Argo Theater

This was once one of Long Islands premiere theatres. The independant owner after Century ran it as a discount house, and had announced plans to six-plex it. He died before it happened and the family rented it out as a store. Right now if you drive by the store removed its sign and the old marquee is totally visible.

Pure, unadulterated 1950's is the only way I could describe the Argo. I remember it from the many trips there as a kid in the 50's. Think fiberglass lampshades and black panther TV lights.
Many times we took the Beeline Alden Terrace bus to Hempstead Tpke / Elmont Road (stop 12) to go to the movies at the Argo. The squared off outside box office on the left of the entrance was faced with a very linear fieldstone. The entrance lobby was low and sleek with coming attraction posters on either side. You went through aluminum doors into a large, high ceilinged lobby. The candy counter was on the left, set into the wall. There were NO straight lines anywhere. Everything was done in “sensuous curves”. Directly across the greenish, large leaf motif carpet (again, think fifties!) was the "grand staircase" to the balcony. It swooped up in a graceful curve, carried aloft by its very tailored, aluminum railing. About halfway up was a gigantic (at least to a ten year old) curtain made of the same fifties jungle leaf pattern placed in front of an equally sized window. We used to peek behind it to look out, but I never remember seeing it drawn back. What WAS the architect thinking? The auditorium was very plain- although quite long and high ceilinged like the lobby and in sort of a non-descript grey- if there's such a shade. The side walls were equally plain. I remember only what I could describe as a large, flattish bas-relief sculptures resembling the profile of an oil tanker ship that took up the entirety of each side of the auditorium. They concealed some dim cove type lights. These along with high hat lighting in the ceiling were the only sources of light. The ubiquitous, neon encircled advertising clock floated in position at the lower left side of the “stage”. Also, coming to mind is the hippo sized matron in charge of the children’s' section. She wielded her flashlight like a weapon, and if you got out of line, she could shoot you a look that would wither the Alien, and send him running home to mother!

Your maxi-matron sounds a lot like old Mrs Frye, who terrorized the brats at the Queens, a few miles away in Queens Village. I have a vague memory that she floated among nearby nabes like the Bellerose -- so she may have been your Argo battleaxe. Or maybe Century somehow attracted all the old Wagnerian horrors looking for work.

Argo? Argo **** yourself ;)

Posted in memory of Joseph A Martinez, one of the Argo's managers from years ago. A true showman from the old school, always with a smile and quick retort.

We miss you, Joe!

Those matrons always wore nurses uniforms that were 3 sizes too small, no wonder they looked so nasty.

A joke from Joe

Joe Martinez: A woman calls me and asks "what time is Crimes of the Heart
on?" I tell her, "lady, you don't need to talk dirty to me."

This was very nice theatre I remember it was located on Hempstead Turnpike by Elmont Avenue.

Someone should re-open this I think it stands a shot at making it again.

I took a drive over to this theater on lunch today (no camera), parked in the rear lot and took a walk around the place. From the outside, this appears to have been a very tall and narrow theater. The entire first level is occupied by a "Discount Department Store" which you can enter from either the former low-profile lobby on Hempstead Turnpike or through a new set of doors that open up to the parking lot behind the building. All interior walls between the outer lobby, the foyer and the auditorium have been removed to create a single L-shaped space with a low hanging and cheap-looking drop-ceiling. In the old foyer area, there is an opening into what must have been an adjacent retail space on the left side (as you enter from Hempstead Tpke) that extends the floor space of the store. There is no sign of that grand staircase Robbie mentioned in his June 2004 post, although I suppose it might have been obscured by remodeling. From the rear of the building, you can make out where that window described by Robbie was bricked over. In the deepest part of the store is their "furniture" department, which occupies the space that must have been in front of the screen. I took a long look around and there is absolutely nothing remaining of the old theater on this level of the building.

As for the area above the store, I couldn't see how one would gain access. There is a sign on the rear of the building for a restaurant/catering hall named "Planet Malibu" (although the "M" seems to have fallen from the wall) that I assume occupied a lot of this space at some point - but I don't know if the Discount store expanded into the former restaurant or if Planet Malibu occupied an upper level. There is a two story facade that wraps around the theater on the corner of Hempstead Turnpike and Elmont Road and there is a storefront at the rear of that strip on Elmont (nearest to the parking lot behind the building) that is occupied by a French-language Baptist Church (serving a Haitian population, perhaps). The church advertises services held "upstairs" but I can't make out if they have access to the upper level of the old theater or if they merely hold them in some space above the storefront.

So... I'm not sure how viable RobertR's hopes are about re-opening the theater. The commercial occupant is still in business and a lot of reconstruction would seem to be required. The battered old "Century's ARGO" sign (a sort of flat and square two sided vertical sign atop the roof of the outer lobby) is still hanging on against the odds. I'll get back there with my camera soon and post some shots.

Does anyone know the dates of operation for this theater? I'm curious as to exactly when this theater was first opened.

