Montauk Theater

The Montauk Theatre is located on 715 Main Street and it seated 2638 people.

I've never been to the Montauk as I always remember it as being a porn house. But it's still there, owned by a slumlord who refuses to restore or repair the theater, I guess it's a good writeoff. The thetaer is a scandal as they've caught patrons having sex acts in the isles. They've since re-opened it. It's the same. I've written letters proclaiming that a good way to revitalize Passaic would be to restore the theater to it's original glory. They could have film premieres, concerts, shows and show classic films. But that's a pipedream since Passaic , NJ is a dump. Gangs, drugs, stripbars etc. Who'd go there. I've never seen pictures of the interior..I hear it's awesome with a great procenium and over 2000 seats and a balcony.

I have good memories of the Montauk. I saw "Mary Poppins" and "Hawaii" there, and also my first 35mm viewing of "2001: A Space Odyssey" after seeing it in Cinerama at the Capitol the year before. Like with so many other theaters on this website, it's sad to consider its ultimate fate. It's sad to see what's become of the whole downtown Passaic area - the Central, only a block or two away, was another fine theater, and the Capitol was one of the greatest '60's and '70's rock concert venues in the whole country.

I mentioned the Capitol twice in the above post, but they're two different theaters. The Loew's Capitol in New York had Cinerama, but there was a Capitol in Passaic just another block away from the Central. This is where they had all the legendary rock shows.

The only thing I ever saw at the Capitol in Passaic was a professional wrestling match in the 70's. I remember all the concerts there though but as far as films went it was basically a porno theater. Now it's gone. The Central I was there once, The Cowboys in 72, a good theater before the neighborhood swallowed it up and it played nothing but cheap flicks and karate films. Gone also. Just the Montauk survives, like a cancer of the neighborhood. I'd love to see the interior design but, not enough to go in there as it's the sleaziest of theaters now. For perverts only. A damn shame.

I saw Mary Poppins at the Montauk along with a Jerry Lewis movie, can't recall the title.

I hope this board isn't run by a bunch of close-minded homophobes:
I for one was a very happy customer when this place was showing porn,
and I'm very happy to hear that they're back in business.
See, I'm gay, I love old theatres, and I love watching porn on a big
screen and getting to meet other guys too.
I think it's truly sad that the radical christian fundamentalists want to
suppress sexuality, and it's about time that some smart business person
takes an interest in this grand old theatre and brings the porn back.
I'm heading over there for the first time in years and hope that this
place offers some relief from the predictable, sex-starved sterility that
the NY-NJ metro area has degenerated to in the era of Bush and Giuliani.

Theatrebuff;

You have my full support and I empathize with your feelings totally, as possibly many others on this site do too? I have just added many former gay male porn cinemas in New York, Florida and San Francisco to the site. Some of course were former regular movie theaters like the Montauk once was. This is a better use for an old theater than being carved up into yet another drug store etc or demolition.

42nd St and the Times Sq area has certainly 'lost it' as far as I'm concerned. It used to be the heart of NYC which gave it the edgy feel which made it an exciting place to visit. Now its about as exciting as a ride on the horse drawn street car on Main St, Disneyland!

Keep on supporting the Montauk, your $$'s MAY make all the difference to the future of the building. I will be doing the same when in West Hollywood in a couple of weeks time at the Tomcat Theatre (former Monica Theatre)

Happy New Year to All Theatre and Cinema Treasures enthusiasts.

The Montauk Theater is currently open but possibly not for long. Check it out even if you don’t like pornography which it now shows. The Montauk is a 100 year old vaudeville theater that was top of the line for its day and still features a marble lobby with bronze doors, deco wall sconces, marble Corinthian columns, silk wall covering, a sunken orchestra pit with balastrade, and an arched, ornate ceiling with central chandelier. It has graceful dimensions and concert hall quality acoustics. Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor and all the vaudeville greats performed there. Catch it while you can!

I will be over in New York City in June and hope to go along to the Montauk Theatre. Not knowing the area, can anyone tell me please if it is far to travel to Passaic from NYC? and is it accessable by public transport by train or bus? I hope it is still open so I can get inside.

Anyone know who the architect was? It sounds like its a most interesting building.

This sounds like if it was restored it would be a real treasure.

I have no objection to the present use of the Montauk. It's certain that porn has been a factor in keeping hundreds of theaters standing years after they might otherwise have met the wrecking ball. Here's an ironic thought, though: I would love to see the interior of the Montauk, but I'm afraid I'm not broad-minded enough to attend a gay porn theater. If only they could have an occasional "open house" event with a mainstream or oldie film. Meanwhile I hope that the gay community continues to patronize it --- it IS a treasure.

Have you ever been to Passaic NJ?? The city honchos, in in their infinate wisdom, closed the theatre claiming it drew a bad element from other NJ towns and even NYC. Whatever was or was not going on there at the Montauk was INDOORS and out of sight of the general public. Meantime, they have done nothing about the prostitutes, junkies and gangs, who are residents of the town and not customers the theatre, wandering aimlessly around the streets harrassing passers-by, breaking into cars and area houses. They were still hanging around after the theatre was closed, thereby shooting down the theory that the town would improve if only they could get rid of that damn porno theatre. It always amazes me that the pols ignore the obvious when it comes to 'civic improvement'. I'm sure they're still scraching their pointed little heads wondering why Passaic did not blossom into a 'new Upper Saddle River' after the theatre closed. All that was accomplished by closing the Montauk was they chased away what few visitors that town had managed to attract. Perhaps they have reconsidered, or more likely, they need the tax revenue....

KenRoe:
You can get to Passaic by car, about a half-hour ride (Lincoln Tunnel /I-495 to Rt. 3 west to Rt. 21 north. Or from the Port Authority get the NJ Transit 190 bus.

I read a little history on this theater. It seems that this is the second Montauk Theater. The first was a vaudeville theater located on the corner of Madison Street and Main Avenue which is about a block from this theater. This theater is listed as opening in 1924. Also, the address should be 715 Main Avenue and not Street.

Thanks Dave, It will have to be the bus, being I don't drive (no need for a car here in London).

When the Montauk was on vaudeville, did it belong to a major circuit? If it was it could have been designed by a major architect! Therefore it could be a candidate for historic listing?

The architects name wasn't listed Ken. I did find other theaters for Passaic if anyone wants to do a little research. One was the Capitol Theater on Monroe Street. It started as a vaudeville theater and then switched to movies.
On Lexington Avenue there was the Rialto aka the Lincoln aka the Lexington aka the Fine Arts Theater. And another was the Playhouse on Main Avenue which began with vaudeville and switched to movies.

And there was the Palace on Market Street, which is still standing.

The Montauk is the least of downtown Passaic's problems. I used to go there all the time in the late sixties/early seventies, and it was just starting to go downhill. The Central was the theater I often visited, and they had a mix of black exploitation, kung fu and horror movies. McDonalds now occupies that site.

I live in northern NJ and older neighbors told me that during the 50's, downtown Passaic (and Paterson) were wonderful. They were THE places to go and even more amazingly, to live.

Weird to think that only 10 or so short years could pass and area can decline so quickly.

According to a website on the history of Passaic, NJ http://www.tccweb.org/passiac.htm (article by City Historian; Mark S. Auerbach), the original Montauk (vaudeville) Theatre located on the corner of Madison St and Main Ave was replaced by the current Montauk Theatre which was built in 1924.

The article that I read was similar and gave the same opening date for this current Montauk Theater as 1924. The first theater is listed at Madison St and Main Ave. If you map this theater at 715 Main Ave., the map shows Main Ave. and Henry St. which is one block away from Madison St.

The Montauk Theater is housed in a building complex that spans the block between Henry St. and Madison St. on Main Ave. in Passaic. In addition to the theater, the building complex includes stores along Main Ave., unoccupied office space above the stores, a small hotel, and an unused, very old ballroom that was converted into a disco in the 80’s. The Montauk Theater, circa 1905, had its original entrance on Madison St. Currently this face of the theater is bricked off. The theater’s marquee and entrance is now on Main Ave. toward the Henry St. side. There is also currently a service entrance to the Montauk on Henry St. which used to be the theater’s main entrance at another point in its history, not sure exactly when.

