Bellerose Theater
245-14 Jericho Turnpike,
Floral Park,
NY
11001
245-14 Jericho Turnpike,
Floral Park,
NY
11001
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 178 comments
“robboehm on February 25, 2014 at 3:23 pm To the projectionists out there. I always maintained that the Bellerose had the largest, if not one of the largest, Cinemascope screens on Long Island because it’s proscenium was almost the entire width of the building, which was a big box. Any feedback?”
Rob, Not even close to having the largest Cinemascope screen. Sometime back in the 60’s Charlie Washburn asked me to cover the UA Hicksville (on, I believe, S. Marie Street, by Sears. They were running “West Side Story” and between the screen size (I would estimate to be at least 70 feet white area)and the actual projection throw, I REALLY thought I was IN THE PICTURE….and that was just as a projectionist.
As for the screen size itself, I’m SURE that a theatre like the Syosset (or the UA D150, which wasn’t open back then) had larger screens. I could go on, but there’s really no point without talking about a specific screen size. Back then, when The Hurley Screen Company moved from Corona, Queens, out to Farmingdale, Mel Hurley and his sister who were friends of mine, made all the custom screens I used in my home screening room. Not only did Hurley make THE BEST SCREENS, they supplied new screens to Radio City Music Hall every six months. If I recall, it was 110 feet wide (I don’t recall whether that was “white area” or “grommet to grommet”). They once gave me a list of a couple of hundred theatre’s screen sizes through out NYC & Long Island from back then. Unfortunately, I believe I gave it along with all my other documents to “The Museum Of The Moving Image” back in 1989 when I moved to Florida.
Your note on the “confusion” with respect to the Bellerose’s address is interesting. When the theatre originally opened, the theatre was considered to be in New York City and a contract was signed with Local 306. The best I can determine (since it was before my time), the IA became involved and the jurisdiction for that theatre was given to Local 640. If it were left up to the U.S. Postal Service and their “ZIP CODES”, all the families in North Shore Towers would have paid no NYC use tax and maybe not even NYC income tax. As we all know, and in the words of Leona Helmsley “Only the little people pay taxes” (I guess that means us….or at least me).
To the projectionists out there. I always maintained that the Bellerose had the largest, if not one of the largest, Cinemascope screens on Long Island because it’s proscenium was almost the entire width of the building, which was a big box. Any feedback?
The only real confusion these days is that the Bellerose theatre which was once in Bellerose is now considered Floral Park because the two block deep section of the village in Nassau County was reassigned to the Floral Park post office. As far as the split street situation, 225th Street was where Jericho Turnpike began on the south side of the avenue. Why 225? Because that’s where Nassau County began. Jericho Turnpike was the northern border of the Nassau County portion of what used to be Bellerose. Jamaica Avenue bordered the Queens County portion which ran to Floral Park just past Little Neck Parkway. When Queens County ceased it all became Jericho Turnpike. I don’t remember the actual street but it’s where the Q36 terminated; the end of Queens County.
Does anyone remember the manager referred to as Mr. D?
rvb and I have been speaking since my post on 9/24/10. We finally visited the theater and toured the neighborhood. I think we both surprised each other with our stories from different decades and eras. I didn’t have much time to be attached to the theater, but I have a great interest in Bellerose Terrace and all of the surrounding areas, from now back to who knows when. If anyone else would like to take a look around, or just talk about recent things, or old history, feel free to write me at or call my cell anytime 917-690-4330. Also, if anyone can get google, etc. to direct people to CT who are searching BT and not necessarily Bellerose Theater, that would be great. Thanks. —apd
apd and I visited the theatre site yesterday. Windows have been added to the second floor where there were indications that they may have previously existed. You enter through the lobby where the original ceiling is still intact, with the addition of a ceiling fan through the center medallion. The floor, which originally had an incline, to the auditorium is now level. The two stores which flanked the lobby are now part of the martial arts complex with entrances through the lobby. The auditorium has been converted into a two story warehouse. Since the owner/manager was not present we were not able to look further than the public space. The employees indicated they had never seen any of the remnants of the original theatre, not even the actual ceilling, which I would have imagined would be visible from the second floor warehouse area.
