Newton Theatre

During the mid 50's the Newton theatre seated 870 people.

Does anyone have a Web link that works for this theater? The one above doesn't take me to the Newton Theatre.

In January 1923, the Newton Amusement Corporation awarded the construction contract for a stadium-type theater, capable of seating 1,000 people, to William Houghton. It was designed in “Colonial Style” by Reilly & Hall of New York. Load-bearing columns, consisting of 50 tons of steel supplied by the Submarine Boat Corporation of Newark, made the building of “the safest type known to modern engineering science.” Tapestry brick, pilasters and niches of ornamental stonework, and a marquise with 180 electric lights decorated the facade. Newton Theatre opened May 15, 1924. At that time, it was considered the most imposing theatre in any town of the size of Newton east of the Mississippi.

Not sure when the original theater link expired. Here is the current one:
http://www.bigscreenclassics.com/newton.htm

Operator Richard Nathan closed this theater in September 1997. Nelson Page of Ridgefield then took over.

The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), August 16, 1998 p035
Washington theater will get face lift. (COUNTY NEWS)

The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), May 29, 2002 p013
Those old theater organs have become piping hot; Movie houses revive sounds of the silents. (NEW JERSEY)
Byline: JIM LOCKWOOD

It's not every keyboardist who gets to see his name in lights, but John Baratta is the marquee attraction in Newton. It is as if an old friend has come home.

After a half-century absence, the full orchestral sounds of an antique pipe organ are reverberating again inside the Newton Theatre.

A relic of the 1920s silent-film era, the theater organ makes its rich sounds by pushing air through pipes - a far cry from today's digital techno-beats and electronic wizardry that require speakers. But for Nelson Page, who installed the Newton Theatre organ, the old instrument is a "living, breathing" entity, with a future tied to its past.

"What's old is new again. It's a step back into yesteryear," said Page, president of the American Theatre Organ Society, a group with 100 chapters worldwide.

Cathy Martin, president of the Garden State Theatre Organ Society, said the instrument's popularity is rising, due in part to a resurgence in interest in silent films, as well as in theater organs themselves.

Martin - who with her husband, Robert, installed a theater organ at their Little Falls home a decade ago - said there may be as few as 100 to 150 fully functioning theater organs in existence, 20 of them in New Jersey. Page puts the number in theaters and homes around the country at 500.

A long-forgotten organ at Newark Symphony Hall was recently restored. That instrument had not been played for some 50 years, and few people even knew it still existed, because the keyboard console had been removed years ago. But the pipe chamber remained intact, and the Garden State society helped bring it back into action, Martin said.

In 1994, Page installed two vintage organs at the Galaxy Triplex cinema in Guttenberg, one for the lobby and the other for the theater section. Other recent efforts to restore pipe organs have taken place in Asbury Park and Jersey City.

Reflecting on the restoration efforts, Page said: "I think they are on an upswing because there's a greater amount of interest being developed in this uniquely American art form. It's a search for nostalgia. People are looking for a simpler, bygone era."

Some 10,000 theater organs were made by a dozen companies during the silent-film heyday of 1919 to 1929. Most were scrapped long ago, Page said.

The Newton Theatre, built in 1924, had an orchestra pit that once boasted two organs, including the largest pipe organ in Sussex County. Page guesses they were removed around the World War II era, as theaters switched to recorded music.

Page and employees spent 10 months transplanting an Organunique pipe organ to the theater on Spring Street in Newton from a private residence in Clifton.

Compared with other pipe organs, this one is small: two keyboards, 32 foot pedals and 24 stops, the switches that operate the sets of sounds. (The phrase "pulling out all the stops" stems from organ playing.)

Moving even a small pipe organ was no easy task because of the hundreds of components that had to be taken apart, restored and reassembled, Page said.

A separate room was built backstage for the pipe organ's unseen guts, including some 200 metal (zinc and tin) and wooden pipes, and various mechanical parts, such as a blower, windchest, and regulator, that work in concert to produce sounds.

Volume is controlled by a foot pedal that opens and closes swell shades, a sort of Venetian blind between the pipe room and theater seating.

