Wantagh Theatre

3305 Jerusalem Avenue,
Wantagh, NY 11793

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Century Theaters, Cineplex Odeon, RKO

Architects: Leon A. Miller

Functions: Office Space

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News About This Theater

Wantagh Theatre

This was a really nice movie theatre, with a glass lobby. It was opened in 1960 by Century Theaters. It was first run until the last year it operated, 1984, when it played move-overs. It was later operated by RKO-Century-Warner and finally operated by Cineplex Odeon until its closure in September 1989.

It was converted into an office building.

Contributed by robertr

Recent comments (view all 38 comments)

flickhead
flickhead on September 30, 2006 at 5:58 pm

Yikes!! I think I saw them there…out promoting “Rat City in Blue”!

RobertR
RobertR on October 3, 2006 at 2:31 pm

I’m sure the roof didn’t leak then
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Rory
Rory on September 4, 2007 at 8:18 pm

The Wantagh Theatre was where I first saw my favorite film, “Planet of the Apes,” on April 7, 1968. I was only 8 years old but I vividly remember it, standing in line and looking at the poster with my parents and wondering if the movie would be any good. Well, it floored my little 8-year-old mind. It was THE movie of my youth, and because of that I will always remember the Wantagh Theatre. I later saw “Escape from the Planet of the Apes” there in 1971 after I had moved away from Long Island in 1970. I’m sad to find out the theatre was torn down years ago.

DSECTION
DSECTION on April 2, 2008 at 8:19 pm

I worked there in the summer of 1975. Jaws opened that summer and the theatre sold out every night for weeks. We would go outside sweep up each night after the last show went in and choose who would run across the stret to the deli for beer for the group. It was a fun summer.

Lebo
Lebo on February 2, 2009 at 3:59 am

Hey Scottm – I totally remember you. I just created a face book group called ‘I Remember the Wantagh Movie Theater’. Everyone should feel free to join.

robboehm
robboehm on June 12, 2011 at 6:15 pm

Contrary to the heading this only came under the Century banner at the end of it’s, and Century’s life. It was originally part of a chain with a smaller pressence, I’ll say Mann. Much later it became RKO when that circuit was trying to get back into the Long Island market. I remember a Newsday article saying RKO was coming to Long Island and showing the exterior of the Wantagh. The Century association came about as a result of a series of mergers which produced RKO Century Warner. It would appear that the current office building, which has an address of 3305 Jerusalem Avenue, was created from the original theatre through additions and modifications.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on July 10, 2011 at 12:04 pm

According to the biographical listing of Queens architect Leon A. Miller in the 1962 AIA Directory, he designed the Wantagh Theatre in 1960. He also designed the Glen Cove Theatre and Town Theatre in Glen Cove, NY.

robboehm
robboehm on January 16, 2014 at 7:06 pm

The latter two were mirror twins, separated and created some months apart. Last time I looked at that site there were no images.

RedMapleDrive
RedMapleDrive on February 26, 2015 at 4:32 pm

Anybody remember seeing Twisted Sister playing there in perhaps 1975 or 1976?

rivest266
rivest266 on October 20, 2020 at 9:12 pm

Closed by Cineplex Odeon in September 1989 per NY Daily News listings.

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