Bellmore Cinema

Last updated
Firefighters in front of Bellmore Cinema, 1940 Courtesy:Historical Society of the Bellmores Collection, Bellmore Memorial Library Bellmore cinema.jpg
Firefighters in front of Bellmore Cinema, 1940 Courtesy:Historical Society of the Bellmores Collection, Bellmore Memorial Library

Bellmore Cinema is one of the oldest single-screen movie theaters on Long Island. Established in 1914, and located in Bellmore, New York, it has survived wars, Prohibition, two pandemics, and numerous strikes.

Contents

Owned by Henry and Anne Stampfel, it is the last single-screen movie theater on Long Island. It represents a story of film, family business, and survival. The theater has adapted by presenting events, film festivals, comedy, plays, and a mix of movies to keep seats filled in the age of Netflix, providing history, longevity, and hope for the film industry. [1]

Early history

Bellmore Movies, situated near the Bellmore train station on Long Island, has an unassuming exterior. It has endured significant historical events, including the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Great Depression, two world wars, and numerous other conflicts and challenges. Despite losing its original marquee in a 1999 storm, the theater continues to operate, just shy of 110 years old, with its iconic crimson curtains. [2]

Closing due to a catastrophic event, it reopened to a crowd craving the "itch", their beloved Saturday afternoon matinee. [3] The marquee had been struck by lightening during a severe summer thunderstorm on July 17, 1998, and required repairs. [4]

At one time there was an old seat displayed just in front of the ticket booth of the 350 seat venue. It was found after a renovation and is from the depression era. [5] During the Kilgore family's ownership of the 20's and 30's, the theater was distinguished by its wooden floors, low ceiling beams, and a wooden ticket booth and tiny lobby that showcased silent films of the era. There was a Penny candy store (Smith Bros. Sweet Shop) on the corner and it was Pettit Ave back then [6]

Bellmore Movies

In 1999 it reopened with a renovation that brought it up to village code. There had been talk of splitting it's screen in two, to naught.

The theater faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) helped it recover. [7] The Stampfels, who met while working at the Oceanside Theatre in 1978, took over Bellmore Movies in 1986 and have maintained its single-screen format, focusing on careful programming and live performances. [8]

Today

Bellmore Movies is ADA accessible and well-maintained, featuring a lobby, concession counter, and ticket booth. It hosts a variety of events, including the Lighthouse Repertory Theatre's productions, and remains a cultural landmark for the community.

In 2005 the International Film Expo hosted 3000 visitors to the venue. The Rocky Horror Show, a stage performance, was hosted here every Friday at midnight in the 2010s. [9] There is also a Latino Film Festival and a Big Fish Film Festival. [10] [11]

See also

Cinema Theater (Rochester, New York)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movie theater</span> Venue for viewing films

A movie theater, cinema, or cinema hall, also known as a movie house, picture house, picture theater or simply theater, is a business that contains auditoria for viewing movies for public entertainment. Most are commercial operations catering to the general public, who attend by purchasing tickets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drive-in theater</span> Cinema format

A drive-in theater/theatre or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars. Some drive-ins have small playgrounds for children and a few picnic tables or benches.

Coran Capshaw is an American music industry executive, entrepreneur and founder of Red Light Management, a company that represents recording artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Theatre</span> United States historic place

The Alex Theatre is a landmark located at 216 North Brand Boulevard in Glendale, California, United States. It is currently owned by the city of Glendale and operated by SAS. The theater's capacity is 1,400.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arlington Theatre</span> Theater in Santa Barbara, California

The Arlington Theatre is a historic movie theatre in Santa Barbara, California, United States. Combining the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles of architecture, it the largest movie theater and principal performing arts venue the city. In addition to regular screenings and artists, it is home to many events associated with the annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Cinerama</span> Movie Theatre in Seattle, Washington

The Seattle Cinerama Theatre is a landmark movie theater in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The theater opened in 1963 and was renovated in the 1990s after its acquisition by Paul Allen. The Cinerama was closed in May 2020. At the time of its 2020 closure, it was one of only three movie theaters in the world capable of showing three-panel Cinerama films. In 2023, the theater was purchased by the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and reopened on December 14, 2023 as SIFF Cinema Downtown due to trademark issues with the "Cinerama" name.

The Philadelphia Film Festival is a film festival founded by the Philadelphia Film Society held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The annual festival is held at various theater venues throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beacon Theatre (New York City)</span> Entertainment venue in Manhattan, New York

The Beacon Theatre is an entertainment venue at 2124 Broadway, adjacent to the Hotel Beacon, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1929, the Beacon Theatre was developed by Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel and built as a movie palace, with 2,894 seats across three levels. It was designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager with decorations inspired by the Renaissance, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek, and Rococo styles. The theater is designated as a New York City interior landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senator Theatre</span> United States historic place

The Senator Theatre is a historic Art Deco movie theater on York Road in the Govans section of Baltimore, Maryland. It is the oldest operating movie theater in central Maryland and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated Baltimore City Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alamo Drafthouse Cinema</span> American movie theater chain

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, which is famous for serving dinner and drinks during the movie, as well as its strict policy of requiring its audiences to maintain proper cinema-going etiquette. Sony Pictures Experiences acquired the chain in June 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerville Theatre</span> Independent movie theater and concert venue in Somerville, Massachusetts