The instrument, believed to date to the mid-1920s, made its debut in Newton seven weeks ago. It is played Saturday nights by John Baratta, organist for the First Presbyterian Church in Newton and Roxbury middle school band director, during intermission, around 6:30 to 7 p.m., in one of the theater's twin cinemas.

Inside the dimly lit theater, Baratta is silhouetted by a small light over the sheet music. All four of his limbs move as he plays, with hands working the keyboards and feet tapping bass pedals.

Baratta glides through a set of tunes, flowing from one into another, seemingly effortlessly.

"The response has been favorable so far," Baratta said. "At first I was afraid of the response I'd get, because it's so different from anything else. It's not canned music."

No, Page notes, this is live entertainment to an audience that at times spans all ages (depending on what movie is playing).

Baratta laughed as he recalled the time a young girl requested "Over the Rainbow" and a young boy suggested Baratta pipe down, because the music was too loud for his taste.

While some teenagers on a recent Saturday night seemed oblivious to it all, others took notice. "It's interesting. We've never seen it before. We're used to music from the speakers," one said.

Newton senior citizen Lucy Mathews said the pipe organ music is "just like the old days."

To Page, who does not play the instrument himself, such sentiments are music to his ears. Introducing the theater organ to someone who never heard it before, or reintroducing it to someone who has, achieves his goal of promoting the instrument and, he hopes, makes the moviegoing experience more enjoyable.

"They get a little extra for their movie dollar," Page said.

CAPTION(S):

1. It's not every keyboardist who gets to see his name in lights, but John Baratta is the marquee attraction in Newton.

2. Bob Miloche of Maywood makes sure last Wednesay that the pipe organ in the Newton Theatre is in fine form for John Baratta's Saturday night performance.

1. RICH SCHULTZ/FOR THE STAR-LEDGER

2. STEVE KLAVER/THE STAR-LEDGER


Article CJ86433844

When the Galaxy website was updated, they excluded the old photos.
Here are some (thanks to Chuck's photobucket!):
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/Chuck1231/New%20Jersey%20Theatres/NewtonTheatreCirca1937NewtonNJ.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/Chuck1231/New%20Jersey%20Theatres/NewtonTheatre234SpringSt.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/Chuck1231/New%20Jersey%20Theatres/NewtonTheatreNewtownNJ.jpg

Old postcard from ca 1940:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6df03b3127cce9750372f24e400000016108IZsW7Zwzc-

Listed as a Brandt Theater in the 1976 International Motion Picture Almanac.

Definitely feels like you go back in time when you walk in. The marquee is still there, but i wouldn't say 180 lights are in it, but at least 100 light bulbs. It is pretty big for the town it sits in. There is no fly space but it is a massive building with very little parking.

Here's the card the woman gave me at the box office with info about it online. http://www.bigscreenclassics.com/

New Day Cinemas acquired this theatre on 11/1/2006. The new website is http://NewDayCinemas.com New Day plans to continue the old, and introduce some new special programming.

THe last time I was at the theater, for Pirates 2, theater 1 had the organ playing while theater 2 has prerecorded music. Does theater 1 have digital surround sound as theater 2 has mono sound? Let me know.

I went to this theater last night to see "The Game Plan", and lots of things have changed since a year ago. For one, all the employees wore the New Day Cinemas logo and red vests and some of them do their best to quiet the sometimes rowdy audience down by not using cell phones. Another thing is that the theater now shows slideshows before each movie at the two auditorium and plays movietunes instead of the classic movie music. Is the organ still in use in theater 1? Also, I sat in the balcony seats and they made them more comfortable. On Monday nights, it's date night. For $12, two people can go see a movie for that price. BTW, since the acquisition of this theater, a megaplex in Rockaway opened as well as the return of movies to Sparta.

A Griffith-Beach theater organ was installed in the Newton Theater in 1924.

I herd from the former operator of Newton today(10-21-07)That New Day Cinema has CLOSED the theatre as of today.

that's sad. now the only theater left in sussex county is in sparta. at least the newton lived a long life.

