Crest Theater

My grandfather, Charles F. Davis managed this theater until his death in 1975. When he played El Cid in the 1960s, the lobby was decked out like the fight scene. They did things with class back then. He demanded all male employees wear a Tuxedo and all female employees wear dresses. In the ticke booth he had a sign that said Admission 5 Cents. My father managed The Jarvis down the street on Main Street.

Was this theatre previously known as the Suburban ? I have aquired some movie flyers from 1938 “West Side Famuly Theatre” W. H. Manny- Manager. There is no address on this

…..or any degree of regard for…history! Let us know if you can!

Rod Serling was BCHS’s most famous alumnus. Around 1977-1978, the auditorium in Binghamton Central High School had a major electrical fire one night. My homeroom was on the 2nd floor, right across the hall from the doors to the balcony. Over the years, everyone who was ever on stage crew carved their names into the wood trim backstage. The auditorium took over a year to renovate and when it was finished, all of the names were painted over with white paint EXCEPT Rod Serling’s! I know the school underwent a major renovation in the early 1980’s. Don’t know if they saved it.

The Crest had the best movie theatre sound system in the Binghamton area. I saw Earthquake, Midway and Rollercoaster, all in SENSURROUND here. I also saw Halloween on opening weekend in 1978. I remember it as if it were yesterday. Many others, too. Great memories!

My family owned this theater and I was very very sad to see it go. It really signified the end of era for me. I have so many childhood memories of countless hours spent here in the 1970s and 1980s. I made a number of friends with the staff then too. At that time it was run by chains, Cinema National, and later USA Cinemas. I was young, but I still think it was one of the largest screens I have ever seen and quite a large number of seats for a movie theater. I’d love to hear more about its early history. Here are the only photos that I have. The only piece of memorabilia I own is of the glass name plate from the original Peerless projector.
-jk

Projector name plate:

I think this one is from its final years as a $1 theater:

This one is probably circa 1985 as I can make out a poster for “Teen Wolf” displayed.

Here’s an article in The Binghamton Press newspaper about the Twilight Zone: The Movie premiere on June 11, 1983:

Still would like to see a photo(s) of the former Crest Theatre…maybe Lost Memory will come through for me again!

Binghamton was indeed home to the Link Piano and Organ Company. Known better for it’s aviation and undersea exploration devices, many people don’t realize that Link started out manufacturing coin-operated automatic pianos as well as theater organs and photoplayers. Link actually began as a continuation of the Automatic Musical Company, a firm founded in 1900. Automatic manufactured coin pianos until about 1910, when it almost went bankrupt. Ed Link Sr. came over from Huntington, Indiana and took over the company, which became the Link Piano and Organ Company. Link’s main products were the coin pianos, although some theater organs (sold as “C. Sharpe Minor Unit Organs”) and photoplayers were produced for the movie trade. Link manufactured all these instruments until 1930, when it switched to the field of aviation. There are a few Link theater organs still in existence. The only Link theater pipe organ left in the Binghamton area is the instrument that is located at the Roberson Museum and Science Center. It was originally used in the Capitol Theater on Exchange St. It was removed from the Capitol in the 60’s just before the theater was razed and installed by Ed Link Jr. in the Roberson, where it was enlarged from 11 ranks to 18 ranks. This organ is now maintained by the recently-formed Binghamton Chapter of the American Theater Organ Society(www.theatreorgans.com/btoc/). I’m not sure if any Link photoplayers still survive, although I recently came across a Link piano in a local library that may have been a photoplayer at one time.

H Rahner: Often times CT member, “lostmemory” supplies photos so perhaps this will be the case for the Crest. Another sad scenario concerning the Crest Theatre demise.

Any photos?

Film Daily Yearbook’s (1940-1950 editions) give a seating capacity of 1,015 for the Suburban Theatre.