I don’t even know if it should say “retail” as this theater’s function, as it most definitely was demolished. It appears to currently be a condo or apartment building, and doesn’t even appear to be retail on the first floor. Compare to the photo alalvarez posted on april 13th, which still has “Einstein Bros” on the building next door. Here’s a google street view:
ALl what remains of this theater is it’s sign out front. Hard to believe it’s gone, it was such a “state of the art” place when I first saw Rainman there in 1987. Of course, that was before stadium seating became popular.
I don’t know what the current owners paid for the theater, but the theater was deliberately attacked with holes punched in the roof to quickly destroy the place so there was no hope it would be saved. Has anything been built in it’s place?
Anyway, here a 1967 photo of the Commodore in it’s happier days:
The exterior of this theater has been recently cleaned up. I wonder what it used to look like though, as the “modern” stucco certainly wasn’t it’s original surface. I have never seen an old photo of the Rivoli.
I always felt “sorry” for this theater when I would walk by and see it’s marquee with porn on it. The actual building had a lot of character on the outside, and it seemed a shame it was used for porn. Although now even worse, it’s a pile of rubble.
Yes. I didn’t realize the old marquee was under there. It wasn’t until the movie company that was filming a movie there in the 2000’s wanted an old look, and removed the aluminum, and to everyone’s surprise the original, and intact marquee was still under there. The marquee was then at least cosmetically restored, and remained as the Bingo hall sign until the new current owner so uncerimoniously destroyed the RKO Keiths lettering.
As for the 1960’s image of the marquee, I only vaguelly remember it from the 70’s before it was removed, and don’t remember it being that colorful. The Madison really did have one of those absolute classic cinema marquees didn’t it, and this color photo really brings that out.
The crowd out front is also amazing. Hard to believe that just 10 years later it was closed. My father often mentioned huge crowds out front in the 50’s and 60’s when movie stars would come make appearances at the Madison promoting their movies.
WOW. That’s all I have to say. While the 1986 photo is sad, it gave me chills seeing it again, as I remember walking past there all the time when i was a teenager at that time, and that is EXACLY how I remember it….with the Woolworth still next door, the Carvel, and yes, of course, Odd Lot. Panzer, I agree, from my memory, the auditorium of the Madison was still somewhat intact when that photo was taken. I do remember the Odd Lot, and the outer and inner lobbies were already ripped up, and used as the store, and perhaps part of the auditorium, but there was a fake wall through the building, and I think they still used the auditorium for storage. The store probably only occupied the part of the auditorium under the balcony, and the inner and outer lobbies.
It was about 3 or 4 years later, when Odd Lot closed, that the theater was destroyed when the new owners that got it ready for the Busy Bee Flea Market Compartment stores destroyed the place. When it was Odd Lot, I also still remember the floor somewhat sloping. That wasn’t leveled until about 1989 or 1990 either.
WOW!!! That’s how I remember it from the 80’s. The last movie I saw there was Ghostbusters, and by then it was a 4plex. Some difference from today, the place is almost in shambles in front now.
My goodness, I never realized that the Gates went to porn before closing!! Thanks so much for posting that photo. AT the time, the Pilgrim Church was about to move into the RKO Bushwick Theater, and then when the Gates became available some time afterwords, moved into the Gates.
Some change that was….from porn to a church.
Today the Gates is beautifully restored, and used for the Pilgrim Church.
Thank you Lost, that’s how i rememeber the Keiths when i first set foot into it, and that is actually the theater that began my interest in theaters, as once inside, it was like a diamond in the rough, and I was hooked…..
Thanks Lost. I have to agree. The place really looked beautiful near it’s cinema end in the late 60’s, with it’s marquee all lit up. A sharp comparisan to 15-20 years later when it began it’s fall into shambles. In the mid 80’s, the place still didn’t look “that bad”, at least not as bad as I remember it 10 years later in the mid 90’s when it was in complete and utter shambles.
Today it looks good again, although sad it was gutted inside.
Here’s a google street view of the Major Theater. It’s marquee still up:
View link
Was the Drake closed by 1987? It apperars there’s nothing on the Marquee.
I don’t even know if it should say “retail” as this theater’s function, as it most definitely was demolished. It appears to currently be a condo or apartment building, and doesn’t even appear to be retail on the first floor. Compare to the photo alalvarez posted on april 13th, which still has “Einstein Bros” on the building next door. Here’s a google street view:
View link
ALl what remains of this theater is it’s sign out front. Hard to believe it’s gone, it was such a “state of the art” place when I first saw Rainman there in 1987. Of course, that was before stadium seating became popular.
