I’m old enough to remember the campaign of the fifties to “Help Kill the Movie Ticket Tax”. In your various posting, tkm, you mentioned that your dad was at a number of Century houses of different sizes. Was the pay the same or depended upon the house?
Yes. CT shows the seating capacity as 800. I was in it and I can’t see that as being possible. Several hundred less I would think. Funny thing about the Park, it used to have a little dinky marquee, which was appropriate for a little dinky theatre. Then when they renovated the interior they affixed this humongous marquee which looked so out of place.
The theatre in Port Washington was originally known as the Beacon. It’s now been chopped up into little pieces, is called the Port Washington and is run by Clearview. There are a lot of old pictures when you look it up on CT.
Do you have any Century memoriabilia? They used to print a guide which was sent to your home. Who would have thought all these years later these items which I threw away would be treasures? Also, do you have any “in the day” pictures of the Glen Oaks or other theatres. There is only a current usage photo of the GO on CT.
Yes, Chris, this is unique. Sometime back when I was trying to find a theatre in Queens and looked for it by the community name I couldn’t find it. I then discovered many of the Queens theatres were listed as Queens and not by the town names. Some had the town and Queens which made the lookup difficult. I contacted the CT people and had all those corrected. The only one right now which is incorrect is the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria which was recently added including “Queens”. I notified CT but when last I checked they hadn’t done the update.
Staten Island also has community names. I guess I should check out CT references to Staten Island for correction.
When they were showing movies, the Laffmovie, that I,as a Long Islander, ever visited. I was in the Apollo when it was first reclaimed as legit using the 43rd Street entrance and saw On Golden Pond. Also was in the Ford Center (Lyric and Apollo), now Foxwoods, for Ragtime and recently American Airlines (Selwyn). Anxiously awaiting to see what happens with the Times Square, still empty and, virtually, hidden.
Even without the Bryant and Pix, which were between Bway and 6th, I think the 10 theatres between 7th and 8th would have probably still constituted the world’s largest movie street.
Tinseltoes – Checked and confirmed that there were presentations call “Dancing Waters” at both the 1939-40 and 1964-65 NY World’s Fairs. The first is long before the 1953 debut at RCMH. I’m actually old enough to remember it!
It would be interesting if you could include admission prices when you present your RCMH anniversary facts. Probably couldn’t even get a candy bar today for what admission prices were then.
robboehm
commented about
Avon 7on
Jan 16, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Thanks. I never would have found it in a million years.
MarkieS, I just went back to the Island site to see if there was a photo, the links no longer exist, and found a posting from you dated June 18, 2009 in which you mentioned your mother, at age 81, referring to the Island as “the itch” and seeing Intermezzo there.
The balcony at the Queens went on forever. I remember one time walking up toward the screen and looking back and upward. My impression was that more than half of the seats in the theatre were in that vast balcony. Having said that, I can’t imagine why the church which is supposed to be moving into the place has removed the fire escapes. Their web site boasts that they have acquired this property which has thus and so many of seats (the bulk of which are in the balcony). So how can they operate the balcony without the fire escapes? Work seems to have come to a halt on this property. And, are they expecting all the people to come by public transportaion? There is a lot with the LIRR and a number of bus lines but parking on Jamaica Avenue and Springfield Boulevard is limited. Let’s face it, one of the reasons the Queens didn’t succeed as a concert venue was PARKING!!!!
To the best of my knowledge there were only two theatres in Hollis. This one and the Island. The Island had a very old looking incandescent lit marquee. I attended one performance at the Hollis in the 1950s. I thought it was clean and attractive. My only negative was the projectionist on that day was totally incompetent. He never made smooth transitions between the reels and he could be heard cursing loudly when things didn’t go right. I remember the usherette, yes usherette, saying she didn’t understand his problem because he was union.
robboehm
commented about
Avon 7on
Jan 16, 2011 at 6:23 pm
As a young adult I attended an evening of TV premiere showings at an Avon Theatre which was located on one of the main avenues. This was probably in the 1950s. You could tell it was an older theatre because of the boxy styled marquee. I’m sure it wasn’t this one, and certainly not the one of 42nd Street. So either it hasn’t made it to CT or it’s one of those also known as entries which would be almost impossible to find. Any thoughts out there?
There was something called the “Dancing Waters” at the 1939-40 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows and, I believe, again, at the later one. If it’s one and the same we’re talking 70 plus years.
I tracked down the reference posted by CWalcak to the Smithtown, Long Island web site. However, I don’t believe the information is totally correct. I remember the Old Town and it was small. The building pictured on the website is a large retail space. There is also a reference to it as being small in the first anniverary commemorative for the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts which was produced with input from the Town Historian and the Public Library. A demolition date of 1965 is plausible, however. Need to check with the Smithtown News to see if they have any sort of index. If not have to hit the microfiche. Possibly Town Hall has something in it’s building records.
Happy to report the marquee has been returned to the facade of the theatre. According to the original banner it was to have been repaired. However, driving by it looked new albeit the same. Wow, is it ever bright now. And they actually sprung for new letters for the signage.
The theatre had one central seating section with aisles on either side. There was one fire exit off each of the side aisles. The floor was sloped. There was no balcony. According to a former employee, whose father managed the theatre for a time, there were
probably 20-25 seats across in each of the rows.
There is a picture of the theatre in George Washington Tiernan’s book, “Kings Park – A Pictoral History – 1870-1960”. There is no current web link available.
I’m old enough to remember the campaign of the fifties to “Help Kill the Movie Ticket Tax”. In your various posting, tkm, you mentioned that your dad was at a number of Century houses of different sizes. Was the pay the same or depended upon the house?
