Ed Solero – thank you for the link in your reply 6 posts up. I was very happe to see that the water fountain is still there, and still has the built in light working (I remember convincing the UA electrician to replace the old ceramic fixtures back in the late 80’s so we could get it lit again).
I also must say that the new paint job is a big improvement over the dreary grays that UA first started back in 1986 and Clearview decided to continue with a fresh coat of the dreary gray when they took over 10 years ago.
It also looks like the lilly popcorn truck has hopped the curb a few more times, too: many a Thursday afternoon I’d arrived to open the Manhasset Theatre and had to hunt up and down the sidewalk for the missing letters that would pop off when ever that truck het the marquee… Once I found one in the tree on the corner…
Now, you did get a good shot of the old ceiling (in the balcony theatre) and did you notice the rectangleular board in the center of the big circle? That’s covering the original winch opening for the chandelier that once was there (and it is also covering a couple of air conditioning vents that were on either side of the winch opening. Last I was up in the attic, the winch pulleys were still in place. I’m not sure if I remember correctly, but I think the winch to lower the chandelier was backstage somewhere, maybe in the blower room (up and behind theatre 1). I can only remember that there were 2 pulleys I’d found: one in the center of the ceiling, and the other one was near one of the edges of the ceiling (the walls and ceiling are- believe it or not -one single piece of iron wire-lath, cement and plaster suspended from the roof trusses. Think giant jello mold). The second pulley was in line with the one in the center, and all I can remember was thinking “what a strange place to run the winching rope”. Part of me wants to remember it near the projection booth, but another part says it was near one of the “dead” drops near the old precemium (the dead space between the curving, inner walls and the cinderblock outside walls: when seen from the attic, you can look all the way down to the ground below- if you’re careful…)
Anyway, that’s this year’s post :D
(For anyone looking for the links in my post on Feb 14, 2007, they are now defunct- and there’s no edit function available – but the images are still obtainable:
I have heard of the Playhouse Ghost, believed to be the ghost of someone who hanged himself in the rigging backstage. He supposedly haunts the appartments that are there now. True or not I don’t know.
I’m more skeptical of these “woo woo” type things myself (hence trying to find out what might be causing the shadow) and is why I say that there is more in this universe than we could ever know. Whatever it is, it was noticable to just about anyone who had it pointed out to. Eerie, definately… but since it is so subtle, I doubt it will be freightening anyone away. Maybe it will steal your popcorn, though… ;)
Norelcos? I thought it had Cinemacanica… Anyway, I wonder if the fitness club patched up the crack in the right hand wall (rumored to have been caused by the sensaround system). Used to be able to pull the fabric away and look outside…
Good tip on the photobucket. Usually an image tag can contain the term “width=xxx” (where xxx equals the value you want in pixel size) 512 width should be fine here and many other forums. I’m not 100% sure if it works with this site, though (and there is no option to edit a post, so experiments are out of the question lest we have a ton of usless posts).
I actually recommend that you resize your images before even uploading to an image host – make them 512 wide to start with. Then the actual file will be much smaller and load nice and fast.
I appologize to the fine folks here are Cinema Treasures if I have upset the apple cart with this info (but having images of these great old theatres available for view is a major benefit, and with external image hosts, it should save your server space and bandwidth). Everyone should read the TOS (http://cinematreasures.org/legal/) and understand that materials (e.g. images) you post, either as links or otherwise, automatically include your release of any copyright, granted to Cinema Treasures. On that note, you should not post images or other material (links or otherwise) to material that does not belong to you.
Back to Manhasset and relevant information.
Something comes back to me about the old chandelier that was in the stairwell- it should still exist in the old safe room /manager’s office in the back theatre 3 (the old balcony). I remember when UA renovated that we had it moved and installed in that little room (last door just after the door to the projection booth) because it was going to be thrown out. Last I knew, that room was used for paperwork storage.
On a ghostly note- I and several others who have worked there have experienced first hand, an eerie apparition: a disembodied shadow cast on the wall of the back of that old balcony theatre. We’ve even spotted it drifting along the back wall downstairs (when walking to the theatres, the wall on the right). How and when- Well, I first spotted it while standing outside under tha marquee, having a smoke while waiting for the last shows to let out. I thought someone was behind the candy stand, keeping an eye on it using the mirrors in the outter lobby to see all the way up and around the corner. Several nights went by and it happened again, this time to other employees.
It seems to show up more often during the summer, mostly between 11:30 pm and 1 am. As you walk down the hall downstairs past theatre 1 and 2 or if you stare at the back wall of theatre 3, you’ll notice “arches” of light from the high hat lighting in the ceiling. The shadow can be seen only in the “half light” between the bright area and the dark area, a five or five and a half foot humanoid silhouette moving with “purpose”.
It took us over two months to trace out “her” route, and follows this path: It starts on the wall behind the candy stand, about where the right soda machine is and moves toward theatre 1 where it waits for a little bit. It then moves down the hall and up the stairs to the old balcony. It cannot be seen again until it is in the balcony where it slowly drifts to the door to the projection booth (to the hall to the booth- I think it might go into the old generator room below the booth for a moment). After about a minute or so, the shadow moves to the old safe room/ manager’s office and then very quickly darts back toward the entrance of the balcony (but I think it’s heading toward the fire exit on that side).
Not a truely spectacular event other than it was a regular occurance every night all the time since it was first noticed, and it seems that everyone can see it if you point it out. To see it, don’t look directly at it, but look a few feet away from where it should be (focus on the dark area between the arches of light). The shadow moves as a slow walk (downstairs) and then at a hurried walk (upstairs). What you see is a shadow on the wall shaped like a person about five to five and a half feet tall, darker than what should be there and moving but only in that transition from light to dark- you cannot see it in the bright area of the light or the darker section between the lights – and come to think of it, when Clearview took over, they replaced the incandescant lights in the fixtures downstairs with flourescent retrofits that do not create the needed arches of light. The light in that ahlls is probably too flast to notice it. The Balcony should still be a good spot to see the “ghost”, though.
