Lindenhurst Theatre
20 E. Montauk Highway,
Lindenhurst,
NY
11757
20 E. Montauk Highway,
Lindenhurst,
NY
11757
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 86 comments
Kenroe thanks for your comment and I’d be glad to meet you at the THS Conclave this summer. Haven’t heard from Orlando, hope he’s well and going too.
Valencia;
Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 show the original theatre in Lindenhurst was called the Wellwood Theatre and it is listed as having 350 seats.
ps. You will see me in LA in June as I am a co-director for the THS Conclave (I’m in charge of the San Diego part)
Just a note f.y.i. this wasn’t the “original” theatre in Lindenhurst. A much older one served the town on Wellwood Avenue and burned down in the late 40’s a year or two before the “new” one was built. My cousin salvaged a reel of film from the rubble I believed it was “Tarzan’s New York Adventure”. My cousin has passed on and that reel is lost. It may be worth a trip to the library for a view of old newspapers or microfilm about the earlier Lindenhurst movie house.
Hi Orlando. I just discovered this site from a friend, John Dousmanis who frequently corresponds on this site. You and I met on the Theatre Conclave to Seattle a few years back. I feel badly that things had to come to this. The Lindenhurst Theatre was worth saving. Too bad the Studio Theatre couldn’t have gotten it to put on their shows instead of their present site with patrons having to walk up such a long flight of stairs. Anyhow your work in trying to save Lindy is admiralable. Hope all is well with you. Maybe I’ll see you this summer in L.A. .
The theatre building has been sold to Surf Side 3 Boats (now located opposite Chateau La Mer. Windows will replace the entire Wellwood Avenue brick side of the building for the viewing of the boats. This means that the asbestoes walls have to be demolished and therefore throughout the building as well. The corner entrance and marquee will be retained as well as other “theatre” elements, the loge of five rows will probably provide the offices overlooking the sales floor “as I am told”. All the seats have been removed and the floor is being tested for “weight of boats” (It was a level theatre floor to start with, no rake whatsoever. The last four rows were raised slightly. No work is going on now. The purchase price is not known since occured December 1, 2004.
I’d like to revisit JR’s comment about purchasing the theater. If enough investors (or loans) were involved, we could possibly buy and renovate the building.
I’d also like to inquire about how or where to sign any necessary petitions of find out about legislature regarding the theater.
thanks
Orlando: I know this might sound dumb but why don’t you contact the Lindenhurst building department and report this if you know it’s illegal and all? That’s how these idiots get away with stuff like this. They know that no one will do anything about it.
My e-mail is
Unfortunately, they have started to gut the interior of the building on Monday, Nov. 29, 2004. So far, seats and other parts of the theatre, restrooms etc. I am sickened by this and discussing it makes it no better. They started the work WITHOUT permits as the Village of Lindenhurst has no idea ? ? ? of what’s going on. The building does have asbestos and I believe the proper permits have not been obtained. So far in three days, 3 dumpsters of waste has been removed. Goodbye Lindenhurst Theatre.
I’m a former Lindenhurst resident and still have connections to the area.
Like many present and former Lindenhurst residents; I have many good memories
of the Lindenhurst Theatre. With that said, I’d like to congratulate, and thank, Orlando
for his efforts to save the theatre.
Additionaly, I’m a filmmaker. I’d like to propose the possibility of making a
documentary on the Save The Lindenhurst Theatre campaign. This is being
proposed to hopefully help the cause by bringing further attention to it.
Orlando, if you would like to discuss this further, let me know by responding to
this thread on Cinema Treasures, and we will make arrangements to be in touch.
Thanks,
RC
P.S. The Werner’s Bowling Alley is diagonally across from the theatre on the southwest corner, the theatre on the northeast corner.
