Central Triplex
449 Central Avenue,
Cedarhurst,
NY
11516
449 Central Avenue,
Cedarhurst,
NY
11516
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My experiences at the Central were limited. To the best of my really good memory, I was there twice: “Far from the Madding Crowd” in 1967 and “Mommie Dearest” in 1981.
Please update, theatre was renovated and open September 29, 1978 after a fire. Boxoffice story in photos, it became a triplex on June 27, 1980. (No grand opening ad as a Triplex) @rivest266 they open on June 13, 1980 2 of the 3 screens, work was done during the week. Downstairs was twin and the balcony had it’s own screen upstairs. Between 1980 and 1982 until it closed I saw a dozen movies their when I was growing up.
2 screens on June 20th, 1980, and 3 a week later.
Please update, it became a triplex in late June 1980, opening features was Wholly Moses, The island and Superman.
Two make it a triplex, downstairs split in half and theatre 3 was the balcony. I went there a lot from 1980 until it closed. The main reason it closed was the competition from the Sunrise Cinemas in Valley Stream.
Theatre closed September 9, 1982. Theatre operated as a triplex for only 2 years. Final weekend ad in photos.
Newsday issued a classics edition from June 4, 1979. In the BS Moss ad the Central was described as “new” and there was only one screen. Was this when it was triplexed? This was a time when all the other single screens were splitting up so it wouldn’t seem likely they would redo the Central as only one.
Also the Central was a “theatre” as you can see from the marquee photo. The heading should be corrected.
The space is now called the Cedarhurst Center and it is used for retail stores. It was very nice when it first opened in the late 1980s but it is a little run down now.
Lost Memory has a reference to the Central in 1923. The text accompanying the sketch referred to by Tinseltoes makes the 1962 theatre as new. For a half million it should have been.
The Central Theater was the most beautiful Theater I had ever seen in my 35 years of working in the movie business,I had the pleasure of working there first as an usher in 1970 and then as a projectionist in 1973, I was so sad to see they closed such a beautiful theater and how the historical society could ever let them ruin it and turn it into a mall is beyond me,if I were rich I would put it back to the way it was as a theater or a playhouse again.If anyone wants to invest and do that I would be willing to supply the equipment and invest in such a project,with all the multiplex Theaters around there should be one big theater left. towns area
Ed:
Let’s connect at some point, since I live over in Woodmere. White Castle is a guilty pleasure of mine.
Just came from Moving Image in Astoria, a place I love and support. There was a preview of the new “3:10 to Yuma”-FABULOUS.
Go see it tomorrow!!!
The Malverne gives new meaning to “glued to your seats.”
Best,
Gary
Hi Gary. Yup, I recognize your comments from the Ziegfeld page as well. I’ve bemoaned the present condition of the Lynbrook over on its CT page, particularly after having recently given it another couple of visits in the last month or so. Never been to the Malverne.
Hi Ed:
I think we are both fans of the Ziegfeld Classics as I believe I see your name on the Ziegfeld page many times. I work in Cedarhurst (we could have had lunch together yesterday!) I sorely miss the Central, that’s where I saw Close Encounters in its original run. Incredible evening almost thirty years ago. These days I go over to Green Acres (not the Sunrise) or The Fantasy in RVC. I have issues with the Lynbrook at the five corners, and don’t get me started on the Malverne!! Best of all is the Ziegfeld. I saw Porgy and Bess not too long ago at Moving Image in Astoria. Reviving it at the Ziegfeld is a very creative move on Craig’s part. It’s not a well known film-but beautiful-I just hope people show up to see it!!
Best,
Gary
Here’s a 12/9/1980 ad from Newsday, by which time the Central had been triplexed and under the stewardship of B.S. Moss along with the Belair Twin in not too distant Valley Stream.
This Daily News ad for “Flash Gordon” comes just a few days later and identifies the theater as a B.S. Moss house.
So, we need an AKA above for “Central Triplex.” I’d also enter the address as 445 Central Ave (until other evidence to the contrary comes to light) and update the zip.
I made a visit to the former Central today with my camera in hand. There are some stores at street level, but the main purpose of the building itself seems to be office space. A sign in the front entryway indicates that plenty of space is available within. I was very surprised to see how large the theater structure is – this must have been around a 1500-seater and probably the largest theater built in the Five Towns area. Folks probably had to travel to Rockville Centre or Lynbrook to find a larger house.
Facade
Rear view
New rooftop glass atrium
View from down Central Ave
Building profile
It doesn’t appear that there was ever any stage-loft space, so I doubt this was ever anything other than a cinema. You can glimpse what appears to be a curved glass rooftop structure in the third photo that was presumably installed when the building was gutted for conversion to office/retail space. The pink facade is a pretty lightweight material that has a stucco-like surface and feels hollow to the touch. I imagine the original facade was stripped down to bare brick.
The address of the building is now 445 Central Avenue (can’t say for sure that the theater used the same #) and the zip would be 11516.
I’d never been to Cedarhurst before and was delighted to find such a vibrant and hopping commercial strip here in what seems to be a thriving and largely Orthodox Jewish community.
The Central was doing very nicely until 1979 ( I saw Close Encounters there in 1977, which I think about often ) The opening of the Sunrise Multiplex in 1979 basically killed this theater, which is sorely missed, as there are no theatres left in the Five Towns. The theatre briefly triplexed and then died, being replaced by the abomination known as the “Cedarhurst Center,” which opened with the best of intentions as a really beautiful building with commercial space. Nice boutiques, little restaurants, and a health club. Within a few years, the place became a “white elephant”; some stores remain, the health club has changed hands a few times, but it never lived up to its expectations. A few years ago there was interest in turning it back into a movie theatre, but it never happened. Cedarhurst is a splendid little village with nice people and nice stores. I work there. Boy, do I wish the Central was still there.