Now, please understand that I don’t think that it’s an actual ghost- not the sort that you see on TV or one that jumps out at you and goes ‘boo’ (though some folks have left the balcony before the show was over citing a creepy feeling up there). Personally, I believe that there is a whole lot more in this universe than we could ever understand, but a ghost this is not. I and other’s have seen it, and have gone to lengths to try to rule out possibilities: passing car or aircraft light, moonlight, anything. We’ve stood right next to the wall when it passed. We’ve even done research to see if there was ever any kind of incident at the Manhasset that might make a “ghost” – a robbery or other foul deed. Nothing turned up. If I was to venture an opinion as to what it is: perhaps some kind of memory that’s retained in the walls of the building (it is a huge iron wirelath structure and might be able to ‘record’ someone’s strong emotional state (scorned lover?) as they moved by it. Then again, maybe not.
And that’s the only “ghost” I know that’s ever been in the Manhasset (other than the one with Demi Moore).
If you can make the link you can make the pics appear too. Just put [ img ]photo'sURL[ /img] (but without the spaces- I can’t show you exactly because it will think I’m putting in a pic…)
With sites like photo bucket and image shack, the images will get deleted if it is not active- a link here does nothing to keep the image unless someone clicks it, but the image tag will call the image, registering on the image server as active.
Well, it’s been a while since I visited here and I have to thank EdSolero for the new photos- I’m happy to see that the gray paint is gone! UA had done everything (And I mean everything) in a deathly shade of gray about 1897, and when Clearview took over in 1998 they kept the gray tones but decided to at least use several shades and accesnt the jabot/cascade trim in gold. The new paint looks great, a huge improvement all around.
Here’s some pictures of the marquee and lobby about 1998, right after Clearview took over and renovated.
EdSolero: indeed, that section of tile marks where the old box office stood- it was a very tiny affair. I have no idea about what it looked like or how tall it was, but I do know that it didn’t connect with the ceiling. My guess would be that it was a half round if not square, and I remember Karl telling me that the cashier sat on a seat attached to the door in the rear: a perfect set-up for a pratfall gag.
The steam pipe in question ran under the center of the inner lobby floor (about where the right hand soda machine is) and was buried directly in the earth. It fed the radiators in the bathrooms, the two stores next door, and then branched off down to the box office and sidewalk.
I remember UA had required the threatre to be open as a shelter during Hurricane Gloria (no one showed up) and I was busy on the roof cleaning out the drains (I hated that tree in the front and it’s drain clogging burs). I came in and was walking around barefoot while my shoes and socks dried. That’s how I found the steam pipe- it burned my feet. My further barefoot wonderings found hot spots undea all bathroom floors and under the marquee- all the way out to the curb (but only on the south side of where the box office stood). It might be that the heated sidewalk was just a effect from the radiator in the old box office, a byproduct of the need for heat.
In the late 80’s or early 90’s, there were two mishaps related to that pipe: first, there was a payphone on the wall between the bathrooms, but it had fallen off- the pipe had rotted away completely and the steam was just going where ever it could, including up the walls. The lobby was dug up and the pipe replaced, which increased the steam reaching the old box office location. I suspect that the pipe there was also rotted out, and eventually the steam caused a major flood in the store next door. That flood resulted in the old box office pipe’s perminent disconnection.
Hey Warren- The main house fan located backstage had a manufacture date of 1927 on the fan housing, and I’ve seen something else with that date on it- a service record- yes, now I remember: the old boiler in the pit backstage (long ago replaced) had a service chart dating that far back. You seem to know a lot about the old local theatres on LI, so I was wondering if you knew how to thread one of these:
For those who don’t know, most theatres use a system similar to this, where the entire film is spliced together by the projectionist and fed to the projector in one go. Some theatres (a very few) still use the old reels which require a projectionist to switch reels during the show either every 18 to 20 minutes or so (some use 60 minute reels, still requiring a ‘changeover’). With today’s multi-screen complexes, a projectionist would be run ragged.
Film is still delivered (to my knowledge) on those old twenty minute reels, and Thursday nights can be grueling for a projectionist, who must make up new shows and load it onto this type of film transport while breaking down exiting shows to be shipped to other theatres. As a matter of fact, you can see a new show loaded on the bottom plater, made up and ready for the next feature (or it might be a matinee movie, too).
This is an interesting system, with many intircate parts to keep the show on the screen. The platters (the disks) turn as the film is fed out to the projector, with a governing control to keep everything at a steady speed. As the film feeds out on one platter, it is taken up on another, almost an endless loop. When the show is over, the projectionist removed a ring in the center and feeds the film out and back to the now empty platter. No need (or ability for that matter) to rewind. When something goes wrong and part of the show is missed, you can see that it is nearly impossible to rewind the film in this type system. It brings a whole new meaning to “The Show Must Go On.”
With Digital Projection looming on the horrizon, this type of system will be dissappearing from theatres, potentially along with projection booths and projectionists, too. Next time you visit a theatre, bring him a cup of coffee wink
I should point out that the names of the employees that worked this theatre for ET, are on a wall that is now inside the newly added handicap restroom. When Clearview added the restroom, a false wall was erected over this area to accomodate the new plumbing. I think only a small portion of the names remain, as the plaster wall was cut up pretty badly.
I remember that when Clearview’s construction workers replaced the commodes in the mens room, the wall between the mens and ladies room collapsed, and forced a complete renovation to both bathrooms.
Ah, Manhasset â€" I worked that theatre from 1984 to 1994. In that time, I have unearthed many details about this 1927 masterpiece. This was a theme theatre- African Safari, if I’m right.
