Century's Floral Theatre
250 Jericho Turnpike,
Floral Park,
NY
11001
250 Jericho Turnpike,
Floral Park,
NY
11001
6 people
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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.
Also came across this brief article from examiner.com, noting the vestiges of Floral Park’s cinematic heritage that remain in the Floral Terrace catering hall (as well as a Firestone Tire Shop that was once the Lily Theatre)on Jericho Turnpike. The article also notes that theater seats from the famous and long lost Roxy Theatre in Manhattan are now located in a former meeting hall at the old Masonic Temple, built in 1929 at 29 Tulip Avenue!
This photo of the Floral is included in the article, along with a vintage image of the Lily. The movie playing listed on the Floral’s marquee must have been in re-release, as it was first released in 1920.
Here’s an updated link to the Floral Terrace Ballroom photo gallery, which provides over 20 shots of the upstairs ballroom and its incorporation of the Floral Theatre’s original coffered ceiling. The upper arch of the proscenium and sounding board, as well as the crowing arches to what must have been the organ pipe chambers, are clearly visible.
This page provides a brief and sketchy history of the building, from the same website. According to that history, the theatre opened on April 27, 1927, with a bill that included “The Princess of Hoboken” and the Hal Roach short, “Duck Soup.” There is a listing on IMDB.COM for a film titled “The Princess from Hoboken,” which is given a release date of April 1, 1927. Meanwhile, the short feature “Duck Soup” is noteworthy as being the very first film in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy appear as a comedic “team.” They had appeared together in two previous short films, but this was the first time they played their classic “Stan” and “Ollie” characters.
The page also makes mention of an organ that was installed at a cost of $25,000, but does not offer any further details. Similarly, a date of April 11, 1929, is given for the first “talkie” to play the Floral, but no other information – such as the title of the feature – is provided.
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.
John, would that be the same architect as the one who did the Bellerose? They were both Century Theatres.
Earlier today, my wife and I had lunch at a restaurant about a block west of the old Floral. It was really a treat seeing the very well preserved facade. The pictures previously posted of the upper ballroom were also pretty terrific.
Given the fact that this was a highly regarded theater, I am surprised that the architect has yet to be identified. Can anyone out there help fill in this gap?
In addition, the extensive use of Roman arches on the facade also indicates at least a neo-Romanesque influence.
Ken, getting back to that 1929 theater opening. I’m pretty sure it was the Lily theater. It’s only 2 blocks to the east of Tyson Avenue. You mentioned Tucson Avenue. I’m pretty sure it’s Tyson.
Hey, Kitnoir.:) I don’t think I was one of the ones who played Simon. I was pretty shy and a bit younger than the others there (I was only 16).
That Frankenstein 3-D ad is from the 1983 reissue.
Hey, Maxruehl! Myron Katz was my manager at the Bellerose for years, until he moved to the Floral (bit of a story there), and I went with him the year Jaws2 came out. We ran a Jaws2-athon back to back! Mr. Katz was a very kind and shy man, and yes, he did have difficulty with conversation. Maybe you and I know each other? Were you part of the group that stayed up in the theatre that night on the second floor, shut out all the lights, and played Simon? :>
I worked as a Doorman at the Floral in 1980. It was well-worn, but it had some nice architecture and atmosphere—not quite as grand as the Keith’s, but it had some character. My manager at the time was a man named Myron Katz. Does anyone remember him? He was something of a character. I recall he used to make some awkward attempts at conversation while I was working the door. I always wondered what happened to him. I ended up being transferred to the Glen Oaks Theater, which was right around the corner from my apartment. Not as nice a theater, but it beat riding my bike all that distance.:)
Atruly lovely theatre, glad I got to see it before they changed it
True, I’d forgotten about Tyson, but that’s east a few blocks. While on the subject of Century and Floral Park their last corporated headquarters, before they got involved in the Omni, RKO, Stanley Warner mix, was on Verbena Av in Floral Park, just off Tulip Avenue near the Long Island Rail Road.
Previously, they had been in the building which housed the Community Theatre in Queens Village before they gave up that venue and prior to that in the Farragut Theatre Building in Brooklyn.
It could be Tyson Avenue which is in walking distance of the Floral
Floral Park was unique in that the street names were plants, flowers and the like. The exception was on the north side of Jericho Turnpike. Since the Floral was on the south side of Jericho the adjacent street should have carried a floral related name. Therefore, my presumption is, no, this was not the same theatre.
