Abby Cinemas

Also known as Loew's Abby, Magic Cinemas, Regal Cinemas, Clearview Cinemas, and I think one other chain before Galaxy Theatres. Is it successful if its changed owners so many times?

I beleive it opened as a Music Makers Theatre. Loews bought Music Makers in the late 80's, and that's where it came into their hands. Clearview closed it in early 2001, because the landlord wanted a substantial rent increase. After it sat closed for awhile, Nelson Page (Galaxy Theatres) struck a deal to reopen the house. It was always a decent performer and always had huge per capita numbers.

I remember wen it was Loews, during its last days this was a discount house. It closed (and newspaper ads still ran for it for three weeks) and remained closed for about a year or so until Magic Cinemas aquired it (they were building a fleet of cinemas including this one, Bergenfield, Northamption Crossings, The Colony, and Hadley 11). Regal later took over Magic Cinemas' operations and sold the Bergenfield, Colony Theatre, and this one to Clearview. Clearview closed it later, as Joe Masher notes.

Oddly enough, Clearview bought the Bergenfield Cinema 5 (former Palace), Tenafly Cinema 4 (New Bergen), and Closter Cinema 4 from Magic---those three were actually the very first Clearview Cinemas.Then-owner Bud Mayo sold them to Magic a few years prior! When he sold those three locations he bought Bernardsville, Madison, and, I believe, Chester.

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.

What do we know about New Day Cinemas? What sort of special programing will they play?

It's a brand new circuit that ClassicSciFi.com has a strategic investment and involvement with. Special programming will look something like what goes on at the Lafayette Theatre in Suffern.

Are they going to put in digital sound?

Not quite sure yet. It sounds (no pun intended) like a good idea.

This theater did open as a Music Makers Theater- in spring of 1976. It always had four screens. I don't know how well it did, but from ads I have of the theater in the early eighties, they were showing half first run and half second run films. Loews did take it over.I hope the new venture is a success.

It closed as an all second run house with Loews, they repeated the same ads for weeks after closing, which lead us up there to see Robin Williams in Toys (the only theater in the area showing the movie, this puts the Loews closing at 1992). I remember Magic Cinemas reopened it and the first film I saw under the new opperator was Die Hard with Avengence (putting the reopening at 1995).

Music Makers built the type of theaters you could equate with bowling lanes: long and narrow with wall treatements up high, not spanning the whole height of the wall, but only the top 4th. Another cinema they had, that I assume is still in tact (I haven't been in years and Loews was remodeling it) was East Stroudberg Mall - which was a very 70's-80's multiplex. They also owned a theater in Freehold, I think, and the Interstate in Ramsey. I don't know if Loews opened it or not, but the Showboat Quad in Edgewater also had Music-Maker like theaters (it closed when the Edgewater Multiplex opened in 2000).

Abby cinemas first bookings were Taxi Driver, Gable & Lombard, Bad News Bears, and Blazing Saddles. The Abby openned in either March or April of 76

after the closing of the newton, will this theater be next?

Don't count on it.

Abby is doing quite well thank you.

We're starting up a new season of special big screen showings of classic films. This weekend for example the horror great "Dawn of the Dead" is showing Friday and Saturday at 10:30 pm, and Sunday at 11:00 am.

All seats are $5.00 for these shows and there is a costume contest during all the shows as well.

Stop by and lend your support. We'd be glad to show you the booth.

I did work in that booth. I don't see Abby leaving, at all.

It was fun to see The Dawn Of The Dead at the Abby.I have not seen a continuation of the "Big Screen" program at the Abby Cinema's in 2008.


Lets hope they do more of these screenings as it brings in extra business and gives a variety as opposed just to showing regular Hollywood fare.

The Newton Theatre is once again doing very well selling out on Fri and Sat nights now that Galaxy has been running the cinema for the past 6+ months.

That is what happens when you have management who is experienced and knows how to run a cinema and treats their customers with respect!

1976 magazine cover:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9dd34b3127ccec6ca2bfa9dbb00000040O08IZsW7Zwzcg9vPgQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

As of today, the Abby Cinemas are now closed. The sun has set on the New Day...

Sorry to hear that news; I worked at the Abby from late 1979 to early 1981. The place had really fallen on hard times when I visited a year or so ago.

The theatre fell on hard times because New Day the company that ran the Abby Cinema's HAD NO CLUE ON HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CINEMA! They ran the Newton into the ground (it is now better then ever under Majestic Star and Nelson Page)

I went to the Abby a few times and the staff tried but he upper management were snooty with a BIG chip on their shoulder!There was a problem with the print and the manager had a "who cares" attitude when I brought it to his attention!

Maybe the AMC in Rockaway killed this theater.

The theater's new name was named after Nelson Page's daughter.

>The theater's new name was named after Nelson Page's daughter.

The theatre opened under the name ABBY Cinemas in 1976, years before Nelson Page's daughter was born.