Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center
90 Main Street,
Sag Harbor,
NY
11963
90 Main Street,
Sag Harbor,
NY
11963
6 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 49 of 49 comments
Officials are even questioning whether they will be able to save the historic facade.
Interesting aside. In February of this year Gerald Mallow, who owned the theater for 30 years, put it on the market for $14 million.
According to News 12 Long Island, the roof collapsed. So it’s RIP.
Sag Harbor theatre engulfed in flames after next door cafe burns down next to it. Another five businesses to the right of the theatre were also damaged due to the high winds last night. The facade with its landmark neon SAG HARBOR name stands but nothing is known yet of the interior. The building just turned 97 years old. I hope it is salvagable. I visited the theatre several times when I use to spend the day in Sag Harbor with friends for lunch and movie for the day. It had/has an art deco interior painted a chocolate brown at the time. If it is lost, it will be a blow that Sag Harrbor may never recover from. It was the only single east end movie theatre in operation. Condolences to the owners.
ELITE THEATRE OPENED NOVEMBER 1, 1919.
NAMED CHANGED TO SAG HARBOR THEATRE IN SEPTEMBER OF 1927.
Starting in August, 1921, the Elite, inconjunction with the Hampton Press, issued a weekly movie guide which provided space for local advertisers. At that time the Elite program changed every day. Children were 10cents at all times. Mondays, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays adults paid 17 cents; a premium of 28 cents for the balcony. Other days and holidays the orchestra was 28 cents and the balcony 33. Those were the days. What can one get for 10, 17, 28 or 33 cents these day?
What were the big “hits” then? How about Tom Mix in “Sky High”, Pearl White in “Any Wife” and Mary Miles Minter in “The Heart Specialist”.
In 1927 the Glynne’s chain took over this theatre which I found odd since their usual venues, such as the Patchogue and Southampton were large. Saw a similar situation with Calderone and the St. James when all the rest of the theatres were large.
The rear is far from impressive. After I saw it I was surprised what a jewel the interior it.
Saw this on my bike trip yesterday. Nice small sandwiched place. I went around back to snap pix since CinemaTour has pics but not of the rear.
Thank you. Since they only had one location, each in Amityville and Babylon, that’s easy. They had two in Patchogue – the Patchogue and the Rialto, and two in Bay Shore – the Bay Shore and the Regent.
The Boxoffice item didn’t give the names of the theaters, only their locations. In addition to the $50,000 job at Sag Harbor, Prudential had remodeled houses at Amityville ($50,000), Patchogue ($28,000), Babylon ($14,000), and Bay Shore ($8,000.)
Joe, could you tell us what the other 4 theatres were. It would be interesting to see if all are on CT. Also, the remodeling note could then be added to each.
Boxoffice of March 28, 1936, has an item datelined Sag Harbor reading: “A new theatre will rise on the site of an old building in the Prudential Playhouses chain here. John Eberson is the architect.”
Another Boxoffice item, from October 17, 1936, says that Prudential Playhouses had spent $148,000 remodeling five theaters on Long Island, and the Sag Harbor house was listed among them, being one of two on which the largest amount, $50,000, had been expended. So the project was either a new building or an extensive remodeling of an existing theatre, depending on which Boxoffice report was accurate.
I can’t find anything in any issue of Boxoffice about there being a second theater at Sag Harbor during this period, so it’s probably safe to assume that this house is the one designed by John Eberson.
John and Drew Eberson have a listing at the Wolfsonian for a Sag Harbor Theatre dated 1936.
Great pictures. Never had occasion to be inside. Never thought it would be so sleek.
Here are some 2009 photos of the Sag Harbor theater, inside and out, plus a night shot to show the neon sign lit up. Is the platform stage inside built over a former orchestra pit or just the regular floor? Was there a theatre organ in here when it opened?
I used to spend my summers in Sag Harbor as a kid, and I swear it seemed like “Atomic Cafe” played for about five years. My parents live out there now, and the theater seems to get decent movies. I always tell myself I’ll catch a show at Christmas or during the summer, but I never seem to be able to.
Thanks LM! The capitol letters have finally triumphed!
Would you believe I’ve been a summer resident of Westhampton Beach since 1977 and have NEVER seen a movie at this theater? The fact of the matter is that it was always too far of a drive and the movie times were often limited. I’m glad to see it’s still open, though.
Now, about those infamous SAG HARBOUR letter on the front facade of the building – I take it from the recent photos that they are back in their proper place? There was a much-publisized battle going on over the future of those letter which, I believe, was being led by Roy Scheider’s wife.
Wow. Looks great. Now that I’ve moved to Long Island, and desperately seeking a good movie house, I will be checking this one out, very soon.
I saw the Beatle’s, A Hard Days Night in this theater way back in the summer of 1964. Several years ago I returned to see Roger and Me. Guess what? The theater is exactly the same 4 decades later. This old UA theater is A real treasure, not to be lost!
on off the last nice old theaters left on longisland
And with a true 50’s Cinemascope screen…a real rarity, curved and large and wall to wall
Too bad no stereo sound.
A few openings there, ‘Precillia, Queen of the Desert’ for one.
This amazing survivor, one of only a handful of single screens left on all of Long Island, it is the perfect place to see a film set by the sea…as there’s a musty smell to the place, and no surprise, the bay leading to Peconic Harbor is just down the street. (Too bad I didn’t see “Whale Rider” there recently, as Sag Harbor was once a whaling port that Herman Melville lived in during his early days as a whaler.)
Shows independent and foreign films only.