There is no signage anywhere that limits parking for movie theatre patrons to any portion of the parking lot. I can’t imagine they will start towing cars without any warnings that some parking is off limits. As it was before, it looks like shared parking between the theatre, the supermarket, Starbucks and the other tenants.
There has been no activity for a while. Took a look over the weekend thru the windows and the inside is still a shambles. They started to do some work months ago but it seems to have stopped again. It’s nowhere near being done.
In February of 2008, the Cultural Arts Playhouse left the Old Bethpage site and moved next door to Plainview. The former Old Bethpage theatre is now vacant.
Jack Loeks was the father of Jim Loeks, who along with his wife, Barrie Lawson-Loeks started Star Theatres (Loeks-Star). They were not involved at all in Jack Loeks cinemas (family falling-out). Jim and Barrie sold a 50% interest to Sony in the 90’s who then recruited them to run their Loews chain after chairman A. Alan Friedberg retired. Most of the theatres built by Loews during their tenure featured the “Star” design.
I worked on the Loews side when Cineplex was absorbed and we were amazed at how poorly the theatre managers and assistant managers were paid compared to their counterparts at Loews, at least here in the New York market. The merit raise formula had to be re-worked for those managers to bring them in line with wages at Loews. The service staff was certainly not paid any more than the Loews staff and didn’t have the benefits or the incentives that the Loews staff did until they came on board after the merger. To say that they were the highest paid in the country couldn’t be true, at least not in my experience.
I’m surprised this theatre isn’t listed as the Loews Trylon. I will remember it as such from my time at Loews. This tiny gem being managed by the incomperable Gene Thompson and Loews legend Julia Albanese of Loews Gates fame.
First we have to deal with AMC wiping the great Loews name out of existence and now our own Cinema Treaures changes the listing of one of the great all-time classic theatres to United Palace?? Is anyone coming on this site looking for the United Palace Theatre? Bad bad move.
When I say “referred” to – I mean in all official Loews documents and phone listings. It was always the Loews Lefrak. The apostrophe stopped appearing on theatre marquee’s as early as the 1970’s and all but disappeared in the mid-1980’s when Jerry Perenchio bought the circuit and subsequently sold it to the entertainment division of the Coca-Cola company.
I worked for Loews during the time the theatre closed and the Queens Division office was moved from there to the Bay Terrace. It was always referred to as the Loews Lefrak or just simply “The Lefrak”.
Sure, he mentioned Bruce a lot. Jim was among the last of a dying breed. I’m glad I got a chance to work under his watch. A big part of making me who I am today.
Jim passed in 2004, just a few months after I left Loews and the business for good. Ted retired after the AMC takeover since they eliminated all the RM positions. They’ve pretty much spent the last couple of years weeding out all the old Loews people and replacing them with their own people. I’ll never set foot in an “AMC” theatre.
I was hired in June of 1990 by the late, great Jim Ward as an Asst. Manager at the Loews Nassau Six in Levittown. Mr. Ward was the one who taught me not only to love the theatre business, but theatres as well.
I was Managing Director of the Shore from 1999-2004. Cineplex ran out of money as it was being built and slapped it together at the last minute. As a result, the theatre only had one escalator going up, but none coming down, never had a marquee as it was originally supposed to and was rather nondescript considering it’s the largest building in the village. The projection and sound systems, however, were some of the best anywhere. The former (Cineplex) manager there didn’t care much for it, but I knew all it needed was a little TLC. Within a couple of years by replacing most of the managers and staff and reaching out to the community the annual attendance almost doubled. While I never got all of what I wanted, I think we made it a great place for families to see movies. I’m sickened by what AMC has done to the late-great Loews by systematically purging all of the former Loews managers. There are nearly none of them left. I’ll never see a movie in an AMC theatre.
I was the last manager at the Whitman before it closed for good. Actually, I was the Manager of the Shore theatre but since no one wanted the Whitman, it fell to me to staff it and keep the doors open. As a former 14-year employee of Loews, with a great respect and affinity for those who came before me, I felt sad watching this theatre die a prolonged death. The bankruptcy was the only thing that got us out of the lease. I’m now affiliated with a live theatre company and had floated the idea of moving to the former Whitman after the furniture store that replaced it closed. Our owner seriously looked into moving to the old Rockville Centre twin as well, but could not get enough funding. Though I’ve been out of the “business” for four years now, I am a frequent visitor to this site and love reading the storied of our fabled Long Island theatres and even catching the name of and old friend or two. =)
There is no signage anywhere that limits parking for movie theatre patrons to any portion of the parking lot. I can’t imagine they will start towing cars without any warnings that some parking is off limits. As it was before, it looks like shared parking between the theatre, the supermarket, Starbucks and the other tenants.
Article in greaterlongisland.com says the theatre will be open in about 4 weeks and had some photos of the interior renovations.
