Lane Theater
168 New Dorp Lane,
New Dorp,
NY
10306
168 New Dorp Lane,
New Dorp,
NY
10306
8 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 107 comments found
Movieswithdad thank you for that update. That is good news for the theatre and for New Dorp Lane. At least the theatre will be maintained and put to good use.
The Lane Theatre is now Crossroads Church.
The situation on the Lane has improved a little. Slightly fewer vacancies. But I think the Lane Theater will once again be vacant for a long time.
Agreed ,Italian. Recall how the city crucified Mrs.Rosemary when she was restoring the St.George. It was a miracle she pulled it off , probably only because there were some political heavyweights in her rolodex. If she had been left at the mercy of city agencies the theatre would still be closed today.
Garth, I do agree with some of your points. As far as the parking, New Dorp Lane isn’t any worse than Point Pleasant in the middle of the summer. Also, as you mentioned Point Pleasant is a resort/vacation area, but I was at the Point Pleasant club on a Saturday night in January and the first show was sold out and when I left, there was a line down the street for the 2nd show with the sidewalks covered with snow and ice. It wasn’t even a big name comedian. I hope Staten Island can get our landmarked theatres up and running again, but I don’t think anyone can get them were they need to be again. If this club didn’t work out at the Lane, I think the only thing that will work there is another dance club and we all know how that turned out years ago. Very sad.
garth I agree abut the economy and the Paramount my other concern was if anyone would have ventured into Stapelton which is in such decay; plus parking which would be a problem with the lot across the street now gone. Charley Zerrilli and Peter Lisi tried their best especially Peter who was so passionate about the theatre.
I had a feeling the old gal would become a money pit! Hate to say it Vito but maybe it’s better the owner cut his losses. I just don’t see how the place would have thrived in this economy. A poster mentioned that Uncle Vinnies in Point Pleasent still does well but that is in a resort/vacation area where people go for entertainment.
Garth the folks at the Paramount underestimated the cost of bringing the theatre up to code. It became a run a way train with everyday something else to buy or install. Sad becasue as you wrote they had made quite a bit of progress in encluding getting that wonderful old marquee to light up again.
SI Italian , while I agree with your disappointment over the failure of Uncle Vinnies , I think we have to realize that the past 2 years have been a very tough time to open a business. When it was first announced I wished the owners well , but I did state concerns over the economy,and the lack of parking in the area. As you pointed out there are many shuttered businesses on the Lane , and on Hylan Blvd. as well. The same goes for the owners of the Paramount , who put so much into renovating that theatre only to see their catering business / entertainment hall never even get off the ground.
This is really sad about the Lane shutting down once again. I have been a Staten Islander my entire life. I have been to Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ numerous times over the years and once they opened the new location at the Lane I was excited to be able to go to a comedy club in my immediate area and was able to go there numerous times as well. I hate the bad rap Staten Islanders get, but sometimes we bring it on ourselves. The lack of support the community gave Uncle Vinnie’s is really distriburbing to me. The place in Point Pleasant is always packed even in the non-summer months and the same level of talent was put in the Staten Island location if not better. I saw some before and after pictures and the owners took a fallen down disgusting building and turned it into something beautiful again. Staten Island, we need to WAKE UP!!! I drove past New Dorp Lane the other day and there are more businesses closed than open. If we don’t support our own local businesses, then we will truly be New York’s forgotten borough. We need to stop with supporting ignorant TV shows like ‘Mob Wives’ that make our borough look even worse. Congrats Staten Island. You lost a quality business once again to New Jersey.
I just called the Jersey club where a rep confirmed that the S.I. club has indeed gone under. Since it’s been fully renovated , could it possibly become a restaurant or other venue? I’d hate to see it fall into disrepair again.
Sorry to hear it , but I did predict it in my old posts. Is The Paramount plan also dead in the water?
I walked by the Lane Theater this morning and it looks like Uncle Vinny’s has closed. The Uncle Vinny’s name is off the marquee and all the coming performances posters have been taken down. Must have been a sudden decision because they were advertising April and May comedy acts last week. No ‘For Rent’ signs yet.
Two photos of the Lane as “Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club” can be found at the end of a new two-part article about mid-Richmond here: View link
Interesting looking marquee.
During the early 1980’s, I had a store in the Lane Theater building. One of the projectionists there told me that at one time, the New Dorp/Staten Theater (across the street at 135 New Dorp Lane) was an overflow theater for the Lane. They would show the same film and walk the reels across the street, as they ran out at the Lane. I’m not sure shch years this would have been, but it’s my guess that he was talking about the 1930s and/or 1940s. In the 1980s, the former New Dorp was easier to discern, as the appliance store took up the whole space and (I believe) the fire exits were visible on the side of the building, which faced North towards the railroad tracks. The lot next door, where the animal hospital would later be built, was then vacant.
Is Elias a correct spelling and was he different from the Charles Ellias who was a Concessionaire and Office Manager at Yankee Stadium in 1939?
Thanks for any help.
This site has a 1940’s video of New Dorp Lane with a shot of what must be the old New Dorp Theatre : http://oldstatenisland.tripod.com/east_shore.htm
Sure is bitter sweet to see the Lane today.
Bitter because I would have loved for the ole girl to remain a movie house.Sweet because I am happy the theatre did not end up like the Paramount in total disrepair and left to die.
Lppokong at that SILive article I was sad not to see any pictures of the front of the auditorium I would love to see what they did with the stage area. Anyone have any photos of that?
Also, anyone know what the old projection booth is being used for?
The Lane Theater re-opens tonight as “Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club.” Gilbert Gottfried will be the first attraction. More View link
This April 2009 article includes a 1981 photo of the Lane.
Does anyone know how Vinnie’s is doing? I read there’s another comedy club at the old UA 14….
The video was frustrating to watch but had a few good images. When I was there the theatre was locked up so I couldn’t take a look. I also haven’t seen any more activity or updates on the Paramount , the club was supposed to open by next month. The high rise project across the street is dead in the water , I was told…
I may have been a bit rude with the guy who did the video. It was not good but I guess I was disappointed in what we actually go to see. I cut my teeth in this buisiness in that wonderful ole theatre and so it may have been a dificult for me to see the way it looks now. Like they say, If I may reverse the phraise,one mans treasure ia s another mans garbage. I just want it to be 1950 again and the Lane looking like it did then. Silly ole fool that I am.
The other day I had business on New Dorp Lane and while there I had a look around. I was stunned by the amount of shops that had gone out of business and had “For Rent” signs in the windows. The ones that have managed to survive didn’t look like they had many customers. It will be interesting to see how Uncle Vinnie’s does when it opens….