This was one of the Skorus Theatres that Mr. Skorus built for his sons. I don’t know the son’s name, but the top-dead-center of the marquee had his son’s initials on it â€" in Greek lettering: M S. The rest of the marquee is still pretty much original, save for the actual title boards.
The original titles were created by embossed ceramic letters framed in black metal, so only each letter was illuminated. The framing of the letters had tracks to hold colored gels for a Technicolor display. I have one of these letters, a ‘Z’ that had been used as a pane of glass in a boarded up window (in the staircase leading to the balcony). Unfortunately, when we opened up the window, the letter fell and broke- but I still have the pieces somewhere.
The interior of the building is a “single piece†shell- the walls and ceiling are made of cement and plaster pressed into a sculpted wire lath suspended from the roof trusses. A visit to the attic shows a reverse impression of all the ceiling’s original art-deco detail.
The entire theatre is actually three separate buildings, the auditorium in the back, butting up against a ‘dog leg’ shaped lobby, and two retail stores in the front corner.
The building also had heated sidewalks under the marquee, apparently provided by the steam pipe that heated the original box office. You can see where the box office was by looking at the mosaic tile under the marquee- there’s a tiny rectangle of mismatched tile where it once stood. The steam pipe was left in place when the box office was replaced, and eventually rotted away, flooding the store next door in the early 90’s. No more warm tootsies in the winter, folks. Sorry.
Inside the outer lobby are still (hopefully) the large mirrors set in a Victorian (?) style trim. The floor had nine rubber mats inlaid into a mosaic tile ‘framing’ that lined up with the tile borders under the marquee. A second set of doors were located halfway up the outer lobby, the old header and trim still in place.
Entering the inner lobby you were greeted to the swooping curves of the art-deco design, turning right and passing under a long oval recess for the chandelier. I have little knowledge about what that chandelier looked like- but if it was like the one for the auditorium, it would’ve been stained glass set in a white-copper art-deco frame.
That chandelier sat under the screen of theatre 1 for the longest time, but was hauled out for trash when UA put in the horrible mustard seating, making way for extra seat parts. Another chandelier that was in the staircase gives another clue as to what might have been there: That one had diagonally arranged glass (crystal?) dowels set in a white-copper frame. I believe that the auditorium chandelier was stained glass, as you can still(?) see in the Manhasset High School auditorium- a building put up about the same time.
In the wall of the far end of the inner lobby is a recessed water fountain, in black tile with a yellow fish and seaweed design, and illuminated by a recessed light above. This odd design finally explained itself when I and a few other employees stripped the wallpaper off the walls in the restrooms (UA renovated the lobby, but not the restrooms or auditorium, sometime around ‘87).
The original wallpaper in the ladies’ room, next to the fountain, was an undersea mermaid scene, in deep aqua tones and colorful tropical fish. The men’s room was a similar scene with swordfish and other game fish on a turquoise background.
â€" A quick sidebar- one wall in the men’s sitting room had been stripped already, and the entire staff of the Manhasset Theatre had signed their names- commemorating the final showing of ‘E.T. â€"The Extraterrestrial’. If anyone out there reads this, rest assured: we kept your memorial for future explorers!
The original woodwork was in mahogany and white pine, with faux wood finishes on the plaster columns and paneling. This special treatment is still visible on one door in the building. There is a storage room in the back of the balcony theatre, on your right when you enter the auditorium, with this fine craftsmanship clearly visible, but on the inside, out of public view.
Manhasset’s Safari theme was exemplified in the tapestry and wall paper I’d found during my exploration of the hidden sections of the building. Now discolored with age, I think it was red with a gold inlay leaf pattern.
One section of this tapestry (a huge section at that) might still be found by getting back stage (I use that term loosely, as the stage area is only about 6 feet deep) and climbing a ladder to the blower room. From there- with a very bright light- you can look over the ceiling of theatres 1 and 2, into the empty space behind the walled-in balcony theatre.
From there you can see the newer green/blue/gold fleur-de-lis tapestry that had been put up over the old red safari, which is also visible where the newer tapestry has come down. If you get the chance, look for the tigers and elephants- and who knows what else.
A visit to the balcony theatre and the original ceiling can be seen, it’s art-deco concentric circles now painted flat black to reduce light reflection from the screen.
A regular visitor to the Manhasset was “Old Man Karlâ€, who was one of the original ushers when the theatre first opened. Karl spoke of many stories of the Manhasset Theatre, too numerous to put in one post.
One thing he did mention was that the theatre was one of the first motion-picture-only theatres on the east coast, and was built especially for ‘talkies’. The curved walls were intended to help project the sound out into the street and pique public curiosity. It did work- only in reverse as well. A whisper in the lobby could carry all the way to the front row of theatre 2.
Now, about the smell- If they ever get rid of the well-water air-conditioning…
Anyone remember Hope Moseitis? (Sorry if I misspelled [??] the name). She had started out at the playhouse as a cashier and eventually became the manager at the Port Washington Beacon (now a 7 plex) when Exodus opened and the powers that be fired the whole staff there (ironic, huh…).
I remember Hope as a relief manager who bounced between the Squire and the Manhasset theatres in the mid to late 80’s. She was very strict in her own manner, but had some great stories about the local theatres.
I remember that her mother used to collect tickets at the Squire on the nights she worked, a sweet old lady who had a very think Greek accent, or barely spoke English. I never found out since she didn’t say very much.
The Squire theatre, as I remember Hope telling me, was originally a Cadillac showroom, back in the 30’s and 40’s [?]. If you look at the brickwork on the outside wall, from the rear parking lot, you can still see where the bay doors were. The service garage was turned into the main auditorium with a stadium balcony that was bifurcated by the auditorium’s entrance. The orchestra had continental seating and was on nearly level ground.
