Brentwood Theatre

1825 Brentwood Road,
Brentwood, NY 11717

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Showing 1 - 25 of 35 comments

rivest266
rivest266 on June 1, 2021 at 1:13 pm

The Prudential’s Brentwood theatre opened on April 15th, 1965 as a benefit performance. Grand opening ad posted.

robboehm
robboehm on October 2, 2019 at 7:40 am

Bloop, you are incorrect. The Brentwood looked nothing like the Babylon which was constructed in the 1920s. Prudential Theaters which had a similar look were the North Babylon, Cinema Bay Shore and Mid Island.

Bloop
Bloop on September 30, 2019 at 6:34 am

I’m 93% sure I saw “This is SPINAL TAP” here, circa 1986 (aprox.) Yes, this and the Babylon looked alike- I confuse them.

Bloop
Bloop on September 27, 2019 at 10:30 am

Just posted a new ad… 1979 !

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on November 25, 2018 at 2:20 am

Two new photos added

robboehm
robboehm on April 25, 2018 at 9:24 am

Originally built by Prudential and probably made the transition to UA.

fred1
fred1 on April 2, 2012 at 4:04 pm

Scott for most of its Life The Brentwood was UATC . I don’t think General Cinemas had theaters in Long Island

Scott Neff
Scott Neff on April 2, 2012 at 2:09 pm

Was this a GCC Theatre?

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on March 31, 2012 at 5:33 pm

As a child I saw Fantasia here on one of its re-releases. Seemed at the time a long drive from my home in Northport.

Is it still a soccer academy? How’s the interior?

guitarpixistar
guitarpixistar on March 30, 2012 at 8:38 pm

I am sad that its no longer a movie theater but at least the building is being used for something positive rather than continue sitting there empty being an eyesore.

moviegoer
moviegoer on September 20, 2011 at 8:32 pm

Looks like by early 1985 Brentwood was getting films at the tail end of the first run. The January 28, 1985 issue of New York Magazine lists The Terminator (which hit theaters in October 1984) as playing there for a few more days with City Heat (which opened in early December) scheduled to be there as of January 25.

moviegoer
moviegoer on August 29, 2011 at 6:01 pm

For anyone interested, I uploaded a photo of the theatre cum soccer academy taken this past weekend just before Hurricane Irene.

moviegoer
moviegoer on August 18, 2011 at 8:23 pm

I just uploaded a couple of photos of the Brentwood Theatre from the late 1980s. The entire front is boarded up because it was all glass. Note the similarity of the building to that of the Bay Shore Cinema (the theater referred to on the road-side marquee of Brentwood).

Bloop
Bloop on March 28, 2011 at 6:31 pm

I think I saw “Spinal Tap ” here because it was one of the few theaters showing it at the time —anyone else remember ? 1986 ??

moviegoer
moviegoer on June 30, 2008 at 9:31 pm

The area isn’t horrible. It’s perfectly fine. It’s just heavily hispanic, particularly with many immigrants from El Salvador. The building now has new life as the Brentwood Soccer Academy.

antben14
antben14 on June 30, 2008 at 10:47 am

This was my local theater in the 70s-early 80s and I saw so many movies there—Blue Water White Death, Charlotte’s Web, Jaws, Grease, Escape From Alcatraz, Empire Strikes Back, History of the World Part 1, Poltergeist among others. The last time I was there was in 1986 and saw Short Circuit. I never sat in the balcony—it was always closed whenever I went there. They had this tiny concession stand. After the Commack Multiplex opened, this place was doomed. The area is horrible now.

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on November 4, 2007 at 10:34 pm

I cant believe its gone it had more lives than a cat……….

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on October 17, 2007 at 9:02 pm

Just occurred to me that the status should be changed to “Closed” – an update that is long overdue.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on October 17, 2007 at 9:02 pm

As I promised myself a few weeks back, I got back to the Brentwood this morning with camera in hand and snapped about two dozen photos. The owner is gutting the place for re-use as a commercial space of some kind. While I was snapping away, I spotted a worker coming around from the back of the building and tried to ask him some questions, but he spoke very little english. A few moments later, he was back outside and handed me his cell phone. Apparently, he was concerned to see me snapping away and called the owner – who was curious as to my intentions and asked to speak to me. I didn’t get a name, but I spoke to a very nice – but very puzzled – woman who wanted to know exactly what I was up to. I explained that I was a movie theatre buff and that the photos were for my own private collection and possibly to post online in a theatre forum. She was dubious at first and couldn’t understand my interest in the building since it was no longer a theatre, but I guess I convinced her that I had no agenda of any kind. She took my email address and first name and I told her I’d be happy to send her copies (and encouraged her to let me know when work was complete so I could photograph the finished refurbishment). She wouldn’t elaborate on the proposed new use for the building and I really couldn’t sort it out from this stage of the rehab work.

The two-story glass front lobby has been partially boarded up and is in the process of being replaced with cinderblock (I presume this is a temporary measure to protect against the elements). The former lobby space has been opened up to the former auditorium – which has been gutted to the bare brick walls and the steel framework of the ceiling. I guess if a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ll just shut up and post ‘em here:

Here’s a link to the first photo in the album. Just click on the “next” button from there. That probably works easier than linking to each of the 24 images separately. In several of the photos, you’ll see the last remnant of the upper lobby wall at the far left of the building just over the former box office. The doorway into the balcony seating is still there. This is the last interior remnant of the old theatre.

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on October 9, 2007 at 9:21 pm

This place has had more lives than a cat………

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on August 23, 2007 at 7:14 pm

I passed by this theater earlier today and it is in sad shape. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me at the time. The two story glass front (through which one could clearly see the entire two tier lobby) is obscured with graffiti. There is a sign high up on the glass that is partially damaged advertising a spanish language church. The building itself seems to be in a state of neglect. On the flat canopy above the entrance and box-office, a small fragment of the word “Theater” still hangs in red letters.

I’ll have to get back there soon for some photos.

jpark377
jpark377 on March 28, 2007 at 6:02 pm

LongIsland, you’re right about this area at night. I worked for UA during the ‘80’s, and they had a lady Barbara who ran the place. She was one of the nicest, gutsiest people I’ve even known, and it was a miracle that she was able to run the place, in light of the “dynamics” of the area. RIP Barbara.

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on March 14, 2007 at 5:12 pm

Have not been over this way in the last 2 years whats the status?

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on August 24, 2006 at 2:59 pm

any updates on this theater…………