Babylon Cinemas

Prior to Clearview, it was a UA Theatre. We bought it from them..(I work for Clearview).

The current Babylon Theatre was built in 1946 to replace the original Capitol Theatre ( aka Babylon Theatre) whick was destroyed by fire in 1945. It was built for the Prudential Circuit, then a leading exhibitor in Suffolk County. The Main Street moviehouse has the only vertical neon sign (still working) in all of Long Island and the five boroughs. I worked the theatre briefly under the UA regime in 1990 and at the time the grosses were so low that you could blow off a cannon in the lobby and not disrupt the combined total of six patrons in the three auditoriums. The balcony is the best of the three auditoruiums since it is un-altered. The 2 orchestra screens suffer from poor sound-proofing as on can hear not onlt the next door film, but the film upstairs as well. I don't like to nit-pick on surviving theatres, but the reason they won't survive is because of lack of caring and the exhorbitant amounts charged at the concession stands (especially Clearview). The South Bay Theatre about a mile away (now five screens) charges $4.00 for matinees and has reasonable concession prices. They also get the better of the bookings of the two theatres. If a multiplex should be built in this area (one was already defeated), these two houses will bite the dust.

Prudential was part of Metropolitan Playhouses, along with the Skouras and Randforce circuits. United Artists Theatre Circuit was the majority shareholder in Metropolitan Playhouses. In the 1970s, the individual circuit names were dropped, and all the theatres went under the UATC banner.

Prior to the 1934 edition, Film Daily Year Books claim that Babylon had two theatres, the Babylon with 1,050 seats, and the Capitol with 800 seats. Was that correct or an error? It seems possible that the Capitol closed as a victim of the Depression and never re-opened.

I must have erred, the fire was in 1934 or therabouts when your Film Daily Year Book was published. The Capitol was renamed the Babylon before it burned to the ground. I will check on the fire date from the historical society. This Babylon was built on the site of the original theatre, I can swear to that, I have photos of both buildings. The renamed Babylon had a "Capitol dome" in its' facade decoration that was not removed when it went from Capitol to Babylon. Before the Film Year Book was published, Babylon also had the Alahambra Theatre on Deer Park Avenue on a site now occupied by the L.I.R.R. supports for the train overpass.

There's been one historical inaccuracy in regards to the Babylon movie theatre thats been continually perpetuating, in message boards like this, and even in books (Babylon by the Sea, for example). When you look at a photo of the original theatre (on main street) and compare it with the theatre today, there are amazing differences. When you read that the original theatre was destroyed by fire and that todays theatre was built on the same site, its easy to understand why the error goes uncorrected. Allow me to put one old rumor to rest. The Babylon Theatre built in 1922 never burnt down. In fact, much of it still exists as the foundation of todays theatre. Its true that there was a fire, this occurred in 1954. It is unclear exactly where the fire was or what caused it; the only evidence that I see inside lies in the projection room. Could it be that a fire in the projection room set the roof a-blaze? I don't know. But what I do know is that much of the original building still exists. If you look at the 1935 photo used in the book Babylon by the Sea, you will see 3 stories- all with windows. Today, there is no evidence of these windows from the outside. The inside is a different story, however. There are storage rooms on the second floor, the entrance of one is located near the mens bathroom. In it you will see the 2 front windows on the left side of the building all boarded up, as well as one more boarded up on the side (facing the alley). The 2 windows on the right side can be accessed from an outside door located on the fire escape. Looking at the side of the building from the outside, you will notice that there is evidence of windows having once been there, all bricked off during the 1954 remodel. You will also note that evidence of the pitched roof still exists by a line formed where the newer bricks were attached to the original! This line is visible in the 1993 photo used in Babylon by the sea. More evidence exists on the inside. If you were to remove one of the ceiling tiles located near the fake fireplace, you would notice some of the original tapestry as well as artwork on wooden beams, all hidden by the newer (and lower) ceiling. Anyone looking for photos of these things should reply to this with their e-mail address and I'll send them along.

To Clearview King,
Come to the Babylon Historical Society and learn about the history of Babylon's theatres. This theatre is not the original Babylon Theatre. The original was on Deer Park Avenue and operated from 1912 to the very early 1930's. It was up the block from the Alhambra Theatre which was the Odd Fellow's Hall. The Alkhambra operated as a live theatre with stock companies before going to photoplays. The Capitol opened in 1922 and took over the "Babylon" name when the Deer Park Avenue "Babylon" closed. The facade of the Capitol/Babylon Theatre burned in the late 1930's, early '40's. The entire interior was also redone and doesn't resemble the original "Capitol" interior. The current theatre has none of the original "Capitol" decor only the remodeling it recieved in the 1950's. I guess the Clearview's Kings crown has been mis-informed.

Loved this theater when it was a single, I have fond memories of seeing Superman, E.T., Conan The Barbarian on that big screen. Later visits after it was split were, well, less interesting.