The Somerville Theatre is an independent movie theater and concert venue in the Davis Square neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. Over one hundred years old, the Somerville Theatre started off as a vaudeville house and movie theater. The theater has since transitioned and now operates as a live music venue and first-run movie theater. As a music venue, the theater has played host to many historic concerts, including the first of the two Last Dispatch concerts, two shows by Bruce Springsteen in 2003, and a performance by U2 in 2009. Recent live performances have included Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Cursive, Norah Jones, The Jonas Brothers, Joan Baez, and the John Butler Trio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atmospheric theatre</span> Type of movie theater

An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace design which was popular in the late 1920s. Atmospheric theatres were designed and decorated to evoke the feeling of a particular time and place for patrons, through the use of projectors, architectural elements and ornamentation that evoked a sense of being outdoors. This was intended to make the patron a more active participant in the setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reel Affirmations</span> LGBTQ film festival held in Washington D.C.

Reel Affirmations (RA) is a non-profit, all-volunteer LGBT film festival in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1991 and held every year in mid-October, as of 2011 Reel Affirmations was one of the largest LGBT film festivals in the United States. Baltimore's Gay Life newspaper called it "one of the top three films festivals for the entire LGBT community." A 2007 guidebook claims it was one of the largest LGBT film festivals in the world. A listing of LGBT film festivals claims it is the largest all-volunteer film festival in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Variety Playhouse</span> Music venue and former movie theater in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

The Variety Playhouse is a music venue in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is located on Euclid Avenue and features a variety of music acts including rock, indie, electronic, funk, country, folk, bluegrass, jazz, blues and world music as well as other live shows.

The Midway Drive-In located in Sterling, Illinois is one of 12 drive-in theaters in Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun-Ray Cinema</span> Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida

The Five Points Theatre, formerly known as Sun-Ray Cinema, Riverside Theater and 5 Points Theatre, is a historic two-screen movie theater in Jacksonville, Florida. The first theater in Florida equipped to show talking pictures, it opened in March 1927 in the Five Points district of the Riverside and Avondale neighborhood. In January 2025 the theatre will be reopened as a music venue called FIVE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crandell Theatre</span>

The nonprofit Crandell Theatre is located in the Village of Chatham, N.Y., and is Columbia County’s oldest and largest single-screen movie theater. The nearly 100-year-old community cinema is supported by ticket sales and earned revenue, contributions of members and friends, and private and public grants, including the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The theater is dedicated to enriching the cultural vitality of the region through film programming that challenges, inspires, educates and entertains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Island International Film Expo</span> Annual Film Festival held on Long Island, New York

The Long Island International Film Expo, founded in 1997 by Nassau County Film Office Director, Debra Markowitz. The festival generally receives between 400 and 450 submissions every year In 2009, 170 films from 23 countries were screened at the festival. Ed Burns, director of films such as The Brothers McMullen and Newlyweds was awarded a Creative Achievement Award during the 2011 festival. The festival hosts several panels on film distribution, screenwriting, and other relevant industry topics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomorrow Theater</span> Theater in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Tomorrow Theater is a movie theater and multimedia space in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is operated by PAM CUT // Center for an Untold Tomorrow, the film and new media center of the Portland Art Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sioux Falls State Theatre</span> Historic movie theater in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The State Theatre is a historic one-screen movie theater in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Opened in 1926, it operated continuously until 1990 when it was closed amidst the popularity of multiplexes. In 2005, a city-supported group was formed to finance the renovation and re-opening of the venue. In December 2020, the State Theatre resumed screening movies. The historic building was designed by Buechner & Orth, an architecture firm from Saint Paul, Minnesota.

References

  1. ↑ Solnik, Claude (2 September 2024). "Bellmore Movies: The Last Single Screen Picture Show on Long Island". longislandpress.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  2. ↑ "Celebrating a landmark and years of memories". Bellmore Life. 30 June 1999. p. 19. Retrieved 2024-09-02– via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  3. ↑ "It's reopening this weekend! 'The Itch' is back!". Bellmore Life. 28 April 1999. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-09-02– via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  4. ↑ Anderson, Ruth (24 March 1999). "'The Itch' is set to reopen - It's back to the movies!". Bellmore Life. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 2024-09-02– via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  5. ↑ Schofer, Laura (24 August 2005). "Saturday night at the Bellmore Movies". Bellmore Life. Retrieved 2024-09-02– via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  6. ↑ Rice, Jack (14 February 1990). "Bellmore Movies: Here to stay!". Bellmore Life. p. 19. Retrieved 2024-09-02– via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  7. ↑ "The Small Business Administration Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program (SVOG)" (PDF). Empire State Development Corporation. 2021-04-08. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  8. ↑ "Rob Bartlett returns to Bellmore ShowPlace". Bellmore Life. 22 May 2013. p. 8. Retrieved 2024-09-02– via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  9. ↑ Finlay, Douglas (20 July 2005). "Reel-to-reel: Bellmore Film Festival". Bellmore Life. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-09-02– via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  10. ↑ Schofer, Laura (4 October 2006). "New Big Fish, Latino film festivals designed". Bellmore Life. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-09-02– via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  11. ↑ "The Long Island International Film Expo". longislandfilm.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.

40°40′09″N73°31′44″W / 40.669299°N 73.528843°W / 40.669299; -73.528843

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.