The building complex, which has two architectural design segments along Main Ave., went through a renovation in the mid-twenties. According to the manager of the Montauk Theater, who is the source for my historical information, the current theater is the original vaudeville theater, spanning from Madison Ave. to Henry St. It has had renovations over the years, exactly when he is not sure. The rest of the details I have observed for myself.

The Montauk has been reopened for just over a year, and in accordance with many new restrictions, it is closely video and security guard monitored and shows straight porn only. The balcony is closed. If someone wants to go in there to see the theater as a paying customer, no one is going to bother you. It is not identified as a gay theater. The town itself is run down, but you can easily park in the center section of Main Ave. right in front of the theater in metered-type parking for up to two hours before you have to put in more quarters. Like I said, this is one to see.

Robt;
Many thanks for your description and observations. This makes me even more determined to visit this theatre on my next visit to NYC. The manager sounds like he's a helpful and friendly guy?. I will purchase my admission ticket, then chat to him and he may allow me access to the balcony area? I hope so, this really sounds like it's my kinda theatre!

KenRoe,

Glad to pass on information about this cinema treasure. In my last post: "If someone wants to go in there..." I was refering to the theater, not the balcony. The manager was friendly to me and a very smart guy. I don't think he'll let people up to the balcony, though. He clearly loves the Montauk.

Another comment: I wrote above that the building complex went through a renovation in the twenties. It's more accurate to say it went through a restructuring, hence the on-line note about it dating from 1924. Someone else told me 1926. I'm just piecing all this together.

It must have been completely stripped down to the frame and rebuilt. Above it mentions the entrance used to be on Madison St., but from the looks of the building and shape of the roofline now, I'd say the Madison St wall is probably the stagehouse.

To Robt: Passaic has certainly seen better days. While it's appearance is tired, it's not quite a hell hole. The downtown area where the Montauk is located is at least USED by people. On a Saturday afternoon, the downtown area is packed. Yes, it's more like downtown Brooklyn and such but the point is that it's NOT a ghost town at all.

If one wants to go there, I must emphasize NOT to take NJ Transit RAIL to get there. Though there is a stop on what is called the MAIN line to Passaic, the train stop is actually very far west in the city in an area called Passaic Park. IF you got off at that stop you'd think everyone got it wrong saying how decrepit Passiac is. It's a beautiful area in Passaic that is mostly home to Hassidic Jews. They've maintained this lovely area splendidly. BUT it's quite a hike to the downtown Passaic area where the Montauk is.

Just giving some advice...

CConnolly;
Thanks for that advise. Looks like I will be taking dave-bronx advise and take the #190 NJ Transit bus from Port Terminal

I grew up in Passaic in the 1950s and at that time we had five thriving movie theaters: the central theater district had the
Capitol, Central, Lincoln, and Montauk, while the Palace was in Dundee. Movies changed weekly. Two new movies a week. With
one admission you could stay as long as you liked. I went every
Saturday. Most memorable movie at the Montauk was, in 3D, The
Charge at Feather River (or something like that). More about
the great days in Passaic at
http://www.extremecrossword.com/hoops/hoops4.html

In the 80s, the balcony consisted of a small dark room in the center, some stools along the wall, and a small restroom for men at the top of the back stairs. Around 1992 or so they renovated the other bathroom, at the top of the front stairs, that had always been locked, and that revealed beautiful marble stalls, with a small lounge at the entrance. They converted the dark room into a small video room with chairs and screened male porn, while the downstairs main theater showed straight porn. A few years ago, I heard they installed booths upstairs, so that may be why they are prohibited from opening the balcony.

I GREW UP IN PASSAIC PARK IN THE 50'S. BRENNAN'S ICE CREAM PARLOR WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE THEATRE W ACCESS. ON THE LEFT WAS THE NY BUS TRANSIT TICKET OFFICE. AROUND THE CORNER ON HENRY ST WAS THE BALLROOM ENTRANCE, THE LINCOLN HOTEL,LINCOLN BARBER SHOP AND LINCOLN BAR & GRILL. MY DAD OWNED THE BARBER SHOP. HAIRCUTS WERE A BUCK. ACROSS THE STREET WAS BLACKMANS (UPSTAIRS) POOL HALL, JACKS TV, AND A JEWISH DELACATESSEN ON THE CORNER THAT MADE THE BEST PASTRAMI & RYE SANDWICHES YOU COULD IMAGINE. BUS RIDE WAS A DIME. WENT TO THE MONTAUK, CENTRAL, & CAPITOL THEATRES ALL THE TIME. CARTOON 1ST, THEN FEATURE SHOW. 25 CENTS OR SO. ERIE LAKAWANA TRAIN TRACKS RAN THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF MAIN AVENUE (WHERE THE CURRENT PARKING IS).
PASSAIC WAS THE BEST,AND VERY SAFE. THE MONTAUK HAD A RED DESIGN CARPET UP A SLOAPING ENTRANCE THROUGH BRASS & GLASS DOORS. IST CARTOON I REMEMBER WAS CHICKEN LITTLE & THE SKY IS FALLING WITH HENNY PENNY & LOOSEY GOOSEY. OLD YELLER THE IST MOVIE. MONTAUK WAS HUGE INSIDE. MISS IT.

I attended Number 11 School, in the Second Ward, perhaps the closest school to the Passic movie district including the Montauk Theater. Now, this is the 1950's, I am talking about. In the middle of one block of Monroe Street near Myrtle Avenue was a gas station with a tall billboard facing #11's playground. I will not go so far as to say that every ad on that billboard advertised a movie to us kids, but I only remember movie advertisements in that super spot for movie advertisements. Whoever in the movie industry placed those ads there was an advertising genius. Errol Flynn, saber in hand, dressed and posed as a dashing pirate comes to mind.

My uncle, Harry Stein, owned the block along Main Ave from Henry St to Madison St. He demolished the old Montauk and opened the new theater in 1927. Next door, was the Ritz Restaurant (closed in mid 1960's) and on Henry ST. side was the Hotel Lincoln and upstairs the Ritz Ballroom. When he died in 1952, the Passaic Herald News listed him as Passaic's largest taxpayer. The family sold the building about 1966-67. As far as the cicuit, Uncle Harry was associated with the Stanley-Warner circuit in the 1920's. He also owned the Rialto Theater(later named the Lincoln) on Lexington Avenue.

hello.

I was born and grew up in passaic {corner of myrtle ave and madison street} in the 1960's and early 70's. I recall going to the montalk theater as a small child before it turned bad. Was a beautiful theater with an elabotate lobby. I also recall elaborate couches and vanities in the ladies room. Brennnan's Ice cream parlor was next door and even had its own entrance into the lobby of the montalk. if I recall correctly there was also an entrance across the lobby to the bus station whos front faced henry street, which sold tickets for the nyc line. the lincoln hotel occupied the whole corner of henry and main with its restaurant being on the ground floor, most likely until it closed sometime in the early 50's. I do know the nj dept of welfare's office occupied the old restaurant space facing main street in the 1960's. I also went to the movies often at the central. remember seeing some good sci fi stuff in the early 70's there. the central was an awesome theater, I remember the facade of the theater gray black and white. the golden coach diner was next door also lost to the wrecking ball. Not many know that the famous beat poet Allan ginsburg was a frequent customer at the diner along with friend passaic born artist and writer Robert smithson whos tag was " passaic boys are hell" . He wrote " the monuments of passaic" as well as taking some awesome black and white photos of the passaic area in the 1960's. I left the passaic area in the mid 1970's but go back often to take pictures. I wont allow the rough element to intimidate me and keep me from a place that I once called home. Shame whats happend to passaic, good thing for fond memories of what once was.

