Community Twin Theatre

Interestingly the Century Management Corporation was housed in the building; presumably the same Century as the circuit. This was leased property because any theater that Century had built could not be used to show movies by a subsequent owner according the the closing agreement.

R. Thomas Short was sort of “house” architect for the circuit eventually known as Century, which turned the meeting hall into a cinema and was the first to run it. I suspect that Short was responsible for the renovations, and not “architect” from the ground up.

Historical report in Queens news weekly can be viewed here

This theatre is falling apart and the Queens Theatre down the street had its outside renovated. I guess you need to run a church to save a theatre today.

I worked as a relief projectionist at the Community, Queens and Glen Oaks Theatre in the 60’s and 70’s and when my regular job at the DeMille Theatre in Manhattan burned down in 1973, I went to work full time at Century’s Prospect in Flushing.

Living near the Queens and Community, until today, I also went to the Community, Queens and Belair Theatres on Jamaica Avenue as a child. What I remember MOST about the Community Theatre was the Chase Manhattan Bank next to the theatre. They had a clock outside and when you had to wait outside in the rain, the clock dripped down on whoever was unlucky enough to be standing there on the line.

It’s very sad to see ALL the theatres gone now.

And if you will compare the 1987 photo with one from the early days of the theatre the marquee size double even though the style remained the same. This shot shows individual bulbs around the exterior. I seem to recall neon.

At one point in time the corporate offices of Century Theatres was also housed in the Community Theatre building. This having been moved from the Farragut Theatre building in Brooklyn. Subsequently, Century moved its operations to its own building on Verbena Av, just off Tulip, near the Floral Park Long Island Rail Road station.

I worked as a candy attendant in the Community Theater in ‘71-'72, and I have many fun memories of both this and the Queens Theater. I had friends who worked at both theaters, including Dorothy, Lynn Gallaudet, Jan, Judy, Lindi, Larry O'Gara, Eleanor Schwarz, Bob Crowe (anyone know where Bob is these days?), Jay Rosen. And I remember the matrons like Mrs. Bosset (little old woman with a hearing problem who used to yell at all the kids)and Jen the other matron. Wow! We used to get free passes to all the Century Theaters back then, so I often went to the Queens, Bellerose, Floral, and Park theaters. The managers used to go from theater to theater, so they would often make calls to the box offices of other theaters to leave passes for us. Nice perks back then! The Queens Theater was a great one to hang around in after closing, since it had been a live-entertainment theater when it first opened. There were dressing rooms on the second or third floor and we used to find old theater signs and other relics from bygone days. What a great experience! Do you remember that, Dorothy?

Below is a photo I took of the Community back in the fall of 1993 sometime after it had closed down. Some of the lettering from the last attractions were still lingering on the side panel of the time worn marquee… looks like the English-language feature was “White Man Can’t Jump” from 1992:

White Men Jump

Here’s a vintage shot from almost the very same angle taken in 1924 (and previously posted here by Warren) as well as a more recent shot I took from a similar vantage point from December of 2005 for comparison:

1924 spiffy and new
2005 at dusk

On first blush it appears that the latter day marquee might be original, but it doesn’t take too much time to figure out that at some point the height of the marquee’s advertising space was increased and the fins atop the side boards were replaced with near identical units spelling out the theater’s name. And of course the big name fin out front was later added (I assume to clear up the street facing side of the marquee for advertising).

yup..knew Dorothy Fleck.. as for me -grew up 221st and 97th..Annies
block.. all the trees are gone on that block last time I went through!
HS=Andrew Jackson (during busing time and black/white ratios).. are you referring to Hempstead Ave? Jans-step mom is still there house on 220th and 107th but having serious health issues. The store I knew was Bohack LOL! We should probably take this personal convo off-line. I doubt all this is of interest to the rest of the cinema geeks anyway;) email me dc at mfnos.net
Dorothy

Dear Dot:
Sorry to hear about Jan, he was a nice guy. Small world. But it’s kind of hard to tell from your pic if I know you. Did you go to SSJA? The only Dorothy I remember is Dorothy Fleck. I still live in QV on 220th and 100th Ave. There was a girl who lived on the corner of 100th Ave and 222nd street back in the days. Well not exactly on the corner but in the house next to the corner house on 222nd and 100thAve. That wasn’t you was it? Maybe not. But I wouldn’t doubt that our paths crossed. Do you remember Mr. Schumachers pet shop on the avenue across from the A&P I used to work there as a kid helping him out with the store, I was about 12 or 13 years old. Toss some names at me maybe we did cross paths.
Be safe.

Hello Mike.. I wonder if our paths have crossed as we seem to know the same people ;) I was married to Jan for ten years (he passed away in 1998) and lived in QV two doors down from Annie.
Dorothy