Why the curtain went down on the Malverne Cinema

The Malverne Cinema & Art Center has officially closed its doors.

Many residents of Malverne and the surrounding communities recogize the movie theater, at 350 Hempstead Ave., as nothing less than historic. Having opened in 1947, and been operated by the Stampfel family since 1990, the cinema welcomed movie fans for generations.

Originally a single theater that seated about 700 people, it was divided into two, and the Stampfels expanded it even more. “We turned it into four theaters instead of two,” Henry Stampfel said. “Then we took over the coffee shop in the mid-’90s, which allowed us to create the fifth theater.”

Last Sunday, the theater hosted its final screenings, because its upkeep had become too expensive for Henry and his wife, Anne. The grand finale came after a series of temporary closures at the theater, mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“In 2021, we received the SVOG, (the) Shuttered Venue Operators Grant for independent theaters, Anne explained. “It’s a federal grant that got us back on track after Covid and helped us get this far.”

Nonetheless, the pandemic closures made it a difficult few years for the Stampfels, from which they have tried to bounce back, but it was ultimately too costly to keep the theater open. “The HVAC system needs a major overhaul and that’s the main reason for the shutdown,” Henry said. “Maybe the timing is just off.”

The Malverne theater is one of several locations the Stampfel family owns. “Everyone talks about the Malverne theater,” Henry said. “We were very fortunate. … The Village of Malverne was proud of us, and we were proud to have them. It was a happy marriage.”

They were surrounded by neighborhood movie fans for the last screenings of “Reagan,” “Transformers One,” “Lee,” and “The Wild Robot.” Though the weather outside was grim and the atmosphere was sad, longtime patrons were laughing and smiling as they remembered the old days.

“We will absolutely miss our guests,” Anne said. “In 1990, I took about a year off for maternity leave, and we opened our Long Beach location. Even with the success of the Long Beach and Bellmore locations, the Malverne venue will always have a special place in our hearts.”

The moviegoers thanked the owners on their way out, and gratitude was expressed in return. For many, this is the end of an era, further shrinking community access to local cinema.

“We were there for 34 years,” Henry said. “Malverne is a great village. We’ve had a lot of amazing customers. I’ll continue to have these friendships, but it’s sad to turn the page on this chapter.”