Boy I’d like to see pictures of this. Escalators in 1913. Wonder what this all would have cost in today’s dollars. Great background info, but how long did it last? Certainly must be more out there.
Always found it interesting that the Garden wasn’t Prudential since everything in the surrounding towns was: Cambria (Cambria Heights), St. Albans, Hollis, Island (Hollis), Bellaire, Laurelton, Carlton (Jamaica). Then when you got to Queens Village the majority of the theatres to the East in Nassau County were Century. Prudential then had Suffolk pretty much tied up.
The original auditorium was so plain that the ceiling girders were exposed. I found that odd. Although there was originally a loge area with better seats and a metal railing around it they eventually became general admission. When they split it up there were three long narrow auditoriums. If I remember correctly the beams were no longer exposed. They also supplemented their income by renting videos, which has to be unique.
Just came upon this. When I summered in nearby Voluntown in the 1950s the theatre was only open on weekends. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.
Closed as a theatre, Tinseltoes, per the discussion above. Remember the Katherine Hepburn story when she was going to do Coco? She noticed the construction across the street and said it would be a problem with the noise for the Wednesday matinee. She was particularly concerned about the number “Gabrielle” and was reported to have arranged for construction work to be shut down during that number. And so, each matinee, just as the intro to the piece began, a hush came over the building site. Kate the Great, indeed!
When I was a child my aunt took me to Flushing. I remember walking past the Town. Even then I was a theatre nut. Does no one have pictures of the theatre as the Town? Also, I posted similar information to this a year or so ago but it has disappeared. Anybody else experience this sort of problem?
I saw Bagdad Cafe there in the mid 70’s when it was only a single screen. The information above said it opened around that period but it didn’t strike me as a new space. I wonder if that was intentional.
Many of the components of design of the Pequa were also at the Mid-Island:the exposed ceiling joists, the railed loge section, two story lobby. I seem to remember reading that the number of people at the final showing was something like 180.
It wasn’t a big theatre but it was at the corner of the shopping center. If it was converted to a dealership they would have had to taken over stores. I rarely get to that area but will file this in my memory bank to check it out.
I used to work in the Gramercy Park area and on nice days would venture down to 14th to get an ice cream sandwich, with freshly cooked waffles, at Mc Clellans. The Jefferson was closed the entire time I worked there. I remember thinking it odd that the name was right justified. Aha! When RKO left the owner took down those initials just leaving the Jefferson part. A slow decline. Sad.
I attended several performances in the Mineola, sitting in the balcony, when it went legit toward the end and the entrance was moved from Mineola Boulevard. I was really surprised by the space. I don’t think movie-goers often appreciate the space they’re in and look around as a live theatre person would.
Tinseltoes, I knew of the swap you mentioned. It just seemed more than coincidental that the Sheepshead came back into the Century circuit at the time some of the divested Loew’s did.
I thought this was a Loew’s theatre at some point before it finished life as a Century. I remember when Loew’s had to divest itself of theatre properties the Sheepshead, Tuxedo and Oceana in Brooklyn and the Prospect and the Plaza reverted to Century. My assumption was all had been Loew’s. In the case of the Prospect, it was built by Century and leased to Loew’s, It would appear from a reference above that this might have also been the case with the Sheepshead.
Ed, I’ll try to find more. In one of your photo tours see if the people at the law firm at the former Farmingdale will let you in to see the balcony, which is supposed to still be in tact. Also, if you’re in St. James check out the former theatre on Second Av. There are supposedly remnants there. If you get to the old Mattituck quonset get into the storage area and see some of the old decorations and look back for the projection booths holes. Projection booth holes can also be seen at the old Center Moriches. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get into the auditorium of the former Bellerose to see if anything was left. I’m sure the ceiling treatment is still there but, I think, they’ve put corrogated panels under it to protect the merchandise in what has now become a two story warehouse.