I’ll see if I can manage some over the weekend.
I’ve been seeing some movement among the trucks at the site and over the weekend saw one worker at the ditch area near Montauk Highway.
There has been no activity for a while. Took a look over the weekend thru the windows and the inside is still a shambles. They started to do some work months ago but it seems to have stopped again. It’s nowhere near being done.
There is definitely work going on inside, seems to be moving at a slow pace but stuff is happening in there.
Theatre building and adjacent property were just sold for over $6 Million. It will be a CVS.
Does anyone know who owns this theatre or how to get in touch with them?
In February of 2008, the Cultural Arts Playhouse left the Old Bethpage site and moved next door to Plainview. The former Old Bethpage theatre is now vacant.
Jack Loeks was the father of Jim Loeks, who along with his wife, Barrie Lawson-Loeks started Star Theatres (Loeks-Star). They were not involved at all in Jack Loeks cinemas (family falling-out). Jim and Barrie sold a 50% interest to Sony in the 90’s who then recruited them to run their Loews chain after chairman A. Alan Friedberg retired. Most of the theatres built by Loews during their tenure featured the “Star” design.
I worked on the Loews side when Cineplex was absorbed and we were amazed at how poorly the theatre managers and assistant managers were paid compared to their counterparts at Loews, at least here in the New York market. The merit raise formula had to be re-worked for those managers to bring them in line with wages at Loews. The service staff was certainly not paid any more than the Loews staff and didn’t have the benefits or the incentives that the Loews staff did until they came on board after the merger. To say that they were the highest paid in the country couldn’t be true, at least not in my experience.
I’m surprised this theatre isn’t listed as the Loews Trylon. I will remember it as such from my time at Loews. This tiny gem being managed by the incomperable Gene Thompson and Loews legend Julia Albanese of Loews Gates fame.
I have to agree – I’m off this thread as well. That building is and always will be the Loews 175th Street.
First we have to deal with AMC wiping the great Loews name out of existence and now our own Cinema Treaures changes the listing of one of the great all-time classic theatres to United Palace?? Is anyone coming on this site looking for the United Palace Theatre? Bad bad move.
When I say “referred” to – I mean in all official Loews documents and phone listings. It was always the Loews Lefrak. The apostrophe stopped appearing on theatre marquee’s as early as the 1970’s and all but disappeared in the mid-1980’s when Jerry Perenchio bought the circuit and subsequently sold it to the entertainment division of the Coca-Cola company.
I worked for Loews during the time the theatre closed and the Queens Division office was moved from there to the Bay Terrace. It was always referred to as the Loews Lefrak or just simply “The Lefrak”.
Sure, he mentioned Bruce a lot. Jim was among the last of a dying breed. I’m glad I got a chance to work under his watch. A big part of making me who I am today.
No, he had left on disability a few years earlier. His last assignment was as Managing Director of the Loews Bay Terrace 6.
Jim passed in 2004, just a few months after I left Loews and the business for good. Ted retired after the AMC takeover since they eliminated all the RM positions. They’ve pretty much spent the last couple of years weeding out all the old Loews people and replacing them with their own people. I’ll never set foot in an “AMC” theatre.
I was hired in June of 1990 by the late, great Jim Ward as an Asst. Manager at the Loews Nassau Six in Levittown. Mr. Ward was the one who taught me not only to love the theatre business, but theatres as well.
I was Managing Director of the Shore from 1999-2004. Cineplex ran out of money as it was being built and slapped it together at the last minute. As a result, the theatre only had one escalator going up, but none coming down, never had a marquee as it was originally supposed to and was rather nondescript considering it’s the largest building in the village. The projection and sound systems, however, were some of the best anywhere. The former (Cineplex) manager there didn’t care much for it, but I knew all it needed was a little TLC. Within a couple of years by replacing most of the managers and staff and reaching out to the community the annual attendance almost doubled. While I never got all of what I wanted, I think we made it a great place for families to see movies. I’m sickened by what AMC has done to the late-great Loews by systematically purging all of the former Loews managers. There are nearly none of them left. I’ll never see a movie in an AMC theatre.
I was the last manager at the Whitman before it closed for good. Actually, I was the Manager of the Shore theatre but since no one wanted the Whitman, it fell to me to staff it and keep the doors open. As a former 14-year employee of Loews, with a great respect and affinity for those who came before me, I felt sad watching this theatre die a prolonged death. The bankruptcy was the only thing that got us out of the lease. I’m now affiliated with a live theatre company and had floated the idea of moving to the former Whitman after the furniture store that replaced it closed. Our owner seriously looked into moving to the old Rockville Centre twin as well, but could not get enough funding. Though I’ve been out of the “business” for four years now, I am a frequent visitor to this site and love reading the storied of our fabled Long Island theatres and even catching the name of and old friend or two. =)