BAD LOBBY TO SMALL AND THE CANDY STAND HAS A BAD LAYOUT

Here's a photo of the Babylon Theater taken today:

Click here for link to photo

wow you were everywhere today

The current listing that I found for this theater is:
Clearview's Babylon Cinemas
34 Main Street
Babylon, NY 11702

It's got to have the West in there though, because 34 East Main St would be the other side of Deer Park Ave. I think Deer Park Ave and Main Street (Montauk Highway) is the "zero" point for Babylon.

Your right Bway, it should be west. The address listed puts it just on the west side of Montauk Highway (Main St) near Deer Park Ave.

I have a 1925 photograph of the exterior of the Babylon Theatre. It was certainly named the Babylon then, and not Capitol. The architect was J.H. Phillips and the seating capacity was 1,050. It was designed in a Colonial style. In the descriptive article I have (written by the architect) there are also photographs of the auditorium and lobby taken in 1925.

Prior to Clearview, it was a UA Theatre. We bought it from them..(I work for Clearview).

Dear Mr. Masher,

I am training to become a projectionist with local 640. I am also trying to get in Clearview as a manger. I had Thelar Thatch from Human resources contact me but still waiting. Do you know of any positions opening up in managerial in Long Island?

Thanks,

Email me at: shagee7977@aol.com

Does anyone remember a very tall, handsome and disinguished gentleman who broadcast a radio program from the lobby of the Babylon theatre in the mid-fifties? Maybe I imagined it. Thanks.

What about the South Bay, up the road in West Babylon (I think it opened as a twin.. it now has 6 "screening rooms"). It's somewhat rundown, but the movies are still cheaper than most (and it does show first one). Last movie I saw there was "Good Will Hunting."

4/30/79 newspaper ad listing this theater:
http://www.vasulka.org/archive/LyndaMiscTHREE/lynda/AdInVV.pdf

This theatre will be on the theatre tour on Sept. 11, 2005. See the Lindenhurst Theatre on this website for more info.

I know it's a little late to ask now, but what exactly was a "Theater tour"?

THIS JUST IN...BABYLON HAD A MAKE OVER LAST MONTH...NEW SEATS

SNACK BAR...HIGH BACK SEATS WITH PLENTY OF LEG ROOM..

CHECK IT OUT..

WALLY 75

Perhaps they knew the Islip Theater was closing?

I saw a few movies there, but always remember seeing the first showing of "E.T." there, and the sound was hard to hear, then too loud. I also saw "Hair!" there, just as the ad link in a previous post shows!

Big giant screen unfortunately cut up into three. The seats upstairs were better than the orchestra section. The balcony theater is huge. We had to sit front row balcony, always front row center, even if it meant getting there extra early and waiting up in the restroom/loge area. On the MGM "Red Carpet" circuit. Saw "Carrie", Woody Allen's "Sleeper". Saw "Hair" here the second time after seeing at The Ziegfeld opening night. Sorry about the problem John R had with "ET", but the film was a sold out, lines around the corner, huge burst of applause finale smash here. The traffic and parking was ridiculous, but they just came and came. I even relief managed a few nights after it was tripled and "Dune" was playing in the empty balcony theater.

ANYONE FROM CLEARVIEW ....CHECK OUT ISLIP TRIPLEX...YOU MAY HAVE YOUR

SECOUND THEATRE IN SUFFOLK...

also suffolk theatre in riverhead..now in danger..

also suffolk theatre in riverhead..now in danger..

I,d like to repeat a question I asked about two years ago. Perhaps new visitors to this site might remember. Does anyone remember radio broadcasts coming from the lobby some afternoons in the mid 50's? Thanks.

wgli went on air in mid to late 50's....wnyg became wbab am & fm

in late 50's back to wnyg 1440 am....now

the only two people that may have done this broadcast that i can think of is ray heatherton aka friendly B O B of
bank of babylon....or jack elsworth of W A L K [still there]...
I WILL DO MORE CHECKING.....PS WBIC 540 BACK IN THE DAY DID LIVE
BROADCAST FROM JOHNNY ALL WEATHER IN COP. TIL SUNSET..WHEN STATION
SIGNED OFF THE MOVIE STARTED...

I appreciate this website, but they have to work on running correct initial desciptions of the buildings. This was a UA Theater before Clearview took it over in the mid-90's.
When Lee was the manager here in the 80's, you could quite literally eat off the floors. It's was one of the cleanest theatres I've ever worked in. Her husband Joe was also an incredible theater manager. Real theater people like that are tough to find today.

My only experience at this theatre was a performance of Rocky. Although I don't usually see movies first run this was an exception and, as a result, I had to stand on line. I couldn't believe the audience got so worked up during the big fight scene that they were out of their seats cheering. Talk about a movie grabbing you.

Also, somebody mentioned the last theatre with a vertical. What about the Fantasy. And, in recent years they added one to the Greeport when they split up the old auditorium into a handful of theatres. As far as the simple neon style I believe the old Cambria and Laurelton had these. The big guns of, course were the Queens, Floral, Triboro, Valencia, Astoria, etc.etc,

Here's a photo of the Babylon in 1983. It really hasn't changed all that much.

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=babylon&catpagesize=25&ProductID=30272