… I don’t enjoy sounding like an old geezer pointing his finger at an entire generation in shame, but the complexity and horrors of “today” certainly make the past, say like “The Brady Bunch” era, look so comforting (and certainly funny too!). It’s all relative: if your “wonder years” were in 1985 watching “Goonies” at a local Multiplex, that’s just what you got stuck with. I consider myself lucky to have been a kid in the “Love American Style” era when it was truly a BIG deal that a new movie called “Mark of the Devil” was in theaters that had actual vomit bags and you could see a head get cut off!
Thanks guys! I have Commack Drive-In pix to put up soon! CaptRonLI: Yes, things were better in the 1970’s. In My Humble Opinion: The 70’s were the last “innocent” generation (more or less). Really , it’s all about simplicity, like say, a drive-in theater. Nothing complicated—just FUN! Me and some of my posse have a complex theory about the “generations” (I mainly use this as my “How the 1980’s Ruined Everything” speech when I’ve had too much to drink). The reality of it was, as kids in the late 1960s to early 1970’s, we all (for the most part) had “1950’s parents” with those “old fashioned” values. A teenager of “now” would have had parents who mostly grew up in the late 1970’s/ EARLY-to-mid 1980’s…..a different set of rules and morality….. and
The York and the Whitman seemed to be “brothers”. The York was a little more “grungy”. I saw “Young Frankenstein” there. After the Whitman theater, McCrory’s and Cookies Steak Pub closed there was NO REASON to go to that mall anymore. Have you been there lately…it’s horrible! I think that was Long Island’s first indoor mall (1964).
The most mentioned movies on this site are: 1)The Sound of Music.2)Jaws.3)The Godfather. 4)the first three Sean Connery/ James Bond movies. 5)Star Wars (THE MOST MENTIONED MOVIE ON THIS SITE —and the first two sequels too). 6) the 1974 re-release of Gone With The Wind. 7)E.T. ****************************************
These hits do not get mentioned as much as they should (Block-buster-wise): Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Willard (incredible as it seems now,this was the most talked about movie in town at the time!),The Exorcist (gets mentioned once in a while), American Graffiti (never gets mentioned!),Airport(the original) and the BIGGEST movie of 1970, Love Story.
I can’t believe it either, Rori. The marquee was there when I was still in high school—probably 1978/1979 or so. It was pretty big as I remember…I think in a big curved “mushroom” shape , almost. The big problem with “historical societies” is that they do not deem the 1960’s historical. Rather, they will focus on some old lady walking around a dusty road all decked out in a Little House on the Prairie outfit. Conceptually speaking: it’s an Old Fashioned way of thinking Old Fashioned! But let’s face it, in terms of “today”, 1967 looks like 1951 and I can only ponder the future….will the “children of tomorrow” fondly recall the Multiplexes and wish they had pictures?
http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/ I just posted pictures of the flea market from a July 1972 issue of Newsday color magazine section. You can barely see the snack bar in one shot. Please lets all work together and get some full clear pictures of the Route 110 Drive In !
Bloop
commented about
Cine 42on
Jun 7, 2007 at 3:53 am
One point never mentioned about 42nd Street “grind houses”: they showed OLD movies from the 1970’s—in the friggin' 1980’s. I remember a marque showing “Legend of the Wolf Woman” (from I believe 1977) in like 1981! I can’t imagine charging full price to see a 4 year old movie! I also remember seeing “Lisa & The Devil” (A.K.A. “House of Excorcism” w/ Telly Savalas & Elke Sommer) from 1975—-playing in 1980! And actually, it may have been at Cine 42! I cannot remember. So sad that when I look at those shots like the above picture from RobertR; the 1970’s are staring to look like the early 1950’s from where we now stand!
Guys; let’s not fight with each other! Let’s go after the REAL ENEMY to all vintage cinemas and theaters: that enemy is called PROGRESS. Actually, in this horrid age that we live in , it’s actually GREED+ REAL ESTATE VALUES + YUPPIE CONDOS & HOUSING (and C.V.S.’s —for some weird reason?) = Destroy Everything in it’s path! Remember in the 1960’s when elder people who recalled the 1940’s, thought everything was going to hell in a mini-skirt? Well, it’s all the same but worse and more unstoppable, now. What can we do but remember the past…..It’s getting bad when even, 1977 seems like a LONG time ago!
