UA Lynbrook 6
321 Merrick Road,
Lynbrook,
NY
11563
321 Merrick Road,
Lynbrook,
NY
11563
13 people
favorited this theater
Showing 101 - 125 of 207 comments
The demolition of the Lynbrook is not a new idea. UA had planned on doing it but had a problem getting the tenants out. Apparently they are still there after all these years. Maybe that’s why they let the place go, ha, ha.
I saw “Straw Dogs” in theatre3. It was Sony 4K Digital Projection but only sound in the front. Theatres 3 and 4 don’t have surround sound and if you see Real 3D, don’t go to screen 4. You pay an extra $4. and no surround sound.
The door to nowhere seems to be a typical feature of the former fly space on many old movie & stage houses – and, evidently, the Lynbrook is no exception.
Here’s an article from a local Five Towns online news site regarding the plans for the Lynbrook. This one has a quote from a Regal Cinemas representative and seems to strongly suggest that this will be a complete knock down and build from the ground up project. Too bad. Still… no official word on any deal being finalized.
Love how the article notes the Lynbrook is the closest movie theater to Five Towns. I can remember when you had theaters in Cedarhurst, Hewlett, Woodmere and Lawrence. Never went to the Central Theater in Cedarhurst or the Hewlett Theater, but used to see late-run movies at discount prices at the Five Towns Theater in Woodmere and remember seeing several first run flicks at the RKO Twin in Lawrence.
Those were good times, Bloop. Part of the reason I love this site so much is that it brings up all these great memories when life was a lot simpler! Meanwhile, 7 years after the idea of knocking this theater down was first mentioned at the top of the page by Meredith Rhule, the Lynbrook still stands! Of course, it looks as though we may actually be getting close to seeing some sort of action on replacing or rebuilding the theater, now that the Village’s new administration seems to have reached an agreement with Regal.
Here’s another memory of the Lynbrook: I saw Speilberg’s “1941” here TWICE in December of 1979. It played in what is now theater #1, left side downstairs room. Since at the time my friends and I had to take a bus to get to the Lynbrook, we came in late for the movie – the scene where John Belushi is lost, flying his plane over the Grand Canyon and struggling with his map in the cockpit. We stayed for the next showing until the movie reached the point we had first come in. About a week or two later, we came back to see it again, once again running late and once again walking in at the EXACT SAME MOMENT! Finally saw “1941” in its proper order from opening title to closing credits in January of 1980 at the Rivoli Theater in Times Square. The funny thing there is how it parallels my initial abortive attempt to watch “Dawn of the Dead” at the Lynbrook (and getting thrown out of the theater in the process) and then finally catching that movie in its entirety at the very same Rivoli Theater a few weeks later!
And if I may induldge some further free association, there used to be a TV & appliance store called Rivoli on Merrick Rd in Valley Stream, on the corner of Central Avenue where a TD Bank now stands. It was an old fashioned store with TV’s in the display window that were left running. I remember passing it the time that my buddies and I missed the last bus from the Lynbrook back to Queens and had to walk all the way home. Tongues were dragging by the time we hit Central Ave that night!
“Dawn of the Dead” was released May 1979 by the way.
Ed Solero! Thank you for those “Dawn of the Dead” stories! I first saw it at the Commack Drive in, and it was the only time that I went back and the same movie the following week! It’s one of my all time favorites. Ever better story; one of my best friends lives in Massapequa and saw “Dawn…” at the Sunrise Mall! At the time, the Sunrise Mall looked very similar to the “Dawn of the Dead” mall—ironic to say the least.
The only movie I saw at the Lynbrook before it was first chopped up was “Le Mans”. Even in my memory today, I don’t recall seeing anything else so big that it overshadows all my other pre-multiplex days of the Lynbrook! (I saw dozens since it went to a twin, then a quad, but have never been back there since.)
The theatre definately needs to be rebuild or similar to the Midway. The current seats are their from the late 70’s when I was going to grade school. The upstairs theatres are NOT ADA and even with Sony 4K, is their Dolby Digital Surround Sound. I saw no side speakers in 3 and 4 has REAL 3D. I would hate to pay entra for 3D and get no digital surround sound.
The project was in the talk to rebuild at the same time Sheepshead Bay got rebuilt. This was in the talk when United Artists was running the theatre.
Sadly, National Amusements is only going to put SONY 4K Digital in the Sunrise in Valley Stream and let the Green Acres run on a 1990 film projection, Dolby Stereo, NO DIGITAL SOUND
It’s been so long since I’ve been regularly posting, I’ve forgotten how to add links or pictures here! However, I read two articles today that discuss future plans for this site – one an interview from December 20th with outgoing Lynbrook Mayor Brian Curran, the other an article in the current Lynbrook/East Rockaway Herald that quotes the new Mayor, William Hendrick. Mayor Hendrick noted the theater as one of three areas of revitalization for the village that loom large on his agenda. No further details were provided, but the interview with Mayor Curran (now State Assemblyman Curran) notes that there is a commitment on Regal’s behalf to essentially knock down the old theater and build a new one with parking facilities. He compared the scenario to that of the Fantasy Theatre in Rockville Centre. With no other details offered, I’m not sure if that means the old Lynbrook Theatre will definitely be knocked down and replaced or it it will be gutted to its outer walls and remodeled, like the Fantasy was. I’d really hate to see the handsome facade go… Even with a gutted theater, at least the preserved exterior would serve as a deserving nod to the history of this old gal.
From the early 1920s a postcard view of the Lynbrook Theater in Lynbrook NY.
I can’t beleive all six screens has Sony Digital Projection and Dolby Digital. Screens 3 and 4 has been MONO for years. Regal wanted to rebuild the location. Is it true the upstairs screens are now better auditoriums
Some pretty good stories on what sounds to be a dying theatre.
What’s happening with this theater? I grew up on LI and now live in NJ and I thought I read that this theater was going to be redone. Is that still planned? This theater is in a good location.
As one of your staff members for about six months in 1986, I will happily accept your kind compliments! The staff WAS awesome, and even at $3.35/hr, I still fondly think of it as my favorite job ever — lovely brown polyester uniforms notwithstanding. :o) And you’re right — Midnight Madness was just the best!
Thanks RobertR… those 1986 shots – though maybe 2 or 3 years after I was a regular here – depict the marquee and storefronts as I remember them.
As a Quad
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In its heyday
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I managed the Lynbrook when it was a quartet in the mid-80’s. It was one of the very few UA theatres that had matinees during the week. There was talk of adding screens in 1986 and I remember Salah coming down one day with the mayor to look around. I faced Salah’s wrath afterwards due to a popcorn kernel still in the bin from the night before. One of my best memories was having Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight on the weekends upstairs next to the office. What a blast. This was a fun theatre to work and the staff was great.
Behind those two shiny windows on the left is screen no. 6.
(The other screens are two on the orchestra level, two in the balcony and one on the former stage.)
zzzzzzz
Well i went and saw Jumper on 2/20 heating and A.C. both worked.
The fantasy playhouse is part of the theater right?
Also, REGAL spent money on refurbishing E-Walk which is only 8 years old but don’t spend a cent on Lynbrook
Heat is working except for Theatre 5 and the Men’s Bathroom.
The bathroom is a icebox.
STILL AS OF TODAY, STILL NO HEAT!!!