No one on this site is denying ones right to attend a porno theater if that is your thing, after all in 1974 the Montauk played "Deep Throat" and "Devil and Miss Jones" on a double bill and it was a sell out smash hit. But that was the 70's, a different time. To those who say they're glad there's a theater that shows porn, that's your right. But, it's not being a "homophobe" to say that the Montauk is a dilapidated mess. If you wish to go to a theater and see porn the Montauk's your place, but, when the police have to raid it because men are having sex in the balcony or aisle or bathroom then something is quite wrong. If you want to meet "men" then go to a bar or answer a personal ad. Yes, the Montauk adds a bad element to the former great Passaic. If the theater is that great a monument, then restoring it for more family friendly entertainment is the way. But the owner has no intention of doing so because it's a great writeoff. They have not upkept the quality of the theater, just the opposite, they let it go because it's a place for degenerates and perverts. (Those who use the theater for sex needs). There's many here who are upset that they closed the porn places on 42nd street in NY. I tremember walking along 42nd street in the 80's. It was a mess and those theaters did not help. They attracted pimps, prostitutes, hustlers, drugs. A family visiting NYC had to fear. Now it's all Disney. While I wish it could be more single screen theaters, I'm glad they cleaned it up. If you want to buy a popcorn and sit in peace and watch a porn film (in fact I believe they don't show film but video)then knock yourself out, but it seems that won't happen .

One of my children had a birthday party to attend this past weekend in nearby Clifton. Knowing the area, I drove down into downtown Passaic to see the outside of The Montauk once again. It's fascinating. I know a lot of time and money was spent refurbishing Loews Jersey. I cannot help but feel that time would be well spent to rebuild The Montauk.

From the outside, the auditorium must be HUGE. You simply cannot miss this sucker. It stands out brilliantly. As for the neighborhood, my GOD...it's simply not bad at ALL. There are hardly any vacant stores and the foot traffic was tremendous. Yep, the ethnicity of the people are obviously different from years ago but they come from the same immigrant classes that established and used Passaic as their home 50, 60, 70 years ago. It's a thriving hispanic enclave. I was completely surprised to see how vital the area was.

I would love to take a look inside the place but from the rather seedy descriptions above, I just don't think so...

And Rhett: I agree with you 100%. That's why I find it surprising that no one has grabbed the place yet. Downtown Passaic may be different than it was 40 or 50 years ago but it's no slum. These are working class hispanics. I'm sure they'd welcome a change to the venue at The Montauk. It's just not the first thing on their minds....

That's right CC..it just seems that Montauk's owner is holding it for a tax write-off. Passiac has a gem in it's own backyard but they're goin got just let it fester....a damn shame

The important thing is that it is still open, and has not been razed, as other similar theaters have (The Pilgrim in Boston comes to mind). Whatever you may think of the owner, she has sunk some money into it by renovating parts of the interior (the workmen used to come in at 12 midnight, when it closed, to do their work). And whatever you may think of the clientele, they have paid money to keep the theater open by their patronage. Anyone who has been to Passaic lately, especially at night, knows that families are not going to go there to see Shrek.

That's great that money has been used for renovation...BUT...I doubt seriously that they're restoring the art work or procenium...what I gather from the reports is that they're removing every other seat so the "clientele" has a harder time performing sexual acts with each other. So,with all this support to the "clientele", let's be frank..they're not there to watch a movie. They do have places for that...especially in Passaic...no wait, there is a place for that...The Montauk Theater...I have an old newspaper ad from the Montauk when they showed, "My Fair Lady" and "Butch Cassidy". Sorry, but the Montauk is a symbol for all that's bad in Passaic. What is the point of keeping it open if alls it's used for is a XXX sex house. Maybe they should show Shrek to clean the place out. If they are renovating parts of the theater, who'll see it??

rhett, very saracastically but realistically put. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Yes, some will say that the porn is "saving" The Montauk. Others will argue that the place is drawing a seedy crowd and will either want the place closed or demolished. Frankly, if such as place like The Montauk existed near to where I live, I'd want it closed and/or demolished regardless of it's former aesthetic value.

Passaic is a classic immigrant community. The last thing on these people's minds is a classic movie palace in their midst so it's doubtful for now that there will be any community support.

There are countless articles in the Record of Bergen's archives from the late 1990s. Most detail the arrests at this theater and the efforts of the community to close it down.

Here's an ad from the Bergen Record dated March 1969, from the Montauk's good old days:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/2001Montauk.jpg

Great ad Bill.....from 2001 to gay porn....it's enough to make you cry. I bet the Montauk was something to behold as a theater , back in the day

That is a great ad but I wish I could see more of it clearly. I love looking at old newspapers.

Just a question...what movie is playing (in the ad...) at (I think) the Bergen Mall Cinema (theater?) It looks like a movie called "Shame" but I can't find an entry in IMDB for it. Also, to think that the now lowly Bergen Mall hosted a fine arts theater back then!

CC: That film is Ingmar Bergman's "Shame". It's listed in IMDB under its Swedish title:

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0063611/combined

Bergen County was a real arthouse paradise back then. Besides the Mall in Paramus, there were art houses in Bogota and Fort Lee and probably others.

If you save the picture in the link to your computer, you should be able to blow it up to a much bigger size and hopefully see it better.

If you like to look at old newspapers, the place to go is the Johnson Public Library on Main St. in Hackensack. The Bergen Record microfilm reels are in the basement, and they're stored out in the open so you don't have to ask for help - you can take as many as you want and spend the whole afternoon there (which is what I do). Xerox copies are 25 cents per page.

Well, I finally got to Passaic today, hoping to take in a movie at the Montauk Theatre, but found it to be 'closed for renovation'. This must be quite a recent closure as there was no rubbish such as cigarette ends etc behind the roller shutter on the main entrance (which has a bus stop right outside), and the front glass doors were still freshly clean. Letters were still on the marquee proclaiming 'New Policy. Top Films Mon & Thurs. Doors open 12.

At least I got to see the exterior of this 'Cinema Treasure' and just wish I had been in the USA a few weeks earlier so that I could have got inside.

If anyone is local to Passaic/NJ or NYC on Cinema Treasures, can you keep an eye on this one for us please.

Will do Ken. I don't get to Passaic too often, but I'll keep an eye out for the theater in the local press.
If you're interested in seeing the more suburban NJ cinemas on this trip let me know and perhaps I can provide some directions and/or a ride.

One recommendation for you is to take the Stanley Theater tour in Jersey City if you haven't done so yet. I've seen the exterior but haven't made it to the tour yet. Interior photos look fantastic. Easily accessible by public transit (PATH to Journal Square).

Thanks TC;
Time is running out on me for this current trip to NYC (I leave for LA on Monday) but thanks for the offer of a ride around and directions to some NJ theatres. Hopefully we can do this together next time I am over next year?

I have done the Stanley, New Jersey tour a couple of times. It is wonderful. I also went to see the movies at the Leow's, New Jersey last week, plus touring the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan theatres. Still many more to go. Too little time, too many theatres!

Let me know if you ever come over to London...that goes for any other Cinema Treasures posters on here!

I found this old postcard. Note the marquee states "New" Montauk. Interestingly it is part of the Lincoln building. Or could this be the Lincoln theater?(not listed on Cinema Treasures, but in the 1951 FDY at 37 Lexington Avenue)
http://www.family-images.com/nj/misc/Passaic%20NJ%20Hotel%20Lincoln%20and%20Theater.jpg

That is definitely the Montauk Theater ... the Lincoln Theater
was mid-block on Lexington Avenue. Pictures and words cannot
begin to capture all of the goings on in that general area
of Main Street and Howe Avenue. But I can imagine an episode
of The Twilight Zone in which that benign postcard image is
horrifically morphed into contemporary Passaic.

The postcard must date prior to 1927. When my uncle, Harry Stein, bought the building, he retitled the building edge to read "Stein Building". It still reads that way today. PASSAIC

On 3/6/1922, a Wurlitzer organ, opus 525, was installed in this theater. In 1923, a Griffith-Beach organ was installed.

Was a Fabian theater in 1963 (courtesy of Bill Heulgig:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/route17.jpg

This comment is for Rhett you said that you remember watching a pro- wrestling match at the capital theater in Passaic, Nj... Do you remember who were the participants? I ask because I've always felt that a pro wrestling event has always been the ideal show I've wanted to see in that theater. The Montauk theater is probably the best bet at this point since the Captitol theater is no longer there. The Montauk has potential to be a far better theater. It can very well be the place where up and coming future comedians can get there start!

