RKO Commack Twin
Veterans Highway,
Commack,
NY
11725
Veterans Highway,
Commack,
NY
11725
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Showing 26 - 50 of 155 comments
There is a nice color shot of the building at the Kings Park Historical Society web site on page one of its photo options.
I worked at the RKO twin in Commack 71/72 Jim Ward was manager,
everyone was cool. The Godfather sold out every show for 13 weeks, talk about busy.
We were the guys who changed the RKO sign in Babylon to “The Gang Who Could'nt Sh-t” Jim Ward knew we did it without having to tell him. That’s how well he knew us.
It was on their marquee for over 12 hours before anyone called them.
I’ve got a lot of stories about the RKO twin Commack..
Jim was a great guy ….I now own my own theater and it is in a big way because Jim gave me the chance when i was 18 years old…
This is for BVD and Longislandmovies, I am Jim Ward’s sister, it brought tears to my eyes reading your wonderful memories of my brother. THANK YOU. From me and my Mom.
Bloop, Night Of The Creeps kicked ass.
That deli is gone now?
I think I only saw one movie there, Return of the Jedi. Wanted to see it on it’s first day of release and waited on line for 5 hours. My buddy and I would take turns running to the deli in the adjacent shopping center for food and drinks while we waited.
P.S. I have a GREAT (but small) ad for the “Beast of Blood” playing at the RKO Commack (where I actually SAW it!) / RKO Rockville Centre in the new issue of my zine; Snackbar Confidential!
http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/
PINK FLAMINGOS???!!!! Was Commack ready for John Waters in 1972 ?!
Vigilant Realty…no(e)…was first where White Castle is now in Commack and then it moved to where Blockbuster is now in Commack Corners. The Commack Drive In intermission commercials I remember were Neuman Auto Tops…Shuberts Auto Body and a store in the Mayfair shopping center that I cant remember…but the Mayfair theater marquee was shown playing Putney Swope and Pink Flamingos!
Wrapping things full circle: The Commack RKO Twin served hot dogs at the snack bar. This was unusual for a walk-in theater that was not a drive in!
The new issue of my zine; Snackbar Confidential is almost ready. It’s a small cut n' paste digest CRAMMED with old ads for movies, toys, fast food, and basic junk culture from 1966 thru 1976. SEE BLOG to get one. Lots of little Long Island related items as well!
http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/
funny because zips in Huntington had a SABRETT hot dog cart ..and sold the dogs…..
also: Zips had these little plastic molded seats, I think they were bright yellow. This place was so popular, how come it closed?
RE: ZIPS! longislandmovies; weird and IRONIC: the Zips in downtown Huntington became a hot dog place in the very early 1980’s, called George E’s ! The owner was a tall grinning older guy that reminded me of a character from an old western series. Was that George himself ?? LOL.
frankaholic: Vigilante Realty, had a commercial,that was show at intermission time at……the Commack Drive In (in the very early 1970s)! How about that?
Saps: Yes, the concept (at Zips) was for kids to dump every single topping (except the YUCKY pineapple) in your little plastic batting helmet and go to town. I have a Zips newspaper ad that I will post when I find it.
zips was the best………. A family from Massapequa owned it GEORGE (cant remember the last name)I saw there daughter about 10 years ago in some mall…that had to close about 89?
By the way, Bloop, I don’t remember the smaller Pergaments at Commack Corners. I remember some yellow sign with black lettering accross the street, however, something like Vigilante Realty (?)…We used the Cheesecake King bakery at Commack Corners, (my sister got fired on her first day for making wrong change—which is ironic as she became an accountant)…
Thanks for reminding me: Tiffany’s!!!! It’s all coming back.
I remember you got your Zips sundae in a plastic baseball hat, and you could select the team of your choice. The one in the Pathmark shopping center in Commack didn’t last very long, maybe a year or two.