The only damage is the graffiti on the exterior walls in the parking lot. There was a little water damage which can easily be repaired. Any damage to the interior now boarded up was done by the owner’s staff, who the last time in the building (for exterior maintenance to the overgrown grass) were seen “graffiting” the outside white marble facade with black spray cans. The Boat dealership which is unknown at the time states the building will remain as is and fixed up for the transformation. Since this theatre doesn’t have a severe rake to the floor, only the seats will be removed for the boats and the loge will be converted into the sales space overlooking the main floor. All the theatre elements will remain outside. I’m assuming the theatre can be put back together again at a later date should that arise. Now the question is, now that the building will not be a theatre, will the extra parcel of land for the extra parking the theatre needed in 1964 revert back to residential use. It is stipulated that this must happen and only the Village Board of Lindenhurst must uphold this covenant to the building. If not, it can result in a lawsuit by the residents around the theatre that don’t want the boat dealership there. There is a lawsuit now pending on the Werner’s Bowling Alley, closed since September, for the same reason. The second question is “Is the building being sold or being leased to the Boat dealership?” I certainly hope the boat dealership does its' homework in regards the theatre before they “buy” or “lease” the property.
Has the interior been kept up or have vandals gotten inside and ruined it?
Second Preservation Alert!!!
There maybe an impending sale or lease of this property. It was shown last Friday and this Monday to a Boat Dealership for a showroom. More information to follow. I believe our first alert on this website help stall the procedings, “Let’s Do It Again”!
Second Preservation Alert!!!
There maybe an impending sale or lease of this property. It was shown last Friday and this Monday to a Boat Dealership for a showroom. More information to follow. I believe our first alert on this website help stall the procedings, “Let’s Do It Again”!
What a nice theater very well run as a bargin priced house .
So pardon my ignorance here, but do you mean if he gets his price, then we (and I do mean we :) could hopefully get money, labor and materials enough to actually restore the theater for the community? And the owner has no mortgage outstanding I assume? I am not liking this guy too much right now…
Thanks again for your response,
JR
The owner had plans with Walgreen’s for the property. Walgreens probably would have payed for the demolition of the theatre, the erection of a Walgreen’s Drugstore and the landlord (theatre owner)would collect rent from Walgreen’s in a lease agreement. If Walgreen’s is willing to pay $12,000 or more in monthly rent, it would be wise for him not to sell for $800,000 to the church. He would also still own the property with Walgreen’s and not with the church. Taxes for the theatre were 2,500 village, 6,000 county tax for the year that I know of when it closed in 2002. He is looking for $1.3 or 1.4 million. That’s 150% more than the $550,000 that was paid to U.A. in 1998. The Village, Town, and elected officials have pledged up to 50,000 per year for their terms in office. Volunteerism will get the job done in about 3 months time with local businessman providing the materials and labor for the different aspects of renovations. Fundraisers and other efforts would follow. The renovation costs could be kept in tow.
Why would the owner not accept 800k for this property? It must be costing him something to keep it, if only taxes on it? Any idea what offer he might accept?? What funds would be available from the village or local government to have this theather restored?? Anyone know?
New to this, but very interested,
JR
This is sad, it’s amazing though the place only sold for $550,000
L.I.P.A. has turned of the electricity to the Lindenhurst Theatre on Monday, April 19. The theatre group who witnessed the men entering the theatre were annoyed that they were being photographed as we keep a journal on all that goes on within the theatre property. As far as we know, no demolition permit has been issued and locals keep an eye on the building, which is being graffitied so that it becomes an eyesore. The owner has re-submitted his proposal for a drugstore which was turned down by the new village mayor and the village board once again two weeks before. No electrical power has been in use since the theatre closed so why the owner waited more than a year and a halh is beyond thought. The front marble facade has become loose and two 3'x 3'pieces have fallen and smashed to the ground. A roof vent has rusted at the base and was knocked down by a windstorm. The roof vent which is now open to the weather will probably allow water from rain to enter the building which will sooner or later expose the theatre ceiling to collapse. The owner has recieved to offers of up to $800,000 from a church organization in West Babylon for a public assembly building within the theatre and has turned both offers down. He only paid $550,000 for the theatre when U.A. sold it at a bargain price during their bankruptcy reorganization.
Hi
Back in Brooklyn we had corner drug stores with soda fountains and corner candy stores but not on EVERY corner.
In Forest Hills we have 7 of them within 8 blocks, including the Duane Reade that destroyed the landmark Forest Hills theatre.
A drug store on every corner! Why not?
Just what Long Island needs more friggin drug stores.