I grew up in Passaic in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Fabian Theater was in Paterson.
The Montauk Theater was in Passaic.
They were both on Main Avenue but a couple
of miles and a couple of towns away.
Regarding professional wresting, that
was presented at the Palace Theater
on Market Street in Passaic. Haystack,
Bruno, ... every one of the greatest
stars. I can visually recall the posters
pasted along the sidewalk in front of the
Palace advertising coming wrestling
attractions. Pro-wresting and pro-bowling
too were very popular in Passaic during my
boyhood. The bowlers and wrestlers were
practically members of your family, in
terms of familiarity. Can you imagine a
town of maybe 60,000 residents with four or
five theaters around the block from each
other? I lived within walking distance
of them. The Passaic theater district
was better than Times Square, which was
only about an hour away by bus or train &
ferry & subway.

I remember the match was for the then..WWWF..main event...Ivan Putski vs. Tor Kamata...Putski was drunk off his arse..it seemed...it wasn't a big house..and there were seats on the stage for ringside...wish I saw movies there. Many concerts were held there in the 70's.

Listed in the 1944 FDY as part of Warner Bros. Listed as part of Stanley Warner Corp. in the 1961 Film Daily Yearbook.

New York Times
March 2, 2006

School Builders Drop Plan to Demolish Nearby Sex Theater and Hotel

By TINA KELLEY

PASSAIC, N.J., March 1 — When the Passaic school district chose a home for a new $37 million elementary school, plans included the purchase and demolition of two nearby buildings deemed unsuitable for a school zone: the Montauk Theater, which specializes in pornography, and the Hotel Passaic, the site of prostitution arrests.

But citing a lack of money, the Schools Construction Corporation, the embattled state agency charged with building schools primarily in New Jersey's poorest districts, told the Passaic superintendent of schools recently that it could not buy and demolish the buildings, at an estimated cost of $5 million.

The decision has angered the superintendent, who accused the agency of reneging on a contract.

Three Democratic state legislators who represent Passaic are also protesting the decision by the corporation, which last year announced that its $8.6 billion budget would cover only half of its expected projects.

"If taxpayers are frustrated about money," Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer said Wednesday, standing at the site of the school, "I guarantee they'll be more frustrated if we spend $37 million for a school that absolutely everyone will refuse to send their children to. To have 4- and 5- and 10-year-olds going to school next to a theater that shows pornographic movies, that's obscene."

The financial problems at the agency have drawn widespread criticism from educators and politicians throughout New Jersey, and prompted an investigation by the state's inspector general. In a report, the inspector general called the agency "vulnerable to mismanagement, fiscal malfeasance, conflicts of interest, and waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars."

Robert H. Holster, superintendent of the Passaic public schools, said that in a 3.1-square-mile city of 68,662, there are limited choices for school sites. Finding this one, on Henry Street at Main Avenue, took several years and much cooperation with the school construction agency, he said.

"Now, for them to make a 180-degree turn and go back on a contractual obligation is unacceptable," he said, adding that the district would sue the agency if necessary.

"I'm not going to have children in a location where there are undesirables — it's known as a prostitution and drug area," he said, noting that the theater had been closed on a number of occasions for its patrons' inappropriate behavior.

Kevin McElroy, the spokesman for the corporation, said its chief operating officer would meet on Thursday with the legislators who are protesting the agency's decision. Besides Mr. Schaer, they are Senator Paul A. Sarlo and Assemblyman Frederick Scalera.

"We have decided against pursuing buying the theater and hotel, largely due to cost considerations," Mr. McElroy said. "However, we're going back and reviewing everything now. The bottom line is we don't want to put kids in an unsafe situation."

The site, on the main street of town, is near a 99-cents store, bargain clothes stores, a grocery and fast-food restaurants.

A sign on the hotel window warns that the area is under 24-hour surveillance. The theater, which has been shuttered during a court battle with the city, has plans to reopen.

Mr. Holster said about a third of the district's 14,000 students are being taught under conditions that the state calls substandard, and the district has leased five buildings, including a bank and a church, to alleviate overcrowding. It plans to put 700 students in the new school.

"We are in dire need," he said. "We're under pressure to meet standards, academic standards, but the conditions for learning are not equitable."

Mr. McElroy said the agency had already spent about $7 million to acquire land for the school. The theater and hotel would cost $5 million, he said, adding, "We can't just buy that property and not use it for educational purposes."

Mr. McElroy said the Henry Street school was one of seven planned for Passaic. "We are considering all possible alternatives" for the Henry Street site, he said.

Around the corner from the school site, Melvin Bermudez was waiting for a bus. He called the hotel "a bad one, with drugs." Asked if he would send his children to a school next to the theater, he said, "I doubt it."

I suppose a 2600 seat theater would make for too large of an auditorium for a new school that is expected to have an enrollment of only 700, huh? It amazes me that the first thought would be to demolish the theater rather than seek some sort of alternative use that would be more appealing to the parents of any prospective students.

Twenty-six hundred seats! That's one large porn house, isn't it? Then again, the Passaic Capitol showed porn as well and that sat over 3000, didn't it? These have to be among the largest old palaces to have ever become full time XXX houses. When I think of porn houses, the mid-sized grind houses on 42nd Street and Times Square and the smaller nabes that went XXX typically come to mind. But I know there were some bigger houses that went exclusively adult as well - these two and the Queens Theater (about 2500 seats or so) in particular. I wonder how many large and truly deluxe houses went porn in the '70's and '80's?

The city of Passaic has one of the last of the large single screen theaters in the state of New Jersey, and one of the oldest. It's in remarkably good condition, and still has most of its original fixtures. The theater has been very well maintained for the past 30 years since they've been showing porno. It could serve as a wonderful performance venue for residents of this area.

The fact that they are so anxious to destroy it because of the association with X-rated material is astonishing. What about the theaters first 50 years as a prime movie house?

A New York Times article today discusses the imminent razing of the Montauk.

The Montauk Theater in its day was a wonderful single screen theater. I had been associated with the Central Theater because I operated the Rivoli Theater, Rutherford, same owners of both theaters. We, during this time, were all friendly with the operators of the Montauk as well as the Capitol.

The restoration, or even just the preservation, of the Montauk
Theater does not even register on the radar screen of the priorities
of the current residents of Passaic, who are struggling just to
survive economically. Besides, many of the immigrants of the last
40 years or so would actually take a great deal of satisfaction
from seeing the destruction of yet another relic of Passaic's
wonderful past which to them is just another embarrassing
benchmark of their own shortcomings. If the Montauk Theater is
to be saved it must be done by former residents of Passaic who
have fled for their lives. Curiously, there is at least one
superlative specimen of preservation/restoration in Passaic: the
Holy Rosary Roman Catholic (Polish) Church on Wall Street. I
happened to attend a recent mass at Holy Rosary on Ash Wednesday
and was overwhelmed by the fabulous interior of Holy Rosary.
At least some remnants of wonderful Passaic value church treasures
if not cinema treasures.

They've got it backwards - they need to get rid of the residents, then you will see the town improve - and they won't need the new school.

One does need to distinguish between residents and occupiers.

Downtown Passaic today is a far cry from what I remember in the late 60's/early 70's, and THAT was a far cry from what my parents remembered in the 40's and 50's. At one time, there were 3 huge theaters, and several smaller ones, all providing entertainment. Many of the biggest stars played the stage of the Central throughout the 1940's.

Now I feel like I need to get a Passport when entering the city. If you speak English, you are certainly in the minority.

There's a difference?

Yes, I don't think the street-corners and back-alleys count as residential areas...

The street-corners and back-alleys are where they "work" - they reside in the decaying houses, apartments and projects nearby.

We have to Save the Montauk!

Walt Disney created Disneyland to pay homage to his
own hometown. Disneyland is a 5/8ths reproduction
of wherever he grew up. Passaic has a small enough
footprint that you would think that an interested party
could simply buy it outright and restore it to vintage
1950 or thereabouts. I always thought that when I had
children I could always bring them back to Passaic for
a visit to play in the parks (and all of the other
play places such as the grounds of the Passaic General
Hospital or my own "100-acre woods" on Lafayette Avenue
between Wickham and Oak Streets), go to the movies, see
a football game at Passaic High School stadium, eat at
the great restaurants, spend an afternoon at the Forstmann
Library, etc. But that fantasy of mine is so completely
out of the question as to be ridiculous. Still, the idea
of Passaic as a gated condominium-community where your
family had to have deep roots there in order to buy in is
attractive. Then, it would make sense to restore the
Montauk Theater and whatever is left. Passaic-Land might
even be economically viable as a tourist destination.
There really was something really special about Passaic,
and it deserves a better fate than insult or extinction.

