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Jerry Lewis Twin

Massapequa, NY
Sunrise Highway
, Massapequa, NY, United States
(map)
Status: Closed
Screens: Twin
Style: Unknown
Function: Unknown
Seats: Unknown
Chain: Unknown
Architect: Unknown
Firm: Unknown
Add a photo for this theater!
The Jerry Lewis Twin sat in the back of a very large parking lot on what I believe was the site of the Massapequa Drive-In. It was a twin. I guess it was built in the late 60's early 70's. It wasn't extraordinary in anyway. I saw a lot of the re-released Disney movies during the 70's here such as "Song of the South" (back then they did release that one though now I think it's banned in this country.)

One of the few things I do remember about the place was seeing a Disney movie there in 1974 (forget which one...) and noticing that there was no curtain. In between movies, you just saw the white screen. I really hated that. A couple next to me actually were discussing this fact. The woman was saying how (like me) she hated the way it looked and the man was saying that it was no big deal. Little could I realize that this was to be the wave of the future. At least they weren't flashing those annoying ads like they do now.

Just thought I'd add this because it comes up a few times when people are discussing LI movie houses. This was not a cinema treasure.
Contributed by C. Connolly


YOUR COMMENTS

 
Disney didn't quite 'ban' 'Song of the South' in this country. Instead of opting to use the film to spur intelligent dialogue among adults (and children) about how racial (and, to a broader base, cultural) perceptions have changed and evolved since the time of the film's creation and initial release, they've opted to shelve it indefinitely, since its last U.S. theatrical run in November of '86. It has been (or, at least, was) available on video in the U.K. (and perhaps other international territories as well) in the years since.
posted by DBrenson/br91975 on Jan 6, 2005 at 7:54am
The video (VHS and DVD) is available in Japan as well.

I had heard a rumor years ago that the "Little Rascals" series was also shelved because it was deemed racist. Ok...yeah...there were scenes that were...questionable such as Buckwheats wiping his sweaty brow and showing the wall getting splattered with brown/black coloring. Or when they all pretended they had the measles and they pained Buckwheat's face with white dots.

But then it started showing up on American Movie Classics on Saturday mornings. And what I found interesting is how EQUAL the black kids were treated on the show to the point that they often got the better of the white folks.

And the show was pretty funny too.
posted by CConnolly on Jan 6, 2005 at 8:18am
When "Saturday Night Fever" opened in 1977, one of the Long Island locations was the Rae Twin in Massapequa. I know there was a Rae Twin on Staten Island. Was the Long Island version the former Jerry Lewis Twin in Massapequa?
posted by RobertR on Jun 9, 2005 at 5:11am
Here is the Saturday Night Fever ad I mentioned a year ago
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/CatchtheFever.jpg
posted by RobertR on May 27, 2006 at 6:39pm
To answer your question from a year ago Robert R, the Jerry Lewis Twin in Massapequa became a Rae Twin Cinema before it finally closed. The last movie to play there was Love at First Bite. I remeber that distinctly because after the theater closed the movie title was on the marquee for a while as the property sat vacant. The building is now a Harrows. I saw GREASE there with my sister when I was 13. Wow that took me back! Wat a great time to be a kid!
posted by LongIsland Bear on Jun 9, 2006 at 10:54pm
The current Harrow's there is going out of business. Another store in that huge lot back then was a store called "White". I don't even think it was White's, the sign outside said White. I remmber it was connected inside to a supermarket, Waldbaum's perhaps.
posted by goldthorpe on Dec 31, 2006 at 4:04pm
goldthorpe- your talking about White Department Stores-didn't last long. Opened around 1970 and went under in 1974. They were affiliated with Waldbaums.
posted by gencin on May 22, 2007 at 6:49pm
Were they affiliated with Waldbaums? I have a White department Store Circular- they are on the back page. There was one at the Monticello N.Y. shopping center which housed a Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema.
posted by gencin on May 22, 2007 at 6:56pm
I would lovwe to see the whites circular mike glaser 1-631-236-7121
posted by Mike Glaser on Sep 29, 2007 at 5:03pm
I don't think there was any connection between White and Waldbaum's. My dad knew something about one of the founders, but I vaguely remember the details. The store in Massapequa was one of two that started in the 50's, and they expanded in the late '60 thru the early 70's around the NY area. The original store that fronted Sunrise Highway was torn down around 1972, and the new store built way off the road on the site of the Massapequa Drive-in. White originally ran the food market, but later contracted it out to Waldbaums.

My college girl (still my wife) is from Monticello, and I remember the White store all the way out at the edge of town. I think there is a Sears Surplus store there now?
posted by fibber2 on Jun 1, 2008 at 7:34pm
According to January 1, 1973 issue of Boxoffice, this was the 201st Jerry Lewis Cinema and it opened 12/22/1972
posted by Scott D. Neff on Oct 5, 2009 at 12:29pm
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