Originally known as the Grand. It was a porno house from the late ‘60s through early '80s, at which time it was painted hideous colors inside and out and turned into an art house. After the recent fire, the building was leveled, and art films are shown in a nearby school classroom on DVD as the “Art Theatre Pro Tem”.
This theater opened in the back half of a former bowling alley. It was built and initially operated by Carroll’s Development Corp. from Syracuse, which later became CinemaNational. That company was bought in 1987 by USA Cinemas, which in turn was bought a year later by Loews.
Both houses seated 305 patrons. The front half of the former bowling alley became (and still is) a pool hall.
Loews opened the Town Square 9 in nearby Vestal in 1993, at which time the Binghamton Plaza 1 & 2 became a second-run house. Loews sold it in 1994 or 1995 to another operator, who ran it as a second-run for a few years. The theater is still there minus all of its equipment.
Does anyone know the details and extent of damage from the recent fire at the theater? The NY Post and Daily News list the theater’s showtimes as ‘closed due to fire’.
The site has not been updated since last spring. I took a ride up there early this summer and met with the owner. The building is in decent shape, and the current owner, a local realtor, wants to further restore the theatre. At the time he was planning a summer slate of art and children’s product, but I have not noticed any advertising all summer for the Hippodrome.
The building above, now an Irish gift shop, was the lobby of the Loew’s College. The auditorium was demolished after it was announced that it would be turned into condominiums. If you look at the picture, the building to the immediate right (currently boarded up) looks MUCH more ‘theatrical’ than the Loew’s building. I’m guessing the lobby building of the theatre existed before the auditorium, as the letters “MAHER” appear on the top, just above the windows.
I was in Hula Hank’s recently—the former Crown Theatre. Once inside you can tell it was a movie palace. The proscenium’s shape is still there, as well as the now walled-off balcony. The signage for Hula Hank’s was the theatre’s marquee in its later years. I’m guessing the original entrance was at the center of the building—which currently serves as the lobby for the rest of the space. There is a ballroom and office space upstairs. The uppermost floor was added onto the building. If you look at the side of the building from the outside, you can tell it was a theatre.
This theatre replaced the former GCC Westchester Mall Cinema, which was demolished. For a few years before its demolition, it operated as the UA Westchester Mall 4.
Yes, the National is still there. It’s in decent shape and well cared for. The Historic Richmond Foundation is looking for a suitable tenant. There are no seats on the orchestra level.
The Paramount was originally called the Olympia Theatre. The building that is now on the site is a mixed retail/office structure known as the Olympia Building.
The auditorium of the Grand was long ago gutted completely and refitted with two or three complete levels. There is a college operating in it. The Wiz was in the former lobby and some of the other retail space.
In response to the “2001” ad comment above, the Washington Twp. Cinema was never a UA Theatre. UA has a Washington Twp. Cinemas in South Jersey, as NJ boasts at least THREE localities known as Washington Township that I’m aware of. Ads sometimes get mixed up for this theater and the UA one down south.
As for Justin not believing this theater is still open, it is one of Bergen County’s top grossing theatres! It has a very loyal, dedicated clientele.
This theater is more commonly remembered as the Towne Theater. It was renamed in the 40’s or 50’s. Loews was the last chain to run this house as a movie theatre. It closed in 1993 after the new Town Square 9 multiplex was opened. The Towne remained a single screen, and sat a total of 666 patrons—444 downstairs and 222 in the balcony. There was a small vaudeville stage and dressing rooms off to its side. After remaining closed for 3 or 4 years, a group took it over and renovated it into EPAC.
Their website is www.endicottarts.com
The last chain to run this Drive-In was CinemaNational. The drive-in closed in the early 80’s, along with its neighboring hardtop, the Cinema New Hartford.
The Paris Cinema in New Hartford, NY (suburb of Utica) had the exact same facade. Loews closed it around 1991 or so. At the time of its closing, the auditorium was fashioned out of what used to be an old movie palace. If you went behind the screen, the rest of the original theatre was there, just used for storage and unheated.