I would agree that it is sad for the good long-time or former residents of Passaic to have to watch their town disintegrate before their eyes. My contempt is for the polititions of Passaic - they are responsible for not enforcing zoning codes, not forcing people to maintain their property, not enforcing laws against prostitution, dope dealing and vagrancy for so long that the place has deteriorated to such a state that now appears to be unrecoverable. With all the problems that the City of Passaic has, all they seem to focus on is this theatre. I would not want to see school children wandering through this neighborhood, but not because of the theatre. They can knock down the theatre and after it's gone the various vagrants, whores, riff-raff and other trash will still be hanging around there. And they are the ones that the dimwit polititions should be trying to protect the school children from.

Politicians are clever, not dimwitted.
Follow the money. Who owns Passaic now?
Banks or absentee landlords. Passaic is
only a dozen miles from Manhattan. Passaic
is potentially very valuable land. Passaic
is purposely distressed so that slumlords
can charge high slum rents to illegal immigrants
but pay low slum taxes with a little extra on
the side for the politicians. The tragedy of
Passaic is that it is economically convenient.

Bravo to the previous “commentators” - I doubt that this theatre’s customers had any involvement with (or desire for) the solicitation of prostitutes, purchasing of drugs or gang activities. They probably kept to themselves and went about their “business” inside the theatre. Let’s face it…sexual repression and the “regulation” of sexual activity are reasons why people become so desperate and frustrated that they’re willing to pay for it or do it anywhere! As for “unsafe” sex, policing or closing adult establishments may reduce it, but it will NEVER eliminate it – people can meet in these places, and then take their hormones elsewhere (including the privacy of their homes) and engage in all the unprotected sex they want. Yes, these places do attract their fair share of “misfits” (drunks, bums, perverts, mentally ill and other weirdoes with too much time on their hands), but then again so do other “public” places (bus terminals, parks, libraries, shopping centers – are you going to shut them down too?) These people are still in the minority, and the owners of XXX businesses can exercise discretion over whom they allow in (and if they were smart they would, so as not to scare away their “normal” customers). I have visited other porno theatres (in Newark, Queens and Brooklyn), and from what I have seen, they quietly coexist with their neighbors, with no adverse impact or problems.

The comparisons with Times Square are moot…NYC politicos transformed that “smut district” with a swift and deliberate campaign of major rezoning, massive purchases of property for “redevelopment purposes”, business incentives and relentless, concentrated law enforcement. The removal of XXX theatres/arcades and elimination of vice (prostitution, drug peddling, etc.) was not necessarily a “cause-effect” relationship – it all happened concurrently.

And the result was displacement: many of the “sex shops” relocated and now line 8th Avenue (below 42nd Street), and the hookers and pimps moved their “operations” to the west side along 10th Avenue and the adjacent side streets (where, incidentally, there are NO porno theatres). Yeah, right…some improvement (especially for the people who live and work in those neighborhoods).

Finally, a busy, high-traffic commercial district is a ridiculous place to locate a public school (especially elementary). It is irresponsible and unsafe for children, regardless of what activities - legal or illegal - are occurring there. This entire scenario is just another example of self-serving, hypocritical politicians and their fake rhetoric of “concern”. "Quality of life” issues are an “easy sell” - most constituents are simple-minded and un-informed, and politicians know it - these issues are the easiest way to gain maximum support with minimal effort, especially around election time.

I know this is not a forum for social commentary, but I just had to respond.

The politicians CAN straighten out Passaic if they wanted to, and New York City is an example. For decades in NYC we put up with do-nothing mayors (several of whom I voted for) and other pols who moaned and cried "There's nothing we can do about all the murder, drugs and crime!", and the city continued to degenerate. Then we got Guiliani and he plowed through all the B.S. got the job done and worried about what some hack judge or the New York Times would say later. The hypocritical New York Times would constantly lament that the muggers and dope dealers rights were being violated by Guiliani, while at the same time their employees were being mugged daily on 43rd St. in front of the Times' building. Guiliani proved that all these previous mayors and city council people were just a bunch of windbags, only there to get their face in the papers and feed at the public trough. I didn't agree with everything that Guiliani did here, but overall he was good for the city and brought it back from the brink of the abyss. Passaic New Jersey is at the brink right now, and the good citizens of Passaic need to find their own Rudy Guiliani and put him in the mayors office before it's too late.

I do not think the Montauk movie theater is the biggest problem the city of Passaic has. The city of Passaic as well as her sister city of Paterson have been on a steady decline for decades. I grew up in Paterson and spent time in Passaic before moving west years ago. The Fabain theater in Paterson is a prime example of the decline over the decades. Lou Costello premiered many of his motion pictures at the Fabian. Now it is slated for the recking ball. An exploited shell of her once grandness. I remember the Capital theater on Monore street. My godmothers mother worked the ticket booth at the Capital in the 60's. The Montauk went porn I believe in the 70's. These place's represent the past of the former inhabitants of the area. The new generation of inhabitants I guess want their own. So it is a good thing there are forums such as this so old dinasaurs like I can relieve and share some of our past. Thank you.

From yesterday's Bergen Record:

PASSAIC -- One of Passaic's stately movie houses in the 1920s, the
Montauk -- now a shuttered pornographic movie theater -- could see at least one more reincarnation as a performing arts space for budding drama students and musicians.

City and state officials met Tuesday to start planning possible
educational uses for a downtown site that encompasses the Main Avenue
theater and the Hotel Passaic around the corner on Henry Street.

Andrew Schwab, a spokesman for Assemblyman Gary Schaer, D-Passaic, said officials developed a tentative plan to renovate the theater for Passaic art students, instead of demolishing it for a new school. However, state and local officials did not determine a plan for the Hotel Passaic, a flophouse that school officials associate with prostitution and drug use.

State School Construction Corp. officials said their agency would work with the schools and the city to develop a plan for new or renovated facilities in that area, but they would not commit additional funding above the $166 million already approved to build four schools in the district.

"It's rethinking a lot of things that exist and talking about creating new [space]," schools Superintendent Robert H. Holster said. "It's not just about the issue of the drama and theater program. It's a lot bigger than that."

Outside of the possible student drama space in the Montauk, there were very few details on what was envisioned for that area. The theater is owned by Gloria Terminello, who won a 2005 appeals case to reopen the theater.

The meeting participants will meet again in two weeks to review
feasibility and traffic studies on the Montauk site.

They will also discuss the Hotel Passaic, which sits across the street from the proposed Henry Street Elementary School, one of the four school projects already approved.

Last week, school and city officials were shocked to learn that the SCC would not knock down the hotel and theater for a parking lot as part of the Henry Street school project. The SCC backed off after the local outrage reached Trenton officials.

The redevelopment of the Montauk Theater district for new school
facilities depends on approval from the state Department of Education, and the SCC reaching an agreement with the owners of the buildings.

If no agreement is reached, the state could take the property by
eminent domain.

Schwab added that when students were not using the theater space,
community and senior groups could hold events in the renovated Montauk.

Finally, someone over there is actually using their brain - it can be used for something other than porn....

...and they could put performing arts related classrooms in the hotel, of course after the place is thoroughly fumegated and scrubbed.

It almost restores my faith in the Democratic process! Kudos to all involved in steering the plans in this new direction and I hope with all my heart that it actually comes to fruition.

So What's the latest? Is the demolition on or has it been saved?

Also, there are so many posts above and yet not one photo of the interior or exterior! If anyone has photos please post!

The news from Passaic this week is very bad.

Politicians just hate that scene in the movie Frankenstein.
Where the villagers (voters) grab their pitchforks and ignite
their torches and give the Herr Doctor in his castle a bum's
rush. When the people get so fed up that they refuse to
take it any longer.

It is every politician's worst nightmare to have his
constituency turn off their TVs, get off their butts, and
come after him to throw the bum out of office.

Every politician has a staff of flunkies whose job it is to
tell him when the torches are being lit back home in his
district, and to ward off the pitchforks meant for him.

Well, Andrew Schwab is the political flunky of Assemblyman
Gary Schaer, D-Passaic, and they must recognize the problem
that they have in Passaic. And I do not mean just the
blistering problem of the flagging Montauk Theater.