The 150 did not get “grindhouse” type movies…so I’m surprised by the above post for “Nana” and “Eugenie…(and her journey into perversion)!”. Were UA theaters only allowed to play United Artists movies at one point in time ?
Addendum to above: I believe the 110 Drive-In flea market was gone by 1974, but the Sunrise Drive-In continued on with this. Century’s 110 also has something other drive-ins did NOT have: working (electric) kiddie rides! (Albeit cheap and dinky). They had a mini train, a small carousel, and I remember a tiny “chair-o-plane”. These rides would not thrill a child over the age of 7, but still, very impressive and gave this drive in a great “carnival” atmosphere! So there we have it. The late great Route 110 Drive-In; with not a single photo as evidence that it existed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the best things about this Drive In was around 1971/1972/1973, on Sunday mornings, it was a Flea Market. $9.00 per car/truck/van to set up and sell. $1.00 to get in to buy. This was a pretty big drive in, so imagine about 300 cars/trucks/vans, filling the place—packed with vintage stuff! If you liked flea markets, this was heaven-on-earth. It was liked the biggest garage sale in the world! Many people had the old station wagons, with the tailgates down—selling old stuff out of their cars. (I will be posting photos soon, I have a Newsday color Magazine section with an article on this —SADLY, no pix of the drive in, just the vendors). I believe the Route 110 Drive In sign was up until about 1979(?)(when I was in high school).
I forgot: also saw “Midway” at this theater — in Sensurround here in summer of 1976. I have NO memory of this movie—NONE. (only the Sensurround effect).
Once in the very early 1980’s, I saw “Last House on the Left” here as a re-release. Isn’t that strange? I loved the movie, however. I just thought it was an odd choice for this type of theater. It played with a horrible second feature called “The House by the Lake” with Brenda Vacarro! I will never , ever go out and watch a Brenda Vacarro movie in the theater! Kidding aside— I wonder if this “Last House” release was due to “I Spit on Your Grave” becoming a huge video (VHS) sale/rental because Siskel & Ebert named it “Dog of the Week” on “Sneak Previews” ?
Rockville Centre is a congested little unfriendly town CRAMMED with it’s own rules and regulations (some of which include not being able to park in front of your own house!). You don’t wanna open this theater back up. I was at this theater only once a few years ago, and the friend I was with who went to the bathroom, also commented on it’s “haunting atmosphere”…..other people posted such comments. What was up with the restrooms in there? Was someone killed down there in 1968?
P.S. I have a slight lead on a photo of the closed Huntington 110 Drive In. Not sure if it includes the marquee, though. When I worked in Huntington, there was a mirror/glass store on New York Avenue. The owner had the blueprints/illustration for the 110 Drive In hanging up in his office! This was about 10 years ago. He would not sell it, but what a fool I was for not getting a photo! (Kicking self right now).
http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/ My blog has some new Long Island theater posts and pix of the COMMACK RKO TWIN. In one shot you can see the Commack Drive-In screen. dsslave and longislandmovies, we should meet for drinks and chat more!
Oh, yeah…I have one of the wooden picketts from the Commack Drive-In Fence……a red plastic film reel….and a broken section of the plastic sign / marquee !
I used to have a “Night of the Creeps” surgical (paper) mask. We went to the Huntington Shore theater and actually saw this boring movie. The movie ads said “Get your FREE Night of the Creeps mask with ticket purchase”. When me and my friends got there, nobody knew what were talking about, so they got the manager. He was like “Huh? Oh, yeah” and walked into the office and came out with a plastic bag filled with a bunch of the masks. We each got 3 or 4….I doubt anyone else asked or cared for one. I cannot remember one damn thing about this movie! It came out during the “Nightmare on Elm Street” craze…“Deadly Friend”, “House”, “Night of the Comet”, “Fright Night”. Ugh. Makes me wish I was a 21 year old in 1975 or 1965…not 1985. Certainly you guys may agree with me.?
WILLARD AD: View link
ABOVE: see a pic of the Larkfield after it closed but before it turned into an ugly office space!