The only “t” named street that comes to mind is Tulip Avenue which is about a third of a mile west of the Floral site. If you really want to pursue it you could contact Village Hall. They may even have a historical society
The 1927 edition of Film Daily Yearbook lists an ‘un-named’ theater is planned by the Folpad Reality Co. at Tucson Avenue and Jericho Turnpike. This could be the Floral Theatre? Today, Tucson Avenue does not exist on maps.
Although some people in their postings have referred to the auditorium as beautiful, the only time I was there as a young child for a mid week matinee I thought it was gray and bleak. I do remember the boxes and also little “windows” on either side of the procenium. I presume that had something to do with vaudeville where they displayed the identity of the act that was on.
RVB,
To the best of my knowledge, the upright electrified sign was simply called “the Vertical.” See my post of 9/27/06 on the Queens page.
Having worked at both the Floral and the Queens, I never knew them by any other name. Also, they were called as such by our union electricians.
A few other side notes on the theatre. When Jericho Tpke was widened the overhanging marquee had to be removed. New “signboards” were affixed to the facade of the theatre. At the same time the, I’ll call it top to bottom “floral” sign was also removed. Not to many LI theatres had this feature – the Fantasy, Queens, Valencia, and Triboro come to mind. What is the correct term for this feature?
Here’s a new link where the photos I posted on December 6th are now located. I broke all the old links when I reorganized my photobucket site.
Ward & Glynne also operated the Century Theater in Brooklyn on Nostrand Avenue before it went to Loew’s and later in 1943 to Century Circuit under the name Linden (being located a block or two north of Linden Blvd.)
Yes the theater did have fly space. That is what was in the tower you saw. The space is now used for offices. I also went to a party there about 12 years ago. I saw the top of the arch. Another funny thing is that they converted the original 2 carbon arc lamphouses into spot lights which they use now.
Drove by a few evenings ago and took these exterior pictures at dusk. Did this theater have fly space? There appears to be a tower above the old stage area (see the last photo) that now has some kind of small observatory-like structure on its roof.
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As I posted way back in February 2003, I attended a party here in the main ballroom which is located on the top level and features the preserved auditorium ceiling – the only remaining interior element of the original theater. If you click this link to the Floral Terrace’s website, you’ll find a photo album of the Ballroom and can clearly make out the top of the proscenium arch and other ornamental detail. There is also a link to a “Virtual Tour” that would not load when I tried it.
There is also a page on that website that offers a brief and incomplete history of the Floral Theater, conveniently leaving out the part where the smashed 80% of the building’s interior to smithereens.
Gee.. I remember the balcony being open in the early 80’s… in fact I saw Friday the 13th from the second row of it… and Return of the Jedi quite a few times there. One of the biggest problems IMO is that they ran the same movie forever. It worked for Jaws, when people would line up with lawn chairs outside the theatre to wait for the next showing, after a week or two the current feature ran out of steam leaving a mostly-empty theatre.
Thanks for all you responses, but honestly, I have seen theaters like this that were quaded and yes they mixed mordern walls the beauty, but that is more done to keep the original beauty intct. RCDTJ, said he thanks god it closed before they could butched it. I disagree. I would rather have a quad theater with artifacts of the past, that if the day should come to open as a vaudvile theater or such, the walls can be taken down. Working in film, tv and stage, I even seen theaters that movie theaters with a wall down the middle and when a stage show was done, the wall actually folded up.
Yes parking was a problem with all of these, but I’d rather of my old Floral in some form, with its beauty on one wall that I sit in rather than no Floral at all. Ditto for the Calderone.
If you disagree, I just want to remind you of the Landmark Sunshine Theater on Houston Street. When I lived downtown around there at NYU, when the East Village was becoming trendy but the lower eastside still was scary after dark, I remember in the day going to Schimmels and remember the warehouse next store. Who knew when the things are wiped away and restored, that old warehouse was the old yiddish playhouse! Just because they would use modern walls the quad it, the Sunshine goes to show you, sometimes not destroying and waiting for a “theaters” time again to rise, restoring the Floral is better than the present day office building and catering hall.
I miss the Floral and would have taken a quaded one anyday over closing forever and more or less butchering the theater when it moves to another use.
As for