Central Triplex

449 Central Avenue,
Cedarhurst, NY 11516

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: B.S. Moss Enterprises

Functions: Office Space, Retail

Previous Names: Central Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Central Theatre, Cedarhurst, NY - c. 1953

Opened by 1923, the Central Theatre was a large single screen theatre located right in the middle of the shopping district on Central Avenue in Cedarhurst, Long Island. The theatre had a nice balcony and the most comfortable seats. They were large, plush rocking chair types. It was equipped with a Moeller 3 manual organ.

The theatre in the late-1970’s was very well maintained and “modern” looking. It blended in very well with the upscale nature of the neighborhood (lots of glass, marble and brass fixtures). It was damaged by a fire, reopening on September 29, 1978.

I went there in the late-1970’s to see only two movies: “The Deep” and “Grease”. On June 27, 1980 it was converted into a triple screen theatre. The theatre was closed on September 9, 1982 and by the late-1980’s the space had been converted into retail.

Contributed by Chris Connoll

Recent comments (view all 14 comments)

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on September 6, 2007 at 1:54 pm

Hi Gary. Yup, I recognize your comments from the Ziegfeld page as well. I’ve bemoaned the present condition of the Lynbrook over on its CT page, particularly after having recently given it another couple of visits in the last month or so. Never been to the Malverne.

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan on September 6, 2007 at 9:49 pm

Ed:

Let’s connect at some point, since I live over in Woodmere. White Castle is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Just came from Moving Image in Astoria, a place I love and support. There was a preview of the new “3:10 to Yuma”-FABULOUS.
Go see it tomorrow!!!

The Malverne gives new meaning to “glued to your seats.”

Best,

Gary

stoneyron
stoneyron on December 30, 2010 at 4:01 pm

The Central Theater was the most beautiful Theater I had ever seen in my 35 years of working in the movie business,I had the pleasure of working there first as an usher in 1970 and then as a projectionist in 1973, I was so sad to see they closed such a beautiful theater and how the historical society could ever let them ruin it and turn it into a mall is beyond me,if I were rich I would put it back to the way it was as a theater or a playhouse again.If anyone wants to invest and do that I would be willing to supply the equipment and invest in such a project,with all the multiplex Theaters around there should be one big theater left. towns area

robboehm
robboehm on July 20, 2012 at 9:33 am

Lost Memory has a reference to the Central in 1923. The text accompanying the sketch referred to by Tinseltoes makes the 1962 theatre as new. For a half million it should have been.

paktype
paktype on October 17, 2012 at 4:25 pm

The space is now called the Cedarhurst Center and it is used for retail stores. It was very nice when it first opened in the late 1980s but it is a little run down now.

robboehm
robboehm on June 4, 2017 at 12:13 pm

Newsday issued a classics edition from June 4, 1979. In the BS Moss ad the Central was described as “new” and there was only one screen. Was this when it was triplexed? This was a time when all the other single screens were splitting up so it wouldn’t seem likely they would redo the Central as only one.

Also the Central was a “theatre” as you can see from the marquee photo. The heading should be corrected.

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on November 1, 2019 at 7:02 pm

Please update, it became a triplex in late June 1980, opening features was Wholly Moses, The island and Superman.

Two make it a triplex, downstairs split in half and theatre 3 was the balcony. I went there a lot from 1980 until it closed. The main reason it closed was the competition from the Sunrise Cinemas in Valley Stream.

Theatre closed September 9, 1982. Theatre operated as a triplex for only 2 years. Final weekend ad in photos.

rivest266
rivest266 on June 2, 2021 at 9:31 am

2 screens on June 20th, 1980, and 3 a week later.

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on July 9, 2021 at 9:14 pm

Please update, theatre was renovated and open September 29, 1978 after a fire. Boxoffice story in photos, it became a triplex on June 27, 1980. (No grand opening ad as a Triplex) @rivest266 they open on June 13, 1980 2 of the 3 screens, work was done during the week. Downstairs was twin and the balcony had it’s own screen upstairs. Between 1980 and 1982 until it closed I saw a dozen movies their when I was growing up.

Ed Miller
Ed Miller on January 18, 2024 at 7:28 pm

My experiences at the Central were limited. To the best of my really good memory, I was there twice: “Far from the Madding Crowd” in 1967 and “Mommie Dearest” in 1981.

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