RKO Commack Twin
Veterans Highway,
Commack,
NY
11725
Veterans Highway,
Commack,
NY
11725
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 151 comments found
The candy stand did look like this and was modernized around 1980 ,this and the RVC were the 2 busiest out off the RKO Twin format.
That image is off by couple of miles — how to fix it?
General Cinema did it too,Bloop,The concessionstand Girls hated walking the aisles for money.
Not one mention of the Will Rogers donation can collections and film clip before all RKO movies in the 70s and 80s????? Your thoughts……
A standard RKO Twin snack bar, partitioned so that nobody “crosses the line” . The Commack looked just like this one?
View link
We had one wild time back then!
Hey does anyone remember Angelo and Jean back in 76 and ‘77?
This has been wonderful hearing about my brother Jim Ward. He left a fantastic record collection. He truly loved his job. He also loved his young employees and friends. It is great to hear the other side of him as a boss. His personality is truly missed. It’s been 5 ½ years sinced he passed, but everyday I think about him. He went on to be Division Manager for Loews theatres until he couldn’t work anymore. He saw how things were changing in the theatre business and was very unhappy about it. I went to the Loews at Stony Brook the other night, it definitely has lost it’s atmosphere of a home town theatre. Thanks for the memories.
More things I remember working at the RKO Twin.
1. The candy, especially the chocolate, always had bugs in them. As kids we really didn’t know about rotating the stock, DUH! They finally started putting celophane wrappers on the box.
2. Jim Ward had a policy of letting Police Officers in for free, as long as they showed their ID’s. Of course some where trying to use PBA Badges for free entry.
3. I was not only an usher, but the guy who mowed the lawn and trimmed the shrubs. Looking back, I did a lousy job.
4. Jim Ward loved the fifties, especially the music, and passed the music onto us.
And if you scroll down further on the link Lost Memory has accomplished you will see the vandalized remains of the Commack DriveIn pylon now also gone.
I tried expanding the photo saps but it gets very distorted. If you want to look at other photos on that site, use this link.
Lost Memory, could you post it bigger?
Yup.
Is this photo the one that your referring to?
There is a nice color shot of the building at the Kings Park Historical Society web site on page one of its photo options.
I worked at the RKO twin in Commack 71/72 Jim Ward was manager,
everyone was cool. The Godfather sold out every show for 13 weeks, talk about busy.
We were the guys who changed the RKO sign in Babylon to “The Gang Who Could'nt Sh-t” Jim Ward knew we did it without having to tell him. That’s how well he knew us.
It was on their marquee for over 12 hours before anyone called them.
I’ve got a lot of stories about the RKO twin Commack..
Jim was a great guy ….I now own my own theater and it is in a big way because Jim gave me the chance when i was 18 years old…
This is for BVD and Longislandmovies, I am Jim Ward’s sister, it brought tears to my eyes reading your wonderful memories of my brother. THANK YOU. From me and my Mom.
Bloop, Night Of The Creeps kicked ass.
That deli is gone now?
I think I only saw one movie there, Return of the Jedi. Wanted to see it on it’s first day of release and waited on line for 5 hours. My buddy and I would take turns running to the deli in the adjacent shopping center for food and drinks while we waited.
P.S. I have a GREAT (but small) ad for the “Beast of Blood” playing at the RKO Commack (where I actually SAW it!) / RKO Rockville Centre in the new issue of my zine; Snackbar Confidential!
http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/
PINK FLAMINGOS???!!!! Was Commack ready for John Waters in 1972 ?!
Vigilant Realty…no(e)…was first where White Castle is now in Commack and then it moved to where Blockbuster is now in Commack Corners. The Commack Drive In intermission commercials I remember were Neuman Auto Tops…Shuberts Auto Body and a store in the Mayfair shopping center that I cant remember…but the Mayfair theater marquee was shown playing Putney Swope and Pink Flamingos!
Wrapping things full circle: The Commack RKO Twin served hot dogs at the snack bar. This was unusual for a walk-in theater that was not a drive in!
The new issue of my zine; Snackbar Confidential is almost ready. It’s a small cut n' paste digest CRAMMED with old ads for movies, toys, fast food, and basic junk culture from 1966 thru 1976. SEE BLOG to get one. Lots of little Long Island related items as well!
http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/