Since the immigration policy of the United States was
changed for the worse in the early 1960s, Passaic has been
moronically mutilated into America's gargoyle.

The new immigrants brought their "umbrella men" with them
to Passaic. Passaic did not wear out. Passaic was knifed
in the back with a switchblade, and then Passaic was
stomped out.

This weekend I was looking for America on the New Jersey
Turnpike when I went out of my way to stop at Rutt's Hut
in Clifton.

(The good news from Clifton this week is that Rutt's Hut
has not replaced hot dogs with chimichangas on their
menu ... yet.)

I also wanted to see for myself what is going on with the
Montauk Theater on Main Avenue in Passaic.

(I would have preferred two or three kosher hot dogs with
mustard and sauerkraut, and an ice-cold celery soda, at
Rice's Delicatessen. Alas, Rice's is no longer there on
Howe Avenue, right around the corner, just across the
street, from the Montauk Theater.)

We definitely need some boots on the ground in order to
have any impact at all on the fate of the Montauk. The
politicians are just pulling our chains until the
elections are over and they can forget about this again.

I wanted to talk to the homeless man, who was very
obviously sleeping something off in the filthy arcade
under the Montauk's monumental marquee, but he looked
much too comfortable resting there
...
like an infant in a cardboard crib
without a care in the world
...
a blight, within a blight, within a blight.

I wanted to welcome him to America, but as I do not
speak Spanish I guess that classifies me as an
illiterate in my own hometown.

I did not disturb that homeless man who was
--
like a lot of us are
--
waiting for the box office of the Montauk Theater
to re-open in Passaic, New Jersey.

But I do want to wake YOU up.

The bad news from Passaic this week is that
...
nothing is being done to save the Montauk Theater,
nothing is being done to save Passaic, and
nothing is being done to save America.

A photographic tour around the exterior of the Montauk Theatre.....

Sadly the theatre had closed just a few days before my visit in June 2005:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228362673/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228363598/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228364257/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228365030/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228365730/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228366262/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228367221/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228368028/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228368643/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228369473/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228370110/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228371351/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228372033/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228373191/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/228373976/

Thanks again, Ken, for yet another great series of photographs.

The filmmaking industry has a momentus centennial coming up in 2026.
The historic pre-Hollywood event happened right here in Passaic, New
Jersey. It would be fitting and proper to celebrate the occasion by
restoring the two remaining movie theaters in Passaic, the Montauk
and the Palace, and by renovating Passaic itself.

In 1963, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy energized America by
setting the end of that raucous decade as the date by which America
should go to the moon. At that time, the prospect of landing men on
the moon and bringing them back alive seemed like the height of
science fiction if not of actual lunacy.

At this time, getting Passaic back on its feet, and making Passaic
self-sufficient again, seems almost as unlikely as going to Mars.
But I believe the former can be done in twenty years or less. Every
journey begins with a single step. Passaic's first step is to
remind America (and to remind itself) of why Passaic is so special.

The distinguished cinema historian and discoverer of lost films,
Kevin Brownlow, informs us that he put off writing his magnus opus,
Behind the Mask of Innocence: Films of Conscience in the Silent
Era, until he confirmed the existence of the single silent film that
he considered to be absolutely indispensable.

That epochal film was made in Passaic. Many Passaic residents acted
in it. The eponymously named silent movie is The Passaic Textile
Strike of 1926. The film genres perfected by Ken Burns and Michael
Moore originated in Passaic, New Jersey, eighty years ago.

Please bear with me as I tell you a little bit about the history of
Passaic and then a little more about the historic full-length movie
ever made in Passaic.

---------------

In the 1880s and the 1890s, America wisely decided that it wanted to
stop importing foreign woolen textiles. Way back then, everyone
still wore woolens all year round, even to sleep. Woolen textiles
were a significant import item. Americans logically wanted those
wealth-generating manufacturing jobs for themselves, onshore. So
Congress raised wool tariffs high enough to persuade the large
German firms, who specialized in woolens and did most of their
business here in America anyway, to relocate to America.

The German industrialists went looking for a new manufacturing site
(a) just outside New York City,
(b) with cheap land,
(c) with abundant hydroelectric power, and
(d) with a swiftly flowing stream of clean, soft water.

Passaic fit the bill not only geographically but also because its
waterfront was still largely undeveloped, because it was largely
still owned by Alexander Hamilton's quiescent Society for the
Establishment of Useful Manufactures.

Botany, Forstmann & Huffman, Gera Mills, and a handful of other
woolen manufacturers literally transported the world's woolen
industry intact from Germany to Passaic (and it overflowed to a
lessor extent to Garfield, Lodi, and Wallington).

Earlier Germans had already settled in New Jersey in large numbers
and had already been acclimated to working on furious factory
floors. Those Germans got most of the good jobs in these new
Passaic mills primarily because of their prior work experience. It
probably also did not hurt that all of the Germans spoke German.

Botany, F&H, and the rest made huge capital investments for loom
machinery which they imported from England and Germany. But that
was before computerization so the looms were not automated. The
expensive wool-mill machines still needed a lot of skilled and
semi-skilled labor to operate them, to clean them, and to repair
them.

On Ellis Island, agents of the Passaic wool mill owners
tagged-and-bagged the best-looking prospects among the young,
strong, men and women who were in the legal process of immigrating
to America, primarily Poles right off the farm, and then shunted
them about ten miles west of New York City to Passaic. There the
Germans gave the Poles a job. And the Germans taught the Polish
farmers how to perform their jobs. And the Germans paid the Poles
enough to eat and to rent a place to sleep. That was precisely why
the Poles came to America. So what was the problem?

Things started going off-track in Passaic when the Passaic mills
over-expanded in order to meet the peak demands of the American
Armed Forces for overcoats, uniforms, and blankets. During the
world war the mill workers held sway because the German-American
mill owners did not want to fail to meet their government orders,
especially after some of the German-American mills (e.g., Botany)
were confiscated by the Alien Property Custodian. Moreover, F&H
had made such a fuss of insisting that the woolen textiles tariffs
not be lowered that it would have put F&H in an awkward political
position to be seen cutting American wages and firing American
workers while simultaneously benefiting from American tariffs on
imported woolens. So the Passaic wool-mill owners over-hired and
over-paid while they thought they could still afford it.

It was bad enough when the government orders evaporated right after
the war ended. But the mill owners kept right on producing as if
the war was still on and therefore they built up large unsold
inventories. But wool styles still ruled the fashion roost and
there was still enough monopoly profits to make do.

Things got worse when domestic competitors opened woolen textile
mills in New England where they employed casual laborers who either
worked on their farms when they could not find work or else they
took the winter off to go hunting, trapping, and lumbering. The New
England mills paid less than the Passaic mills paid, so New England
started to take away business from Passaic. There went Passaic's
monopoly. And a huge hunk of Passaic's profits.

Then the bottom dropped out from Passaic when domestic wool textile
mills started opening in the former slave states too. The southern
mills not only employed cheap, casual laborers but they also had
absolutely no hygenic standards. The working conditions in the
south were incomparable to the working conditions in Passaic and
even in New England.

The Passaic textile mills were held hostage to declining markets,
higher wage scales, and higher expectations of humane working
conditions. Something had to give, so the Passaic textile mills
started cutting back on wages and began to stretch its workers to
tend more of the textile machines per person. After that, the
Passaic wool mills had to start firing workers as a last resort.

The Polish-American textile workers in Passaic were not casual
laborers. They did not have farms in America to fall back on. They
did not have any alternative sources of income. They were in a
pinch. Passaic felt their pain.

To make matters worst, the ILGWA went on strike in New York City.
That union transformed Passaic's woolen textiles into Fifth Avenue
garments. The Passaic mills lost their primary customers there.
During the ILGWA strike, the fashion styles also changed from
woolens to many other fabrics, to add to Passaic's doom. With
comrades like the ILGWA, who needs enemies?

The Passaic textile mills and their workers were caught in a perfect
storm, but the tabloids had neither the space nor the inclination to
explain the background of Passaic's plight. Nobody told the public
that the mills in Passaic were hurting as badly as the mill workers
in Passaic.