Hello. I “moved” into Bellerose Terrace in 1983 at the age of 4 and stayed until 18, after which I had periodic stays until now, at 31. I did visit the theater until it closed in ?? I have seen some correct and not so correct comments, but so be it. I would like to welcome any old-timers or anyone to write me at or call 917-690-4330 about any of their old memories or just to reminisce. This unique area shaped the rest of my life, and I had to protect it as it protected me over the years. I hope to have a dialogue with anyone who wants it while I recapture my past in this tiny, yet influential area that nobody else knows about. If you understand, feel free to contact me anytime. Thanks. —apd
Nice to see the image but, unfortunately the marquee had seen better days by then having been hit by a truck and having much of the neon covered over. But what I still long for is a photo of the original marquee. So many of the theatres on CT have them. What surprises me is that so many of them had verticals in the beginning which were long gone before I started getting interested in them. In my youth I only remember verticals on the Fantasy, Floral and Mineola in Nassau and the Valencia, Astoria, Queens and Triboro in Queens.
Hey, Bway and Tinseltoes, thanks for the help. I managed to do it, I think. (waves)
Okay, I know you guys have been waiting, so here I go again. This had better work! I’m tired! :>
I hope you can see it.
I believe it is against the policy of the website to do that, or at least it used to be. In any event, it still has to be hosted elsewhere to be able to post through codes in the website here, such as sites like photobucket, or private sites. You can’t upload directly here.
In order to post a photo here, it has to be uploaded already on some photo software site like photobucket.com. Once you do that, you can put in the link to it. You can’t directly upload them here.
Thanks, rvb. I’ll go look for the picture. My hard drive just had to be replaced so it’s not there anymore.
To change anything at the top you have to go to the About Us/ Contact Us area. If you want a picture in the heading I don’t know how. If you want it in the text area you just right click on the original source and paste it in.
Okay, again, does anyone know how to post a picture to this thread, and how to update the info at the top of the page? Thanks!
Has anyone EVER gone into this store?
rvb, I have nothing on a lower level of the building. The bathrooms I knew were on the second floor, right and left. There is no architect name on the papers. I never saw a staircase leading to a lower level.
Kitnoir – sometime back you indicated you had blueprints for the theatre and would check for the architect’s name. I see no update above. At that time I also asked you to please check and verify that my childhood memories of the original bathrooms being located in the basement with access to the left of the lobby. Were they?
Nice to see a full shot of the theatre with the marquee intact before they modified it and before it was hit several times by trucks. It would be nice, however, to see a picture with the original incandescent lit marquee
TT, what is happening at the Queens and the old Bellerose are two entirely separate actions. I am sorry for having confused the two.
In front of the old Queens, which is under extensive renovation, is a sign containing the name of a church, which could be either the existing occupant of the site or an entirely new one. (The intent of the sign is to show what will be here after the renovations have taken place.) In any event, this site will clearly continue to function as a church after the renovations are complete.
The old Bellerose is, as I noted earlier today, currently functioning as an existing retail karate store about half a mile to the east of the Queens.
I hope this helps to clear this matter up – and, once again, I am sorry for having muddied the waters.
John, both the Queens, adjacent to Springfield Blvd, and the Community, a few blocks further west on Jamaica Av, have functioned as churches for a number of years. The Queens looked far the worst so it’s good that they’re working on it. Also, if you look at the postings for the Queens someone mentioned a while back that they thought the fire escapes were being removed. Inasmuch as the seating capacity of the balcony was probably more than the orchestra I would wonder about the future of the building.
A major mea culpa on my part. Yesterday, I passed by the Bellorose and found that I made a big mistake in my previous post. The Karate store is not only still there but has apparently now opened for retail business. (I think this is a very recent development.)
What I had confused for the Bellerose was a former theater situated far closer to Springfield Blvd. Since I very much try to get things right on this site, I truely regret having provided inaccurate information.
How about slow mail? Call me on my cell and I’ll give my address:
631-655-6222. Also, with the plans of the theatre are you able to confirm my basement bathroom recollection?
I did. I’m sorry you can’t receive it.
Nothing to date. Make sure you use lower case