Plaza Theatre
393 East Main Street,
Patchogue,
NY
11772
393 East Main Street,
Patchogue,
NY
11772
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 101 - 125 of 202 comments
Oh somebody asked what the name of the 5 & 10 Cent Store was (across from the Patchogue Theatre). It was a Woolworth’s (soon to become Patchogue Stationery).
The Rialto Theatre burned down in the winter of 1978. The film that was screening there at the time was “Sat. Night Fever”. Truly the end of an era in Patchogue lore! I remember Bette Davis making an appearance there in 1964 for one of those awful low-budget horror movies she resorted to later in life. I know longer live in the area but visit family 2x a year. The Plaza is a constant eyesore. If you ask me, it is too much on the “outskirts” of town which probably lent to its downfall. I don’t see much of a prospect for renewal; it’s unsafe and an eyesore and needs to be razed.
Regarding the usher at the Patchogue Theatre w. the dark, slick-backed hair (remember the white gloves?) – his name was Charles Fezler. He passed away in the early 1990’s and there was a plaque in his honor placed in front of the Patchogue Theatre. I believe it’s still there. And yes, after the theatre closed, you could still see him standing inside; poor guy, that was his life.
As for the Plaza, the last film I saw there was “Back To The Future” in the summer of 1985. My brother used to be an usher there and could recite the dialogue from “Midnight Cowboy” verbatim!
Check this out:
www.PlazaMAC.org
Yes, they are reconstructing the cross streets there.
This image appeared in the Long Island Advance a couple weeks ago:
Click here for photo
And as of March 3, 2010, it still stands as a blot on the community. They’re reconstructing the road around this eyesore.
The Plaza was opened by Associated Independent Theatres. Early reports of plans for the house in various issues of Boxoffice in the summer of 1961 said that it was to be a large theater, seating 2,200 but, judging from the photos linked in comments above, the project appears to have been downsized considerably.
A September 17, 1962, Boxoffice item refereed to it as “…the luxurious new Plaza Art Theatre, which has been operating only four months since its completion by Associated Independent Theatres.”
Boxoffice of December, 1981, reported that the Plaza was being converted to a twin.
A lot of people have been shouting about tearing down the Plaza Theatre. The character of Patchogue has been held hostage by an absentee landlord for over two decades. It is high time to seize this theatre through Eminent Domain. But to demolish it? Would you kill the character of a village in order to save it? It is structurally sound. I say seize it, charge the owner to empty it completely and then refurbish it, make a one hundred year old dream of film in Patchogue (there’s a history of four other film houses in this village going back to 1895), and making it a reality that reaches far into the future for everyone on Long Island. Here’s the idea. (If inerested, please contact me immediately, as we are currently in discussion with developers)
WHAT WOULD GO INSIDE A PLAZA THEATRE MEDIA ART CENTER (MAC)? THAT WOULD NOT COMPETE WITH THE PATCHOGUE THEATER, BUT COMPLIMENT IT.
1) A MEDIA LEARNING CENTER with multiple facilities where all ages could come to learn the latest in media technology
1. films and video production facilities complete with the latest cutting edge software/hardware, for rent, for checking out, for in house use by the hour
2. a music recording studio
3. computer center to learn everything from web design to presentations, to the latest software, social and work netting
4. classes in handheld technologies from cell phone to video, how to use twitter, flikr, create Facebook, Linked in, Myspace
5. creating family albums and home videos
6. presentations, family albums, family videos, you name it.
7. For a model check out www.burnsfilmcenter.org Look at the education programs they offer to ALL AGES.
2) A SCREENING ROOM for screening films directly out of the Huntington Cinema Art Center. They have an 8000 subscribed member audience that shows up regularly for films you can’t find in the big multi-plex cinemas. They have expressed interest in extending screenings of their select films on a screen in our MAC in order to expand their audience to the south shore. Whatever they’re screening on the North Shore, now gets screened in our neighborhood. www.cinemaartscentre.org/
We would also screen films and videos on special evenings created by our own members in the Learning Center.
3) AN INTERNET CAFE where people of all ages could come for a warm beverage and some time on the internet , have meetings, discussions, hang out. A great place for our youths, businesses and community members to meet and greet and work.
4) A STAGE for live musicians to test out their music talents on local audiences in an open mic kind of venue. Think ALIVE AFTER FIVE atmosphere. Check out www.arlenesgrocery.net/main.html
5) OFFICE SPACES FOR FILM AND MEDIA COMPANIES
WHAT KINDS OF BUSINESSES WOULD A MAC DRAW TO ITS IMMEDIATE LOCATION?