Of interesting note, the original projection booth- still in use today for screens 5&6- was not included in the theatre’s plans. The Squire’s owners had to buy an abutting building (over the lobby, no less) and chop through. The door to the booth still opens to a floor that is three feet higher, like a stuck elevator.
When UA triplexed the Squire, they did their standard ground floor projection booth for the downstairs theatres. The balcony theatre was made by covering over the stadium entrance and placing a screen against a wall over the downstairs booth. Oddly enough, there 6 seats located in the front row -3 on either side of the covered entrance- that had absolutely no view of the screen.
UA dumped the Squire in the mid 90’s and a private company bought it up, performing a minor miracle in inserting two backwards-facing theatres in what were once, respectively, a storage room and the manager’s office- both located under the balcony. This was done by removing the downstairs booth and suspending a new booth from the ceiling a bit further down the two main theatres. The new booth services the four ground level theatres, and new entrances were added for the balcony theatre, now split in two. A seventh screen was added by buying out a store next door and making a long, narrow auditorium behind the concessions stand.
Of the many things I remember about the Squire, the worst would be the awful “Lava lamp†amoebas projected in the screen between shows during the 80’s, typical of UA in that era. Makes me feel glad for the slide show advertising they have now.
Clearview bought the Squire around 98-99 and made little change to the building, other than painting it the “Clearview Colors†and adding their signature fireplace and furnishings. DTS EX was added to the 2 front theatres when ‘Star Wars Episode 1’ opened.
Last time I was there was a few years ago, so there may be some changes since.
Posted in memory of Joseph A Martinez, one of the Argo’s managers from years ago. A true showman from the old school, always with a smile and quick retort.
The Meadowbrook’s balcony wasn’t turned into office space, but rather sat as a never opened auditorium. The UA East Coast office was located in a brand new office building behind the theatre.
The ADA prevented the opening of the balcony theatre because no provision was made for handicap accessibility. When I was a projectionist I had the chance to run this theatre in the late 90’s. The balcony theatre was basically ready to go except for a screen, but instead of patrons, it was occupied by cases of straws and napkins, various discarded lobby adornments, and a chandelier (not from the Meadowbrook, as I understand).
An interesting – and sad- story comes to mind about the Meadowbrook Theatre. One winter afternoon, while matinees were suspended, a manager and a security guard decided to try a bit of target practice in theatre 1 (or 2 – I can’t remember), shooting at balloons they had hung from the bottom of the screen. After a lot of rounds had been spent, they decided to clean up, only to discover that behind the masking curtain was an old Wurlitzer console, now shot to pieces! It wasn’t clear if the old organ came from the Meadowbrook, or from some other theatre that had been renovated (I should point out that this happened long before I had a chance to run the booth at this theatre, and the console had been removed by the time I was there).
The saddest thing about the Meadowbrook, though, was that the marquee, a rather boxy art-deco piece, had been covered over (and/or painted gray) and then trimmed in poorly fabricated blue neon. A rather dilapidated pylon marquee stood out by the road to list the titles.
Sad that this theatre didn’t get the attention it needed, but that’s the Long Island way of things….
HI there! I was an usher at this theatre back in 1983-84 and can tell you about this little gem. When I worked there, the theatre was run by RKO.
To enter the theatre, you would buy your tickets at the box office on the left side of the main entrance, a curved quarter-round Chrome and glass affair trimmed in art deco style. The front doors were heavy slabs of frameless solid glass, set in one large chrome jamb, their counterweights recessed in the sillplate. On either side, facing the atrium, were two large poster cases- “3 sheet” size, with two narrow cases facing the sidewalk.
All trim in the building was an art deco chrome, like many of the Century Theatres that RKO had taken over.
A short vestibule lead to a second set of glass doors and a small outer lobby where the doorman stood. On your right was a narrow satircase that lead to a small upper lobby where the restrooms, manager’s office and projtion booth were. Behind the doorman was a set of 3 or 4 steps that lead down in to a sunken inner lobby, lowered to accomodate the second floor. A tiny concession stand was located all the way over on the right of this. On the left of the back wall were an equal number of steps leading up into the auditorium itself, open to the inner lobby.
The auditorium was long and narrow, with continental seating- close to 400 perhaps, and – I may be mistaken – a Gold draw style grand curtain. Motorized side masking allowed for three different cinema formats: “Wide” (1:1.35, like TV) “Flat” (1:1.85 Academy Standard) or full ‘Cinema Scope’ (1:2.65 -Anamorphic), all manually controlled from the booth by the projectionist. Frequently, he would “delux” the presentation- showing the coming atractions and house policy snipe in flat format, then closing the curtain and the reopening again in the full wide screen: what an effect that was!
At that time, and up to it’s closing in 1989 (?), the theatre was still running a pair of ‘Simplex’ 35mm projectors on ‘Pearless’ carbon arc lamphouses, with the projectionist performing manual changovers for each 20 minute reel of the films.
The sound system was true ‘Dolby’ stereo, CP50 processors and tube amplifiers, I think. Behind the screen were three ‘Alteck'A1’s AKA “Voice of the Cinema” and 14 surround speakers lined the auditorium walls- 2 in the back and 6 on each wall.
The theatre mostly ran art films, but sometimes picked up the Paramount/Tri-Star first run track.
In 1984, I left the RKO Manhasset Cinema to go to work at the UA Manhasset Tri-plex at the other end of town. I’m sorry to say that I have no pictures of the Cinema, I do have a few from the 17 years I was at the Tri-plex. I hope to add some of these to Cinema Treasures when they get their photo submission back on line.
Ed Solero – thank you for the link in your reply 6 posts up. I was very happe to see that the water fountain is still there, and still has the built in light working (I remember convincing the UA electrician to replace the old ceramic fixtures back in the late 80’s so we could get it lit again).
