The 2760 seat Ritz Theatre in Elizabeth New Jersey has been listed on there for about a year. Completely renovated (except the stage area rigging). $3.8 million
This was NEVER under the Loews banner. Also as I recall, the above mentioned Little Cinema ran adult movies, while the Willowbrook ran mainstream. After the renaming as a quad, all 4 cinemas ran mainstream.
If only I wasn’t working 13 hours this Saturday, I would be there to see one of my all time favorite movies, “The Graduate” which I first saw in a movie theatre at age 13 in July 1972. I would have also been able to finally meet Mitchell and the gang.
I wonder if this JLC twin was laid out like the one I worked at back in the mid to late 70’s. One theatre was blue, the other red, with the concession stand in the middle of the lobby, prohibiting people from crossing over.
Man as someone who’s been in the business over 34 years, and as a kid went with my father when he was a projectionist, I would LOVE to see intermissions come back. But in todays world of AMC and Regal pencil pushers (to name a few) it will never happen. As the owner of the 10-plex where I work says, crowd control in these multiplexes would prohibit an intermission from ever happening. As I have said many, many times, that’s what’s wrong with the business today.
I feel the same way William. Although I am an east coast boy, so many of the theatres I ran the booths for are gone. I have a lot of great memories from my 33+ years. Todays theatres and booths will NEVER rival what we have had, and what we have lost.
I always take good care of the prints, because I, like you, am a film man. Have no use for this digital crap. And no, no lenses, however, I run the print with a flat lens using the scope aperture, and I get a nice decent size 1:37 ratio. We do what we must to make it right. Someday I would like to meet you and maybe we can go see the Ritz in Elizabeth, another beauty that would be great for films.
I’m not from New York City, but central New Jersey. I currently work in a modern 10-plex, and I run festivals at a 1926 movie theatre the way it was done years ago. I started in the business as a teenager in 1976 following in my fathers footsteps. I have been an IATSE member for 31 years. I have also been trying to get a historic theatre outside of NYC restored for movies. They also have original equipment, including carbon arcs.
Today, March 14, 2010, Manville is under water again. I dont know if this theatre floods or is affected like the Brook Arts Center is in neighboring Bound Brook
Hello my dear friend vito. Hope all is well. I have a question…where haven’t you been a managing director. You must know the in’s and out’s of just about every National Amusements theatre in New Jersey, New York, Long Island etc. Anyway, I hope you are doing well, and I couldn’t resist busting your chops a bit. Take care.
Sounds like this is going down the same road as the Rooling Acres Mall in Akron Ohio. Once a thriveing mall, it now only has 2 of the 3 anchor stores left, Sears outlet and J.C. Penney outlet. The entire mall is empty. And it all started with new owners, stores leaving and delinquent taxes.
Ron Newman, the only single screen that I know of that AMC operates is in New York City, the 72nd street theatre, which went under the name of Loews Tower East many years ago.
Well Love movies, I must say, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Now if someday I could come up with $3.5 million ( I know, dream on) then I would buy the beautiful Ritz Theatre in Elizabeth N.J. (2760 seats) and have classic films showing on the old Brenkart projectors and Peerless carbon arc lamps that sit there. And in between, I would love any and all live performances on the huge stage. Really bring back that old theatre expierience.
Thats why I enjoy running classics every year at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank N.J. on a pair of simplex xl projectors and changeovers every 20 mins. THAT’S what movies are to me, not these sheetrock multiplexes and movies that I wont even waste my time seeing for free, which I can do at the multiplex I work at.
Just as I have said in numerous other posts here on Cinema Treasures…don’t care about about digital, don’t care about 3D, and I especially don’t care about “Avatar” which I have absolutely NO desire what-so-ever to see. And everyone out there can say what you want, but I have to agree with Love movies – hate going, its getting a little ridiculous.
Last nights showing of “The Maltese Falcon” looked and sounded great. Nice crowd too. Next week “North By Northwest” with yours truly at the projection helm once again.
LuisV, I know you go around a lot and seem to be able to find out info on a lot of theatres. If you are ever in Elizabeth N.J. can you try to find out what is going on with the Ritz Theatre. I was going there for about 3 years up till the end of 2008 when I had a serious car accident. I have lost all my contacts and work prohibits me any time to go there. This is another 2760 seat beauty that has been completely restored. And I am so glad that after 30+ years the Kings day has finally come.
The 2760 seat Ritz Theatre in Elizabeth New Jersey has been listed on there for about a year. Completely renovated (except the stage area rigging). $3.8 million
As i seem to recall, this theatre in its early days ran adult movies.