The last movies that the theater showed were "30 Days of Night" and "The Game Plan", which enjoyed nearly a month of success at the theater as the Newton was a popular place for showing kid movies, especially Disney fare such as the "Pirates" movies, all three of which played in Newton. This theater has withstood competition from many new theaters surrounding northwest new jersey from 5/15/1924- sometime in 1997 and from 1997-2007 when Nathan Page took over the theater and most recently sold the twin to New Day Cinemas, who then closed the theater. Why did they close it? Was it because of the new AMC theater in rockaway or declining attendance? I hope it reopens and gets bought by Clearview.

The theatre closed because Rockaway, and then the newly renovated Sparta theatre drained away more than half of the box.

We gave it a try, but in the end its all about box-office. No one is sadder about than we are.

i agree with you. btw, what will happen to the building? it's an important icon of downtown newton. this is bigger than what happened to the fancy spring house restaurant, now a bar restaurant. the closest thing to a local theater is the one in blairstown that once again showing movies besides musicals and other vauldiville acts. give it a try!

It is very distressing to see this wonderful theatre CLOSE! The staff was friendly and very attentive.The popcorn and was always HOT and FRESH and not unreasonably priced. The pipe organ played on Friday was charming and added so much to the movie going experience.

The projection top notch, sets comfortable sound crisp and clear.

Going to a movie is much more then just sitting in a seat and watching the films.

This will hurt the economy of downtown Newton, all the people who came to eat before or after a show or shop, means thousands of dollars lost for local merchants.

At the multi-plexes the staff is indifferent, nobody knows your name or cares who you are!There no organ, no special programing, no or warmth. You are hit with 15 min of adds and previews! NO SHOWMANSHIP, NOTHING BUT OVERPRICED POPCORN/DRINKS!


This Cinema MUST BE RE_OPENED!! Maybe run movies 3-4 weeks after they run in Rockaway and charge $4.00 a ticket like the Ceder Lane cinema does in Teeneck NJ.

Shame on the residents of Newton for rushing off like sheep to the big multi-plex!

I agree with you Peter. The Newton theater always played that cute cartoon before each feature, the one where all the snack characters go to the lobby. Unlike most conservative big screen chains like AMC and Clearview where price reigns over service, the Newton Twin theater never had any changes in presentation and service when Galaxy Theater Corp. and then New Day Cinemas (owned by a dot-com company specializing in classic sci-fi movies) took over the independently run theater, which was one of the longest running theaters in New Jersey, if not America. Most recently, they had a Date Night offering each monday; two tickets for only $12!!!! Too bad it didn't catch on with the new generation going to the high-tech theaters.

I don't know if this was posted here before, but there are photos of the Newton Theater on this website.

and there are showtimes on there, even though the theater is closed for good.

I think the showtimes are for the Abby Cinemas in West Milford.

While The Newton Theatre faced competition from AMC and the new Sparta cinema,there were several changes under New Day Cinema VS when Galaxy Corp ran the theatre.

The Newton had a wonderful pipe organ that was played before the Friday/Sat night evening screening.About a month after New Day took over operation,the organ fell silent.

This was unique and special attraction that many people enjoyed.By NOT continuing with this attraction, the Newton lost that little extra perk that is SO IMPORTANT to keep customers away from Sparta and AMC.

The addition of slide-shows(adds) and the end to classic movie music took away from the charm of the cinema.Plus no special progrmaing(like classic movies form the 30's,40's 50's 60's on a Sat or Sun morning or classic horror films on Fri,Sat at midnight would have helped bring in more business.

The Monday discount night was a good idea.

Yes running a small downtown movie theatre is hard, but with creative ideas and thinking outside the box would have kept movies lighting up the screens at Newton

What a shame to lose our theatre. Modern and convience take priority instead of comfort and tradition. How wonderful was the old Newton theatre? I enjoyed bringing my son to it and half the fun was parking! The refreshments were priced well and the tickets were a real bargain. I only wish I had the money. I would reopen our theatre and it would be bold, bright, and alive again. It seems we are losing a piece of our souls, our tradional heritage when we rush off to 22 screen theatres instead of remembring and supporting what we had.
friends, make it your business to hit the Warwick drive in next Summer before we lose that experience as well. What a shame. www.newkid.org

it'll be a few years before all the old theaters will become dinosaurs. I hope the newton theater doesn't get demolished!!!

