More strike outs. Contacted the Town of Smithtown Building Department. They only started issuing Certificates of Occupancy in 1946. For this property it was only for subsequent modifications after the theater closed. Contacted the Assessors Office. Their records also begin in 1946. Only new information: the building was 35 x 90 (tiny, particularly for a Calderone property). On the current Tax Map as Section 56; Block 2, Lot 8.
So they said. But the shopping center has been in foreclosure. To do all they want to do is going to take more than a month. You may recall that the original projected opening date was Fall 2012 The Westbury was supposed to be open in March 2012. Still no word. The Suffolk, when it opened last month, was many months late. Islip is supposed to be open by the end of April. Doubt it. There are major problems with that building. The new management said they were going to put $400,000 into it. An informed source told me it would take closer to a million. An earlier newspaper article indicated that the remediation of the real problem would cost more than the value of the building.
And Long Beach in general is still a mess.
In a series of New York Places which are no more (or something like that) which someone had linked to Facebook there is a picture of the Floral, without the vertical but still with a marquee. Way back when I said the vertical was removed when the marquee had to be modified for the widening of Jericho Turnpike. Also, the marquee in that picture was a modern box, not the incandescent image which I’ve usually seen. Don’t know when the transition was made but even that went when Jericho was widened and the marquee was reduced to a slab with the signboards elevated to the northern and western walls of the theater.
Theater has reopened. Now all that remains are Long Beach (recovering from Sandy), Islip (renovating and under new management, Soundview (renovating and under new management) and the Westbury (renovating as a performing arts center).
The theater, which was located adjacent to and north of the current theater, was demolished almost immediately after the opening of the new one on April 29, 1951. Scroll the image above(which is actually south of the current theater)to see current use of the site.
That’s the way it is. New theater in (Deer Park), old out. This one killed the Commack Twin and the Mayfair. Did have a longer life than the NA Brookhaven which only lasted eighteen years.
The article in the Utica Observer-Dispatch of November 17, 1949 in which the (1949) fire was reported mentions that the Smalley organization was leasing the theater from Le Richeaux.
Joe, there are additional references to the 1932 fire other than the two I’ve quoted. There is also a reference in “your” Rome Sentinel in June, 1933 (could be the 8th but the copy isn’t clear) referring to the fire and the name as Arcade. But there are thousands of entries to scan and the quality of the material is not good. I was able to determine that a candle was to be the means. Only in one article did I found out that the projection booth was the site. Then it made sense. Film, particularly in that day was highly incendiary.
Joe, the two articles that I encountered on the 1932 fire in the Utica Observer-Dispatch for 1/26/32 and 10/1/32 referred to the theater as the Arcade. It was actually Mrs. Le Richeux who foiled the plot. I found this theater purely by accident when I was on Fulton History looking to get more information on another theater of the same name. Since I encountered a couple of articles I had enough to create the skeletal information to enter it on CT. Amazing how many Arcade’s there were. Guess it hailed back to the days of the Penny Arcade. If I really want to go crazy I could cross reference all Arcades on CT with those on Fulton History. Sure I could find more to add.
The Utica Daily Press indicated that this was the worst fire in Camden since the one which had previously destroyed the Opera House and adjacent business in 1916. Damage for this fire was estimated at $ 100,000 which also took out three other businesses and two apartments.
Funny story in the Brooklyn Gazette of March 15, 1922. The theater sent out announcements of the coming films. It was the job of the cashier to address them. A number were to go to Bohemia, an adjacent village. The cashier did not indicate Long Island or New York and they were sent overseas. When returned there was a charge of 2 cents per flyer.
Don’t know how common a practice this was but in later years both Century and Prudential had weekly Guides. Century had three, Brooklyn, Northern Queens and Queens – Long Island. Prudential had Nassau-Western Suffolk and Eastern Suffolk.
It would be nice to know the identities of the 60 since I doubt they are on CT. When I was at Fort Dix in the 1950’s there were several theaters,3 or 4. Rather than just being “Military Issue”, The Timmerman was new and up to civilian standards. What a crowd for the preview of Sweet Bird of Youth. No Fort Diz theaters on CT.
According to 50 Years Ago in the February 9, 1967 edition of the Suffolk County News, the Novelty began showing movies 6 nights a week rather than the 4 previously. Considering the Blue Laws at the time there would be no Sunday performance.
An article in the Suffolk County News in 1927 indicated The Sayvile Theater was being remodeled and would have a seating capacity of 700. There are also references to complete rebuilding in 1935.
It’s interesting to read the Times article about the condition of the theater before renovations. It seems, to my recollection, that for years before the current ownership, the keystone portion of the marquee (which is no longer illuminated) was lit day and night. Wonder who paid LIPA?
Laura, you wouldn’t happen to have pix to share with us.
Looks like a catering hall.
More strike outs. Contacted the Town of Smithtown Building Department. They only started issuing Certificates of Occupancy in 1946. For this property it was only for subsequent modifications after the theater closed. Contacted the Assessors Office. Their records also begin in 1946. Only new information: the building was 35 x 90 (tiny, particularly for a Calderone property). On the current Tax Map as Section 56; Block 2, Lot 8.