This was NEVER under the Loews banner. Also as I recall, the above mentioned Little Cinema ran adult movies, while the Willowbrook ran mainstream. After the renaming as a quad, all 4 cinemas ran mainstream.
If only I wasn’t working 13 hours this Saturday, I would be there to see one of my all time favorite movies, “The Graduate” which I first saw in a movie theatre at age 13 in July 1972. I would have also been able to finally meet Mitchell and the gang.
I wonder if this JLC twin was laid out like the one I worked at back in the mid to late 70’s. One theatre was blue, the other red, with the concession stand in the middle of the lobby, prohibiting people from crossing over.
Man as someone who’s been in the business over 34 years, and as a kid went with my father when he was a projectionist, I would LOVE to see intermissions come back. But in todays world of AMC and Regal pencil pushers (to name a few) it will never happen. As the owner of the 10-plex where I work says, crowd control in these multiplexes would prohibit an intermission from ever happening. As I have said many, many times, that’s what’s wrong with the business today.
39 years ago this month the doors closed forever.
In the old days when union projectionists were respected. Now its nothing but popcorn poppers runing the booths. Very sad William, very sad.
I feel the same way William. Although I am an east coast boy, so many of the theatres I ran the booths for are gone. I have a lot of great memories from my 33+ years. Todays theatres and booths will NEVER rival what we have had, and what we have lost.
I always take good care of the prints, because I, like you, am a film man. Have no use for this digital crap. And no, no lenses, however, I run the print with a flat lens using the scope aperture, and I get a nice decent size 1:37 ratio. We do what we must to make it right. Someday I would like to meet you and maybe we can go see the Ritz in Elizabeth, another beauty that would be great for films.
And of course, I will be the projectionist :–)
I’m not from New York City, but central New Jersey. I currently work in a modern 10-plex, and I run festivals at a 1926 movie theatre the way it was done years ago. I started in the business as a teenager in 1976 following in my fathers footsteps. I have been an IATSE member for 31 years. I have also been trying to get a historic theatre outside of NYC restored for movies. They also have original equipment, including carbon arcs.
Theatre has again flooded. 3rd time in 11 years. Go to “www.thnt.com” and click on bound brook flood to view photos.
Today, March 14, 2010, Manville is under water again. I dont know if this theatre floods or is affected like the Brook Arts Center is in neighboring Bound Brook
Today March 14, 2010, Bound Brook is again having flooding similar to 2007. I wonder how the theatre is going to fare.
Hello my dear friend vito. Hope all is well. I have a question…where haven’t you been a managing director. You must know the in’s and out’s of just about every National Amusements theatre in New Jersey, New York, Long Island etc. Anyway, I hope you are doing well, and I couldn’t resist busting your chops a bit. Take care.
Sounds like this is going down the same road as the Rooling Acres Mall in Akron Ohio. Once a thriveing mall, it now only has 2 of the 3 anchor stores left, Sears outlet and J.C. Penney outlet. The entire mall is empty. And it all started with new owners, stores leaving and delinquent taxes.
Ron Newman, the only single screen that I know of that AMC operates is in New York City, the 72nd street theatre, which went under the name of Loews Tower East many years ago.
Is this the “Shore Theatre” they are talking about?
Well Love movies, I must say, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Now if someday I could come up with $3.5 million ( I know, dream on) then I would buy the beautiful Ritz Theatre in Elizabeth N.J. (2760 seats) and have classic films showing on the old Brenkart projectors and Peerless carbon arc lamps that sit there. And in between, I would love any and all live performances on the huge stage. Really bring back that old theatre expierience.
Thats why I enjoy running classics every year at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank N.J. on a pair of simplex xl projectors and changeovers every 20 mins. THAT’S what movies are to me, not these sheetrock multiplexes and movies that I wont even waste my time seeing for free, which I can do at the multiplex I work at.
Just as I have said in numerous other posts here on Cinema Treasures…don’t care about about digital, don’t care about 3D, and I especially don’t care about “Avatar” which I have absolutely NO desire what-so-ever to see. And everyone out there can say what you want, but I have to agree with Love movies – hate going, its getting a little ridiculous.
Let’s all hope they’re successful.
Last nights showing of “The Maltese Falcon” looked and sounded great. Nice crowd too. Next week “North By Northwest” with yours truly at the projection helm once again.
LuisV, I know you go around a lot and seem to be able to find out info on a lot of theatres. If you are ever in Elizabeth N.J. can you try to find out what is going on with the Ritz Theatre. I was going there for about 3 years up till the end of 2008 when I had a serious car accident. I have lost all my contacts and work prohibits me any time to go there. This is another 2760 seat beauty that has been completely restored. And I am so glad that after 30+ years the Kings day has finally come.