Want to know what parts of your neighborhood had their place in Hollywood? Take a trip through cinematic history with these classic movies filmed across Long Island!
“The Amityville Horror,” an Academy Award–nominated film for Best Music, is based on the paranormal story of George and Kathy Lutz, who purchased a home where the DeFeo family had been murdered. After moving in, they reported experiencing intense paranormal activity and fled after just 28 days. The house at 112 Ocean Avenue turned a quiet residential area into a well-known horror landmark, drawing significant paranormal tourism. At one point, crowds gathered in the town of Amityville, clogging nearby streets and waterways like the Amityville River, hoping to catch a glimpse of the infamous home. Although tours are unavailable now, visitors can walk by neighboring streets to see what once was the movie’s old set.
One of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most recognizable novels is “The Great Gatsby.” This tragic love story, set during the Jazz Age on Long Island, follows Jay Gatsby and his pursuit to reconnect with his former love, Daisy Buchanan. Several locations throughout Long Island reflect places that inspired elements of the novel. Oheka Castle, located at 135 W. Gate Drive in Huntington, N.Y., is often cited as an inspiration for Gatsby’s lavish mansion, where he hosted extravagant parties. Fitzgerald also drew inspiration from real Long Island geography, famously using the “East Egg” and “West Egg” to reflect areas resembling Sands Point and Great Neck. The contrast between East Egg and West Egg represents the divide between “old money” and “new money.”
The Academy Award–winning “Citizen Kane” revolves around reporter Jerry Thompson’s investigation into the dying words of newspaper baron Charles Foster Kane. Filmed in Huntington, parts of the movie used Oheka Castle, where the 127-room mansion helped represent Kane’s immense wealth and its irony in relation to the American Dream. The use of this luxury estate in the 1940s bears a sharp contrast with the reality of New York at the time, when many people were arriving in the city seeking safety, opportunity or a better life. Not only is this film deeply rooted within Long Island history, but to the state as a whole.
Valley Stream, a suburban village on Long Island, was one of the main filming locations for “The Brothers McMullen.” The film focuses on three brothers—Jack, Barry and Patrick—who come together while dealing with the loss of their father. The story explores their relationships and romantic struggles following the failure of their parents’ marriage. Each brother represents a different approach to love: one hesitant to stay faithful, one afraid of commitment and one unsure if he has found the right partner. Together, they move through different parts of New York, portraying the suburban life of an Irish-American family. Filming locations such as the Long Island Rail Road and the McMullen House, 64 Marlboro Road in Valley Stream, serve as a prominent reminder of the film’s connections to the region.
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