Bellmore Playhouse

my mom was a cashier for the bellmore playhouse in the early 1950's
the owners at the time were connie and wanda baker. the projectionist was a big fella named 'tiny'
if anyone has any information about that time period, or photo's of the old or new theater, or information about the baker's or about the plyhouse's present owners please contact me?
thanks very much!
vince iuliano
cybrsnoop1@aol.com

The address for the Bellmore Playhouse is 525 Bedford Avenue, Bellmore, NY. 11710.

Hello. I currently work at the playhouse. If anyone would like any questions answered...ask away!

Oh and forgot to add that there are 7 screens not 6.

HOW IS THIS THEATER DOING?

Hi Ted
I have a million questions! My mom is always telling me about that theater. Do you know anything about its history? Who owns it now?
Do you know anything about the Bakers? Can you tell me what the theater is like now??? When it opened , when it closed and then reopened. Are there first run movies there now?
She said the address was 513 Bedford Avenue - perhaps its been rezoned?
Are there any old photographs extant about the theater or its former staff?
(One interesting thing about Mr Baker is he never allowed popcorn to be sold or eaten at his theater!)
Thank you for any information you may have on this subject!!!

Right now it is under the ownership of Michael Patracca, who owns the landlord of the entire strip on that block. It is probably one of the cleanest theaters in Nassau county. The Playhouse patrons are mostly regulars who come see atleast one movie every week. It has been opened for 7 years this october. I am not sure what you mean by "first run movies". The address is 525 bedford ave. It is in the same location as the old theater. The closest thing to old photos is the grafiti on the walls in the besement, the oldest date I found on the walls was 1963.

Wow! This theater is still open. Incredible. If I remember correctly, this theater is on a pretty busy street, right? Not in a strip mall or anything? Well, I remember seeing "Murder on the Orient Express" there in 1974 and "Apocolypse Now" in 1980. By that time the single screen theater was getting a little run down. But I thought it remarkable that I could see "Apocolypse Now" almost a full year after it came out in the summer of 1979.

This is a wonderful theater that does attract a realy family crowd. The street the theater is located on, Bedford Ave. in Bellmore, is actually not a busy street, but has been turned into a real "downtown" area with great restautants, coffee shops, etc. A great place to see a show.

I used to go to the Bellmore Playhouse's Saturday matinees in the early-1960's. I remember the manager was an elderly man with white hair and glasses (always wearing a suit and tie) who often got on stage in between the double feature (usually science fiction or horror movies, some of them made in the '50s). He'd give out free passes or coupons for free candy. Unless I'm mistaken, it was his voice that was on the recorded message when you called the theater.

There were Halloween costume contests at the matinee, and every Christmas they'd show the Mexican/K. Gordon Murray production, "Santa Claus" and, in the mid-to-late '60s "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" and "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't."

The last matinees I remember were in the late '60s ("The Deadly Bees" plus "The Vulture"; "The Terrornauts" plus "They Came from Beyond Space"). I also remember staying after the matinees to see the "adult movies" that were shown in the evenings. (This was back when adults had adult movies to go to.) I must've been about 13 or 14-years-old, trying to figure out what I was watching in the John Cassavettes movie, "Husbands." But I got in trouble once when my mother found out that I'd snuck in to the Playhouse's evening show of that "dirty" movie, "The Statue."

Best regards,

Ray

www.Flickhead.com

This is a photo of the Bellmore Playhouse.

Wrongly identified as the merrick Playhouse
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c32%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=158&ProductID=31235



http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c32%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=158&ProductID=31236

How does one correct something on the American Images site? In Merrick they have two 1981 images of the Playhouse marquee and one of The Movies? I wrote them a note a couple of months ago and no change.

Does this theatre have a website? How much do tickets cost? Do you have any special deals like matinee prices or discount days?

Can't help you on that. I suggest you call the theatre at 516-783-5440.