The huge “PROCTOR’S” neon letters on the roof on the south side of the building are being ‘removed’ due to bricks falling off the building underneath it. The north side sign will remain, for now. Apparently the college (RPI) that bought the building a couple of years ago with plans of turning it into a ‘boutique hotel’ have abandoned that idea, and are looking to deed the property back to the City of Troy.
Proctor’s in New Rochelle was gutted approx. 5 years ago. It was ‘filled in’ by a school and offices. The building shell was not demolished. Across the street, Loew’s New Rochelle is a nightclub. Just south of Proctor’s on Main St. the Town Theatre is now “Wicker Paradise”. The Loew’s and Town still have their marquees, Proctor’s was removed during the re-use. In the late 70’s/early 80’s, Proctor’s was known as “RKO (later Cineplex Odeon) Proctors Sevenplex”. That configuration was as follows: four screens in the original Proctor’s house (two up/two down), one screen on Proctor’s stage (which operated prior as the “Main St. Cinema” with a separate entrance, lobby, concession, and restrooms), and two across the street in the former Loew’s. When Cineplex terminated its lease on the Proctor’s building, the complex was advertised as “Cineplex Odeon Proctor’s Twin”, which actually was just two screens in the former Loew’s across the street.
New Rochelle also had Century’s Mall Cinema (single screen) a few blocks north of Proctor’s on Main, but that closed with the rest of the New Rochelle Mall, which was demolished for the New Roc City Complex (which contains the Regal Cinema 18 and IMAX Theatre).
The building is still standing, and serves as the offices and warehouse of Tri-Cities Vending.
Originally known as the Grand. It was a porno house from the late ‘60s through early '80s, at which time it was painted hideous colors inside and out and turned into an art house. After the recent fire, the building was leveled, and art films are shown in a nearby school classroom on DVD as the “Art Theatre Pro Tem”.
Opened in the late 90’s by Hoyts.
This theater opened in the back half of a former bowling alley. It was built and initially operated by Carroll’s Development Corp. from Syracuse, which later became CinemaNational. That company was bought in 1987 by USA Cinemas, which in turn was bought a year later by Loews.
Both houses seated 305 patrons. The front half of the former bowling alley became (and still is) a pool hall.
Loews opened the Town Square 9 in nearby Vestal in 1993, at which time the Binghamton Plaza 1 & 2 became a second-run house. Loews sold it in 1994 or 1995 to another operator, who ran it as a second-run for a few years. The theater is still there minus all of its equipment.
Does anyone know the details and extent of damage from the recent fire at the theater? The NY Post and Daily News list the theater’s showtimes as ‘closed due to fire’.
The site has not been updated since last spring. I took a ride up there early this summer and met with the owner. The building is in decent shape, and the current owner, a local realtor, wants to further restore the theatre. At the time he was planning a summer slate of art and children’s product, but I have not noticed any advertising all summer for the Hippodrome.
It opened and closed as a twin. After it shut down it became a Herman’s Sporting Goods store, and now serves as a Todai Seafood Buffet.
This was indeed a GCC operation. It has since been converted to retail.
The last time I was there, about 3 years ago, the theater, and most of the mall, were vacant.
The building above, now an Irish gift shop, was the lobby of the Loew’s College. The auditorium was demolished after it was announced that it would be turned into condominiums. If you look at the picture, the building to the immediate right (currently boarded up) looks MUCH more ‘theatrical’ than the Loew’s building. I’m guessing the lobby building of the theatre existed before the auditorium, as the letters “MAHER” appear on the top, just above the windows.