I also must say that the new paint job is a big improvement over the dreary grays that UA first started back in 1986 and Clearview decided to continue with a fresh coat of the dreary gray when they took over 10 years ago.
It also looks like the lilly popcorn truck has hopped the curb a few more times, too: many a Thursday afternoon I’d arrived to open the Manhasset Theatre and had to hunt up and down the sidewalk for the missing letters that would pop off when ever that truck het the marquee… Once I found one in the tree on the corner…
Now, you did get a good shot of the old ceiling (in the balcony theatre) and did you notice the rectangleular board in the center of the big circle? That’s covering the original winch opening for the chandelier that once was there (and it is also covering a couple of air conditioning vents that were on either side of the winch opening. Last I was up in the attic, the winch pulleys were still in place. I’m not sure if I remember correctly, but I think the winch to lower the chandelier was backstage somewhere, maybe in the blower room (up and behind theatre 1). I can only remember that there were 2 pulleys I’d found: one in the center of the ceiling, and the other one was near one of the edges of the ceiling (the walls and ceiling are- believe it or not -one single piece of iron wire-lath, cement and plaster suspended from the roof trusses. Think giant jello mold). The second pulley was in line with the one in the center, and all I can remember was thinking “what a strange place to run the winching rope”. Part of me wants to remember it near the projection booth, but another part says it was near one of the “dead” drops near the old precemium (the dead space between the curving, inner walls and the cinderblock outside walls: when seen from the attic, you can look all the way down to the ground below- if you’re careful…)
Anyway, that’s this year’s post :D
(For anyone looking for the links in my post on Feb 14, 2007, they are now defunct- and there’s no edit function available – but the images are still obtainable:
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link )
I have heard of the Playhouse Ghost, believed to be the ghost of someone who hanged himself in the rigging backstage. He supposedly haunts the appartments that are there now. True or not I don’t know.
I’m more skeptical of these “woo woo” type things myself (hence trying to find out what might be causing the shadow) and is why I say that there is more in this universe than we could ever know. Whatever it is, it was noticable to just about anyone who had it pointed out to. Eerie, definately… but since it is so subtle, I doubt it will be freightening anyone away. Maybe it will steal your popcorn, though… ;)
Norelcos? I thought it had Cinemacanica… Anyway, I wonder if the fitness club patched up the crack in the right hand wall (rumored to have been caused by the sensaround system). Used to be able to pull the fabric away and look outside…
Good tip on the photobucket. Usually an image tag can contain the term “width=xxx” (where xxx equals the value you want in pixel size) 512 width should be fine here and many other forums. I’m not 100% sure if it works with this site, though (and there is no option to edit a post, so experiments are out of the question lest we have a ton of usless posts).
I actually recommend that you resize your images before even uploading to an image host – make them 512 wide to start with. Then the actual file will be much smaller and load nice and fast.
I appologize to the fine folks here are Cinema Treasures if I have upset the apple cart with this info (but having images of these great old theatres available for view is a major benefit, and with external image hosts, it should save your server space and bandwidth). Everyone should read the TOS (http://cinematreasures.org/legal/) and understand that materials (e.g. images) you post, either as links or otherwise, automatically include your release of any copyright, granted to Cinema Treasures. On that note, you should not post images or other material (links or otherwise) to material that does not belong to you.
Back to Manhasset and relevant information.
Something comes back to me about the old chandelier that was in the stairwell- it should still exist in the old safe room /manager’s office in the back theatre 3 (the old balcony). I remember when UA renovated that we had it moved and installed in that little room (last door just after the door to the projection booth) because it was going to be thrown out. Last I knew, that room was used for paperwork storage.
On a ghostly note- I and several others who have worked there have experienced first hand, an eerie apparition: a disembodied shadow cast on the wall of the back of that old balcony theatre. We’ve even spotted it drifting along the back wall downstairs (when walking to the theatres, the wall on the right). How and when- Well, I first spotted it while standing outside under tha marquee, having a smoke while waiting for the last shows to let out. I thought someone was behind the candy stand, keeping an eye on it using the mirrors in the outter lobby to see all the way up and around the corner. Several nights went by and it happened again, this time to other employees.
It seems to show up more often during the summer, mostly between 11:30 pm and 1 am. As you walk down the hall downstairs past theatre 1 and 2 or if you stare at the back wall of theatre 3, you’ll notice “arches” of light from the high hat lighting in the ceiling. The shadow can be seen only in the “half light” between the bright area and the dark area, a five or five and a half foot humanoid silhouette moving with “purpose”.
It took us over two months to trace out “her” route, and follows this path: It starts on the wall behind the candy stand, about where the right soda machine is and moves toward theatre 1 where it waits for a little bit. It then moves down the hall and up the stairs to the old balcony. It cannot be seen again until it is in the balcony where it slowly drifts to the door to the projection booth (to the hall to the booth- I think it might go into the old generator room below the booth for a moment). After about a minute or so, the shadow moves to the old safe room/ manager’s office and then very quickly darts back toward the entrance of the balcony (but I think it’s heading toward the fire exit on that side).
Not a truely spectacular event other than it was a regular occurance every night all the time since it was first noticed, and it seems that everyone can see it if you point it out. To see it, don’t look directly at it, but look a few feet away from where it should be (focus on the dark area between the arches of light). The shadow moves as a slow walk (downstairs) and then at a hurried walk (upstairs). What you see is a shadow on the wall shaped like a person about five to five and a half feet tall, darker than what should be there and moving but only in that transition from light to dark- you cannot see it in the bright area of the light or the darker section between the lights – and come to think of it, when Clearview took over, they replaced the incandescant lights in the fixtures downstairs with flourescent retrofits that do not create the needed arches of light. The light in that ahlls is probably too flast to notice it. The Balcony should still be a good spot to see the “ghost”, though.
