Bay Shore Theatre

I wonder if this was the theatre that was converted to the “HollyRock” nightclub in the mid 90’s. It was amazing what they did with the place. It was an interesting ‘new-life’ for an old theatre. They kept the screen and projection booth and showed films in the day. At night it was a restaurant/nightclub. I never was in the theatre prior though.

According to John Reimnitz the architect that redid the building it was 10,000 sq feet and originally had 300 seats. Unfortunately I do not agree with this info. At 10,000 square feet and the fact the building retained it’s balcony, I would say that the theatre was originally closer 800 seats rather than 300.

Does anyone else remember the Hollyrock club?

JG

If the Regent was XXX and the Bay Shore closed in 1982, then where did I see the movie “Return of the Living Dead” back around 1985? I could swear it was this theater, located on Main Street in Bay Shore on a fairly major intersection. I vaguely recall it being a fairly large theater, but it might have been a twin when I attended. Am I totally off base on this?

Saw Woody Allen’s (miserable) Interiors at this theater.
Also one night arrived to see a new film called Animal House (1978).
As I pulled into the parking lot behind the theater some guys who evidently knew me called my name. My solo moviegoing adventure shattered , I had to wait while they relieved themselves against the concrete wall behind the theater.
Inside the theater I was able to lose them in the crowd and enjoy the movie without my own personal Delta fraternity destroying it with their drunkenness.

You are correct, Bay Shore is incorrect on this listing and the Bay Shore Drive In Theater, both are listed as Bayshore.

Okay, I figured it out. The Bolton Center is the Regent Theater. I will add it as the Bolton Center because that is the name on the marquee when I passen the other day.

The Regent is an open theatre? I cant find it listed on Moviephone?

The audiences of the Bayshore and Patchogue were not solely from the Bayshore and Patchogue areas. In the 1920’s, both were first run exclusive presentation theatres with vaudeville and orchestras. The Bayshore had a stagehouse where the Patchogue had backstage dressing rooms. The population of nearby Brightwaters were famous stars amongst others. They both had the stage and photoplay presentations that were popular in the five Wonder Theatres in New York City. The programs changed weekly. On the north shore, Century’s Huntington held this honor. I don’t believe these theatres had organs except for the Huntington, but I may be wrong.

Yes, the Bolton’s recently modernized the Regent with 290 seats in the stadium style. In hindsight, the Regent should have been the YMCA and the Bayshore should have been saved. But then, Bayshore closed in 1982 and the Regent was thriving as a X-rated house until 1990. Bayshore 1925-1982. Regent 1914-1990. The Regent has just recieved a new ultra sleek marquee and grand opened last month. The Bayshore opened as a Ward & Glynne theatre along with the Patchogue Theatre. Ward & Glynne also ran the Alhambra and Century Theatres in Brooklyn at that time. After the Crash of ‘29, Prudential Theatres
took over the twi L.I. houses. In 1968, United Artists and finally ALMI in 1980 and briefly until it closed Almi-Century and RKO-Century in quick succession. The manager of this theatre had a husband who worked the Bayshore Sunrise Drive-In and a daughter who worked the Lindenhurst Theatre for a while. She also fought to get the building landmarked but was thwarted by United Artists who did not want to. After staying empty for several years, the Bolton’s plan for the Bayshore was to turn it into a YMCA. The theatre was totally gutted and only the ornate indoor box-office was saved to be used at a later date. The orchestra is now a basketball court and an extension to the south side of the building in a small part of the vast parking lot is an indoor pool. It is a nice spic and span facility. The theatre exterior walls, roof and enormous stagehouse are still evident.