While at a convention a number of years ago a cocktail party, with dancing, was scheduled in the spaceous lobby. We were also treated to a concert on the magnificent organ.
Church still hasn’t opened. According to the church site they were planning on having 2,500 seats in the new building; that means they’re including the huge balcony. Yet they removed the fire escapes from the exterior. Different requirements for churches. Faith?
Now that’s impressive. Unfortunately, most movie goers never really saw the auditorium. In the day all the Century theatres had continuous performances from 1 PM. The lights never were up. I was in the Queens twice, once up, once down and the only thing that really registered was the enormity of the balcony, which must have seated as many, or more, than the orchestra.
Deliberately made a point of driving by. Same derelict building surrounded by a chain link fence. Even the banner proclaiming “Blight to light” is looking blighted.
Yeh, we know there’s a new roof, the interior was gutted and now they’re going to change the facade. And what do you suppose they’ll name this, literally, new space?
Thanks for putting this up wgmewes. I could swear it was there previously and disappeared. The folks at CT said not so. Many years ago on a visit to Toronto I saw For the Boys on the opening day.
Inasmuch as the theatre address is Jamaica the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill reference seems to have come from nowhere. It’s not as tho' “Jamaica” doesn’t appear.
Sometimes the label seemed inappropriate. I remember reading a posting about one theatre that was known as “The Itch” in less than six months of it’s opening.
And, remember, it was triplexed at some point. Who knows what the interior looks like. There is also a question as to whether it was ever airconditioned. There is no real parking lot at the theatre but quite a lot on Main Street and the side streets. There is also the parking lot at the Old Town Hall, across the street which is often available in the evening.
I was speaking to a representative of the Historical Society. The problem with reinventing the Islip is a sewage problem under the building, of unknown origin. Among the negatives we have the smell. Also, the cost of remediation is purported to be in the millions which is in excess of the value of the property. The likihood of bucks being available to do the remediation and get the theatre up to snuff is unlikely. There have been a lot of people in the community ready to volunteer for or at the theatre but no dollars.
Scruffy, you mention the Market Square Rainbow Cinemas above. It’s not on CT. Maybe you could add it. On one of my trips to Toronto I was actually in it.
But these ads have errors so they are not 100% reliable. Case in point on the ad Ed posted. It shows that one of the theatres which was showing Bigtime was the Rialto in Riverhead. Never was a Rialto in Riverhead. There was (and is) the Suffolk and the former Riverhead (which started out life as the Capitol)
Sounds similar to the slogan about the Plaza in Patchogue – Blight to light. Big deal, they’re going to tear it down and put up a fence like they did with other blighted properties rather than let PlazaMAC exercise their plan to renew the space. The situation of the Keith’s is not dissimilar.
When I was a youngster my parents took me to the Paramount. Don’t remember what the movie was but Gene Krupa was the featured live performer. We were sitting in the last row of the balcony. But not for long. My mother had height issues and we left. Many years later we had a similar experience at the outdoor Jones Beach Marine Theatre.
While at a convention a number of years ago a cocktail party, with dancing, was scheduled in the spaceous lobby. We were also treated to a concert on the magnificent organ.
Church still hasn’t opened. According to the church site they were planning on having 2,500 seats in the new building; that means they’re including the huge balcony. Yet they removed the fire escapes from the exterior. Different requirements for churches. Faith?
Wow, the opening description of the theatre just blew me away.
Wonder if the organ was still around when it was converted to a skating rink. That would have been cool to have the heritage as part of the modern.
Just look on CT for a new Albemarle interior photo
It certainly won’t look the same but it still could be really good. Check out the Albemarle in Brooklyn after it’s modification.
So they had a Wurlitzer. What I find odd about the drug store is that they left the set back at the entrance. They’re losing a lot of retail space.
wonder what it will look like after the church finishes their modifications.
Now that’s impressive. Unfortunately, most movie goers never really saw the auditorium. In the day all the Century theatres had continuous performances from 1 PM. The lights never were up. I was in the Queens twice, once up, once down and the only thing that really registered was the enormity of the balcony, which must have seated as many, or more, than the orchestra.
They’re still in the demolition phase so the October date which was originally given is unlikely.
Deliberately made a point of driving by. Same derelict building surrounded by a chain link fence. Even the banner proclaiming “Blight to light” is looking blighted.
Yeh, we know there’s a new roof, the interior was gutted and now they’re going to change the facade. And what do you suppose they’ll name this, literally, new space?
How odd they should name it 5,6,7 and 8 when there was no existing theatre in operation and, even when it was, it was a single screen.
Thanks for putting this up wgmewes. I could swear it was there previously and disappeared. The folks at CT said not so. Many years ago on a visit to Toronto I saw For the Boys on the opening day.
Maybe you should contact the folks at CT and ask them. I have had a lively exchange with them on a number of issues over the past several days.
Inasmuch as the theatre address is Jamaica the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill reference seems to have come from nowhere. It’s not as tho' “Jamaica” doesn’t appear.
Sometimes the label seemed inappropriate. I remember reading a posting about one theatre that was known as “The Itch” in less than six months of it’s opening.
And, remember, it was triplexed at some point. Who knows what the interior looks like. There is also a question as to whether it was ever airconditioned. There is no real parking lot at the theatre but quite a lot on Main Street and the side streets. There is also the parking lot at the Old Town Hall, across the street which is often available in the evening.
I was speaking to a representative of the Historical Society. The problem with reinventing the Islip is a sewage problem under the building, of unknown origin. Among the negatives we have the smell. Also, the cost of remediation is purported to be in the millions which is in excess of the value of the property. The likihood of bucks being available to do the remediation and get the theatre up to snuff is unlikely. There have been a lot of people in the community ready to volunteer for or at the theatre but no dollars.
Yes, I thought there was an entry for it. I’ll contact the folks at CT and see if they can find it. If one was lost ……
Scruffy, you mention the Market Square Rainbow Cinemas above. It’s not on CT. Maybe you could add it. On one of my trips to Toronto I was actually in it.
For information purposes the Unique and the (Star) Palace were in Patchogue.
But these ads have errors so they are not 100% reliable. Case in point on the ad Ed posted. It shows that one of the theatres which was showing Bigtime was the Rialto in Riverhead. Never was a Rialto in Riverhead. There was (and is) the Suffolk and the former Riverhead (which started out life as the Capitol)
Sounds similar to the slogan about the Plaza in Patchogue – Blight to light. Big deal, they’re going to tear it down and put up a fence like they did with other blighted properties rather than let PlazaMAC exercise their plan to renew the space. The situation of the Keith’s is not dissimilar.
When I was a youngster my parents took me to the Paramount. Don’t remember what the movie was but Gene Krupa was the featured live performer. We were sitting in the last row of the balcony. But not for long. My mother had height issues and we left. Many years later we had a similar experience at the outdoor Jones Beach Marine Theatre.