Looking at local maps one sees that as you travel north on 110 it goes from being Broadhollow to Walt Whitman. Since the map was not conclusive in showing a line of demarcation I checked the phone book listing for the Dunkin Donuts which is located at Old Country Road about one third of a mile north of the theatre. Broadhollow. The address of Waldbaums about a half mile up is Walt Whitman. My guess is that the Northern State Parkway is the line of demarcation. All of which confirms the theatre address should be Broadhollow Road.
Yes it was. On the west side of the road just north of the LIE north service road. The capacity was 2,500 cars making it one of the largest, if not the largest on Long Island. It was Century’s only Drive In. The Sunrise in Valley Stream was Redstone all the rest were Prudential.
I also remember one time they were resurfacing the screen. It was a windy day and whatever they used for the job was blowing onto traffice, including my car, on 100, aka Broadhollow Road.
I don’t know why there is so much confusion about Copiague and Babylon. The 1957 photo accessed by the 3/14/08 posting newspaper article said the theatre was in Babylon. Wrong. Up until recently the posting for the RKO Babylon twin had it located in Copiague. Even more strange figuring that between these two villages is Lindenhurst. Oh, well.
During my summers in Rocky Point in the 1950’s one would go to Port Jeff for a movie. When the Brookhave opened you didn’t have to go as far. Always a packed house in the summer with the AC and vacationers. I remember one night seeing an Esther Williams movie. The next day at the beach people were trying to do an “adagio Lift”, an aquatic movement executed from a floating position with one leg elevated. Thru hand and arm motion you ‘gracefully’ submerge". Yeah, right!
Years later when I attended Queens College in Flushing, Miss William came to the new pool and did a special with the swim team. They, too, could not execute the “lift”.
Checked with my cousin re the Wellwood theatre fire pictures. They didn’t make the cut when she moved to California. Maybe I’ll try the Library or the Museum.
According to the current signboard affixed to the front of the theatre the name should be Bellmore Movies. On the destroyed marquee it read The Movies. However, the original, antique marquee read Bellmore. When the old marquee was in place the facade of the building was so rustic that I felt that they should have had a hitching post rather than parking spaces, seriously.
It’s interesting that this one stretch of road Horseblock/Portion housed this twin, the current multiplex, the Ronkonkoma and Lakeside Cinema (aka Jerry Lewis). You can’t say they didn’t keep trying. Gee Broadway I’m sorry I didn’t see your posting yesterday, I deliberately did the Horseblock/Portion expanse to get the addresses of the Ronkonkoma and Lakeside for the site.
In order to be consistent with logic used in other postings this should be changed to the Lakeside Cinema (aka JL)since that was the name it bore when it closed. The address of the theatre (now OTB per an earlier posting is) 136 Portion Road. Interestingly, since this is a racing theatre site the front portion of the theatre actually has a screen and seats.
I recently found the answer to my own question. There is a 1983 picture of the Lakeside Cinema on Americas Classic Images. It’s a little box, very Jerry Lewis. One day I’ll drive by the site and get the actual address. A posting on the Ronkonkoma Theatre site gives the approximate location and indicates it’s a bank. Should be easy to spot.
Robert’s posting clarifies the matter once and for all. The marquee reads BAY SHORE. When one sees the theatre for the first time you are struck by the lobby protruding a significant distance from the auditorium which runs parallel to the street. I know of some circumstances where this was done deliberately for monetary considerations. The street frontage cost more. There was certainly room for a large retail space between the lobby and the next intersecion. But Bay Shore built east of Fifth Avenue and this was never realized.
One good thing about the “Y” taking over – gone was the horrible pink color.
I think I may have answered my own question. While killing time I was looking through all the NY theatres on the American Classic Images site, I came upon a 1983 photo of the Lakeside Cinema. Classic Jerry Lewis box. Now the next thing for me to do is drive along Portion Road and find the building (location described by a previous posting) get the address and eventually get it set up on the site. I’ll also try and pin point the address of this theatre. That’s what happens when you have an obsessed person on the case.
Figuring the size of most early eastern Suffolk County theatres, 1,000 is large. Except for the original Southampton and the Suffolk you’re talking 200, 300, 400.
