Park Theatre
813 Jericho Turnpike,
New Hyde Park,
NY
11040
813 Jericho Turnpike,
New Hyde Park,
NY
11040
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Showing 1 - 25 of 30 comments
This was an old silent picture house. I’ve found newspaper listings dating back to 1928 (so far).
Photo uploaded with Eldee as the first retail tenant. The basic form of the marquee was retained in the signage. The Park, however, never had a vertical, to my knowledge.
Article didn’t do more than state the fact. No followup that I found.
Sounds like union trouble to me.
The Brooklyn Eagle of May 17 1938 mentioned that someone had placed two timed tear gas bombs in the theater.
The Park Theatre closed within a week or two of the Park East’s opening. The projectionist that worked at the Park Theatre worked there for over 45 years, but passed away a few years ago in his 90’s. At the time, he complained that he wasn’t moved over to work at the Park East. However, because I’m becoming a little senile myself, I can’t remember the exact month and year the Park closed. I know that I bought a refrigerator from Eldee, the company that originally took over after the Park closed.
I spoke to the New Hyde Park village historian and she didn’t know when precisely the Park went dark, much less what was the last picture run. I do know that Garden of Evil with Gary Cooper was the first movie presented after the new screen sheet was installed in 1954.
Of all movie theatres I’ve visited,I cannot remember any of them was substandard. I saw in Washington DC “Apocalypse Now” in 1979 in the appropriate 70mm format. I made a point of seeing it that way because I suspected that 70mm presentations were on the way out, and I saw “The Andromeda Strain” in 1971 at the RKO Golden Gate in San Francisco which was a live venue theatre in 1980 when I saw Richard Burton perform in “Camelot” and in theatres in between nothing was amiss. Now I visit the Siskel film center in the Chicago Loop and the Fleur Cinema and Cafe in Des Moines. However the Music Box in Chicago looks decrepit.
The Meadows wasn’t “traditional”. As you were heading west there was a narrow strip that just said “Century’s Meadows”. Then you got to the massive part which had the signboard and the MEADOWS. I don’t recall what the portion was that faced the actualy Fresh Meadows complex.
robboehm – The original Meadows marquee wasn’t irregular. It became the way it is today when Cineplex Odeon took over and “renovated” it. Before that there was a side that you could read the name of the picture when going west on the L.I.E.
btw- The Glen Oaks had more seats than the Park (which I guess you know really wasn’t 800 as posted here).
Regarding the projection equipment, in 1949, I saw “a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” at the Park when one projector broke down and the operator had to stop and re-load the sole projector.
I am not familiar with the Park East, so I cannot compare the two.
The Park stage must have been narrow because when it ran scope features, the screen was not wide as it was oblong. The top masking descended to change from flat to scope.
The theater was the last chance to see current double features after which the movies would then disappear. Occasionally they ran revivals.
Park never showed 3-D, but they had scheduled “The House of Wax” only to cancel it abruptly. At least I saw it at the Floral. I would see 3D at the Floral and the Alan.
The old Park marquee was probably too ugly for even the standards of 1927.
Don’t even remember what the marquee on the Park East looked like. The Queens, Floral and Community were boxes. The Meadows was an irregular shape. Only the Bellerose had a wedge like the latter Park. Park, if we had true seating capacity and not the 800 above, was probably the smallest older Century. The Glen Oaks was probably the smallest, period.
don’t recall it being “SO LARGE”. We are talking about the Park and NOT the newer Park East right? In fact, the Park being one of Century’s smallest theatres in the area, if not THE smallest, most of the other theatres had larger Marquees. The theatres that come to mind were the Floral (on the side of the building), Bellrose, Queens, Community and Meadows.
The oversized marquee was bigger than those on more impressive Century properties. It was really too big for the building. Remember the pathetic one it replaced?
While the projection equipment in all Century Theatres was always in good condition, the Park Theatre was never anything to write home about. It was just a “run of the mill” neighborhood theatre.
The 1948 renovation of the Park theatre included the installation of a/c, the enlargement of the refreshment concession and the oversized marquee, which I thought was impressive. At the grand re-opening, Richard Widmark appeared on stage. On the second floor along with the projection booth was a dental clinic, possibly another firm located there. I was not impressed with the sound. I seemed there was slight distortion.
I think it was more like 600 seats. I know its replacement, The Park East, was larger. Maybe it’s that one that has 800 seats.
From all of the above it is apparent that the Park theatre at Jericho and Lakeville was around for a long time. It was so tiny I can’t believe the seating capacity shown. When Century modernized it, minimally, they also replaced the tiny marguee with shuch a huge one considering the size of the building. When Century opened the Park East further East in what I would consider Garden City Park they simultaneous closed the Park.
I posted a pair of current exterior photos back in December but those links no longer work. Those pics may now be found here.
yes, I finally figure it out that I had the wrong name after searching some more, I’ve lived in NHP since 1978 and still don’t remember the Park theatre did it close before I moved here? I actually worked in the building that used to be the park theatre when I was 16, it used to be telemarketing for newsday.
You might be thinking of the old Park East further down Jericho which is now a Charlie Brown’s restaurant. I posted a recent photo on the Park East’s page here. I’d include a link to the Park East in this comment, but I’m having a problem opening another window on the site right now. You can search for the theater if you wish to visit the page, mns2lv4ever.
I thought the theater in Garden city Park was the Park Theatre? thats what the name of it was in 1978, it was next to the burger king on Jericho Tpke. The Eldees is now a bank
Thanks for the info. I will check it out and report any news.
That sounds about right. I was 10 in 1980 and I don’t remember the theater there. I do remember the Eldee store about then. I don’t know when the theater closed though. It may have been vacant for a while before the Eldee opened. It has been very hard finding anyone with any info on this theater.
Thanks, Lost Memory. And it was closed and occupied by the Eldee appliance store sometime in the early 80’s?
RCDTJ… I’m sure you’re correct, since this was your neighborhood growing up. I’ve worked in this area (Marcus Ave in Lake Success) for a number of years and I know I’ve seen an Eldee sign somewhere. Electronics makes sense, but I’m wondering if I’ve got it confused with an old fashioned Mom & Pop Drug Store sign. Was the “Eldee” in block letters or in script neon? In my mind I see it as neon script lettering on a dark red brick facade. But the mind does play tricks.
Anyway… Can someone provide dates for this theater’s operation?