Glen Oaks Theater
255-01 Union Turnpike,
Glen Oaks,
NY
11004
255-01 Union Turnpike,
Glen Oaks,
NY
11004
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 94 of 94 comments
My late father was a manager at this theater in the 1960’s. He was also a manager at many other Century theaters until 1986, when he retired after 30 years with the Century chain. I used to go around to all the theaters w/ him when I was off from school, and so I grew up hanging around many of the now demolished theaters he was managing at the time. If anyone has any questions that I know the answer to about this or any other Century theater( 1960’s to 1986), post it, and I would be glad to reply! ( The Glen Oaks had a Mays department store as an anchor store up the street, as well as a candy store next door, as well as a wonderful bakery, cleaners/tailors, and a Hallmark card store up the street…)just thought I would throw that in.Regards
I worked at the Glen Oaks a number of times in the 1960’s. The first time I worked there around 62 or 63 I ran West Side Story. The last time I worked there on Xmas eve 1968 I ran a double feature of Dr. No and From Russia with Love. It was sad to see it close since it had a clean modern projection booth. The Glen Oaks never did make to being converted to xenon lamps, they still had Peerless Magnarcs when they closed.
One of the other sites, West Islip Twin, mentioned entering via a turnstile. That was also the case here. As far as the “A” in the address is concerned that is because the theatre was added to the existing group of stores, considerably after the fact.
As part of it’s attempt to operate theatres north of the Jamaica Av/ Jericho Tpk corridor Century had plans to build a free standing theatre on the north side of Hillside Av in Bellerose, Queens. I remember the bulletin board they erected which said “On this site will be built another link in the chain of Century theatres.” But that never happened when the theatre business went sour. I wonder if actual plans for this theatre were ever drawn up?
And what ever happened to all the Century ephemera? One of the sites on one of their Brooklyn theatres mentions a montage of all the marques of the Brooklyn theatres. Somewhere I have a couple of the theatre programs they mailed to your home.
I may be wrong but I believe my father took me to the opening double-bill, “3 Worlds of Gulliver” + “Stop Look and Laugh” – I seem to recall the grand opening spotlights.
Also saw the original “Batman” black and white serials on two successive snowy Saturday afternoons. Talk about getting corns on your backside.
Somehow also remember 25 cents with G.O. Card(?)
Warren… did Cue list the 42nd Street and other nabe grinders? My parents subscribed to Cue when I was just barely a teen and I used to love pouring through their movie listings for interesting films to go see. I remember being very sad when Cue was absorbed by New York (was that around 1980 or so?) and sadder still as Cue’s movie listing features were truncated over the years.
Nearly a year after its initial release, Peter Seller’s critically lauded performance in “Being There” was still being enjoyed in theaters (probably on third run re-release). The Glen Oaks shared Queens exclusivity with the Coninental in Forest Hills.
Daily News 12/9/80
Less than two years later, the exploitative Morgan Fairchild opus “The Seduction” was booked here and at other nabes:
NY Post 3/9/82
The ad for “The Seduction” in the upper left corner of the image advertises only the single feature, but most theaters – including the Glen Oaks – paired it up with the grind house horror flick “Evilspeak” that gave Ron’s brother Clint Howard (a perennial supporting player) the chance at a leading role. At this time, the circuit was RKO Century’s.
A 60’s showcase run
View link
Here is a new link to the recent photos I posted in December. The old links no longer work.
I remember that the Glen Oaks was where I first experienced the horror of “Alien” in 1979.
I never went to this theater, but I pass it on the way to work every day and grabbed a few exterior shots one morning last week:
View link
View link
View link
The interior of the Eckerd is all drop ceiling, so not sure if anything remains of the original interior above that or if it was gutted to the bare bricks. The upper facade of this entire shopping center (which runs from this corner at 255th Street all the way to 260th Street) was re-clad in that buff colored molding with green accents and awnings, so I imagine it looks quite different now from its theatrical days. However, the dimpled side and rear walls of the theater space look like they are original and I wonder if that is an original flat marquee (now advertising Eckerd) on the upper left wall in that rear building shot.
Thanks Warren… The ad is a little fuzzy and it might actually read “64th” which would make sense being near Lincoln Center.
On enlarging the ads… From home on my Mac, the images open up quite large, but on my Windows XP computer in the office they tend to open at a much smaller resolution. If you hover your mouse cursor over the image and you have Windows XP on your computer, you should see a small box with arrows pointing out from each corner appear in the lower right portion of the image. If you click on this, the image will enlarge to its full size. Clicking on the same box (which should now have those arrows pointing inward from each corner) will reduce the size back again.
Thanks Warren… The ad is a little fuzzy and it might actually read “64th” which would make sense being near Lincoln Center.
On enlarging the ads… From home on my Mac, the images open up quite large, but on my Windows XP computer in the office they tend to open at a much smaller resolution. If you hover your mouse cursor over the image and you have Windows XP on your computer, you should see a small box with arrows pointing out from each corner appear in the lower right portion of the image. If you click on this, the image will enlarge to its full size. Clicking on the same box (which should now have those arrows pointing inward from each corner) will reduce the size back again.
Regarding that last ad… what exactly was the “Cinema Studio” at B'way and 44th Street in Manhattan? No listing here under former or current names. Was this a retail space that had been converted to movie theater for a while? Perhaps on the block where the office building containing the National Theater would be built a year or two down the road?
A Disney double bill in 1971
View link
In the late 60’s and early 70’s MGM re-released everything in it’s library that would make suitable family matinees. Some classics like “Wizard of Oz”, “Lassie Come Home” and “The Yearling” and some lesser things like this and “Brothers Grimm"
View link
You’re right Warren, the spelling is Glen Oaks with a single “n”. Which is why I spelled it that way in my posting. :–)
Are you from that area Warren?
I remember this theatre very well. When I was growing up in Bellerose in the late 40’s – early 60’s there were constant complaints by the neighbours that there were no local movie theatres for us to go to. We either had to take two busses to get to the Queens theatre on Jamaica Avenue, or be driven to theatres in other surrounding areas.
Finally, in the early 60’s Century built the add-on to an already existing shopping plaza and opened the Glen Oaks Theatre. It was, one floor, seating about I would guess, 200 people. The ironic part of the whole story is that this theatre, that was craved for by the people in the area was only sparsly attended at best. I was not surprised to discover many years later that it was turned into a pharmacy.
The old adage of “be careful what you ask for…..” is true. We asked for a theatre; got one; then stayed away. :–)
I liked this house alot, it was very comfortable. It looked alot like The Whitman inside, with the tragedy and comedy masks.