Now, please understand that I don’t think that it’s an actual ghost- not the sort that you see on TV or one that jumps out at you and goes ‘boo’ (though some folks have left the balcony before the show was over citing a creepy feeling up there). Personally, I believe that there is a whole lot more in this universe than we could ever understand, but a ghost this is not. I and other’s have seen it, and have gone to lengths to try to rule out possibilities: passing car or aircraft light, moonlight, anything. We’ve stood right next to the wall when it passed. We’ve even done research to see if there was ever any kind of incident at the Manhasset that might make a “ghost” – a robbery or other foul deed. Nothing turned up. If I was to venture an opinion as to what it is: perhaps some kind of memory that’s retained in the walls of the building (it is a huge iron wirelath structure and might be able to ‘record’ someone’s strong emotional state (scorned lover?) as they moved by it. Then again, maybe not.
And that’s the only “ghost” I know that’s ever been in the Manhasset (other than the one with Demi Moore).
If you can make the link you can make the pics appear too. Just put [ img ]photo'sURL[ /img] (but without the spaces- I can’t show you exactly because it will think I’m putting in a pic…)
With sites like photo bucket and image shack, the images will get deleted if it is not active- a link here does nothing to keep the image unless someone clicks it, but the image tag will call the image, registering on the image server as active.
Well, it’s been a while since I visited here and I have to thank EdSolero for the new photos- I’m happy to see that the gray paint is gone! UA had done everything (And I mean everything) in a deathly shade of gray about 1897, and when Clearview took over in 1998 they kept the gray tones but decided to at least use several shades and accesnt the jabot/cascade trim in gold. The new paint looks great, a huge improvement all around.
Here’s some pictures of the marquee and lobby about 1998, right after Clearview took over and renovated.
View link
View link
View link
EdSolero: indeed, that section of tile marks where the old box office stood- it was a very tiny affair. I have no idea about what it looked like or how tall it was, but I do know that it didn’t connect with the ceiling. My guess would be that it was a half round if not square, and I remember Karl telling me that the cashier sat on a seat attached to the door in the rear: a perfect set-up for a pratfall gag.
The steam pipe in question ran under the center of the inner lobby floor (about where the right hand soda machine is) and was buried directly in the earth. It fed the radiators in the bathrooms, the two stores next door, and then branched off down to the box office and sidewalk.
I remember UA had required the threatre to be open as a shelter during Hurricane Gloria (no one showed up) and I was busy on the roof cleaning out the drains (I hated that tree in the front and it’s drain clogging burs). I came in and was walking around barefoot while my shoes and socks dried. That’s how I found the steam pipe- it burned my feet. My further barefoot wonderings found hot spots undea all bathroom floors and under the marquee- all the way out to the curb (but only on the south side of where the box office stood). It might be that the heated sidewalk was just a effect from the radiator in the old box office, a byproduct of the need for heat.
In the late 80’s or early 90’s, there were two mishaps related to that pipe: first, there was a payphone on the wall between the bathrooms, but it had fallen off- the pipe had rotted away completely and the steam was just going where ever it could, including up the walls. The lobby was dug up and the pipe replaced, which increased the steam reaching the old box office location. I suspect that the pipe there was also rotted out, and eventually the steam caused a major flood in the store next door. That flood resulted in the old box office pipe’s perminent disconnection.
Hey Warren- The main house fan located backstage had a manufacture date of 1927 on the fan housing, and I’ve seen something else with that date on it- a service record- yes, now I remember: the old boiler in the pit backstage (long ago replaced) had a service chart dating that far back. You seem to know a lot about the old local theatres on LI, so I was wondering if you knew how to thread one of these:
View link
Above is a Bauer U4 at the Manhasset, a work horse of a projector. Below is a shot of the projection equipment for screen 1, taken about 1998:
View link
For those who don’t know, most theatres use a system similar to this, where the entire film is spliced together by the projectionist and fed to the projector in one go. Some theatres (a very few) still use the old reels which require a projectionist to switch reels during the show either every 18 to 20 minutes or so (some use 60 minute reels, still requiring a ‘changeover’). With today’s multi-screen complexes, a projectionist would be run ragged.
Film is still delivered (to my knowledge) on those old twenty minute reels, and Thursday nights can be grueling for a projectionist, who must make up new shows and load it onto this type of film transport while breaking down exiting shows to be shipped to other theatres. As a matter of fact, you can see a new show loaded on the bottom plater, made up and ready for the next feature (or it might be a matinee movie, too).
This is an interesting system, with many intircate parts to keep the show on the screen. The platters (the disks) turn as the film is fed out to the projector, with a governing control to keep everything at a steady speed. As the film feeds out on one platter, it is taken up on another, almost an endless loop. When the show is over, the projectionist removed a ring in the center and feeds the film out and back to the now empty platter. No need (or ability for that matter) to rewind. When something goes wrong and part of the show is missed, you can see that it is nearly impossible to rewind the film in this type system. It brings a whole new meaning to “The Show Must Go On.”
With Digital Projection looming on the horrizon, this type of system will be dissappearing from theatres, potentially along with projection booths and projectionists, too. Next time you visit a theatre, bring him a cup of coffee wink
I should point out that the names of the employees that worked this theatre for ET, are on a wall that is now inside the newly added handicap restroom. When Clearview added the restroom, a false wall was erected over this area to accomodate the new plumbing. I think only a small portion of the names remain, as the plaster wall was cut up pretty badly.
I remember that when Clearview’s construction workers replaced the commodes in the mens room, the wall between the mens and ladies room collapsed, and forced a complete renovation to both bathrooms.
