Port Washington Cinemas
116 Main Street,
Port Washington,
NY
11050
116 Main Street,
Port Washington,
NY
11050
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 37 comments
Please update, became the Port Washington Cinemas as a Triplex, grand opening ad on December 24,1976, quad on November 15, 1985, June 19, 1987 and 7 on August 25, 1989
Uploaded a 1931 ad showing management under the Century banner. Later became Skouras. Never could understand the Century/Skouras relationship as management passed from one to the other chain and combined ads appeared in newspapers.
Regal and AMC do not serve the east end. Stony Brook is furthest AMC; Ronkonkoma for Regal. Regal was going to build in Riverhead but the landlord of the shopping center was demanding they virtually overhaul his shopping center. East end is served by the (seasonal) Greenport, Mattituck, Hampton Arts Twin, East Hampton, Southampton, Plaza, Mastic, Hampton Bays, Cinema Deluxe (Holbrook), Movieland (Coram), the Port Jefferson Cinemas and, after the rebuild, Sag Harbor. Occasional films at WHBPAC. Look at the South Shore – every community used to have at least one theater. Last big ones are the AMC Fantasy (RVC) and Regal Lynbrook. Next east small theaters in Baldwin, Bellmore, Seaford, Merrick and nothing until the aformentioned Plaza in Patchogue. Nothing in Valley Stream, Wantagh, Freeport, Bay Shore, Lindenhurst, Oakdale, Amityville, Copiague, the Massapequas, Babylon. The 100 seat Plaza in Patchogue is nothing compared to the two large theaters, the All Weather multiplex and the Sun Wave twin which used to be there.
Long Island is compact area . I figure residents will rather go to a Regal or AMC , that go to a theater near them .
fred – certain locations may be saturated but in others you have to drive more than 15 miles to a theater.
The Long island market is over saturation.
Three Bow Tie locations, Great Neck, Manhasset and Roslyn have now changed hands. Only two Bow Tie’s left on Long Island are the Herricks and Franklin Square.
GAH! I wish I had seen the earlier comments when I first came to this site back in February, I didn’t know they were here! “Sticky” posted over a decade ago that he went to hear and see the Basie Band, and met them backstage! I really wanted it to be true that it had happened. The fact that we know definitively that Basie played it makes the loss of the organ all the more tragic and infuriating. The story until now was that the organ had not been removed, but was intact nonetheless.
Hi, Orlando – I am so happy to know that you recovered from the heart attack, and certainly not because of the tidbit(!), for which I otherwise am grateful. It was an important and now iretrievable piece of history, the last of its kind on Long Island, as well as a unique and beautiful instrument. (As a full time professional musician of more than 30 years – part of a rich Port tradition, actually – I can attest to the fact that no two instruments of any sort are exactly alike.) I heard a rumor that, after learning about the organ’s restoration, Count Basie once came to Port from his home in Queens during a tour break to play it. He always loved theater organs, and was taught to play on one in Harlem by Fats Waller. I could swear that I heard about it at the time of his alleged visit, as well as plans for a full concert with the band featuring Basie at the console, but I haven’t found a shred of evidence that either of those things ever happened. I turned 12 late in 1976. Kids tend to hear lots of things that are just talk and believe them to be facts. Regardless, thank you for putting this sad story on the record and the matter to rest. I wish you continued good health and a beautiful Summer – and hopefully, on my weekly visits to town from NYC, I’ll see you at the Town Dock!
“Death In Venice” came out in 1970-1, the small theatres didn’t exist then, it was a different Dirk Bogarde movie, maybe “Daddy Nostolgia” if my memory still serves me.
The organ was played right up to the time of the Disney Festivals of 1975-1978, by a POrt Washington THS member who told me she played Disney standards during the festivals. Mr. Djiji was offered money for it but wanted more and as he was soon triplex the theatre. Sadly, the organ console, pipes and motors were destroyed in the conversion of the theatre and he didn’t get a dime for a still playable organ. The projectionist at the time I was there told me about it and he had a piece of it which was of wood that said “Chime”. Glad to add this for you since if I would have died of a heart attack that I had this past March, this tidbit would not be here today for you to rest your minds of the Beacon’s organ.
This one opened as the Beacon Theatre on October 15, 1927.
Hi, Comfortably Cool – Yes, I e-mailed them about a month ago, but haven’t received a response. Thank you very much for the suggestion!
Have you tried contacting New York Theatre Organ Society at , or by phone at 845-457-5393?
Re the storefront theatres mentioned by Orlando way back when, the only time I was in this theatre was in one of those. Film was, I believe, A Death in Venice with Dirk Bogarde.
Does anyone have any information about the fate of the organ? It was restored in the mid-1970s (the “ New York Times” did a feature on it on page 57 of its February 1, 1976 Edition), and was thought to be the last working theater organ on Long Island. Nobody seems to remember what happened to it when the Beacon became the Port Triplex. Thank you!
Thank you Orlando for clearing up some things. Clerview3 took over in September of 1995. I took over running the theatre after you left in 1991
Nighttime photo with new Skouras marquee uploaded.
Three photos as the Beacon uploaded: Memorial Day parade show theater with original marquee and vertical; 1941 scrap metal drive; 1961 marquee modification when Skouras took over management.
Again there is a lot of balogna in this section. Working at this theatre for over three years, Carmi Djiji (G.G. Theatres operated this theatre from 1962 to mid to late 1990’s and changed the name from Beacon to Port Washington Triplex and so on. The two theatres occupying the two storefronts were built primarily, while I was there, for putting in the Hollywood “stinkers” after they flopped on the first three days of opening or for holding a picture that no longer needed a 200 seat theatre. Believe it or not (and I don’t care either way) these two 60 seat theatres sometimes outgrossed the larger theatres in the building. As for Steve Smith’s introduction, the seats where new when installed, the public “beat them up”! Mr. Djiji spent money on his theatres unlike Skouras from which he took over the theatre. He still owns the building and leases it as he won’t sell it. (Real Estate $$$ in Port Washington.) So the ownerships should be changed to Century (the first), Skouras, GG Theatres, Clearview, and Bow Tie. The property that the Sands Point Theatre was is exactly where the Soundview was built. GG also ran the Sands Point. I loved the name Clearview’s Soundview. And “That’s the facts folks!” clear and true.
Photo as Beacon in 1954 and later as Clearview uploaded.
Just recently saw an old Century Theatres ad from 1931. At that time is was part of that chain.
On March 23, 1962 Skouras reopened the Beacon with new decor, seating, screen projection and AC and heating. “All designed to provide the ultimate in motion picture viewing for the discriminating audience!” The opening attraction was “A Majority of One” with Rosalind Russell and Alec Guinness. On March 23, 2012 TCM screened the same movie. Serendipity?
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I know its a different theater but its in the same town and im sure of interest to some.
Thank you.