The woman said something about cages because there used to be animal acts in vaudville. No windows. Questionable ventilation? And, as I said they used the basement in Southampton. They erected an awning over a walkway that lead down a flight of steps outside the building. I have no idea what the space was. I’ve actually been in quite a few underground spaces- a multiplex under the marketplace in Toronto, the later Paramount in NYC, the Actors Playhouse in NYC and the Criterion in London, England. The Actors Playhouse was accessed by a single narrow staircase. I felt really uncomfortable about that particularly since there was also a very low ceiling. I think Circle in the Square in NYC is also below ground as was Westworld, or whatever that was called on 49th ST in NYC.
One of those comments was from me per discussions with someone from the historical society. She was trying to gain access to the backstage and basement dressing room areas. Have to try and get back to her. Appartently in “the day” dressing rooms were in the basement. Before they built the new Southampton auditorium, on the old facade, some of the basement area was made into an additional screening room.
It’s interesting to note that the front of the marquee says Floral Park when the name of the theatre was the Floral. This was not the marquee that I remember so it had been changed or modified at some point in time. The vertical also doesn’t look the same as I remembered it. Theatres often changed marquees but, generally, only eliminated verticals so I may be wrong. Needless to say I came up with an exception recalling the new vertical installed at the Triboro, which I actually witnessed.
There was an earlier theatre closer to Tyson Av, per earlier notes. It was called the Lily. It is on Cinema Treasures.
Also, on the subject of parking vs neighborhood theatres, the Bellerose was the dollar house in the area until Century decided to close it. Then they made the Floral the dollar house but business was so bad they reopened the Bellerose. Reason location. The Bellerose was two blocks from the Cross Island Parkway and at the point where Braddock Avenue met Jericho Tpke/Jamaica Av.. It was also accessible by NYC buses as well as the private Schenck line.
Incidentally many Floral Park people always went to the Bellerose because the western part of the village south of the Long Island Rail Road was linked to Bellerose by a tunnel at the grammar school that emerged a couple of blocks from the theatre. Those living further east could also use the tunnel at the LIRR station. Bellerose was the shopping area for a large segment of Floral Park because of these tunnels.
And I hope this includes what I’ve been asking for, the ability to access the last 100 comments as we can for New Theatres and Updates.
Boy I’d like to see pictures of this. Escalators in 1913. Wonder what this all would have cost in today’s dollars. Great background info, but how long did it last? Certainly must be more out there.
Always found it interesting that the Garden wasn’t Prudential since everything in the surrounding towns was: Cambria (Cambria Heights), St. Albans, Hollis, Island (Hollis), Bellaire, Laurelton, Carlton (Jamaica). Then when you got to Queens Village the majority of the theatres to the East in Nassau County were Century. Prudential then had Suffolk pretty much tied up.
The original auditorium was so plain that the ceiling girders were exposed. I found that odd. Although there was originally a loge area with better seats and a metal railing around it they eventually became general admission. When they split it up there were three long narrow auditoriums. If I remember correctly the beams were no longer exposed. They also supplemented their income by renting videos, which has to be unique.
Just came upon this. When I summered in nearby Voluntown in the 1950s the theatre was only open on weekends. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.
Closed as a theatre, Tinseltoes, per the discussion above. Remember the Katherine Hepburn story when she was going to do Coco? She noticed the construction across the street and said it would be a problem with the noise for the Wednesday matinee. She was particularly concerned about the number “Gabrielle” and was reported to have arranged for construction work to be shut down during that number. And so, each matinee, just as the intro to the piece began, a hush came over the building site. Kate the Great, indeed!
When I was a child my aunt took me to Flushing. I remember walking past the Town. Even then I was a theatre nut. Does no one have pictures of the theatre as the Town? Also, I posted similar information to this a year or so ago but it has disappeared. Anybody else experience this sort of problem?
I saw Bagdad Cafe there in the mid 70’s when it was only a single screen. The information above said it opened around that period but it didn’t strike me as a new space. I wonder if that was intentional.
Rarly “twin” theatres.
All I remember was LILCO per my predicament finding the car above.
Many of the components of design of the Pequa were also at the Mid-Island:the exposed ceiling joists, the railed loge section, two story lobby. I seem to remember reading that the number of people at the final showing was something like 180.
It wasn’t a big theatre but it was at the corner of the shopping center. If it was converted to a dealership they would have had to taken over stores. I rarely get to that area but will file this in my memory bank to check it out.
