While I agree with you about not going in there, thanks for the photos, particularly the projection room. I spent 21 years working in that booth. The theater you took the photo with no screen has to be either 8 or 14. We removed those screens in dec 2008 to take to the Ritz in Elizabeth. I think a lot of the water damage is from the fact vandals have stripped the a/c units on the roof.
Mikeoaklandpark, I remember also getting the NY papers to see the ads and showtimes of all the theatres. That’s something that’s missing these days. And its sad how many of the grand old palaces in NY and Philly as well as NJ have all been demolished.
Mikeoaklandpark, I remember we were sitting up in the balcony. It was quite awesome for a little boy in the third grade. Of course my father enjoyed it too, since he was a projectionist in many central New Jersey theatres
Recently when cleaning out my childhood home, I came across a souvenier book from the movie “Doctor Doolittle.” My father wrote the date March 18, 1968 on the inside cover. I remember going there as part of a class trip. It was still a huge single screen then.
I’m curious if it was like our Jerry Lewis Twin in Carteret NJ, where cinema one was a blue scheme, and cinema two was a red scheme. And the two were separated by the concession stand in the lobby.
Another of the many former clearview theatres whose screens my wife and I would clean. I agree they were super small. Theres only so much you can do in a building that wasn’t big to begin with
My wife currently works at the new Lyric on Paramour, for a few more weeks till it closes. She tells me Harry Potter is going in there and they are removing close to 500 seats and extending the stage.
Once again I will say, all you folks with the 3D and 3D glasses and laser etc really cracks me up. Give me a good old 35MM or 70MM film presentation that I can sit anywhere in the theatre and not worry about right eye left eye, turning my head, filters not being removed and all the other crap digital has brought about. Maybe its because I ran film for 41 years, but at least you guys give me a good laugh.
I remember when I was the screen cleaner for Clearview, I went here a few times. It was a really nice theatre. From what I was told it started out a single, then UA added a second screen next door, then split both the original house and the addition to make it 4. Screen sizes were nice.
The one where my dad was a projectionist opened in June 1972 and closed in the fall of 1984. I wonder if this one had the blue colors in Cinema 1 and red colors in Cinema 2 like ours did.
Rstewart, I was just trying to explain the reason for my bad back. I didn’t take no offence to what he said. I guess I didn’t see it that way. But I guess you know what its been like. My first years were spent lifting those 6000' reels, then in 84 I started with platters. And many of those years were spent in a 10 and 14 plex theatres where it seemed you moved something after every show. But you must admit, as I did, that those were some good old days and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Have a good holiday Rstewart.
No. Carrying 250 lb prints of film all around the building did. And it wasn’t just that theatre. Many of the Loews Theatres that had half the theatres on one side and half on the other didn’t help. I started out in 1976, so I had a lot of film miles in my back by then. But its still something I’ll never forget. I miss film. I miss running film.
I worked here as a projectionist from late april 2004 till dec 31, 2004. something like 5 separate projection rooms, and walking down hallways and the alike. A real nightmare, but I made a go of it until my back went out and I was taken to White Plains hospital. I never went back.
I have to say that I cant disagree with you folks. Me personally, I can care less about all this laser stuff, etc, but these people with the which seat in which row and this and that. Whatever happened to just going to the movies, watch the damn thing, and enjoy it? I guess I’m just really getting old or I missed something along the way.
Many many years ago, 1966 to exact, my father who was projectionist here took me on the Friday after thanksgiving to see my first movie in a movie theatre, “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t.”
For all you laser crazy fanatics, those lines you refer too are probably unpainted surfaces either on the screen frame or the speakers behind the screen. Back in the day when I was a film projectionist, everything behind the screen was painted flat black so nothing reflected. Nowadays with brighter projection from digital and this laser stuff, anything not painted will show up ten times worse. You have to remember its all about the money and the faster and quicker AMC can do it the better. The attitude for years has been if the customer don’t see it, then its not important.
Gee how familiar that sounds. Yup must be the same owners or relatives of. I remember sometimes having to put in stubs at the end of the night halfway thru the last reel. I was so happy when they converted to xenon in 85, but then we never ever saw a new bulb again. We always got used ones from the projectionists in our local who worked the large chain theatres like GCC or UA.
While I agree with you about not going in there, thanks for the photos, particularly the projection room. I spent 21 years working in that booth. The theater you took the photo with no screen has to be either 8 or 14. We removed those screens in dec 2008 to take to the Ritz in Elizabeth. I think a lot of the water damage is from the fact vandals have stripped the a/c units on the roof.