View link
… I don’t enjoy sounding like an old geezer pointing his finger at an entire generation in shame, but the complexity and horrors of “today” certainly make the past, say like “The Brady Bunch” era, look so comforting (and certainly funny too!). It’s all relative: if your “wonder years” were in 1985 watching “Goonies” at a local Multiplex, that’s just what you got stuck with. I consider myself lucky to have been a kid in the “Love American Style” era when it was truly a BIG deal that a new movie called “Mark of the Devil” was in theaters that had actual vomit bags and you could see a head get cut off!
Thanks guys! I have Commack Drive-In pix to put up soon! CaptRonLI: Yes, things were better in the 1970’s. In My Humble Opinion: The 70’s were the last “innocent” generation (more or less). Really , it’s all about simplicity, like say, a drive-in theater. Nothing complicated—just FUN! Me and some of my posse have a complex theory about the “generations” (I mainly use this as my “How the 1980’s Ruined Everything” speech when I’ve had too much to drink). The reality of it was, as kids in the late 1960s to early 1970’s, we all (for the most part) had “1950’s parents” with those “old fashioned” values. A teenager of “now” would have had parents who mostly grew up in the late 1970’s/ EARLY-to-mid 1980’s…..a different set of rules and morality….. and
The York and the Whitman seemed to be “brothers”. The York was a little more “grungy”. I saw “Young Frankenstein” there. After the Whitman theater, McCrory’s and Cookies Steak Pub closed there was NO REASON to go to that mall anymore. Have you been there lately…it’s horrible! I think that was Long Island’s first indoor mall (1964).
The most mentioned movies on this site are: 1)The Sound of Music.2)Jaws.3)The Godfather. 4)the first three Sean Connery/ James Bond movies. 5)Star Wars (THE MOST MENTIONED MOVIE ON THIS SITE —and the first two sequels too). 6) the 1974 re-release of Gone With The Wind. 7)E.T. ****************************************
These hits do not get mentioned as much as they should (Block-buster-wise): Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Willard (incredible as it seems now,this was the most talked about movie in town at the time!),The Exorcist (gets mentioned once in a while), American Graffiti (never gets mentioned!),Airport(the original) and the BIGGEST movie of 1970, Love Story.
I can’t believe it either, Rori. The marquee was there when I was still in high school—probably 1978/1979 or so. It was pretty big as I remember…I think in a big curved “mushroom” shape , almost. The big problem with “historical societies” is that they do not deem the 1960’s historical. Rather, they will focus on some old lady walking around a dusty road all decked out in a Little House on the Prairie outfit. Conceptually speaking: it’s an Old Fashioned way of thinking Old Fashioned! But let’s face it, in terms of “today”, 1967 looks like 1951 and I can only ponder the future….will the “children of tomorrow” fondly recall the Multiplexes and wish they had pictures?
http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/ I just posted pictures of the flea market from a July 1972 issue of Newsday color magazine section. You can barely see the snack bar in one shot. Please lets all work together and get some full clear pictures of the Route 110 Drive In !
WOW! GREAT PHOTOS!
One point never mentioned about 42nd Street “grind houses”: they showed OLD movies from the 1970’s—in the friggin' 1980’s. I remember a marque showing “Legend of the Wolf Woman” (from I believe 1977) in like 1981! I can’t imagine charging full price to see a 4 year old movie! I also remember seeing “Lisa & The Devil” (A.K.A. “House of Excorcism” w/ Telly Savalas & Elke Sommer) from 1975—-playing in 1980! And actually, it may have been at Cine 42! I cannot remember. So sad that when I look at those shots like the above picture from RobertR; the 1970’s are staring to look like the early 1950’s from where we now stand!
Guys; let’s not fight with each other! Let’s go after the REAL ENEMY to all vintage cinemas and theaters: that enemy is called PROGRESS. Actually, in this horrid age that we live in , it’s actually GREED+ REAL ESTATE VALUES + YUPPIE CONDOS & HOUSING (and C.V.S.’s —for some weird reason?) = Destroy Everything in it’s path! Remember in the 1960’s when elder people who recalled the 1940’s, thought everything was going to hell in a mini-skirt? Well, it’s all the same but worse and more unstoppable, now. What can we do but remember the past…..It’s getting bad when even, 1977 seems like a LONG time ago!