------------------------------

This was right before, during, and after the Bolshevik Revolution in
Russia. Communism was in style here in America too. Especially in
Passaic. Communist language-federations were thriving in Passaic
and they wanted to participate in revolt too. In Russia, the
Bolsheviks had failed to spread Communism to Germany and the rest of
Europe as they had expected to. So they sort of hunkered down and
tried to build Communism first in Russia. Of course, they needed
trade with the nasty Captialists to make a go of Communism, so the
official Communist policy was not to make enemies in America such as
by agitating and organizing strikes. Particularly not in Passaic
where Communism had a high profile.

On the other hand, the Communist Party in America had factions and
autonomous zealots everywhere who simply would not shut up and sit
down. It was hilarious. One of those zealots was Albert Weisbord
who either independently or more likely covertly came to Passaic to
organize a strike of the Passaic textile workers.

The Workers (Communist) Party wanted to be able to plausibly deny
that Albert Weisbord had their backing. They did not lend Albert
Weisbord a hand because they did not want their hand to be chopped
off either figuratively here or literally in Russia.

To everyone's suprise except Albert Weisbord, and against all odds,
Albert Weisbord developed a marvelous rapport with the Passaic
textile workers and led them on a strike of extraordinary
solidarity.

The strike organizers had the evil-genius to use the innocent
children of the strikers to gain widespread public sympathy for the
Passaic textile strike. They paid the cherubs dimes to throw
snowballs and worse at the Passaic policemen so that they could film
the provoked Passaic cops at their worst. (Sound familiar?) The
tabloids loved the graphics of women and children being hassled,
and they devoted pages and pages of copy to sob stories of the
strikers' children going without milk (which was not true). The
money poured in for strike relief in buckets, to everyone's great
surprise. The Workers Party started sending in "helpers" to siphon
off the relief funds. The GRU also sent a team of secret agents to
redirect a large portion of the relief funds all the way to Moscow.
The Passaic textile strike turned out to be Communism's cash cow!
Except in poor Passaic.

------------------------------

The strike organizers also had the evil-insight to see how effective
for fund-raising a propaganda film about the Passaic textile strike
would be. Hence, this seminal silent movie: The Passaic Textile
Strike of 1926. The first Communist-produced docudrama about the
first Communist-led strike in America. Early Ken Burns. Early
Michael Moore.

The film raised over a million dollars in 1927 dollars, back when a
dollar was backed with gold. That could have bought a couple of the
textile mills in Passaic. It was an extraordinary amount of
purchasing power. Imagine if that had been invested in Passaic
instead of in Communist headquarters in Chicago and Russia.

---------------

So here is the deal. The silent film, The Passaic Textile Strike of
1926, is on seven reels. There was apparently only one copy of it.
The original. Two of the seven reels are still missing. Before
2026, the two missing reels have to be found and restored.

The first reel is already available on DVD. I got mine. I
purchased a copy of it. The 18-minute-long prologue of The Passaic
Textile Strike of 1926 is like a Passaic time capsule. You too
should go out and purchase copies so that the four other reels that
have already been found and restored will also be offered to the
public on DVD.

Then re-open the Montauk and Palace theaters in Passaic with
fundraisers showing the orginal The Passaic Textile Strike of 1926.

Why stop there?

How about a re-make of the Passaic Textile Strike of 1926. There
has to be dozens of left-wingers in Hollywood who would work for
their union's minimum rates to get parts in the film. How about
auctioning off the roles of Albert and Vera Weisbord on E-Bay?

Why even stop there?

While the strike and all that was going on in the 1st and 4th wards
of Passaic, history was also being made in the 2nd and 3rd wards of
Passaic: Prof Blood and the Wonder Teams won a world-record 159
high school basketball games in a row.

What a double whammy!

Passaic was the Center of the Universe between 1915 (when Ernest
Blood started coaching in Passaic) and 1926. How about also a movie
about Passaic's winning streak. That fascinated America too.

My point is that Passaic has a lot going for it.

The self-abandoned history of Passaic is money in the bank.

Passaic could again be the Center of the Universe by 2026.

I am a resident of Passaic, I attend Passaic High School. I believe they should fix the theater. Instead of bringing business to Clifton (Clifton Commons, Allwood Cinema and others) they should bring it to Passaic. The city is getting cleaner. Mayor Sammy Rivera (I don’t like him) But what can I say the city is getting better slowly but it’s getting better. I came across this web site looking for the name of a new movie being filmed in Passaic and I cam e across this. I am glad to see people interested in my home town. But think about it people if you care don’t talk about it do something about it. I have gone with a group of people to strike on the front of this nice theater because of the horrific acts this man has made with the theater. He got arrested for having prostitutes in the theater working for him (providing services) yet he still get out and now has it being renovated. I have never been inside but with the customers the theater receives I don’t really think all of the features that it had in the 1950’s are still there.

All the people that talks poorly of Passaic they are wrong this city is not bad it just need a big push economically and socially. There are gangs because there is nothing else to do to pass the time. My self I have my own recording studio in Passaic, I live in Passaic about 5 block’s from the theater. I go to school in Passaic, and I Plan have my kids here and raise them well. My uncle whom I adore ran for council man and mayor of Passaic about 13 years ago. It wasn’t late then to fix Passaic and it isn’t late now.


Stop talking bad about my town because yours is so perfect. I can bet you that Passaic Has More Potential than any of these towns around here.

Please don’t take this offensive I just love passiac

Showing "The Devil in Miss Jones"
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/DevilinMissJones2ndYear.jpg

I had the mis-fortune to be in Passaic a few days ago. The Montauk looks exactly as it did a year ago: text still on the marquee and a iron gate pulled down across the entrance doors. Any news on this Passaic landmark?

The Montauk presents its "Great Holiday Show" for December, 1953:

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u235/BobFurmanek/hondoad.jpg

This is a 1913 postcard of the original Montauk:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d930b3127cce878369a1db8f00000025108IZsW7Zwzc-

In the news today: Passaic mayor Sammy Rivera, city councilman Marcellus Jackson and former city councilman Jonathon Soto were, along with eight other NJ government officials, rounded up by the FBI and arrested on bribery charges. A porn theater should now be the least of their worries.

As for the wonderful citizens of Passaic… if they are so concerned about “cleaning up” their city, perhaps they should start at City Hall.

It’s no wonder that Passaic is such a dump.

They will tear down one of the last surviving landmarks of the towns fabled past, all in the sake of "cleaning up" downtown.

The sad truth is that more people know it as a porno theater (nearly 40 years) than would ever remember it as a great theater in the Warner Bros. chain.

I enjoyed Be Kind Rewind. It was nice of Michel Gondry to
not only film his latest movie in Passaic but also, after
receiving a key to the City of Passaic, promise to return
and do it again. Before Sammy Rivera welcomes Michel
Gondry back to Passaic, however, the mayor ought to warily
check out Michel Gondry's outlandish plans for a sequel:
http://io9.com/360736/jack-black-wacky-white-supremacist

Michel Gondry is a whimsical magician, not a punctilious
reporter, so it really isn't appropriate to parse his
movies. But I can't help but have a quibble or two with
Be Kind Rewind. For one thing, the plight of the Montauk
Theater wasn't even mentioned. Danny Glover's character
should have headed off to Manhattan from the bus stop in
front of the barricaded Montauk, instead of from an
anonymous, antiseptic train station.

I cannot help but split hairs about Be Kind Rewind
because I was spoiled by the overindulgence of growing up
in Passaic right after World War II. In my lifetime, for
example, bustling Passaic rivaled nearby Times Square as a
cinema mecca. An urbane oasis of clustered, teeming,
oversize, overdone, metropolitan movie theaters, including
the Montauk. It was all only a safe ten-minute stroll
from my home or a hop on the bus from anywhere else in
North Jersey.

That was then. Last week, Be Kind Rewind -- not only
filmed here but also set in Passaic itself, yet --
suffered the scandalous ignominy of having its first
public performance in Clifton (yuck!) because of the lame
excuse that even the Montauk has closed down.

Isn't it obvious that Be Kind Rewind could have and should
have premiered in Passaic anyway, precisely because there
is not a designated movie house left in town. I hope it
was just a combination of the cold weather and a lack of
imagination, rather than avarice, that prevented Be Kind
Rewind from opening simultaneously in neighborhood
storefronts all across Passaic, in homage to the film's
concluding scene, which is an architectural revelation.