Mikeoaklandpark, I remember also getting the NY papers to see the ads and showtimes of all the theatres. That’s something that’s missing these days. And its sad how many of the grand old palaces in NY and Philly as well as NJ have all been demolished.
Mikeoaklandpark, I remember we were sitting up in the balcony. It was quite awesome for a little boy in the third grade. Of course my father enjoyed it too, since he was a projectionist in many central New Jersey theatres
I should add to the above comment, he wrote Loews State Theatre New York.
Recently when cleaning out my childhood home, I came across a souvenier book from the movie “Doctor Doolittle.” My father wrote the date March 18, 1968 on the inside cover. I remember going there as part of a class trip. It was still a huge single screen then.
I’m curious if it was like our Jerry Lewis Twin in Carteret NJ, where cinema one was a blue scheme, and cinema two was a red scheme. And the two were separated by the concession stand in the lobby.
Another of the many former clearview theatres whose screens my wife and I would clean. I agree they were super small. Theres only so much you can do in a building that wasn’t big to begin with
My wife currently works at the new Lyric on Paramour, for a few more weeks till it closes. She tells me Harry Potter is going in there and they are removing close to 500 seats and extending the stage.
According to Cinegrands facebook page they have reopened as of this past Friday Jan 20. They posted photos and all. Looks really nice.
We ran the DCP last summer at the Basie
I would have to assume Regal would have first crack at getting the new theatre. Either them or AMC.
I remember when we ran the original Star Wars in 1977 at the GCC Menlo Park Twin. Those were some days that will never ever be duplicated
Once again I will say, all you folks with the 3D and 3D glasses and laser etc really cracks me up. Give me a good old 35MM or 70MM film presentation that I can sit anywhere in the theatre and not worry about right eye left eye, turning my head, filters not being removed and all the other crap digital has brought about. Maybe its because I ran film for 41 years, but at least you guys give me a good laugh.
I remember when I was the screen cleaner for Clearview, I went here a few times. It was a really nice theatre. From what I was told it started out a single, then UA added a second screen next door, then split both the original house and the addition to make it 4. Screen sizes were nice.
The one where my dad was a projectionist opened in June 1972 and closed in the fall of 1984. I wonder if this one had the blue colors in Cinema 1 and red colors in Cinema 2 like ours did.
Rstewart, I was just trying to explain the reason for my bad back. I didn’t take no offence to what he said. I guess I didn’t see it that way. But I guess you know what its been like. My first years were spent lifting those 6000' reels, then in 84 I started with platters. And many of those years were spent in a 10 and 14 plex theatres where it seemed you moved something after every show. But you must admit, as I did, that those were some good old days and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Have a good holiday Rstewart.
What a shame this is rotting away like this. You look at Matt Lambros photos and you wonder if it could ever be restored.
No. Carrying 250 lb prints of film all around the building did. And it wasn’t just that theatre. Many of the Loews Theatres that had half the theatres on one side and half on the other didn’t help. I started out in 1976, so I had a lot of film miles in my back by then. But its still something I’ll never forget. I miss film. I miss running film.
I worked here as a projectionist from late april 2004 till dec 31, 2004. something like 5 separate projection rooms, and walking down hallways and the alike. A real nightmare, but I made a go of it until my back went out and I was taken to White Plains hospital. I never went back.
I have to say that I cant disagree with you folks. Me personally, I can care less about all this laser stuff, etc, but these people with the which seat in which row and this and that. Whatever happened to just going to the movies, watch the damn thing, and enjoy it? I guess I’m just really getting old or I missed something along the way.
I was gonna email you about this later. My BA just posted it on our union website.
Many many years ago, 1966 to exact, my father who was projectionist here took me on the Friday after thanksgiving to see my first movie in a movie theatre, “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t.”
For all you laser crazy fanatics, those lines you refer too are probably unpainted surfaces either on the screen frame or the speakers behind the screen. Back in the day when I was a film projectionist, everything behind the screen was painted flat black so nothing reflected. Nowadays with brighter projection from digital and this laser stuff, anything not painted will show up ten times worse. You have to remember its all about the money and the faster and quicker AMC can do it the better. The attitude for years has been if the customer don’t see it, then its not important.
Gee how familiar that sounds. Yup must be the same owners or relatives of. I remember sometimes having to put in stubs at the end of the night halfway thru the last reel. I was so happy when they converted to xenon in 85, but then we never ever saw a new bulb again. We always got used ones from the projectionists in our local who worked the large chain theatres like GCC or UA.
rcdt55b, Thank you for the good wishes, and I agree, film will never totally disappear.