Century's Plainview Theatre

337A South Oyster Bay,
Plainview, NY 11803

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Showing 26 - 42 of 42 comments

Vito
Vito on October 25, 2006 at 4:46 am

Good point Warren, in addition, during my 50+ years in theatrical exhibition I have seen many newspaper ads with errors pertaining to theatre location.
Of one thing I am sure, Century’s Plainview theatre was located in the village of Plainview which is in the Town of Oyster Bay.
Michael, for heaven’s sake, let it go :)

Coate
Coate on October 24, 2006 at 2:44 pm

Thanks. The Wikipedia page addresses those places being a part of Oyster Bay, but it does not address why the ‘60s era newspaper ads listed the PLAINVIEW in Hicksville.

Vito
Vito on October 12, 2006 at 2:57 pm

Michael,perhaps this will help
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plainview,_New_York – 36k

Coate
Coate on October 12, 2006 at 12:59 pm

Why would the newspapers list it as being located in Hicksville?

Vito
Vito on October 12, 2006 at 4:42 am

Yes Michael the theatre was in Plainview. I worked there for a while and lived in nearby Hicksville.
There also seems to be some confusion over the D-150, which is listed as Syosset but in fact was located ib Woodbury. In addition there was of course the Syosset theatre located in Syosset. The two theatre were located very close to one another but in two different towns. Hope that helps

Coate
Coate on October 11, 2006 at 8:44 pm

Was the PLAINVIEW in Plainview? I ask because newspaper advertisements during the ‘60s list it as being located in Hicksville. And further research suggests Plainview, Hicksville, Syosset, Woodbury, etc. are all a part of Oyster Bay. Anyone know for sure?

Vito
Vito on June 21, 2006 at 1:36 am

Hey Bob, I remember working the booth as relief projectionist for Ben Hur and later worked full time during 1970s.
It was a great theatre to work, friendly staff. Working for Century was top of the hill in those days.

DixonSteele
DixonSteele on June 20, 2006 at 11:18 pm

This was a big theater where I first saw CAT BALLOU. Later on such movies as AMERICAN GRAFFITI, SHAMPOO and CATCH 22 among others.

BobLamelle
BobLamelle on March 26, 2006 at 5:48 am

It was my pleasure to work at the Plainview Theatre for 10 years (from 1965 to 1975) as an usher and marquee changer. I worked there while I was in college and part-time there after. My first film was My Fair Lady. After that we had several other hard ticket 70mm films such as; The Sand Pebbles, The Shoes of the Fisherman, Oliver and the re-releases of Ben-Hur and Gone With the Wind. The theatre had 1582 seats, with a balcony, lodge and ochestra. It was a fun time and to this day I still keep in touch with some of my Plainview Theatre alumni.
Best wishes to any other alumni out there
Posted by BobLamelle on March 26, 2006 at 11:46 am

moviebluedog
moviebluedog on October 28, 2005 at 6:43 am

Warren, do you have the date of publication of that photo page? Thanks.

0100rich
0100rich on October 27, 2005 at 6:38 pm

We spent many a night hanging out in the parking lot doing things our post war parents could not even imagined (or at least, that’s what we thought). We did things inside that are now foder for legends. Regardless, we had fun. The Century Cinema in Plainview was a big part of my coming of age memories. We had no idea ho lucky we were to be in a “selected preview” city. I remember, like it was yesterday, a friend of mine escorting Brooke Shields to the preview of Blue Lagoon…just because he had the right look and worked at the right theatre at the right time in the right city…go HOWIE! We had no idea that we were a part of history. I feel fortunate to look back and see what a lucky person I was to have grown up where I did.

Gulls fly higher….Rich Rogers – Plainview Old Bethpage High School class of 1981

teecee
teecee on March 11, 2005 at 1:35 pm

4/30/79 newspaper ad listing this theater:
View link

micohen
micohen on January 12, 2005 at 8:51 am

I went here for the first and only time to see “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” in September, 1981 and it seemed like the theater was gone soon afterwards, so it must have closed in late 1981 or early 1982. The building was rapidly converted into yet another bland suburban office building along South Oyster Bay Road. The first of the Plainview theaters to close, the other three would also be gone by the end of the 1980s.

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on October 19, 2004 at 9:55 am

The planview faced the RKO PLANVIEW TWIN .

RobertR
RobertR on October 19, 2004 at 8:25 am

It was interesting to read on that new 70mm site how many big pictures opened here in 70mm.

RobertR
RobertR on September 6, 2004 at 7:46 am

This cinema was located on South Oyster Bay Road and status should show as closed.