Century's Plainview Theatre
337A South Oyster Bay,
Plainview,
NY
11803
337A South Oyster Bay,
Plainview,
NY
11803
5 people
favorited this theater
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This theater came to mind today. Was there several times in the mid 70’s. A very comfortable modern single theater, with excellent sound. Theater had a different look to it with stadium like seating in the back instead of a balcony. I’m pretty sure the seats were grey in color as opposed to the standard red as well. I remember seeing “The Return Of The Pink Panther” here with one of the best movie audiences ever. People were all laughing so hard and long it made for a very memorable movie going experience. I wish I could remember the other movies I saw here. Possibly “House Calls”? IT would be nice if somebody were able to list the movies played in each theater on this site. I know a really tough task, but I’m sure other people would love to know this info.
NY Daily News listings ended in 1982.
Splashy marquee shot for Network uploaded.
Photo of the Plainview in the day uploaded.
Thank you, NYer.
What booking followed the roadshow of “My Fair Lady”? Was “My Fair Lady” the longest-running engagement at this theater?
Tall lamp on the stage. How Broadway theatrical. Mr. Scolnick must have had a legitimate theater background.
I worked there in 1968.. Assigned to balcony. “Gone With the Wind” Played there for at least a month. Mr Scolnick was the manager. Every night at closing we stood a tall lamp at front center stage. I remember the theater was huge with plush carpeting.
My name is Tom Crawford.
The Plainview didn’t have a balcony but a stadium rear section. The office complex is quite nice. There are actually three levels off a central atrium.
I remember seeing Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” at this theater, and that scared the hell outta me. Now my dentist is located in this building and THAT scares the hell outta me. (What year did the theater close?)
No Century Theatre ever played Cinerama.
Century Theaters who built the Plainview was one of the last chains to built large single screen theaters. these were amazing venues to see epic style pictures such as “This is Cinerama”, “how The West was Won”, etc.
Anyone who worked for the Plainview Theatre,(which by the way was located in Hicksville) there is a Facebook site, named Plainview Movie Theater Group. Check it out. Meet some old friends. Bob L.
There was a photo in the June 1960 issue of Boxoffice:
http://tinyurl.com/ycbsm5s
The opening day for the Plainview was Monday, December 23, 1957, according to a brief item in Boxoffice of January 6, 1958.
That would have been me Vito. I was Chief of Service. Lets not forget the donuts from Dunkin Donuts next door. I don’t remember to Fox product trick. Bob L.
Oh my God, can we please let this go already!
The theatre is dead, gone, finito.
For heavens sake can we please give where it was located a rest.
Everytime I see a post has been made here I look forward to reading it, only to find out it is just another where was it located post.
I loved working there and missed it dearly, To anyone reading this who may have workd the house the same time I did during the 70s,
I miss you guys as well. Especialy the head usher who always made sure i had fresh coffee and tricked me into thinking we were going to start to play all the Fox product exclusively.
“Who said Plainview is a village? The mention of Clearview Village related to a development that is located off of South Oyster Bay Road."
posted by hkbf232 on Oct 17, 2007 at 5:59am
Below is the posting mentioning Plainview as a village, which Plainview is not
“Of one thing I am sure, Century’s Plainview theatre was located in the village of Plainview which is in the Town of Oyster Bay"
posted by vito on Oct 25, 2006 at 4:46am
I have double checked, Vito and find that I was wrong, what is the real addres #?
The ad posted by Mike is NOT Century’s Plainview it is the
RKO Plainview Twin which was located behind the Plainview Centre on South Oyster Bay Road. This building was converted into a Shoprite.
according to warren’s View link the theatre was at 377a South Oyster Bay Road
Who said Plainview is a village? The mention of Clearview Village related to a development that is located off of South Oyster Bay Road.
Century Plainview was located on west side of S. Oyster Bay Rd.
THAT is HICKSVILLE! Plainview did not start until the east side.
Plainview is a community not a village.
That is a fact, Bets will be accepted
Of all the theaters I have been to in my life as a cinefreak, this is my favorite one of all. I saw my very first film here, Disney’s Pinnochio. I don’t remember how old I was. I could walk here from my house, and I did often, alone and with friends, to see so many films, I can’t begin to remember all of them. I learned to love movies here. And I fell in love here too for the very first time. Though I see more movies on Netflix than anywhere else now, I still love seeing movies in a theater. I still get that frisson of anticipation when the screen lights up. And I still love that boy, now a man, that I shared so many wonderful films with.
Just discovered this site, and it brought back a flood of movie-going memories on LI. The first time I ever saw a movie was at the Plainview. It was June 1959, I was 4 years old, and my mother took me to see Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Some combination of the movie and the experience of seeing it there made me a life-long cinemaniac. Every time we passed by on South Oyster Bay Road, I’d strain to see if I could make out the posters for the coming attraction – always two of them – often not quite visible through the front doors. The cutain, as I recall, was kind of diaphonous and multi-colored – and that terrific marquee with the big red
letters – I wish I’d taken some pictures. This was the only theater within walking distance (of Clearview Village), so I spent many Saturday and summer afternoons there.
Many memories of great movies seen on that big screen: re-releases
of Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai. On two consecutive Saturdays in May 1968, I saw Far From the Madding
Crowd and Doctor Zhivago – two sweepingly romantic epics that made a great impression on me. In the early 70’s, I remember seeing McCabe and Mrs. Miller on an October night aftering working after school at Food Fair, down the block (hmmm, Julie Christie and the Plainview seem linked).
It was a great loss when it was closed and turned into a medical center!