I never could figure out why this large theatre was built in the first place in 1939. Grant you the closest theatres were in Riverhead but this was so large before it was quaded. When my parents and I used to vacation on Shelter Island we, too, like a previous posting, took the ferry over and walked to the theatre. I don’t recall it being particularly full, even in season. It now only operates for the summer. It’s all well and good that the signage from the old Beekman has been used, but it looks lost on the front of the building particularly with the very impressive blade.
It’s interesting that the picture always comes up for the Deanna Durbin picture Up in Central Park. My aunt was commissioned to come up with textile designs about Central Park and was driven thru the Park in a horsedrawn carriage to get images. The final product was exhibited in Bonwit Tellers windows with a tie in to the movie. For informational purposes my aunt was Libby MacGregor who also did some spectacular batiks.
Looking at the photos of the marquee protruding under the el, which came first the theatre or the el. I would presume the theatre why else would the marquee extend under the el. And I would presume that the Merrick in Jamaica also preceeded the el since the one shot shows a vertical which would be ridiculous if the el were also present.
Sometime after the Propect returned to the Century Circuit it was twinned. However, both auditoriums opened at different times. The
ads ready “Twins, one at a time.” And then, subsequently there was another divide and then … …The Oceana, Tuxedo and Sheepshead reverted to Century at the same time as the Prospect, also the Plaza in Queens, I believe.
Boy a lot is missing since the first installation of this “new” marquee. At the point of the wedge was “a century theatre”. There were also two “arms” atop this which supported yet another wedge which had a bank of horizontal neon lights which, when first installed “chased”. Subsequently no. And the neons around the sign boards have also been covered over. When did this atrocity take place. I suspect some of it is related to when they widened Jericho Tpke / Jamaica Av and added the island in the center. This meant that the front of the marquee probably extended in “striking” range. As part of the widening the Floral lost it’s old marquee and vertical and the signboard was placed on the face of the bujilding.
Looking at local maps one sees that as you travel north on 110 it goes from being Broadhollow to Walt Whitman. Since the map was not conclusive in showing a line of demarcation I checked the phone book listing for the Dunkin Donuts which is located at Old Country Road about one third of a mile north of the theatre. Broadhollow. The address of Waldbaums about a half mile up is Walt Whitman. My guess is that the Northern State Parkway is the line of demarcation. All of which confirms the theatre address should be Broadhollow Road.
Yes it was. On the west side of the road just north of the LIE north service road. The capacity was 2,500 cars making it one of the largest, if not the largest on Long Island. It was Century’s only Drive In. The Sunrise in Valley Stream was Redstone all the rest were Prudential.
I also remember one time they were resurfacing the screen. It was a windy day and whatever they used for the job was blowing onto traffice, including my car, on 100, aka Broadhollow Road.
I don’t know why there is so much confusion about Copiague and Babylon. The 1957 photo accessed by the 3/14/08 posting newspaper article said the theatre was in Babylon. Wrong. Up until recently the posting for the RKO Babylon twin had it located in Copiague. Even more strange figuring that between these two villages is Lindenhurst. Oh, well.
I thought it rather odd quite a few years ago when I was in Buxton that the Opera House was playing Orca the Killer Whale. Quite a come down.
During my summers in Rocky Point in the 1950’s one would go to Port Jeff for a movie. When the Brookhave opened you didn’t have to go as far. Always a packed house in the summer with the AC and vacationers. I remember one night seeing an Esther Williams movie. The next day at the beach people were trying to do an “adagio Lift”, an aquatic movement executed from a floating position with one leg elevated. Thru hand and arm motion you ‘gracefully’ submerge". Yeah, right!
Years later when I attended Queens College in Flushing, Miss William came to the new pool and did a special with the swim team. They, too, could not execute the “lift”.
Checked with my cousin re the Wellwood theatre fire pictures. They didn’t make the cut when she moved to California. Maybe I’ll try the Library or the Museum.
According to the current signboard affixed to the front of the theatre the name should be Bellmore Movies. On the destroyed marquee it read The Movies. However, the original, antique marquee read Bellmore. When the old marquee was in place the facade of the building was so rustic that I felt that they should have had a hitching post rather than parking spaces, seriously.
It’s my understanding that the owners got seats from the Park East when it closed. That was some time ago.
