Calderone Theater
145 N. Franklin Street,
Hempstead,
NY
11550
145 N. Franklin Street,
Hempstead,
NY
11550
7 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Calderone Theatres
Architects: William Lescaze
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Nearby Theaters
Named after its owner, the Calderone Theater was the last to be constructed by this family chain on Long Island, opening on June 21, 1949.
Over the years it operated dually as a movie house and concert venue. Throughout the 1970’s and into the early-1980’s, the Calderone Theater played to packed houses, booking the likes of The Dead, Aerosmith, etc. As the neighborhood fell under bad times, so did the Calderone Theater.
The theater went through a series of uses and operators over the last 20 years, ultimately getting split up into a 7 screen multiplex on May 15, 1992. It has most recently been taken over by a local church that was in the process of restoring the auditorium for their congregation. The church had moved out of the building by spring of 2023. By October 2023 there were plans proposed to demolish the theatre to build senior apartments.
Contributed by
SteveSmith
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Recent comments (view all 46 comments)
I used to go to the Calderone Theater almost exclusively when I was child in the fifties. All the big movies played there. Saw Elvis, Dean & Jerry, Godzilla, etc. Used to be 60 cents for children and 90 cents for adults. Parents used to drop us off alone and then come back to pick us up when the films were over. Always a double feature.
A few years back I read an article that during the construction of the Calderone they were going to have a stage for live acts, this is why it’s such a large theatre but had to cancel the idea as they found a brook underneath while building the stage as a result this would not allow the weight of the stage to hold up. Has anyone ever heard of this and if so is there a link to it
There is a 2/6/2004 comment re the stream but it doesn’t site a specific reference.
The first time I went there I saw Richard Lester’s"The Three Musketeers",it was huge beautiful theater.The next time I went it was a concert hall and I saw Carlos Santana!
Opening article with pictures. It had an escalator.
and
and here’s the grand opening ad
Calderone Theatre opening 20 Jun 1949, Mon Newsday (Suffolk Edition) (Melville, New York) Newspapers.com
Reopened on May 15th, 1992 as the Village Cinema 7.
Grand opening ad posted.
Please update, became a 7 plex on May 15, 1992.
I used to come here a lot with my parents back in 1993-1996 when they used to show the Bollywood films in that big auditorium upstairs.
There were several Bollywood theaters that came and went during that decade, but this was my personal favorite, especially with so many big blockbusters drawing sold-out audiences.
There were times when the Bollywood audience was much larger than the Hollywood audiences in the other six theaters combined.
I really enjoyed seeing all the posters they had in the hallway and I especially enjoyed their nachos with cheese dip…..mmmmm.
6/5/23 Drove by. All stores in front have paper covering windows. The Church has moved out. Not sure what is happening but I don’t know if it will be standing much longer.
Per Newsday: (Oct 2022)
A developer seeking to build 314 affordable senior apartments in Hempstead Village could benefit from $89 million in tax-exempt financing through the Nassau County Local Economic Assistance Corp.
The agency granted preliminary approval for the bond financing at its meeting Sept. 22.
The apartments would be split between a pair of proposed developments at 145 N. Franklin St. and 226 Clinton St. in the village.
The bulk of the units proposed by developer Daniel Goldstein of BOSFA Properties in Lawrence would be built at the North Franklin Street site, previously owned by Faith Baptist Church. The existing building would be demolished for the construction of 244 senior apartments funded in part by a $57 million tax-exempt bond.
For more than 40 years, the Calderone Theatre operated as a concert hall and movie house at the North Franklin Street address. It hosted mainstream acts such as Aerosmith, Lou Reed and ZZ Top before it became a multiplex in 1992. Goldstein’s company acquired the site from the church in March for $5 million.