So they said. But the shopping center has been in foreclosure. To do all they want to do is going to take more than a month. You may recall that the original projected opening date was Fall 2012 The Westbury was supposed to be open in March 2012. Still no word. The Suffolk, when it opened last month, was many months late. Islip is supposed to be open by the end of April. Doubt it. There are major problems with that building. The new management said they were going to put $400,000 into it. An informed source told me it would take closer to a million. An earlier newspaper article indicated that the remediation of the real problem would cost more than the value of the building. And Long Beach in general is still a mess.
In a series of New York Places which are no more (or something like that) which someone had linked to Facebook there is a picture of the Floral, without the vertical but still with a marquee. Way back when I said the vertical was removed when the marquee had to be modified for the widening of Jericho Turnpike. Also, the marquee in that picture was a modern box, not the incandescent image which I’ve usually seen. Don’t know when the transition was made but even that went when Jericho was widened and the marquee was reduced to a slab with the signboards elevated to the northern and western walls of the theater.
Theater has reopened. Now all that remains are Long Beach (recovering from Sandy), Islip (renovating and under new management, Soundview (renovating and under new management) and the Westbury (renovating as a performing arts center).
All gone. Only a pile of dirt.
The theater, which was located adjacent to and north of the current theater, was demolished almost immediately after the opening of the new one on April 29, 1951. Scroll the image above(which is actually south of the current theater)to see current use of the site.
That’s the way it is. New theater in (Deer Park), old out. This one killed the Commack Twin and the Mayfair. Did have a longer life than the NA Brookhaven which only lasted eighteen years.
And the pylon which has the sign about the construction company. Interestingly neither were vandalized.
The article in the Utica Observer-Dispatch of November 17, 1949 in which the (1949) fire was reported mentions that the Smalley organization was leasing the theater from Le Richeaux.
Joe, there are additional references to the 1932 fire other than the two I’ve quoted. There is also a reference in “your” Rome Sentinel in June, 1933 (could be the 8th but the copy isn’t clear) referring to the fire and the name as Arcade. But there are thousands of entries to scan and the quality of the material is not good. I was able to determine that a candle was to be the means. Only in one article did I found out that the projection booth was the site. Then it made sense. Film, particularly in that day was highly incendiary.
Joe, the two articles that I encountered on the 1932 fire in the Utica Observer-Dispatch for 1/26/32 and 10/1/32 referred to the theater as the Arcade. It was actually Mrs. Le Richeux who foiled the plot. I found this theater purely by accident when I was on Fulton History looking to get more information on another theater of the same name. Since I encountered a couple of articles I had enough to create the skeletal information to enter it on CT. Amazing how many Arcade’s there were. Guess it hailed back to the days of the Penny Arcade. If I really want to go crazy I could cross reference all Arcades on CT with those on Fulton History. Sure I could find more to add.
The Utica Daily Press indicated that this was the worst fire in Camden since the one which had previously destroyed the Opera House and adjacent business in 1916. Damage for this fire was estimated at $ 100,000 which also took out three other businesses and two apartments.
Funny story in the Brooklyn Gazette of March 15, 1922. The theater sent out announcements of the coming films. It was the job of the cashier to address them. A number were to go to Bohemia, an adjacent village. The cashier did not indicate Long Island or New York and they were sent overseas. When returned there was a charge of 2 cents per flyer.
Don’t know how common a practice this was but in later years both Century and Prudential had weekly Guides. Century had three, Brooklyn, Northern Queens and Queens – Long Island. Prudential had Nassau-Western Suffolk and Eastern Suffolk.
It would be nice to know the identities of the 60 since I doubt they are on CT. When I was at Fort Dix in the 1950’s there were several theaters,3 or 4. Rather than just being “Military Issue”, The Timmerman was new and up to civilian standards. What a crowd for the preview of Sweet Bird of Youth. No Fort Diz theaters on CT.
Added to the Prudential Circuit in 1930/
Article didn’t do more than state the fact. No followup that I found.
The Brooklyn Eagle of May 17 1938 mentioned that someone had placed two timed tear gas bombs in the theater.
The Lily was still operating in 1928 according to a business reference I found.
According to 50 Years Ago in the February 9, 1967 edition of the Suffolk County News, the Novelty began showing movies 6 nights a week rather than the 4 previously. Considering the Blue Laws at the time there would be no Sunday performance.
A reference to the Novelty Airdrome appears in a 1910 edition of the Suffolk County News. Presumably the airdome existed before the adjacent hardtop.
An article in the Suffolk County News in 1927 indicated The Sayvile Theater was being remodeled and would have a seating capacity of 700. There are also references to complete rebuilding in 1935.
The entire building is now leveled down to the foundation.
It’s interesting to read the Times article about the condition of the theater before renovations. It seems, to my recollection, that for years before the current ownership, the keystone portion of the marquee (which is no longer illuminated) was lit day and night. Wonder who paid LIPA?