If All the great old cinema's close(I am sure there will be a bunch that don't) I will NOT go to the movies very much in the future.

The Wilson's who own and operate the Warwick Drive In also own the land the Drive In sits on. This plus the fact that it draws large crowds in the season(they have to turn cars away in the prime summer months) will ensure that this Drive In WILL BE around for MANY MANY years!

The land that the Warwick Drive-in sit on was sold a few years ago to the developer of the strip mall on the corner. They lease it back on a season by season basis until such time as the developer decides to build on the site.

A NJ friend reports that the Newton Theatre had operated continuously for 90 years, and for its first 18 years with vaudeville on the programs.

Sorry! That should be 91 years of continuous operation, not 90.

that's a long life for the theater.

Lets hope its soon resurrected!!

Yes, it was a long life, but apparently not 91 years. As reported above by "TC" on 6/20/05, the Newton Theatre first opened on May 15th, 1924, which means that it was 83 at closing. My informant claims that a local newspaper reported 91.

this was the longest running theater in Northwest Jersey, right? The oldest right now has to be Madison.

Lets ALL hope someone comes in and takes over the Newton Cinema.

It has to be hurting the shops and restaurants, as hundreds of people are now not using the downtown as they did when the theatre was open.

Maybe show movies 3-4 weeks after then open and charge $4.00 a ticket.

i agree with you peter. Newton will suffer a decline in business next year since the theater's closed.

I have a feeling that the Newton Cinema will not be "Dark" for too much longer.I am not at liberty to say who will be taking over the operation of this fine treasure at this time.

Springtime will see the re-birth of the Newton Cinema!

Good news!!! Found this article on the net...
http://www.njherald.com/290962064297839.php
there's also some little info about that other theater in Newton that is now the municipal building. Kudos to Mr. Paige for taking great lengths to renovate the building. I hope they have digital sound in both auditoriums since both screens sound systems were mono and there was lack of bass, but the seating was very good.

Regarding the theatre's longevity: Claims like this (that it's been in continuous operation for X years) should always be suspect. People who make such claims never back them up and never do their research. It can't even be 83 years since the theatre was closed for several months before Nelson Page picked it up in the mid-90s and I'm sure there were other changes in management that led to its closure in its long history. Never believe what you read! Or at the very least, be suspicious of it and ask for sources.

The Newton WILL have it's GRAND RE-OPENING in MID APRIL!

thanks for the update, peter? What movies will be playing there, and what will be new at the theater? Here's a link to upcoming films this coming april...
http://www.movieweb.com/movies/releases/month.php?m=200804

The first sentence of the introduction needs to be corrected-- Newton Theatre (not Newtown).

Much like Ziegfeld was incorrectly named Zeigfeld in the highest commented on Cinema Treasure, which is much larger than the newton but was built many years after the small theater. Hopefully the twin will have good projection and digital sound in both auditoriums and keep prices lower than the AMC over in Rockaway!!!

thanks for the corrected spelling.

Hey Pete Bob and Nelson when will the Newton Cinema have it's GRAND RE-OPENING!!

Hi, Peter -

Should be before the end of April. The guys are still cleaning up and refurbishing the place. The marquee got hit by a truck on Thursday, so that needs to be repaired as well.

what's the latest? April's almost over....I saw the repaired marquee...so it's almost done. The title says "opening soon"...i can't wait!!!

Friday May 16th is the SCHEDULED date for the GRAND-RE-OPENING of the HISTORIC NEWTON CINEMA! Three CHEERS for Bob, Nelson and the Galaxy staff!

Hopefully Narnia and Speed Racer open there, as the theater is known to show mostly family fare. The week of the 22nd when Indy comes out, hopefully it'll play there as I'm going to nearby Newton Memorial Hospital for an appointment.

The plan for now is Narnia on the 16th and Indy on the 22nd.

anyone know if they are hiring now that they're reopening?

so far, no advance showtimes on the internet....

Looked in todays Star Ledger, but did not see anything about the theatre. Is it opening this week?

yes, on friday. hopefully it'll be in the local newspapers, such as the Daily Record and surrounding newspapers.