Ah, Manhasset â€" I worked that theatre from 1984 to 1994. In that time, I have unearthed many details about this 1927 masterpiece. This was a theme theatre- African Safari, if I’m right.
This was one of the Skorus Theatres that Mr. Skorus built for his sons. I don’t know the son’s name, but the top-dead-center of the marquee had his son’s initials on it â€" in Greek lettering: M S. The rest of the marquee is still pretty much original, save for the actual title boards.
The original titles were created by embossed ceramic letters framed in black metal, so only each letter was illuminated. The framing of the letters had tracks to hold colored gels for a Technicolor display. I have one of these letters, a ‘Z’ that had been used as a pane of glass in a boarded up window (in the staircase leading to the balcony). Unfortunately, when we opened up the window, the letter fell and broke- but I still have the pieces somewhere.
The interior of the building is a “single piece†shell- the walls and ceiling are made of cement and plaster pressed into a sculpted wire lath suspended from the roof trusses. A visit to the attic shows a reverse impression of all the ceiling’s original art-deco detail.
The entire theatre is actually three separate buildings, the auditorium in the back, butting up against a ‘dog leg’ shaped lobby, and two retail stores in the front corner.
The building also had heated sidewalks under the marquee, apparently provided by the steam pipe that heated the original box office. You can see where the box office was by looking at the mosaic tile under the marquee- there’s a tiny rectangle of mismatched tile where it once stood. The steam pipe was left in place when the box office was replaced, and eventually rotted away, flooding the store next door in the early 90’s. No more warm tootsies in the winter, folks. Sorry.
Inside the outer lobby are still (hopefully) the large mirrors set in a Victorian (?) style trim. The floor had nine rubber mats inlaid into a mosaic tile ‘framing’ that lined up with the tile borders under the marquee. A second set of doors were located halfway up the outer lobby, the old header and trim still in place.
Entering the inner lobby you were greeted to the swooping curves of the art-deco design, turning right and passing under a long oval recess for the chandelier. I have little knowledge about what that chandelier looked like- but if it was like the one for the auditorium, it would’ve been stained glass set in a white-copper art-deco frame.
That chandelier sat under the screen of theatre 1 for the longest time, but was hauled out for trash when UA put in the horrible mustard seating, making way for extra seat parts. Another chandelier that was in the staircase gives another clue as to what might have been there: That one had diagonally arranged glass (crystal?) dowels set in a white-copper frame. I believe that the auditorium chandelier was stained glass, as you can still(?) see in the Manhasset High School auditorium- a building put up about the same time.
In the wall of the far end of the inner lobby is a recessed water fountain, in black tile with a yellow fish and seaweed design, and illuminated by a recessed light above. This odd design finally explained itself when I and a few other employees stripped the wallpaper off the walls in the restrooms (UA renovated the lobby, but not the restrooms or auditorium, sometime around ‘87).
The original wallpaper in the ladies’ room, next to the fountain, was an undersea mermaid scene, in deep aqua tones and colorful tropical fish. The men’s room was a similar scene with swordfish and other game fish on a turquoise background.
â€" A quick sidebar- one wall in the men’s sitting room had been stripped already, and the entire staff of the Manhasset Theatre had signed their names- commemorating the final showing of ‘E.T. â€"The Extraterrestrial’. If anyone out there reads this, rest assured: we kept your memorial for future explorers!
The original woodwork was in mahogany and white pine, with faux wood finishes on the plaster columns and paneling. This special treatment is still visible on one door in the building. There is a storage room in the back of the balcony theatre, on your right when you enter the auditorium, with this fine craftsmanship clearly visible, but on the inside, out of public view.
Manhasset’s Safari theme was exemplified in the tapestry and wall paper I’d found during my exploration of the hidden sections of the building. Now discolored with age, I think it was red with a gold inlay leaf pattern.
One section of this tapestry (a huge section at that) might still be found by getting back stage (I use that term loosely, as the stage area is only about 6 feet deep) and climbing a ladder to the blower room. From there- with a very bright light- you can look over the ceiling of theatres 1 and 2, into the empty space behind the walled-in balcony theatre.
From there you can see the newer green/blue/gold fleur-de-lis tapestry that had been put up over the old red safari, which is also visible where the newer tapestry has come down. If you get the chance, look for the tigers and elephants- and who knows what else.
A visit to the balcony theatre and the original ceiling can be seen, it’s art-deco concentric circles now painted flat black to reduce light reflection from the screen.
A regular visitor to the Manhasset was “Old Man Karlâ€, who was one of the original ushers when the theatre first opened. Karl spoke of many stories of the Manhasset Theatre, too numerous to put in one post.
One thing he did mention was that the theatre was one of the first motion-picture-only theatres on the east coast, and was built especially for ‘talkies’. The curved walls were intended to help project the sound out into the street and pique public curiosity. It did work- only in reverse as well. A whisper in the lobby could carry all the way to the front row of theatre 2.
Now, about the smell- If they ever get rid of the well-water air-conditioning…
Anyone remember Hope Moseitis? (Sorry if I misspelled [??] the name). She had started out at the playhouse as a cashier and eventually became the manager at the Port Washington Beacon (now a 7 plex) when Exodus opened and the powers that be fired the whole staff there (ironic, huh…).
I remember Hope as a relief manager who bounced between the Squire and the Manhasset theatres in the mid to late 80’s. She was very strict in her own manner, but had some great stories about the local theatres.
I remember that her mother used to collect tickets at the Squire on the nights she worked, a sweet old lady who had a very think Greek accent, or barely spoke English. I never found out since she didn’t say very much.
The Squire theatre, as I remember Hope telling me, was originally a Cadillac showroom, back in the 30’s and 40’s [?]. If you look at the brickwork on the outside wall, from the rear parking lot, you can still see where the bay doors were. The service garage was turned into the main auditorium with a stadium balcony that was bifurcated by the auditorium’s entrance. The orchestra had continental seating and was on nearly level ground.