The 150 did not get “grindhouse” type movies…so I’m surprised by the above post for “Nana” and “Eugenie…(and her journey into perversion)!”. Were UA theaters only allowed to play United Artists movies at one point in time ?
Addendum to above: I believe the 110 Drive-In flea market was gone by 1974, but the Sunrise Drive-In continued on with this. Century’s 110 also has something other drive-ins did NOT have: working (electric) kiddie rides! (Albeit cheap and dinky). They had a mini train, a small carousel, and I remember a tiny “chair-o-plane”. These rides would not thrill a child over the age of 7, but still, very impressive and gave this drive in a great “carnival” atmosphere! So there we have it. The late great Route 110 Drive-In; with not a single photo as evidence that it existed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the best things about this Drive In was around 1971/1972/1973, on Sunday mornings, it was a Flea Market. $9.00 per car/truck/van to set up and sell. $1.00 to get in to buy. This was a pretty big drive in, so imagine about 300 cars/trucks/vans, filling the place—packed with vintage stuff! If you liked flea markets, this was heaven-on-earth. It was liked the biggest garage sale in the world! Many people had the old station wagons, with the tailgates down—selling old stuff out of their cars. (I will be posting photos soon, I have a Newsday color Magazine section with an article on this —SADLY, no pix of the drive in, just the vendors). I believe the Route 110 Drive In sign was up until about 1979(?)(when I was in high school).
I forgot: also saw “Midway” at this theater — in Sensurround here in summer of 1976. I have NO memory of this movie—NONE. (only the Sensurround effect).
Once in the very early 1980’s, I saw “Last House on the Left” here as a re-release. Isn’t that strange? I loved the movie, however. I just thought it was an odd choice for this type of theater. It played with a horrible second feature called “The House by the Lake” with Brenda Vacarro! I will never , ever go out and watch a Brenda Vacarro movie in the theater! Kidding aside— I wonder if this “Last House” release was due to “I Spit on Your Grave” becoming a huge video (VHS) sale/rental because Siskel & Ebert named it “Dog of the Week” on “Sneak Previews” ?
Rockville Centre is a congested little unfriendly town CRAMMED with it’s own rules and regulations (some of which include not being able to park in front of your own house!). You don’t wanna open this theater back up. I was at this theater only once a few years ago, and the friend I was with who went to the bathroom, also commented on it’s “haunting atmosphere”…..other people posted such comments. What was up with the restrooms in there? Was someone killed down there in 1968?
http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/
Benson 2 PORN Theater Ad from 1975. Does anyone know exactly when they STOPPED showing porn?
P.S. I have a slight lead on a photo of the closed Huntington 110 Drive In. Not sure if it includes the marquee, though. When I worked in Huntington, there was a mirror/glass store on New York Avenue. The owner had the blueprints/illustration for the 110 Drive In hanging up in his office! This was about 10 years ago. He would not sell it, but what a fool I was for not getting a photo! (Kicking self right now).
http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/ My blog has some new Long Island theater posts and pix of the COMMACK RKO TWIN. In one shot you can see the Commack Drive-In screen. dsslave and longislandmovies, we should meet for drinks and chat more!
Oh, yeah…I have one of the wooden picketts from the Commack Drive-In Fence……a red plastic film reel….and a broken section of the plastic sign / marquee !
MORE on Hauppauge Theater: I remember when “The Warriors” was playing there before the “Rocky Horror” crowd was let in. I saw “Silent Scream” there.
I used to have a “Night of the Creeps” surgical (paper) mask. We went to the Huntington Shore theater and actually saw this boring movie. The movie ads said “Get your FREE Night of the Creeps mask with ticket purchase”. When me and my friends got there, nobody knew what were talking about, so they got the manager. He was like “Huh? Oh, yeah” and walked into the office and came out with a plastic bag filled with a bunch of the masks. We each got 3 or 4….I doubt anyone else asked or cared for one. I cannot remember one damn thing about this movie! It came out during the “Nightmare on Elm Street” craze…“Deadly Friend”, “House”, “Night of the Comet”, “Fright Night”. Ugh. Makes me wish I was a 21 year old in 1975 or 1965…not 1985. Certainly you guys may agree with me.?
Also saw “The Legacy” there in 1979. That was a now forgotten thriller with Katherine Ross, Sam Elliot and Roger Daltry.