My favorite thing to do here is to remember particular movies I saw, and at which theaters. Some more are:
Haloween – Huntington York Theater
First Family, Blood Beach – Huntington Shore
Extremeties, Amityville Horror, Don’t go in the house (which we walked out on, as the killer tortured naked women with fire while they were tied up, my dad made us leave) – Whitman Theater
Jaws 2 – Smithtown theater. I remember the 10 PM show was sold out, and my father got us tickets to the midnite show. He was/is such an amazing dad. Also at Smithtown, Jaws 3, Superman II…
We used to go to the Northport Theater almost every Sunday. I know it went up to .99 cents, but if I remember correctly, I think it started out at like .55 cents or something like that…
I kind of remember that Zips vanilla soft-serve ice cream was blindingly white, and I always put too many toppings on which rendered it more sickening than delicious.
Does anyone remember the smaller Pergaments (not the big one) in the Commack Corners shopping center? This would be like circa 1969 (I’m old). There was a “make-your-own-Sundae” Zips Ice Cream Parlor in downtown Huntington… man, that was such a BIG DEAL back then!
Frankaholic: the “oh soooo 1970’s” wine & cheese bar in Commack Corners was called Tiffany Touch ? Sound right? Sound stupid? LOL. I did As well as see PARASITE (in 3-D) at Elwood too! The Commack Roller Rink was called “Laces” (?) in the mid 1980’s? Was it called something else in the 70’s? *********BOB T : Baskin Robbins was much more expensive than Carvel, so many parents avoided it altogether. I do not recall one in Commack Corners OR Mayfair Shopping Center…..As for the no-name electronic store in Commack Corners;
we were there a few times when renting VIDEO TAPES as well —– it was not easy back in 1982/1983!. You guys remember when they charged like $129.99 a year to join? Geez….and the only movies to be had were “The Sound of Music”, “Jaws” and the 1979 “Superman” movie! LOL!
I don’t remember a baskin-robbins at Mayfair, my first experience with Baskin-Robbins was when they opened the Sears Mall in Commack (and for some reason dubbed it “East Northport”), I had egg-nog flavored ice-cream after seeing “Popeye” at Elwood. I also remember seeing “Seems Like Old Times” there, Going Ape, Every Which Way But Loose, Reds, Ordinary People, Rocky II. I can’t remember if we saw Kramer Vs. Kramer at the RKO or Elwood…
I do remember seeing Don Knots and Tim Conway in Private Eyes at the RKO, however…
Bloop, here’s a link to The Fog/Phantasm trailer on you tube, if you’re interested:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mmWBlljrpLU
I LOVED Hardees! I totally remember the 5 & 10 store at Commack Corners, I remember an A & P there as well! What was the name of the wine and cheese bar in the corner?
The ice-cream parlour was “Buddy’s”! (I remember all the orange lettering). I also remember for a time in the late 70s, a “ZIPS” ice-cream parlour (by Pathmark) where you’d create your own sundae.
So many cool movies I wasn’t allowed to see. I wanted to see Polyester so badly, and wasn’t allowed. I remember walking up to Korvettes, and going over to the RKO parking lot and finding an odorama card there.
I saw Parasite at Elwood, Creepshow there as well. I remember the one time we went to Deer Park was to see Fame, and to Kings Park to see 9 to 5.
Remember the Commack Roller Rink?
Boy, has Commack changed. Every time I go back to visit, there’s a new shopping center!
I remember going to pick my sister up from her college classes at New York Tech (formerly Marion Carll elementery school) with my parents, and as a kid I peeked into the classroom windows and saw students raising their hands while smoking cigarettes. Ahh, the 70s.
Commack addendum: places of yesteryear: that strange ice cream parlour next to Toy’s R Us (which was Bargain Town USA when it opened in 1971 or 1972??) , Bargain Books (in the Mayfair shopping center), Pergaments!, Hardees, the 5 & 10 store in the Commack Corners plaza, and where Starbucks is now, it was a vacant lot for years going back to the 1970’s….but back in the 1960s it was a small shopping center with a beauty parlour!
Frankaholic, I was also at the Commack Drive In for Friday the 13th/ Frightmare (forgot the name of the second bill!), and When a Stranger Calls at the RKO Twin! The great Fog/Phantasm double bill trailer (commercial) turns up on DVD trailer comps, (I think on Something Weird Video?) The voice-over said: “The Fog grabs you! Phantasm never lets you go!” . I would have never paid money to see Caveman, however. LOL. I saw Grease at the Mayfair. I’m telling you- we need to have a Commack Drive In / RKO reunion in the parking lot of that shopping center! Bring beers and tell stories……..