Shirley Twin Theater

803 Montauk Highway,
Shirley, NY 11967

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rivest266
rivest266 on June 2, 2021 at 6:03 am

The Shirley Twin was opened by Associated Independent Theatres on April 15th, 1970. Grand opening ad posted.

robboehm
robboehm on April 12, 2020 at 12:38 pm

BridgeGangGuy that’s quite a distance between Eastport and Shirley. Better bus service in those days, or maybe the Eastport LIRR station was still open?

BridgeGangGuy
BridgeGangGuy on April 12, 2020 at 5:53 am

Lived in Eastport. Saw the movie “Woodstock” when it was first released in 1970. You had to be 16 or older to get in to see that movie (had some mild nudity), I was only 15 so I borrowed my older brother’s drivers license and got in no problem. Also saw the Beatles film “Let It Be” at the Shirley Twin.

Bridge Gang Guy

RetroEd
RetroEd on August 24, 2013 at 2:40 pm

That’s the car, Laura! And I DO remember him coming to the theatre on his motorcycle, with the jacket, helmet and suit. I’d forgotten about that, but the memories are back. In fact, unless I’m mistaken – which could easily be the case, we had an alley that we let people out of theatre one to (our candy storage room was right by that exit). I THINK your dad would sometimes bring the motorcycle in that door where it was out of the way. I was so sorry that he left the theatre. The funny thing is that I was the one person he recommended to the new owners and they ended up absolutely HATING me — which, of course, made me miss him even more.

lauradmg
lauradmg on August 3, 2013 at 7:12 pm

Wow RetroEd…that’s amazing. I think the car you’re describing was an MG Midget. He still had it when we moved to Florida and he used to drive me around in it often. Don’t know if you’d remember this, but he also tended to ride a motorcycle to work…three piece suit with a leather bike jacket and helmet. :) I don’t have any photos from back then…but I do have some other ones. Thanks for posting.

RetroEd
RetroEd on June 21, 2013 at 8:08 pm

Hi Laura,

Your dad was actually the first person to give me a job. At the ripe old age of 14 I was made a matinee usher, because my cousin was the assistant manager of the theatre. In fact, at the time I lived in North Shirley and on Saturday mornings he would pick me up on Wm. Floyd Parkway in what I always felt was a really tiny red car, and drive me to the theatre. I really enjoyed working with him.

robboehm
robboehm on April 21, 2013 at 4:32 am

Laura, you wouldn’t happen to have pix to share with us.

lauradmg
lauradmg on April 20, 2013 at 8:56 pm

Hey…I’m wondering if any of you knew my dad..he managed the theatre until 1977 or so – Serge Maynard. He passed away several years ago, and I’d love to hear your memories of him from back then (I was very little). Thanks! Laura

icom
icom on November 23, 2010 at 8:25 pm

oh my god, thank you lost memory for posting that pic… it brought a tear to my eye. I sure do miss those days. thanks again for the memories.

jetengine
jetengine on September 26, 2010 at 4:17 am

Hi,

I grew up here as well. 1980 – 1999. I remember all of this very well. I think the food store that came before Odd Lot was named PLUS.

Bway
Bway on April 20, 2009 at 7:24 am

Wow, that brings back so many memories! I didn’t remember what the theater looked like until seeing that photo!

slimstone
slimstone on August 21, 2006 at 5:40 pm

When I was a kid, I was movie crazy. I would always beg my mom to either take me to the Shirley Drivein or out to Patchogue to drop me off at a theater. I remember being so happy that they were going to open a twin theater in Shirley. Back then I used to cut newspaper ads from the movie section out and paste them into a book. Something I still have to this day buried somewhere. I remember being so happy the week before the Shirley Twin opened. Trying to guess what movies they were going to play. Then when it finally opened, I was mad. The first movie that played in the Shirley Twin was Goodbye Mr Chips and it played in both theaters. What a bummer for an 8 year old huh? I believe I still have the grand opening ad around somewhere. Anyway I have alot of good memories about that theater and like RetroEd and jolly rodger tomcat, I remember Bohacks and I think the name of the bank next to the twin was a Chemical Bank and later became a Banco Popular. I remember the Robert Halls and of course the Hardees, where the burgers are charco-broiled. While I was underage at the time, there was this guy that worked there who would remember me from week to week; that would let me into all of the rated R movies at that time. I remember seeing all the crazy blaxpotation films like Shaft and Foxy Brown, but no matter how hard I begged that guy would not let me in to see The Exorcist.

Bway
Bway on June 8, 2006 at 5:44 am

I remember that Howard Johnsons. It became Guido McMurphy’s afterwards, and some years ago was torn down to build the Boston Market that is there now.
The Bohack became Odd Lot, but it may have been another supermarket in between.

RetroEd
RetroEd on April 7, 2006 at 1:18 am

I remember that marquee well — I actually fell off of it when I was changing the letters.

I was there when the theatre opened in the late 1960s (I was eight or nine), and I worked there on and off from 1974 to 1982, so if anyone has any questions about it, I’d be happy to answer if I can.

By the way, when the theatre first opened, the supermarket that was in the shopping center was Bohacks. Additionally, the Shirley Post Office was in the same shopping center as was Howard Johnson’s, which someone else mentioned.

Bway
Bway on September 1, 2005 at 6:28 am

I remember the Howard Johnson’s in front of the theater. When the Howard Johnson’s chainn went out of buisness, a new restaurant called “Guido McMurphy’s” moved in, and was there a few years. Currently, it became a Boston Chicken store, but it’s a new building, they tore the Howard Johnson’s building down.
The Hardee’s is ROy Rogers now, the only Roy Rogers left on Long Island.

icom
icom on September 1, 2005 at 3:08 am

I remember the mens room on each side was up these stairs that snaked around the corners, and you always got a double feature. It use to have (the village) supermarket next to it and a bank on the other side of it, and howard johnson’s in the front of the parking lot faceing montauk highway. and even a hardees across william floyd pky next to robert hall clothes.

cinemaniac
cinemaniac on January 8, 2005 at 10:07 am

Yeah, I remember this! I’ve never there, of course, but I always foudn it weird that the sign was still standing, and I left it up to my Mom to explain it to me when I got curious one day at Pathmark. Good thing they removed that mild spooky factor and changed the sign.

RobertR
RobertR on October 13, 2004 at 7:51 pm

Was this a circut house?

Bway
Bway on October 13, 2004 at 7:45 pm

I believe USA Auto Parts once occupied the theater’s store when it was converted. Currently Eckerts occupies it’s space.