Another quibble, and one that everyone seems to share, is
that the entire "Fats" Waller thread in Be Kind Rewind
should have been left on the cutting-room floor. It was
so over-the-top condescending that it gave Be Kind Rewind
the feeling of a "drive-by movie," and Passaic deserves
better than that. But once a propagandist, always a
propagandist, I suppose.

With Barack Obama running for the esteemed office of the
President of the United States, and doing so well, God
bless him, only a leftist European filmmaker like Michel
Gondry would regurgitate the cliche about American blacks
and jazz; on the other hand, at least there was not a
single watermelon in view.

"Fats" Waller doesn't resonate with Passaic, but I know
how he got into the screenplay of Be Kind Rewind.

The hearts and minds of Continental Europeans were in play
after the inconclusive quietus of World War II which left
dwindling American armies facing off in a Great Divide
versus ruthless Soviet occupation troops. Frank Sinatra
(another Jersey Boy) proved to be an effective
asymmetrical anti-Communist weapon as receptive Europeans
listened obsessively to his melodious singing voice on Voice
of America for the purpose of learning to speak "American"
among themselves.

Spy versus spy, an opportunist Communist fifth column in
Hollywood seized the high ground and skillfully employed
filmography to propagandize Europe regarding the plight of
blacks right here in our own backyard and continuing right
up until today. Moviegoers should have known that with
Danny Glover and Mia Farrow in the cast, Jack Black and Mos
Def were certainly not going to swede Ayn Rand's hero,
Howard Roark, in a remake of The Fountainhead.

Tit for tat, the United States of America countered the
Communists' effective stratagem by sending prominent black
jazz musicians on flamboyant tours of France and other
Marshall Plan countries. Europeans understandably formed
the stereotype of jiving American blacks that survives to
this day in Be Kind Rewind.

Blame "Fats" Waller on Cold War I.

kenroe...sorry to say but the city is trying to buy the montauk and a few other buildings on that block and knock them down for new schools...hope it doesn't happen...it would be nice to restore it..and make it like it was..

Sorry to say passaic kid, but as former New York City mayor Ed Koch said in 1978, " it never was," and that's the sad truth. The people and politicians of this once great town do not think in terms as "it was", only in terms of "how it can be", wouldn't you agree? And
"how it can be" , quite frankly stinks.

The Montauk has been known as a sleazy "adult theater" for nearly 40 years now. The people that would remember it as a prime theater for Warner Bros. films are long, LONG gone.

are there ANY interior shots of the Montauk...???

It appears that all of Passaic's theaters (Except for the Palace) were within 2 blocks of each other in the downtown area. All of them were quite large. It must have been pretty impressive for a town of this size to have boasted of a downtown with this type of vitality. The city, though a shadow of it's former self, would do well to try and preserve what little it has left and save the Montauk.

i agree with that luisV..and that one last clock thats still standing..its not working but its still there

i agree with that luisV..and that one last clock thats still standing..its not working but its still there

Looks like the end is near:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/26216849.html

Reading that article is very depressing. Passaic sure has changed!

A recent photo can be seen here. A link to additional photos is also on that site.

I know in its last days it was a porno theatre, this is true. But still that building has so many features built into it you dont see anymore. What a waste to see yet another old palace turn into rubble. Lets hope somehow it gets a new lease on life.

The last days
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/20080915193849_montauk_theatre.jpg

My Sep 15, 2008 link expired so here is a new one.

I just came back from the INTERIOR of the Montauk. It is truly awesome and such a shame that it will be torn down in the upcoming months. I have plenty of pictures.... they will soon follow.

Thanks Mikeymike - looking forward to once again seeing the inside of the theater where I saw "Mary Poppins" in 1964.

Is there no hope at all?

Look forward to the interior pictures. Growing up in the 70's, I was never inside as by that time they were only playing porn but I was always interested on th interior design of the theater. I bet it was something back in the day. Thanks Mikey

Mikeymike, can't wait to see your pictures too.
I went there last year, talked to a woman at the hotel next to the theater but didn't got any information about its owner and how to get inside. Any help would be really nice !

1981 Photo

1981 Photo

1986 Photo

I hope this link works... I finally got around to uploading these photos. I know it's been a while, but better late than never. There are numerous photos throughout the theater, including backstage. Enjoy!

http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/gg1/mwierzbicki79/?start=20

Just realized... the link above opens up the album on page 2. There are 3 pages all together. Here's a better link....

http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/gg1/mwierzbicki79/

set of 2008 exterior photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rgb/sets/72157607316270835/

Mike: those pictures are fantastic. Thanks very much for posting them. They brought me right back into the 1960's.

Mickeymike; Many thanks for posting your wonderful set of photographs. Its too bad that the theatre had closed by the time I went to visit Passaic in June 2005.

The city council should hang their heads in shame, even thinking about demolishing such a beautiful building in the heart of their town. With a little tender care and minimal money to spend, it could be re-opened as a community center providing an asset to the town, and bring life back to the downton area. But of course, they can't see that, having no heads, no brains, no eyes.....well maybe eyes for $$. Will they ever learn that it is the citizens that vote them in to serve the community, not for them to serve their own interests.

While wandering around the downtown area on my 2005 visit, I noticed many empty plots of land that would be ideal to build a new school, if that is what is needed in the town. Why not utilise one of them, and secure the Montauk Theatre for the good of the community?

Seeing the Montauk again got me to recalling the movies I saw there: "Mary Poppins", "Hawaii", "Paper Lion", "The Way West", "2001: A Space Odyssey".

Howard, thanks for posting your pictures too. As sad and rundown as it is today, when I see these pictures I can also see the way it used to be.

Thank you for these great pictures Mickeymike ! Glad to see how it looks inside finally !
It looks in better shape than I would have expected, they could definitely save it.
May I ask you to contact me about the way you got inside ?
It would be a nice piece for my photography project. Moreover if it's in danger.

I suppose those interior photos are displaying an original GWTW poster?

The interior photos are quite impressive. Orchestra pit. Lots of ornamental detail. Wonderful, historic movie house that looks like it is worthwhile of being reused rather than destroyed.

Howard: That's probably a reissue poster because they're talking about seeing it on their wide screen. I'd say it was a '50s reissue of GWTW, with the top and bottom of the image cropped off to make it appear "wide".

I have scanned all the above posts, perhaps I missed it. The photos by Mickeymike are just wonderful. The place looks to be in great shape. My question is, is it still there or is it demolished??

The theater is still there, but slated for demolition.

Does anyone know when the public auction is?

BTW, the style is really Adam rather than Deco, and I'm almost positive that it is a Eugene De Rosa house.

Sorry to anyone that has inquired about gaining access... I'm a "nobody" at my job. I have no power to get anyone in, let alone myself again. I've heard they are going to repurpose some of the interior details and use them in the new school. That is not confirmed, but at the very least it's some part of the theater living on...

I remember the Montauk well. I grew up in Garfield, a small city just across the river from Passaic. As young teens almost every Saturday in the early 60's we would grab the bus to Passaic and spend the day at one of the several movie houses that populated Main Street, depending on what movie was playing where. All for about thirty-five cents. The Montauk was always my favorite. The theater itself was ornate (I found out later it was done up un Art-Deco, which I had no knowledge of as a kid) and we always had plenty of room in the spacious theater. No one, and I repeat this, NO ONE ever bothered us there. Not the employees and not the rest of the people in the theater. Everyone seemed quite pleased to see us having fun of a Saturday afternoon. Downstairs was an amazing lobby done up extremely ornately with amazingly exotic sofas and carpets and this massive television in the middle of an awesome piece of, very probably, hand-crafted entertainment center. We were allowed to spend the entire day there watching the movies, cartoons included, as many times as we liked. We hung out, smoked cigarettes, and strutted our silly adolescent masculinity. The people who worked there seemed to understand and, unless we got really rowdy, never bothered us at all. Even the cleaning lady knew us all by name! It is a great memory for me.

What are the plans for this theater?

Tony, thanks for sharing your memories of the great days of Passaic. I must point out one error in your comments: the Central had the furnished downstairs "Television Lounge." I don't believe the Montauk had any kind of basement space open to the public.