Cameo Theatre
234 Robinson Street,
Binghamton,
NY
13904
234 Robinson Street,
Binghamton,
NY
13904
4 people
favorited this theater
The Cameo Theatre opened in the 1930’s to serve the Robinson Street neighborhood. It has a bird cage style box office, inside the lobby. The concession stand and restrooms are located in the rear of the auditorium. The theatre was operated for many years by Ken and Fran Robinson, who were very popular in the community.
In the 1980’s, Carroll’s Development leased the theatre and operated it. Caroll’s merged their operations with Nutmeg Theatres of CT to form CinemaNational. In 1987, that circuit sold to USA Cinemas, which, in 1988, was sold to Loews. Loews operated the theatre until 1993 when they opened the Town Square in nearby Vestal. At that time, they closed their four remaining single-screen operations in the Greater Binghamton area—The Cameo, Crest, Towne Endicott and Cinema Endicott.
The Cameo reopened under an independent, who installed DTS Sound. After not meeting with much success, the theater closed. Fran Robinson stepped back in and reopened the house and ran it for a few more years. It closed for the last time in 2002, and has been empty since.
Contributed by
Joe Masher
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Recent comments (view all 42 comments)
Here are some 1987 photos:
Photo1
Photo2
Photo3
my family was very involved in the Cameo. my sisters and I worked the candy counter, and my brothers cleaned the theatre and changed the signs.
the Robinson were lovely people who were very generous to the community. The pictures are great reminders for all the hours spent there. I saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid there well over 50 times.
I went back to Binghamton this summer to visit my family and friends and while there was able to meet Fran Robinson.She’s delightful and is full of a lot of knowledge about history of Binghamton and it’s many theatres. She took me over to the Cameo. Boy did that bring back a lot of great memories. I really wish there could be a future for the Cameo…
Hello…can anyone tell me if Mrs. Robinson is still interested in selling the Cameo? Thank you!
hello,
As my friend and I have passed the cameo many times and always wondered about it we both are very interested in the cameo building. I would greatly consider helping re-opening the cameo or would help with repairs needed. maybe doing some minor altercations to help bring back that feelings from years past, maybe as well as making it into a art theatre just because there are so many actual movie theatres around this area. As well as not to many art theaters which may bring in a few more people than just a normal movie theater.
I remember going to the Cameo to see “Blazing Saddles”. I think it was 1074. It was $1 to get in and the place was packed!
My earlier posting should read 1974. Movies didn’t cost $1 in 1074!
Use this link to see some current photos of the Cameo:
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcMnLNo3Zt21q
If the link isn’t “clickable” you will need to copy and paste it to see the photos.
Sadly Fran Robinson passed away yesterday 8/6/1011.For those of us who grew up with the Cameo we won’t soon forget her.Eastender
I just read the obituary in this morning’s Press & Sun-Bulletin. I want to express my sympathies to her family on her loss. She was a very nice lady & she, with her husband Kenneth, provided many years of happiness to the Triple Cities movie-going public. After Kenneth passed away, she continued that effort alone for many years. One her many accomplishments, which I complimented her on several times, was her successful bidding on “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” in 1979. As an independent theatre operator, she “beat out” the mighty Cinema National chain (which owned almost every other theatre in the Triple Cities!) for the exclusive right to show the film locally! I had the pleasure of speaking with her a couple of times over the past 3 years. After telling me each time that she didn’t know what she could tell me about the “old days” of the Triple Cities' theatre history, she spent better than half an hour bubbling over with her fond remembrances of her years in the movie business with Kenneth & later carrying on alone. She still went next door into the theatre regularly to be sure “everything was OK”. I also had the pleasure of stopping over to her house this past March to present her with pictures of Binghamton Classic Film’s (of which I am a member) annual display at the Broome County Library which featured several wonderful 8x10 color photos of The Cameo (including one night shot showing the lighted marquee of which Kenneth & she were so proud) & a huge newspaper article about her & The Cameo from 2000. I know her family, as well as many of us in the Triple Cities, will miss her. I hope her theatre will end up being acquired & hopefully reopened someday. Sincerely, Jim Macumber