1) COMPUTER STORES (APPLE or COMP-USA, or others)
2) BOOK STORES (BORDERS or BARNES AND NOBLE or others)
3) FILM AND VIDEO EQUIPMENT STORES, CAMERA STORES , PRODUCTION SUPPLY AND RENTAL STORES (like B & H)
4) RESTAURANTS, BARS, SPECIALTY FOOD STORES
5) VARIOUS STORES WITH MEDIA INTERESTED CLIENTS WHO ARE HANGING OUT WHILE RELATIVES TAKE CLASSES
WHAT KINDS OF PEOPLE WOULD A MAC DRAW TO THE AREA LOOKING INTO OUR BACK YARDS?
1) FAMILIES FROM OVER AN HOUR AWAY LOOKING FOR A FUN WAY TO CATCH UP ON THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY THROUGH FAMILY PROGRAMS, CLASSES AND EVENTS.
2) ALL AGES INTERESTED IN THE LATEST MEDIA TECHNOLOGY, FROM VIDEO PROGRAMMING, HOME MOVIES, WEB DESIGN, TO PROFESSIONAL COMMERCIALS AND INDUSTRIAL FILMS.
3) TRAINING CENTER FOR THOSE SEEKING CAREERS IN MEDIA PRODUCTION, COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, FILM, TELEVISION, RADIO BROADCASTING.
4) SPECIAL FILM AUDIENCES LIKE THE 8000 MEMBERS WHO GO TO THE HUNTINGTON CINEMA ART CENTER.
5) FILMMAKERS LOOKING FOR RENTAL EQUIPMENT AND/OR CREW TO MAKE A FILM OR VIDEO ON LONG ISLAND.
6) MUSICIANS SEEKING PRODUCTION OF THEIR FIRST CD.
7) MUSICIANS, NEW BANDS, LOOKING FOR AN INFORMAL CHANCE TO SHOW THEIR STUFF ON AN OPEN MIC TO A LARGE AUDIENCE (“ALIVE AFER FIVE†STYLE OR LIKE ARLENE’S GROCERY IN SOHO)
UGH. The one thing I hate about too many of the picture links is shots like this. The trashed marquee. The boarded up facade, etc. etc..How did it get so trashed? There are other theatres that closed that have remained fairly pristine.
The place is completely trashed inside. I don’t know what if anything remains.
Check out this link, and these photos were probably taken in the very early 2000’s, and it surely didn’t get better since then….
View link
What are the chances of getting inside before they do and, possibly, getting some memorabilia?
The people of Patchogue have gotten their wish. This theatre is soon slated to be torn down.
The community has been trying to get rid of it for years but the owner keeps it as some sort of tax hedge.
I drove by this morning and there is a huge banner across the front of the building:
“THE PLAZA HAS GOT TO GO!!!”
Went by here the other day on a bicycle trip from Fire Island. The old script blue logo was a cool throwback and it’s on the east side of Main street before the center of town and it’s not the best looking building on that great street. It’s dirty, falling apart and generally not pleasant on the eyes. I have some pics and there’s a sign on it by a neighborhood group calling for its demolition.
Just came upon something in an old Port Jefferson Record. The opening date for the Plaza was April 24, 1962. And this for Allie Fox re a 2005 posting the theatre near, as in across Montauk Highway (aka Main Street), from the lace mill was the Grenada which was idle for many years before being demolished.
It’s a shame it’s come to be the eyesore that it is. When it first opened the ads read “Showplace of Long Island”.
I could have sworn I saw “Godzilla 1985” there, which opened in the US on August 23rd, 1985.
Here’s the newsday article on the Plaza:
View link
I saw Ghostbusters there, and that movie was out in 1984, so it “had” to still be open in 1984. I don’t know if that was spring, summer, or fall of 1984, but in any event, it had to be within it’s last year of operation.
I don’t remember it so much. I remember it split up into two theaters at least, as it had a different wall on one side. I saw Ghostbusters in the left had (if facing the screen) orchestra theater. My confusion must be that it had a balcony level that I thought was split in two, which it may not have, I don’t remember.
The theater closed no later than 84 …I thought in 83 but not sure…
This theater was never a 4 plex ..
No, it was never used for anything else after it closed to movies. When they turned out the lights on the movies and closed the doors, it sat their empty ever since, and at this poing it’s in complete shambles.
To see how bad the inside is, see the link in the second comment above, and even those photos were taken some years ago!
Actually, thats what it looks like now, almost 25 years later, except picture 25 years of shambles thrown on it…and pigeons, and absolutely no maintenance.
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.