Of interesting note, the original projection booth- still in use today for screens 5&6- was not included in the theatre’s plans. The Squire’s owners had to buy an abutting building (over the lobby, no less) and chop through. The door to the booth still opens to a floor that is three feet higher, like a stuck elevator.
When UA triplexed the Squire, they did their standard ground floor projection booth for the downstairs theatres. The balcony theatre was made by covering over the stadium entrance and placing a screen against a wall over the downstairs booth. Oddly enough, there 6 seats located in the front row -3 on either side of the covered entrance- that had absolutely no view of the screen.
UA dumped the Squire in the mid 90’s and a private company bought it up, performing a minor miracle in inserting two backwards-facing theatres in what were once, respectively, a storage room and the manager’s office- both located under the balcony. This was done by removing the downstairs booth and suspending a new booth from the ceiling a bit further down the two main theatres. The new booth services the four ground level theatres, and new entrances were added for the balcony theatre, now split in two. A seventh screen was added by buying out a store next door and making a long, narrow auditorium behind the concessions stand.
Of the many things I remember about the Squire, the worst would be the awful “Lava lamp†amoebas projected in the screen between shows during the 80’s, typical of UA in that era. Makes me feel glad for the slide show advertising they have now.
Clearview bought the Squire around 98-99 and made little change to the building, other than painting it the “Clearview Colors†and adding their signature fireplace and furnishings. DTS EX was added to the 2 front theatres when ‘Star Wars Episode 1’ opened.
Last time I was there was a few years ago, so there may be some changes since.
Argo? Argo **** yourself ;)
Posted in memory of Joseph A Martinez, one of the Argo’s managers from years ago. A true showman from the old school, always with a smile and quick retort.
We miss you, Joe!
The Meadowbrook’s balcony wasn’t turned into office space, but rather sat as a never opened auditorium. The UA East Coast office was located in a brand new office building behind the theatre.
The ADA prevented the opening of the balcony theatre because no provision was made for handicap accessibility. When I was a projectionist I had the chance to run this theatre in the late 90’s. The balcony theatre was basically ready to go except for a screen, but instead of patrons, it was occupied by cases of straws and napkins, various discarded lobby adornments, and a chandelier (not from the Meadowbrook, as I understand).
An interesting – and sad- story comes to mind about the Meadowbrook Theatre. One winter afternoon, while matinees were suspended, a manager and a security guard decided to try a bit of target practice in theatre 1 (or 2 – I can’t remember), shooting at balloons they had hung from the bottom of the screen. After a lot of rounds had been spent, they decided to clean up, only to discover that behind the masking curtain was an old Wurlitzer console, now shot to pieces! It wasn’t clear if the old organ came from the Meadowbrook, or from some other theatre that had been renovated (I should point out that this happened long before I had a chance to run the booth at this theatre, and the console had been removed by the time I was there).
The saddest thing about the Meadowbrook, though, was that the marquee, a rather boxy art-deco piece, had been covered over (and/or painted gray) and then trimmed in poorly fabricated blue neon. A rather dilapidated pylon marquee stood out by the road to list the titles.
Sad that this theatre didn’t get the attention it needed, but that’s the Long Island way of things….
HI there! I was an usher at this theatre back in 1983-84 and can tell you about this little gem. When I worked there, the theatre was run by RKO.
To enter the theatre, you would buy your tickets at the box office on the left side of the main entrance, a curved quarter-round Chrome and glass affair trimmed in art deco style. The front doors were heavy slabs of frameless solid glass, set in one large chrome jamb, their counterweights recessed in the sillplate. On either side, facing the atrium, were two large poster cases- “3 sheet” size, with two narrow cases facing the sidewalk.
All trim in the building was an art deco chrome, like many of the Century Theatres that RKO had taken over.
A short vestibule lead to a second set of glass doors and a small outer lobby where the doorman stood. On your right was a narrow satircase that lead to a small upper lobby where the restrooms, manager’s office and projtion booth were. Behind the doorman was a set of 3 or 4 steps that lead down in to a sunken inner lobby, lowered to accomodate the second floor. A tiny concession stand was located all the way over on the right of this. On the left of the back wall were an equal number of steps leading up into the auditorium itself, open to the inner lobby.
The auditorium was long and narrow, with continental seating- close to 400 perhaps, and – I may be mistaken – a Gold draw style grand curtain. Motorized side masking allowed for three different cinema formats: “Wide” (1:1.35, like TV) “Flat” (1:1.85 Academy Standard) or full ‘Cinema Scope’ (1:2.65 -Anamorphic), all manually controlled from the booth by the projectionist. Frequently, he would “delux” the presentation- showing the coming atractions and house policy snipe in flat format, then closing the curtain and the reopening again in the full wide screen: what an effect that was!
At that time, and up to it’s closing in 1989 (?), the theatre was still running a pair of ‘Simplex’ 35mm projectors on ‘Pearless’ carbon arc lamphouses, with the projectionist performing manual changovers for each 20 minute reel of the films.
The sound system was true ‘Dolby’ stereo, CP50 processors and tube amplifiers, I think. Behind the screen were three ‘Alteck'A1’s AKA “Voice of the Cinema” and 14 surround speakers lined the auditorium walls- 2 in the back and 6 on each wall.
The theatre mostly ran art films, but sometimes picked up the Paramount/Tri-Star first run track.
In 1984, I left the RKO Manhasset Cinema to go to work at the UA Manhasset Tri-plex at the other end of town. I’m sorry to say that I have no pictures of the Cinema, I do have a few from the 17 years I was at the Tri-plex. I hope to add some of these to Cinema Treasures when they get their photo submission back on line.
Mike Anderson