Appliance store was Eldee
I asked about the Park at it’s there. Enter New Hyde Park as the city and four theatres come up : Alan, Herricks, Park East and Park.
Yes. CT shows the seating capacity as 800. I was in it and I can’t see that as being possible. Several hundred less I would think. Funny thing about the Park, it used to have a little dinky marquee, which was appropriate for a little dinky theatre. Then when they renovated the interior they affixed this humongous marquee which looked so out of place.
Speaking of the Park Theatre I think the seating capacity on CT is way out of line. Would tkm have any knowledge of that?
The theatre in Port Washington was originally known as the Beacon. It’s now been chopped up into little pieces, is called the Port Washington and is run by Clearview. There are a lot of old pictures when you look it up on CT.
Do you have any Century memoriabilia? They used to print a guide which was sent to your home. Who would have thought all these years later these items which I threw away would be treasures? Also, do you have any “in the day” pictures of the Glen Oaks or other theatres. There is only a current usage photo of the GO on CT.
Yes, Chris, this is unique. Sometime back when I was trying to find a theatre in Queens and looked for it by the community name I couldn’t find it. I then discovered many of the Queens theatres were listed as Queens and not by the town names. Some had the town and Queens which made the lookup difficult. I contacted the CT people and had all those corrected. The only one right now which is incorrect is the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria which was recently added including “Queens”. I notified CT but when last I checked they hadn’t done the update.
Staten Island also has community names. I guess I should check out CT references to Staten Island for correction.
If you’re ever in Toronto, make sure you take the free tour.
When they were showing movies, the Laffmovie, that I,as a Long Islander, ever visited. I was in the Apollo when it was first reclaimed as legit using the 43rd Street entrance and saw On Golden Pond. Also was in the Ford Center (Lyric and Apollo), now Foxwoods, for Ragtime and recently American Airlines (Selwyn). Anxiously awaiting to see what happens with the Times Square, still empty and, virtually, hidden.
Even without the Bryant and Pix, which were between Bway and 6th, I think the 10 theatres between 7th and 8th would have probably still constituted the world’s largest movie street.
The theatre is shown in a national pharmaceutical commercial set in Vernon, TX along with other parts of town.
I see the theatre is listed as the Vernon Plaza despite the fact that the marquee just says Plaza.
Not I, being a Nassau County person, but did do a number of weddings at Antuns.
How Biblical, all the people in the fiery furnace (aka former theatre) a la Shadrack, Mishak and Abendigo.
Tinseltoes – Checked and confirmed that there were presentations call “Dancing Waters” at both the 1939-40 and 1964-65 NY World’s Fairs. The first is long before the 1953 debut at RCMH. I’m actually old enough to remember it!
It would be interesting if you could include admission prices when you present your RCMH anniversary facts. Probably couldn’t even get a candy bar today for what admission prices were then.
Thanks. I never would have found it in a million years.
MarkieS, I just went back to the Island site to see if there was a photo, the links no longer exist, and found a posting from you dated June 18, 2009 in which you mentioned your mother, at age 81, referring to the Island as “the itch” and seeing Intermezzo there.
The balcony at the Queens went on forever. I remember one time walking up toward the screen and looking back and upward. My impression was that more than half of the seats in the theatre were in that vast balcony. Having said that, I can’t imagine why the church which is supposed to be moving into the place has removed the fire escapes. Their web site boasts that they have acquired this property which has thus and so many of seats (the bulk of which are in the balcony). So how can they operate the balcony without the fire escapes? Work seems to have come to a halt on this property. And, are they expecting all the people to come by public transportaion? There is a lot with the LIRR and a number of bus lines but parking on Jamaica Avenue and Springfield Boulevard is limited. Let’s face it, one of the reasons the Queens didn’t succeed as a concert venue was PARKING!!!!
To the best of my knowledge there were only two theatres in Hollis. This one and the Island. The Island had a very old looking incandescent lit marquee. I attended one performance at the Hollis in the 1950s. I thought it was clean and attractive. My only negative was the projectionist on that day was totally incompetent. He never made smooth transitions between the reels and he could be heard cursing loudly when things didn’t go right. I remember the usherette, yes usherette, saying she didn’t understand his problem because he was union.
As a young adult I attended an evening of TV premiere showings at an Avon Theatre which was located on one of the main avenues. This was probably in the 1950s. You could tell it was an older theatre because of the boxy styled marquee. I’m sure it wasn’t this one, and certainly not the one of 42nd Street. So either it hasn’t made it to CT or it’s one of those also known as entries which would be almost impossible to find. Any thoughts out there?
There was something called the “Dancing Waters” at the 1939-40 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows and, I believe, again, at the later one. If it’s one and the same we’re talking 70 plus years.
I tracked down the reference posted by CWalcak to the Smithtown, Long Island web site. However, I don’t believe the information is totally correct. I remember the Old Town and it was small. The building pictured on the website is a large retail space. There is also a reference to it as being small in the first anniverary commemorative for the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts which was produced with input from the Town Historian and the Public Library. A demolition date of 1965 is plausible, however. Need to check with the Smithtown News to see if they have any sort of index. If not have to hit the microfiche. Possibly Town Hall has something in it’s building records.
Happy to report the marquee has been returned to the facade of the theatre. According to the original banner it was to have been repaired. However, driving by it looked new albeit the same. Wow, is it ever bright now. And they actually sprung for new letters for the signage.
The theatre had one central seating section with aisles on either side. There was one fire exit off each of the side aisles. The floor was sloped. There was no balcony. According to a former employee, whose father managed the theatre for a time, there were
probably 20-25 seats across in each of the rows.
There is a picture of the theatre in George Washington Tiernan’s book, “Kings Park – A Pictoral History – 1870-1960”. There is no current web link available.