The Island De Lux seems to still be going strong, and now especially so now that even the Patchogue Multiplex is gone.
I don’t know what the current owners paid for the theater, but the theater was deliberately attacked with holes punched in the roof to quickly destroy the place so there was no hope it would be saved. Has anything been built in it’s place?
Anyway, here a 1967 photo of the Commodore in it’s happier days:
View link
The exterior of this theater has been recently cleaned up. I wonder what it used to look like though, as the “modern” stucco certainly wasn’t it’s original surface. I have never seen an old photo of the Rivoli.
I always felt “sorry” for this theater when I would walk by and see it’s marquee with porn on it. The actual building had a lot of character on the outside, and it seemed a shame it was used for porn. Although now even worse, it’s a pile of rubble.
What a shame the Marboro is now just a vacant lot awaiting it’s new purpose. Sad.
Obviously it was already closed to movies by 1987?
Did it go to chinese cinema after 1978?
I didn’t realize this was Patchogue’s first theater.
I wonder what ever happened to the organ when the theater closed.
Al, I think you lined the wrong image, that’s an image of the Gotham Theater.
Lost, we should have saved those images while they were active. Oh well….
Just posting to renew the email notifications.
Yes. I didn’t realize the old marquee was under there. It wasn’t until the movie company that was filming a movie there in the 2000’s wanted an old look, and removed the aluminum, and to everyone’s surprise the original, and intact marquee was still under there. The marquee was then at least cosmetically restored, and remained as the Bingo hall sign until the new current owner so uncerimoniously destroyed the RKO Keiths lettering.
As for the 1960’s image of the marquee, I only vaguelly remember it from the 70’s before it was removed, and don’t remember it being that colorful. The Madison really did have one of those absolute classic cinema marquees didn’t it, and this color photo really brings that out.
The crowd out front is also amazing. Hard to believe that just 10 years later it was closed. My father often mentioned huge crowds out front in the 50’s and 60’s when movie stars would come make appearances at the Madison promoting their movies.
WOW. That’s all I have to say. While the 1986 photo is sad, it gave me chills seeing it again, as I remember walking past there all the time when i was a teenager at that time, and that is EXACLY how I remember it….with the Woolworth still next door, the Carvel, and yes, of course, Odd Lot. Panzer, I agree, from my memory, the auditorium of the Madison was still somewhat intact when that photo was taken. I do remember the Odd Lot, and the outer and inner lobbies were already ripped up, and used as the store, and perhaps part of the auditorium, but there was a fake wall through the building, and I think they still used the auditorium for storage. The store probably only occupied the part of the auditorium under the balcony, and the inner and outer lobbies.
It was about 3 or 4 years later, when Odd Lot closed, that the theater was destroyed when the new owners that got it ready for the Busy Bee Flea Market Compartment stores destroyed the place. When it was Odd Lot, I also still remember the floor somewhat sloping. That wasn’t leveled until about 1989 or 1990 either.
The place looks like it was abandoned at the time of that photo….whenever it was.
WOW!!! That’s how I remember it from the 80’s. The last movie I saw there was Ghostbusters, and by then it was a 4plex. Some difference from today, the place is almost in shambles in front now.
Thanks Bryan, the place looks better than it had been looking.
My goodness, I never realized that the Gates went to porn before closing!! Thanks so much for posting that photo. AT the time, the Pilgrim Church was about to move into the RKO Bushwick Theater, and then when the Gates became available some time afterwords, moved into the Gates.
Some change that was….from porn to a church.
Today the Gates is beautifully restored, and used for the Pilgrim Church.
Thank you Lost, that’s how i rememeber the Keiths when i first set foot into it, and that is actually the theater that began my interest in theaters, as once inside, it was like a diamond in the rough, and I was hooked…..
Thanks Lost. I have to agree. The place really looked beautiful near it’s cinema end in the late 60’s, with it’s marquee all lit up. A sharp comparisan to 15-20 years later when it began it’s fall into shambles. In the mid 80’s, the place still didn’t look “that bad”, at least not as bad as I remember it 10 years later in the mid 90’s when it was in complete and utter shambles.
Today it looks good again, although sad it was gutted inside.