Argyle Theatre
34 W. Main Street,
Babylon,
NY
11702
34 W. Main Street,
Babylon,
NY
11702
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 149 comments
Johnny was a drive in icon…aka “JOHNNY ALL WEATHER” IN- DOOR/OUT-DOOR THEATRE’S …When they started same movie played in side and out side…
wally75 can you help us with The Prudential elf “Johnny”?
Does anybody remember in the mid 60’s at the height of the Batman craze on TV, they re-released a feature version of the 1940’s Batman serial.In the city they showed it in the evenings,at Babylon theater they showed it as a matinee.On a different subject I read some of you guys old comments.I’m a real green horn when it comes to theater history,I have some questions about projectionists;if anybody could humor me.
Paul, I see what you mean. I have no explanation.
Hello Mike(saps)I’ve learned from robboehm that I’m more of a Prudential generation than a United Arists theater generation. Maybe the master can learn a little from the grasshopper too.My specialties is old movies.
Welcome to the club. Just stay calm and all may (or may not) be revealed…
robboehm,also go to Copaigue page look at the photo page . First photo advertisement for Prudential Drive-In Johnny All Weather.I’m learning things from looking at the pages of this web site.
Hello again robboehm, take a look at North Babylon twin page.At the top page is an advertisement for local Prudential theaters.It shows The Valley of the Dolls playing at the Babylon theater. On the advertisement next to were says Prudential, is a elf cartoon character on his hat it says the name Johnny.
Paul, the reality is that Prudential was one of three chains in the Metropolitan New York area owned by one company which, I believe, had the word Metropolitan therein. The others were Randforce and Interboro. I found a reference that UA purchased Prudential, and, presumably the other two, in 1968.
Never knew Prudential to have a logo. Never saw one in its ads or in the weekly guide for it’s theaters that was available.
Only knew the Johnny elf for the All Weather Drive In in Copaigue. Why Johnny? Beats me.
Hello robboehm,can you tell me when Prudential and United Artists began and ended at the Babylon theater?Also can you tell me the sybol or trade mark of Prudential theaters?Was it an elf like being named"Johnny",hence Johnny All Weather-Drive-In’s etc?I think I remember the symol on glass doors and glass partitions at the theater. Thank you.
I’m enjoying all the new photos everybody has been contributing,don’t stop and share your memories too.
robboehn I would like to meet you when they have the re-opening of this theater.I don’t know as much as anything as You know about cinema theater history,but I think I know about at least a percentage of all movie history You know.
My first two James bond movies i saw in a double feature “From Russia with Love"and "Dr.No” here .You can’t go wrong with a team like Sean Connery,Terence Young director,John Barry score,and a Saltzman&Broccoli production. The sound was great with out Dolby digital.
Show must go on soon..Thanks
There is now a building permit on the window and a Winter Brothers dumpster in the alley.
My family never looked at the movie listings,it would be just"Lets go to the movies".We would see"What-Ever"they were showing at our local Babylon village theater.I was taken at a very early age to see movies I couldn’t understand let alone pay attention to.I was taken to see movies “Psycho”,Marlon Brando in"Mutiny on the Bounty"and Alan Ladd’s last movie"The Carpet baggers".A couple of years later I would be able to appreciate movies like"Lord JIM"and"A Man for All Seasons",between Elvis,Jerry Lewis,James Bond,Steve Mcqueen and Peter Sellers.I keeped a log of all the movies I saw at the Babylon theater,until I moved away and started hanging out with the"Bad Boys" that went to the Uniondale Mini Cinema.
I posted two movie ads in the Photos section, but not one with any theaters listed :(
MIKE(SAPS)THANKS FOR SHOWING THIS.I WRONG IN SAYING IT WAS A CINERAMA EDITION.I SAW THE NON-CINERAMA EDITION,I KNOW THEY MADE A 2001 CINERAMA EDITION-BABYLON THEATER SHOWED THE NON-CINERAMA EDITION FOR BOTH.ROBBOEHM PLEASE FOR GIVE ME, I RESPECT YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
Where did you post it Mike (saps) I worked there in 1997-99 when they released the Star Wars Special Editions. It was great fun!
I posted two ads for The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm in the Photos section, one for the Cinerama run and one for the neighborhood non-Cinerama run…
paul, I’m familiar with the Cinerama concept but I doubt whether they would have retrofitted the Babylon for Cinerama. After the roadshow presentation a regular print was released in theaters. I actually captured the image of an ad for the popular release from Google. If I had the techie smarts I could have provided a link here. This is probably what you saw. It’s also been shown on TCM and is available on DVD.
WALLY 75,MY MOTHER WENT TO SCHOOL WITH THE OWNER OF WALDMAN’S WIFE,AND I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH THERE SON BUT HAVE LOST CONTACT.
ROBBOEHM,GEORGE PAL’S"THE WOUNDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM" WAS MADE IN CINERAMA,I MAY BE WRONG THAT IT WAS SHOWN IN THAT FORMAT AT THE BABYLON THEATER.IT TAKES THREE PROJECTORS SHOWING AT ONE SCREEN AT THE SAME TIME TO MAKE THE CINERAMA EFFECT.LOOK IT UP ON LINE,BUT I DID SEE THE MOVIE AT THE BABYLON THEATER.
WALLY 75 DID YOU KNOW USHERS PAT- O'SHAUNESSEY(O'FARREL)?,KEVIN BARRY,JIMMY QUINN.SOMETIMES THEY WOULD GET ME AND PAT’S YOUNGER BROTHER “SEAN"IN FOR FREE.
Never did Cinerama.