Johnny All-Weather Drive-In
1001 Sunrise Highway,
Copiague,
NY
11726
1001 Sunrise Highway,
Copiague,
NY
11726
6 people
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World’s only All-Weather Drive-In theatre per:
World’s first all-weather drive-in, the Johnny All-Weather Drive-In 19 Apr 1957, Fri Newsday (Suffolk Edition) (Melville, New York) Newspapers.com
One of the ads in the photo section, “RETURN OF THE DRAGON”, shows the indoor theatre listed as the “Copiague Indoor”.
All the Prudential “All Weather” Drive-Ins (Smithtown, Johnny, Patchogue) started out with one screen inside and one outside, both playing the same features and not differentiating the name. As time went on and business slowed the indoor and outdoor theaters showed different films. The Patchogue one shut down the drive in, added additional screens, and was rebranded as the Patchogue-Sunrise.
Except for the 100 in Melville which was operated by Century, the Sunrise in Valley Stream which was operated by Redstone and the Westbury which was operated by Skouras, the balance of the Long Island Drive-Ins were operated by Prudential: 5th Avenue (Bay Shore); Bay Shore – Sunrise; Rocky Point; Coram; Skyway (Greenport); Massapequa; Hempstead Turnpike (Bethpage); Flanders (Riverhead); Shirley; Hamptons (Bridgehampton); Commack.
Prudential built a hardtop theater, the Cinema, next to the Bay Shore – Sunrise but always showed separate films at the two venues. The Bay Shore – Sunrise was later twinned. The Westbury triplexed.
All are now history.
The site is now a shopping plaza anchored by Home Depot and Target. There is a Red Lobster on the site where the screen used to be. Why the name Johnny?
Home Depot now there.
last listing from the new York magazine sep. 3 1984 bolero & tightrope
NeonMichael that assumption is correct as verified by the opening ad which appears in the photo section.
According to the April 22, 1957 issue of Motion Picture Daily, the grand opening of the All-Weather Theatre was “Saturday,” making it April 20, 1957.
The overview is not totally accurate. When Prudential built this, and two other All Weather Drive Ins (the Patchogue Sunrise and the Smithtown, the same film played indoors and out, albeit at different times, regardless of the weather. It was only in the 1980s when operated by UA that it was not uncommon for two different films to be shown (actually three since the drive in portion always had a double feature).
Why was it called Johnny All Weather?
I WENT THERE IN THE EARLY 70’S AND SAW A LOT OF FRED WILLIAMSON,JIM BROWN,PAM GRIER,RON O'NEIL,BRUCE LEE KUNGFU’S MOVIES AT THE IN DOOR THEATER AND ONE AT THE OUT DOOR SCREEN IN 1968"HOW SWEET IT IS" A DEBBY REYNOLDS-JAMES GARNER FILM.I LIKED THE CONCESSION AREAS FOOD' THE PLACE WAS FUN.
I found this song which was written about the drive-in: http://menageatune.bandcamp.com/track/johnnys-all-weather-drive-in
The only drive-in that had matinees! Oh man I saw so many movies there and at the theater at Wellwood Ave & Montauk Hwy Lindenhurst. My earliest memories of being at the movies are confused between the two, but it was probably Swiss Family Robinson which must have been in 1961. How many I watched from the back seat, sitting with my brother. And then (much) later (early ‘70s) drinking beer in the privacy of the car – hey it was 18 then, we were legal.
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my tribute sign that I had painted to Johnny All Weather ! Enjoy
I use to work at the drive in the the early to mid 80’s, I worked concessions with the Maryann, Linda and Alison Corbett. I would love to reach out the them if anyone here knows them or how to contact them.
Thanks!!!!
And up til the mid 70’s they actually would run the same double feature at the drive-in and the indoor and just start them an hour apart, using 1 print of film.
We had 2 of these in New Jersey, the Plainfield-Edison, and the Turnpike. The original buildings had 1 projection room with the dual projectors almost back to back of each other. After they twinned both buildings, a seperate third booth was added downstairs.
Thanks for the info rvb.
There were a number of these on Long Island. Also Ct. The one I was in in Ct. they had a large garage door which they rolled up so you could see the Drive In Screen. Many other drive ins also had small indoor booths.
What a great idea a drive in and an indoor at the same place. I bet it only had one booth for both screens.Never heard of this concept before.
I don’t know why there is so much confusion about Copiague and Babylon. The 1957 photo accessed by the 3/14/08 posting newspaper article said the theatre was in Babylon. Wrong. Up until recently the posting for the RKO Babylon twin had it located in Copiague. Even more strange figuring that between these two villages is Lindenhurst. Oh, well.
I remember when we had 2 of these here in new Jersey, the Plainfield-Edison Indoor/Outdoor and the Turnpike Indoor/Outdoor. What was great was after they twinned the indoors, they showed all different movies in and out. So if you went to an early indoor show, you could get out, move the car and watch the double feature showing outside. Great days, never to return again. How sad.
WOW, the back of the Johnny All-Weather screen tower brings back memories. I remember when it was sparkling clean!! When it was lit up at night, it was exciting, especially when approaching it on Sunrise Highway.
Michigian Drive-ins, Yes this is the drive-in in question.