Levittown Theatre

Thanks for posting that image for me, longsislandmovies… It’s a bitch trying to cover all the theaters listed in those ads I have! That clipping is from Newsday, by the way, dated 10/5/85. Looks like it also gives us a location as “a mile east from Wantagh St. Pkwy”.

Jeez… just look at Demi Moore’s hair in that ad for “St. Elmo’s Fire”! Could it be piled any higher? And how about Rob Lowe’s mullet!!! Hair styles that have gone the way of the single screen nabe!

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In the 1960s and early 1970s, it was across from Mays Dept Store and Key Food Stores on Hempstead Tpke……It had a very small Facade and was on the corner———A Chinese Resturant opened next to it around 1970 or so……..I moved from Levittown to Florida in 1976 and it was still there, however I had not been in the old movie house since the early 1970s——-at that time it was still in pretty decent shape…..Joe From Florida

I’m trying to figure out where this was. Where exactly was this theater in relationship to Tri County flea market and the Nassau Mall? It was on the same side (the north) of Hempstead Tpke, wasn’t it? And was it a free standing twin? So what exactly occupies the site now? And did the new tenants move into to the old theater building or did they raze it and build new? Someone mentioned a carpet store, but I’m not sure if that referred to this theater or the UA Meadowbrook that was also referenced in the thread above.

Lots of questions, I know, but I was just in the area yesterday to visit my cousins who live off of Wantagh Avenue and I think this theater was still around when they first moved into the area about 13 or 14 years ago. There’s a Loew’s Mutliplex now in the Nassau Mall which I’m pretty sure was built within the last decade.

I saw Blue Velvet there….the seediness of the theather actually complmented the movie! You remember….one light in the ceiling working…smelly seats (if u could even find one that was not broken), sticky as hell floors!!!!

Bought my first house in Levittown in 1963 when my First daughter was born(have two)——and Welcome Wagon gave us two tickets to the Levittown Theater—-it was small and we saw “Donovan’s Reef”….Later when I started collecting 16mm, I bought a print of Donovan’s Reef and showed it to my Daughter;s 5th grade class at Wisdom Lane school….I was also the Commisioner of the LMAA Softball League from 1969 until 1975…..I have fond memories of that little Move House and taking my Daughters to Sat Matinees…..Joe From Florida——sasheegm—–

got love this one

that’s really hideous. oh well.
UA wasn’t really the best-run theater chain
in the area, I think Loews is probably the
better company all around (the big Levittown
multiplex over near Nassau Mall was always a good
theater, a bit crazy when something like Close
Encounters was there but always fun, you would see
everyone from school and your neighborhood there for
various big movies, Star Wars was certainly one of those),
or was at one time. I guess Cineplex Odeon has
replaced Loews in this regard but those places are a bit
too sterile, cookie-cutter and antiseptic for my taste.
I used to see a TON of movies in the 70s to late 80s
and most of the major Long Island Nassau County theaters
we would frequent, and the Meadowbrook UA was a major one.
The diner across the street I know is still there, cause
I ate in it not three years ago or less….

oh no! it’s demolished? I have no idea I barely get out
that way anymore, last time I drove down Hempstead Tpke.
it was still there, but this was like 2 years ago or so.
That sucks, that was actually a good theatre…
oh meant to mention highlights of that UA theater
were, for me: Return of the Jedi the day it opened even
though I found it not as great as the first two films;
midnight movies there including Rocky Horror, Pink Floyd:
The Wall and even Blue Velvet later on briefly(!).
I remember looking through the main auditorium door window
at JAWS when it was first out and not being allowed to go see it,
my parents only let me look at it quick through the door window
in that lobby there right off the ticket booth/entrance etc.

i think the closest theater to the Levittown was/is
the UA Meadowbrook/East Meadow just up Hempstead Turnpike and across
the street, a multiplex and it’s still there…I think one of
UA’s local NY offices is right in the building next door to
that theater, or used to be at one time.

The partners who owned it – was it Justin and Nick?

ha indeed, a really scary theater but fun somehow,
and the price was right with the double features on
Saturday. I even saw Hunt for Red October and
A Soldier’s Story here later on in the 80s for peanuts.
I can’t recall now if I actually saw 2001 here..I’m now thinking it was at the Syosset Cinema 150 or a Westbury movie theater
rather than the Levittown Twin…I’ll try to find out for
sure on 2001. I don’t think the Twin was really equipped
for something like 2001, at least in 70mm Cinerama.
If I find out where 2001 was reissued in the 70s when I saw
it I’ll repost here and give the information to all.

This theatre was once owned by two partners who also had The Malverne, Roslyn and Main St. My friend was a manager for them and their personal and business lives could fill a book.