Opens Friday 5/16 with Narnia: Prince Caspian on one side and Baby Mama on the other; Indiana Jones starts May 22. If the showtimes don't hit the papers or online listings, call the info hotline at 973-300-4600.

Great news Pete! Will the organ be playing Fri and Sat night? Being that it Grand-Reopening this weekend, it would be nice to have John play both nights!

It'll be playing on Friday nights for now.

Here's an article in yesterday's NJ Herald about the re-opening:
http://www.njherald.com/secure_story/334500480948172.php

good article. BTW, will there be new sound systems in each auditorium as well as projectors, or will it still the the same old Newton twin when New Day acquired the theater for awhile?

I don't know, Justin. I'm not involved with the theatres on a day-to-day basis.

So far, I read that they're installing new seats and improving the lobby while keeping the theater the way it is. Too bad they'll show Indy at night the day I'm going to the nearby Hospital for an appointment, as opposed to day-long showtimes in Rockaway.

someone should change the status to open, as this theater is back running again...btw, any changes since the theater changed ownership, such as prices?

also, no showtimes are posted online...is this theater's opening delayed? Opening attractions include Baby Mama and Narnia. Next week Indy come out and will play alongside Narnia as Narnia 2 did well at the box office.

As was posted 6 posts above, the theatre opened Friday night, 5/16.

Showtimes at Fandango: http://www.fandango.com/newtontheatre_aakth/theaterpage

Moviefone.com should have them next week as well.

and hopefully every other movie showtime site will have it up and running. On New Day Cinemas' site, the theater is still listed...somone should remove that theater as it's no longer owned by that company. BTW, no showtimes for Indy 4 on the 22nd as both Baby Mama and Narnia are still playing. I remember that this theater always had midnight showings of popular movies just like the big guys. I'm sure this theater showed all three Indy movies in the past.

No listings in the Star Ledger. Is it open? And if it is how is business been so far?

PLEASE LIST THIS AS OPEN! IT RE-OPENED ON MAY 16 08

I went to this fine downtown Cinema on Aug 16th 08. WOW what a wonderful experience. The theatre has been repainted and freshened up. When you walk in you buy your ticket right behind the ticket booth is an old time candy counter.The lobby has mirrors to the right and left as you walk in.Above the mirrors is beautful gilding

Both of the cinema's are roomy and the seating comfortable. There is even a balcony section with an old time lighted sign at the foot of the balcony.

The organ concert by John Barrata was GREAT!(FRI NIGHTS)

The town is just as nice as the theatre with great shops and restaurants! There is even a Policeman that rides a BIKE up and down the sidewalk!

Outside of town in Augusta on Rt 15 is the Chatterbox Drive In Resturant!

So I URGE ALL CINEMA TREASURES MEMBERS to GO TO NEWTON NJ AND enjoy the area for the day and CHECK OUT THE NEWTON THEATRE FOR A GREAT EVENING OF MOVIE MAGIC!

status should be changed to open since it's open even though showtimes aren't listed in the daily record (they only show times for the Sparta theater).

My friend Dan went to see Max Payne and the management escorted some rowdy 10 year olds out of the showing since it was rated PG-13. Pretty good management, I say. No wonder why this theater is always packed on Friday nights when there's nothing else to do in downtown Newton.

Nice place for an older place. The owner knows what he doing. The booth is not bad and the management is far better than the last. The theater is GREAT!

Current attractions include Hotel for Dogs and Gran Torino.

Come May 24, this theater will turn 85. Any celebration plans going on at the theater?

1980 Photo

Great photo, Lost Memory. The two movies that played there back in the summer was "Used Cars" in theater #1 and "Empire Strikes Back" in theater #2.

BTW, I hope they get digital projection in one of those screens just in time for Avatar.

Since Nelson Page took over, has anything been changed since the last time I went there? I hope they installed digital sound in both screens and improved the projection and snacks.

Projection has been tuned and tweaked. No current plans for digital projection or sound. 'Snacks' contain the best fresh-popped popcorn in the tri-state area, sharing the award with the Lafayette and Cedar Lane :) . Official website: www.bigscreenclassics.com