It’s interesting that this one stretch of road Horseblock/Portion housed this twin, the current multiplex, the Ronkonkoma and Lakeside Cinema (aka Jerry Lewis). You can’t say they didn’t keep trying. Gee Broadway I’m sorry I didn’t see your posting yesterday, I deliberately did the Horseblock/Portion expanse to get the addresses of the Ronkonkoma and Lakeside for the site.
The entrance to the OTB has been moved to the east side of the building but from Portion Road it is readily seen to have been a theatre.
In order to be consistent with logic used in other postings this should be changed to the Lakeside Cinema (aka JL)since that was the name it bore when it closed. The address of the theatre (now OTB per an earlier posting is) 136 Portion Road. Interestingly, since this is a racing theatre site the front portion of the theatre actually has a screen and seats.
Turn key is also used in standard real estate terminology.
I recently found the answer to my own question. There is a 1983 picture of the Lakeside Cinema on Americas Classic Images. It’s a little box, very Jerry Lewis. One day I’ll drive by the site and get the actual address. A posting on the Ronkonkoma Theatre site gives the approximate location and indicates it’s a bank. Should be easy to spot.
Robert’s posting clarifies the matter once and for all. The marquee reads BAY SHORE. When one sees the theatre for the first time you are struck by the lobby protruding a significant distance from the auditorium which runs parallel to the street. I know of some circumstances where this was done deliberately for monetary considerations. The street frontage cost more. There was certainly room for a large retail space between the lobby and the next intersecion. But Bay Shore built east of Fifth Avenue and this was never realized.
One good thing about the “Y” taking over – gone was the horrible pink color.
I think I may have answered my own question. While killing time I was looking through all the NY theatres on the American Classic Images site, I came upon a 1983 photo of the Lakeside Cinema. Classic Jerry Lewis box. Now the next thing for me to do is drive along Portion Road and find the building (location described by a previous posting) get the address and eventually get it set up on the site. I’ll also try and pin point the address of this theatre. That’s what happens when you have an obsessed person on the case.
Figuring the size of most early eastern Suffolk County theatres, 1,000 is large. Except for the original Southampton and the Suffolk you’re talking 200, 300, 400.
I never could figure out why this large theatre was built in the first place in 1939. Grant you the closest theatres were in Riverhead but this was so large before it was quaded. When my parents and I used to vacation on Shelter Island we, too, like a previous posting, took the ferry over and walked to the theatre. I don’t recall it being particularly full, even in season. It now only operates for the summer. It’s all well and good that the signage from the old Beekman has been used, but it looks lost on the front of the building particularly with the very impressive blade.
Yeah the posting has been corrected!
The shopping center in which the Center Theatre was located opened in 1962. Presumably the theatre did also.
It’s interesting that the picture always comes up for the Deanna Durbin picture Up in Central Park. My aunt was commissioned to come up with textile designs about Central Park and was driven thru the Park in a horsedrawn carriage to get images. The final product was exhibited in Bonwit Tellers windows with a tie in to the movie. For informational purposes my aunt was Libby MacGregor who also did some spectacular batiks.
Looking at the photos of the marquee protruding under the el, which came first the theatre or the el. I would presume the theatre why else would the marquee extend under the el. And I would presume that the Merrick in Jamaica also preceeded the el since the one shot shows a vertical which would be ridiculous if the el were also present.
Sometime after the Propect returned to the Century Circuit it was twinned. However, both auditoriums opened at different times. The
ads ready “Twins, one at a time.” And then, subsequently there was another divide and then … …The Oceana, Tuxedo and Sheepshead reverted to Century at the same time as the Prospect, also the Plaza in Queens, I believe.
Boy a lot is missing since the first installation of this “new” marquee. At the point of the wedge was “a century theatre”. There were also two “arms” atop this which supported yet another wedge which had a bank of horizontal neon lights which, when first installed “chased”. Subsequently no. And the neons around the sign boards have also been covered over. When did this atrocity take place. I suspect some of it is related to when they widened Jericho Tpke / Jamaica Av and added the island in the center. This meant that the front of the marquee probably extended in “striking” range. As part of the widening the Floral lost it’s old marquee and vertical and the signboard was placed on the face of the bujilding.
Unfortunately, both of these shots are “under the new management” after the original color scheme. Also the vertical is gone. When was that removed?