I was in Hula Hank’s recently—the former Crown Theatre. Once inside you can tell it was a movie palace. The proscenium’s shape is still there, as well as the now walled-off balcony. The signage for Hula Hank’s was the theatre’s marquee in its later years. I’m guessing the original entrance was at the center of the building—which currently serves as the lobby for the rest of the space. There is a ballroom and office space upstairs. The uppermost floor was added onto the building. If you look at the side of the building from the outside, you can tell it was a theatre.
This theatre replaced the former GCC Westchester Mall Cinema, which was demolished. For a few years before its demolition, it operated as the UA Westchester Mall 4.
Yes, the National is still there. It’s in decent shape and well cared for. The Historic Richmond Foundation is looking for a suitable tenant. There are no seats on the orchestra level.
The theater burned down years ago and its remains were demolished.
The building still stands—it’s on the right side of the only shopping plaza in town. It currently surves as a Chase Bank branch.
The Paramount was originally called the Olympia Theatre. The building that is now on the site is a mixed retail/office structure known as the Olympia Building.
The auditorium of the Grand was long ago gutted completely and refitted with two or three complete levels. There is a college operating in it. The Wiz was in the former lobby and some of the other retail space.
Fran Robinson lives next door—just go knock on her door.
In response to the “2001” ad comment above, the Washington Twp. Cinema was never a UA Theatre. UA has a Washington Twp. Cinemas in South Jersey, as NJ boasts at least THREE localities known as Washington Township that I’m aware of. Ads sometimes get mixed up for this theater and the UA one down south.
As for Justin not believing this theater is still open, it is one of Bergen County’s top grossing theatres! It has a very loyal, dedicated clientele.
This theater is more commonly remembered as the Towne Theater. It was renamed in the 40’s or 50’s. Loews was the last chain to run this house as a movie theatre. It closed in 1993 after the new Town Square 9 multiplex was opened. The Towne remained a single screen, and sat a total of 666 patrons—444 downstairs and 222 in the balcony. There was a small vaudeville stage and dressing rooms off to its side. After remaining closed for 3 or 4 years, a group took it over and renovated it into EPAC.
Their website is www.endicottarts.com
The last chain to run this Drive-In was CinemaNational. The drive-in closed in the early 80’s, along with its neighboring hardtop, the Cinema New Hartford.
The Paris Cinema in New Hartford, NY (suburb of Utica) had the exact same facade. Loews closed it around 1991 or so. At the time of its closing, the auditorium was fashioned out of what used to be an old movie palace. If you went behind the screen, the rest of the original theatre was there, just used for storage and unheated.
The building is currently a Duane Reade drug store.
The huge “PROCTOR’S” neon letters on the roof on the south side of the building are being ‘removed’ due to bricks falling off the building underneath it. The north side sign will remain, for now. Apparently the college (RPI) that bought the building a couple of years ago with plans of turning it into a ‘boutique hotel’ have abandoned that idea, and are looking to deed the property back to the City of Troy.
Proctor’s in New Rochelle was gutted approx. 5 years ago. It was ‘filled in’ by a school and offices. The building shell was not demolished. Across the street, Loew’s New Rochelle is a nightclub. Just south of Proctor’s on Main St. the Town Theatre is now “Wicker Paradise”. The Loew’s and Town still have their marquees, Proctor’s was removed during the re-use. In the late 70’s/early 80’s, Proctor’s was known as “RKO (later Cineplex Odeon) Proctors Sevenplex”. That configuration was as follows: four screens in the original Proctor’s house (two up/two down), one screen on Proctor’s stage (which operated prior as the “Main St. Cinema” with a separate entrance, lobby, concession, and restrooms), and two across the street in the former Loew’s. When Cineplex terminated its lease on the Proctor’s building, the complex was advertised as “Cineplex Odeon Proctor’s Twin”, which actually was just two screens in the former Loew’s across the street.
New Rochelle also had Century’s Mall Cinema (single screen) a few blocks north of Proctor’s on Main, but that closed with the rest of the New Rochelle Mall, which was demolished for the New Roc City Complex (which contains the Regal Cinema 18 and IMAX Theatre).