I used to work in the Gramercy Park area and on nice days would venture down to 14th to get an ice cream sandwich, with freshly cooked waffles, at Mc Clellans. The Jefferson was closed the entire time I worked there. I remember thinking it odd that the name was right justified. Aha! When RKO left the owner took down those initials just leaving the Jefferson part. A slow decline. Sad.
I attended several performances in the Mineola, sitting in the balcony, when it went legit toward the end and the entrance was moved from Mineola Boulevard. I was really surprised by the space. I don’t think movie-goers often appreciate the space they’re in and look around as a live theatre person would.
Ed, notice the seating pattern with the raised, stadium portion? Per our discussion of the Westbury.
Any rememberances about the interior of the theatre Eastport HomeBoy?
Tinseltoes, I knew of the swap you mentioned. It just seemed more than coincidental that the Sheepshead came back into the Century circuit at the time some of the divested Loew’s did.
I thought this was a Loew’s theatre at some point before it finished life as a Century. I remember when Loew’s had to divest itself of theatre properties the Sheepshead, Tuxedo and Oceana in Brooklyn and the Prospect and the Plaza reverted to Century. My assumption was all had been Loew’s. In the case of the Prospect, it was built by Century and leased to Loew’s, It would appear from a reference above that this might have also been the case with the Sheepshead.
You could easily see the SeaView adaject to the eastbound lane of the Belt Parkway. You could also see the original Sheepshead a short ways away.
Ed, I’ll try to find more. In one of your photo tours see if the people at the law firm at the former Farmingdale will let you in to see the balcony, which is supposed to still be in tact. Also, if you’re in St. James check out the former theatre on Second Av. There are supposedly remnants there. If you get to the old Mattituck quonset get into the storage area and see some of the old decorations and look back for the projection booths holes. Projection booth holes can also be seen at the old Center Moriches. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get into the auditorium of the former Bellerose to see if anything was left. I’m sure the ceiling treatment is still there but, I think, they’ve put corrogated panels under it to protect the merchandise in what has now become a two story warehouse.
The woman said something about cages because there used to be animal acts in vaudville. No windows. Questionable ventilation? And, as I said they used the basement in Southampton. They erected an awning over a walkway that lead down a flight of steps outside the building. I have no idea what the space was. I’ve actually been in quite a few underground spaces- a multiplex under the marketplace in Toronto, the later Paramount in NYC, the Actors Playhouse in NYC and the Criterion in London, England. The Actors Playhouse was accessed by a single narrow staircase. I felt really uncomfortable about that particularly since there was also a very low ceiling. I think Circle in the Square in NYC is also below ground as was Westworld, or whatever that was called on 49th ST in NYC.
One of those comments was from me per discussions with someone from the historical society. She was trying to gain access to the backstage and basement dressing room areas. Have to try and get back to her. Appartently in “the day” dressing rooms were in the basement. Before they built the new Southampton auditorium, on the old facade, some of the basement area was made into an additional screening room.
How odd.
It’s interesting to note that the front of the marquee says Floral Park when the name of the theatre was the Floral. This was not the marquee that I remember so it had been changed or modified at some point in time. The vertical also doesn’t look the same as I remembered it. Theatres often changed marquees but, generally, only eliminated verticals so I may be wrong. Needless to say I came up with an exception recalling the new vertical installed at the Triboro, which I actually witnessed.
There was an earlier theatre closer to Tyson Av, per earlier notes. It was called the Lily. It is on Cinema Treasures.
Also, on the subject of parking vs neighborhood theatres, the Bellerose was the dollar house in the area until Century decided to close it. Then they made the Floral the dollar house but business was so bad they reopened the Bellerose. Reason location. The Bellerose was two blocks from the Cross Island Parkway and at the point where Braddock Avenue met Jericho Tpke/Jamaica Av.. It was also accessible by NYC buses as well as the private Schenck line.
Incidentally many Floral Park people always went to the Bellerose because the western part of the village south of the Long Island Rail Road was linked to Bellerose by a tunnel at the grammar school that emerged a couple of blocks from the theatre. Those living further east could also use the tunnel at the LIRR station. Bellerose was the shopping area for a large segment of Floral Park because of these tunnels.