Here are some photos taken yesterday morning to accompany my post from December 7th. The address is 485 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY.

Note that there are two strips of parallel neon tubing runing around the perimeter of the old outer lobby just under the canopy soffit... were these original to the theater?
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Nassau%20Theaters%202005/IMG_1054.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Nassau%20Theaters%202005/IMG_1055.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Nassau%20Theaters%202005/IMG_1058.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Nassau%20Theaters%202005/IMG_1051.jpg

You can see the anchors for the old balcony fire escape above the Discount Store sign to the right:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Nassau%20Theaters%202005/IMG_1053.jpg
Here you can make out where that window of Robbie's overlooking the foyer staircase was bricked over:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Nassau%20Theaters%202005/IMG_1052.jpg

Finally, a few distance shots one from the east and one from the west showing the building's narrow profile:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Nassau%20Theaters%202005/IMG_1059.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Nassau%20Theaters%202005/IMG_1050.jpg

Passed by last night and looks like they took the old fin marquee from the roof of the former B.O. vestibule area on Hempstead Ave. I'm glad I shot those photos back in December.

The links to the photos I posted in December no longer work as I reorganized my photobucket albums. Here's a new link to an Argo Theater album where I now have all those pics.

Forgot to post this photo after I took it back in May, but it looks like the old Century's Argo sign was indeed removed from the roof of the former ticket lobby earlier this year:

Former Argo May 2006
Same view December 2005

I throw the 12/2005 shot in for comparison.

Ha... I just realized I've been having a conversation with myself on this theater's page since December of last year. And I never even attended a movie here!!! I guess this is not one of Long Island's more beloved old theaters, eh?

Ed, thanks for the pics. It WAS a nice conversation you were having with yourself. LOL. I watched them remove the neon sign one day. Originally the sign was completely covered up. Then one day I guess the covering fell off. There stood the sign with all the neon still intact for a few years. Then someone took the neon. Then finally they removed the sign. What a shame. It was about the only thing left to remind you of what it once was.

Thank you for some of the history of this Theater Robbie. I only started going to this Theater in the late 70's. I remember seeing the first Star Trek Movie there. I use to love it because it was a nice walk from where I lived and it was cheap. When I started going it was considered a second run theater. I remember there two fires in or around the theater. I think I heard someone say the first fire was from a Jewelry store and the second was in the the theater itself. I thin it closed after the second fire. Sorry I can't remember the years of the fire. I will assume it was around 83. I think this because by the time I started going to college, 85, the theater was closed for a few years.
All my friends loved gong there. No matter what the rating of the movie was they sold you a ticket. That was so cool back then.
One day my Mom and I went to see Superman and in the middle of the movie someone had a heart attack. It freaked my Mom out and we had to leave. Never really found out what happened to that guy.
A friend and I saw Raiders of the Lost Arc twice in a row. I never did that before, and never again.
It was a fun there with a cool atmosphere about it. I never found a theater like that since.

I worked at Century's Argo Theatre in January, 1952 until I was transfered to another theatre as Assistant Mgr. Have fond memories of it.
Art Ringfield

I saw "Love at First Bite" starring George Hamilton here. One of my enduring childhood memories is that someone climbed the marquee and switched the title to "George Milton in Eat Shit."

Big article about this theater's future in today's NY Daily News (Long Island section.) They're looking to put in a major supermarket rather than the hodgepodge of stores that are there now. I'll try to find a link.

I started my movie career at the Argo. Worked for Arnold Mittman and I was the usher , cashier and Marquee guy! I was 17 when I started there and I loved every minute of it! I went on to manage, the East Rockaway Criterion theatre, the Bellmore Movies, The Westbury Twin and ended up having a partnership at the Merrick Holiday Park Theatre later changed to a twin. I loved the business but slowly the old beauties became extinct! A real shame, no more showmanship in the theatres of today, all commercial, The theatre business still courses thru my veins it is really unbelievable and I am 50 now. The Argo was really an unbelievably regal, magnificent theatre from itscurving wide stairacase that led to a beautiful upper lobby where
the 400 seat balcony was to the beautiful and modern flush receptacles and recessed vending machines this theatre was a palace on Long Island. Art Deco I believe. To get o the Marquee it was one hell of a trek to the top, and then u had to venture in to the roof to do the Marquee!! One side was ok because u had plennty of roof but the other side ( Jewelry store side) was tricky and dangerous
the Marquee wasn't even 4 ft from the over hang ( there was a collapsable railing but stil it wouldn't have taken much to fall of the ladder and go over the side! I was 17 what did I know, and to get to the roof you had to brave all the pidgeons nesting under the fire escape, It gave me the creeps every week. But heck They paid me 75.00 a week to usher , cashier and do the marquee so I did it!! Learned a lot there and never knew I would fall in love with the motion picture business like i did! John Bertini, Garden City, New York

I remember how they covered the Century's neon with this peice of wood when it was an indie
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c32%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=84&ProductID=30777