’s in town and parking isn’t too bad.

wally 75
wally 75 on June 20, 2011 at 9:19 am

Lindenhurst is for rent boats are gone…still in great shape,,,Islip has for rent signs…Here’s two for you Clearview..

robboehm
robboehm on June 19, 2011 at 9:39 pm

I think they should resurrect the Islip. True it doesn’t have air conditioning but it’s a nice downtown. But, the previous owners couldn’t make it work. The multiplex in Patchogue didn’t work. Definitely seems like a void but, maybe for a reason. There are a lot of pockets with no coverage, even in Nassau.

Mrmarkus
Mrmarkus on June 19, 2011 at 3:52 am

Ed, Clearview Cinemas hosts kids' birthday parties,and the name on the marquee is part of the package.The name “Rock” went up for actor/wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson,whose birthday was on that weekend.

markp,the union wasn’t canned,not totally,they got reduced hours due to “corporate greed” and letting managers do projection work with no additional pay. I know this because I work there,AND a union guy still.

wally-rumor has it Clearview is looking to expand in Suffolk,its all down to three things:location,location,location. Between Babylon and Sayvile,there is nothing. But Clearview could buy Sayville if the price is right…then heading east,there’s nothing until Mastic.The old UA Patchogue would have been somewhat ideal,but that place has seen better days.Not to mention,someone had better plans…

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on April 27, 2011 at 10:23 pm

Took some photos of the former Playhouse also, Wally, and posted them on that page.

wally 75
wally 75 on April 27, 2011 at 5:38 pm

Thanks Ed:

To bad The Playhouse marquee wasn’t still there….