Syosset Theatre
7500 Jericho Turnpike,
Woodbury,
NY
11797
7500 Jericho Turnpike,
Woodbury,
NY
11797
20 people
favorited this theater
Showing 151 - 174 of 174 comments
RobertR wrote: Anyways since this is the Syosset and it opened 12/67 it was astonishing run for a re-release
In today’s era of megaplex theaters, it’s kind of difficult to ponder that a movie could remain in one theater for more than a month, let alone almost a year or more!
Although that re-release of GWTW was critcized for having its original aspect ratio altered (and rightfully so), it was extremely popular during a number of additional re-issues and special series engagements through 1976 in the NYC region.
Bill
Thanks for clarifying that, I just assumed it was the Cinema 150. I think GWTW would up playing there at some point. I also did not know the theatre only opened in 1970. I figured it had opened around the time of West Side Story or The Sound of Music. The one in Queens I believe opened in 1962. Anyways since this is the Syosset and it opened 12/67 it was astonishing run for a re-release.
Hi RobertR,
I wasn’t trying dispute the date. :) I was trying to clairify the theater in which it played in since this thread covers the UA Cinema 150, which didn’t open until 1970. “Gone With The Wind” played at the Syosset Theatre begining on December 21, 1967, and continued into 1968.
The Syosset Theatre (which opened in 1956) and the UA Cinema 150 were close to each other. It appears that because of their proximity in the city of Syosset, and the fact that both were roadshow houses that ran lots of 70mm, they can be easily confused with one another.
I misunderstood your original post. I thought that your post meant that the film had started its re-release engagement at the UA Cinema 150 in 1968.
The ad is in the Long Island Press dated 11/7/68
Hi RobertR,
Do you happen to have the date of that 1968 engagement of GWTW? My records show that it indeed played in Syosset and was a reserved seat engagment, but on December 21, 1967 @ the Syosset. Thanks.
I was going through some old stuff today and in 1968 Gone With The Wind was playing here in 70mm and Sterophonic sound. It announces, all seats reserved.
Ah, another theater from my bygone youth. This was the place to see action movies. At one point, before the IMAX’s, this was one of the biggest screens in the country. I remember seeing the last three “Batman” movies here, and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” was mind-blowing up on that screen. Even though I didn’t like “Titanic”, it looked like a Hollywood epic here. It was also a great place to bring a date, because this was the last theater in a few miles radius to have a balcony (even if it cost a few bucks more).
I was actually really surprised when this theater closed. I honestly thought it’s uniqueness would preserve it. Sadly, that was not to be the cast.
Bill, I am happy to hear Joe is still around, I had not heard much about him in many years. Tell him Hi from Vito and Artie and ask if he remembers inviting us to the hush hush and very private technical rehearsal of “Hello Dolly” at the Rivoli.(he allowed us to hid in the balcony and watch the movie), or when I told him after he tuned the sound system for “Yental”, I was going to write to Barbra Streisand and suggest she stop by the D-150 to hear the sound exactally as she would have wanted it to be presented. I still rermember the smile on Joe’s face when I told him that. Also you are right about Joe, we had a couple of great showman around in those days, I also remember Andy Marglin who, with Joe, founded Kellmar Systems, based on Long Island, which today remains one of the most trusted theatre equipment supply houses in the world.
I also rem
Thanks for the updates on the theater.
Vito, those were very kind words about Joe Kelly. I’ve corresponded with him recently regarding his work. I was referred to him by a friend of mine who has had nothing but kind things to say about Joe.
From what I’ve gathered, he loved his job and running those UA theatres in LI, NYC and NJ with class. Too bad more people today in the exhibition business don’t run things like Joe did. Going to the movies nowadays is just going to the movies; it’s not an experience anymore, with few exceptions.
Vito
I remember seeing that here too. That was before UA redid the theatre. It still had the gold drapes and seats.
“Yental was presented in 35mm four track magnetic stereo sound”.
The absolute best place to see that film.
The engagement of Titanic here blew everyone away on that monster screen. I went 3x.
the door was open so you could see the projection booth i do remember that.Saw Risky Bsns ,Yental at 150 and many others
UA had a bad reputation for running the theatres into the ground.
This was not the case however when it came to projection. In the late 1960s, a fella by the name of Joe Kelly joined UA in charge of projection and sound. Joe was (is) an artist, who fine tuned the projection and sound at all the UA thetares during his time with them. As a projectionist on Long Island, I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Joe, and he once told me he had two favorites, the Rivoli in Manhatten (he was devestated when it was triplexed) and the Cimema D-150 in Syosset. He often would drop by the D-150 to make improvements or to just tweek the sound. When we played a 70mm print, Joe would be there running loops and fine tuning the sound to perfection. He would often stop by during the run to be sure it looked and sounded exactally right. I enjoyed leaving the booth door open during intermission so that patrons could have a look. Sadly, we will never see a theatre quite like it again. It was the talk of Long Island movie goers for years, many people told me they would travel many miles to experience a movie at Cinema D-150.
the cinema 150 is a health club / gym
the extieror still has shape of the theater
Bryan
Thanks for the pics, the one of the orchestra does not even show the magnitude of how huge the screen and floor were. Like longislandmovies said it was one of the few UA theatres that was well run.
the 150 is now an office building
The best theater on long island for many years one of the few well run UA houses.Stood online around the parking lot many of times.
Is this theater still standing?
I was just going through pages of my favorite theatres and still miss this place alot. I drove from Queens to see every new movie that opened here. I am suprised there are not more posts here. Anyone who ever went to this theatre was awed at the size of the screen. It would have been easy to convert this place to 3 projector Cinerama. I guess I am going to have to go to LA and see “This is Cinerama” at the Dome. I doubt NY will ever see Cinerama again.
UA had renovated this theatre a few years before closing it. What a shame it was a better place to see a film then any theatre in Manhattan. I miss it every time I look to see an epic. That HUGE screen and the drapes opening was what movie going was all about.
Unfortunately, the Cinema 150 in Little Rock, Arkansas was closed May of 2003. The last film shown was the 10pm showing of XMen II. Because they only had 1 screen, it was not profitable enough to keep operating.
I think the River Oaks #9 in Calumet City, Illinois (a suburb just south of Chicago) still is a D-150 theatre.
Just like the Syosset down the block (see my comments for that one too), this theater was practically the only SUPER LARGE theater to see blockbusters, and i sure did, everything from “2001” to “Brainstorm” (what a perfect theater to watch that film with its shifting aspect ratios!)to “Showgirls” (what a perfect theater to see Elizabeth Berkley lick a metal pole…hee hee)to “Titanic”, and I think my last film there was “Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace”, which was so appropriate….as Natalie Portman grew up in Syosset! It HAD to be her neighborhood theater.