RKO Babylon Twin
701 Montauk Highway,
West Babylon,
NY
11726
701 Montauk Highway,
West Babylon,
NY
11726
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I saw that all time classic “who slew auntie roo?” with Shelley Winters there!
Yeah the posting has been corrected!
My question, how does one change an incorrect posting. This theatre was located in West Babylon at 701 Montauk Highway, not 901 Sunrise Highway in Copaigue. It was not demolished but exists as retail space per earlier postings. I went by the other day and realized that the f.y.e.(music, movies) sign on the facade doesn’t fully cover the old “holes” in the facade where the original theatre i.d. was. You can seen where the size of the theatres was doubled, that is, made longer, because of the way the rooftop A.C units are placed – midway on the building. When first built the A.C. units were at the back of the building.
This site is frought with misinformation. The RKO Babylon Twin was built at the same time as the other RKO twins. It was not on Sunrise Highway but on Merrick Rd (Montauk Highway). The last time I was in the area it was used as retail space. When first constructed as a twin it was, virtually, identical to the Twin in Rockville Centre. Short and stubby. In later years they added to the back making it long and narrow. No way was this in Copiague. I might buy Lindenhurst, but more probably West Babylon, just west of the South Bay.
All the new RKO twins were to debut at the same time but the opening on this one was delayed to they could complete the “lavish finishing touches”. Yes, that’s what the ad said. Since I lived fairly near there I drove over to take a look. They hadn’t even put on the roof. Lavishing finishing touches my …
Yeah, that deep blue brick/tile ! We should have grabbed a few at demolition!
“theater never did great always way behind COMMACK AND RVC …”
But nobody messed with “The Godfather” probably their greatest booking. They were on the Paramount run in the 70’s and I saw “Saturday Night Fever”, “Looking For Mr.Goodbar”, as well as B fare like “Laserblast” and a comedy directed by Joan Rivers called “Rabbit Test”. When I think of the RKO Twins, I always think blue and orange.
I HATED this theater! It was long, and if you had to sit in the back, you needed a telescope to see the screen! I’m not kidding! the screen always looked dark, like they were projecting the film with a 30 watt bulb. I wasn’t sorry to see it go. It was one of the worst.
theater never did great always way behind COMMACK AND RVC …
New in 1968
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i remember when it opened…i wasn’t like a now a day twin..
it would show the same movie on both sides..
1 3 5 7 9 and 2 4 6 8 10
wally75
I concur with LongIslandMovies and Wirelessmedia. This building has NOT been demolished, but converted in to the aforementioned business'. Status should be changed for accuracy.
When it was a theatre, back when I was a kid, I always hated it. It was small and overpriced. Staff was always pompous like they knew it better (just like all the RKO’s in the area). Alas…up the block was the grand Babylon theatre (see that posting here) which WAS a beautiful single screen theatre, with a balcony. Alas that was made into a triplex in the late 80’s. Now it is dull and boring and no different than the rest of those huge multi-mega plexes you see out there.
JG
We will see the exterior of this theatre which was always a twin. The exterior blue bricks are under the makeover. The tour is on Sept. 11, 2005. See the Lindenhurst Theatre website on this site for info. This twin was incresed in size in 1976.
status and function should be changed. closed / retail
Actually, this is still standing. It is a Blockbuster and FYE (For Your Entertainment)
NEVER A BUSY THEATER FOR RKO UNLIKE ITS SISTER THEATER COMMACK TWIN BOTH BUILT AS TWINS, THE LONGEST AUDITORIUM YOU EVER SAW . The lobby in both theaters had smoked mirrors ,the best thing about these theaters were the candy stands and ladies rooms each stall had its own sink and mirrors.