Bedford Playhouse
643 Old Post Road,
Bedford,
NY
10506
643 Old Post Road,
Bedford,
NY
10506
4 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Bedford Playhouse (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Bow-Tie Cinemas, Clearview Cinemas, United Artists Theater Circuit Inc.
Architects: Drew Eberson, John Adolph Emil Eberson
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
914.234.6704
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
The Bedford Playhouse was opened on April 30, 1947 by the defunct Metropolitan Playhouses Chain, which had several theatres throughout the NY-NJ-CT area (most of which are still open!). The lobby is all original, except for the addition of a concession stand.
Operated by United Artists until 1981. It was then taken over by an independent operator. The 500-seat auditorium was split into two in May 1983, and each side still has a portion of the balcony open to sit in. The balcony is at ground level, and guests must walk downstairs to gain access to the orchestra section. There are still some original decorative touches in the auditorium, and the small stage survives behind the screens. In 1996 it was taken over by Clearview Cinemas.
It was taken over by Bow-Tie Cinemas in June 2013. It was closed on January 4, 2015. It was reopened in Summer of 2018 and now has three screens with a total capacity of 248-seats.
Contributed by
Joe Masher
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
The Architects were John and Drew Eberson, and the theatre opened in 1947, not 1948 as I noted above.
One of the rare instances when I can associate seeing a particular film with a particular theater…pretty sure I saw the original “Airplane!” here.
Bow-Tie took this theater over fro Clearview in 2013. They plan to not renew their lease at the end of 2014 (Bow Tie has already done this to the Mamaroneck Playhouse in Mamaroneck, NY and the American Theater in the Bronx). There is a grassroots effort to make this a non-profit theater, rather than retail space, which is the most likely reuse. This is the link to the group that is spearheading the drive to make this a non-profit:
http://www.friendsofbedfordplayhouse.org
http://www.lohud.com/story/entertainment/arts/2015/03/03/bedford-playhouse-meet-goal-cinema/24324019/
Bedford Playhouse meets $2.5M goal to reopen cinema In just five months, the Friends of Bedford Playhouse raised the $2.5 million they sought to turn the shuttered two-screen movie house into an art-house cinema. The vision for Bedford Playhouse is as ambitious as its fund-raising goal: Bring back one large screen, what they hope will be Westchester’s largest, to a restored main theater; add a second, more intimate theater; present classics, documentaries, independents and family fare; teach film appreciation to local schoolkids; sponsor a speaker and reading series and host special events featuring local movie insiders.
Bedford Playhouse is OPEN.
https://bedfordplayhouse.org/
It’s been beautifully restored (some parts are still being completed) and the main auditorium is presenting movies in state-of-the-art fashion. There will be much more to say about this as time goes on, but if you are in the area…GO.
Update it to three screens.
Opened 30 Apr 1947.
Please update, 248 seats
Please update, United Artists operated the theatre until 1981, became Independently Operated by Lesser. It Became a Twin in May of 1983, was independent until Clearview Cinemas bought the theatre in 1996. The Bow Tie Cinemas until they closed it and was taken over by the current owners. The main house downstairs has 167 seats and the upstair balcony The Clive has 40 seats and the Worby has the max 32 seats, but the room is like private party room.
I just saw Doctor Zhivago from the front row of this magnificent theater. It was overwhelming. The screen seemed at least as big as the one at the dear departed Ziegfeld.