Bergenfield Cinema 5

The Palace Theater also had a very wide CinemaScope capable screen. CinemaScope was the first & widest of all the wide screen technologies. Beginning with "The Robe" in 1953, it literally doubled the width of the screen to a 3:8 ratio as opposed to the "normal" 3:4 "postage stamp" ratio of the day.
Not only was the screen wide enough to accomodate these (extra wide) movies, but it was slightly curved which was part of the whole CinemaScope thing in order to give the illusion of a little depth. ("You see it without glasses!") This is not to be confused with the VERY curved/wrap around Cinerama screen which was a different process altogether.
I saw a re-release of "Lady & the Tramp" in CinemaScope in 1975 at the Palace.

A Robert-Morton organ was installed in the Palace theatre in 1928.

1966 ad for the Palace courtesy of Bill Huelbig:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/myfairlady.jpg

I work at this theater now. It is so bad, nothing like the old days I bet.

Listed as a 2 screen independent theatre in the 1991 International Motion Picture Almanac.

Listed as part of Skouras Theatres Corp. in the 1961 Film Daily Yearbook.

I worked at the palace from '73 to '76 as an usher while in high school. I had a lot of good times, ate a lot of popcorn, and saw "The Trial OF Billy Jack" 65 times! During my time there, the dressing rooms were still mostly intact below the stage, and behind the screen, aside from the huge refrigerater size "voice of the theater" speakers, it looked as though not much had changed since the vaudeville days. The organ was long gone but the loft where I'm told the organist played was there and so was the ladder that he used to get up to his perch. I remember having to run down to the screen and pull open the curtains on either side of the screen for movies that were in "scope" and pulling the curtains in close to the screen for "flat" movies. For me, working in the balcony was the best, the projectionists, Sam and Earl were always fun to hang around with, although they were my fathers age, we usually had a good laugh at someone elses expense while I always grubbed one of Sams unfiltered Chesterfield cigarettes a cup of coke from the candy stand and filled the pocket of my red ushers jacket with popcorn. From the balcony, you could go out onto the roof, and when there was snow, we would wing snowballs down on unsuspecting Bergenfield shoppers, but we had to be careful not to be seen doing that as it would have meant sudden termination. The manager, Mr Mezzy, an old Hungarian, accent and all, was a funny guy, during Saturday Matinees, while the mothers dropped off their little little brats so that they could spend a few hours shopping in downtown Bergenfield, old Mezzy would be at the door ripping tickets, and telling the kids how cute they were, such little darlings! he would say, but once the picture was over, and we were trying to empty out the theater, he would be thundering "get out!! get out you little @#$!!&*% 's GET OUT!!! There were a lot of good times and some scary times too, there was a local group of youth that would frequent the Palace, chipping in their undoubted drug money to buy one ticket, while the rest of the gang went around to the fire door nearest the bathrooms and waited for their buddy to let them in. There wasn't much that 2 130 Lb ushers could do, there were usually 8-10 of them and they were members of the Bergenfield Football, Wrestling, or just plain tear your head off from your shoulders team, we didn't stand much of a chance. My coworkers from Bergenfield High wouldn't get involved because they saw these goons on a regular basis in school, so long as they were quiet, did their drugs in the far corner of the auditorium and didn't bother anyone, we didn't call Bergenfields finest. A few cops used to frequent the Palace, mainly to stay warm and eat some popcorn during the winter while walking a beat on Washington Ave. one cop that I remember, we called him Le vitche, I never knew his first name, at the time, he was a rookie, for all I know he's probably chief of police now! well, I could go on and on, but for now I'll leave, and say that I've been in the 5 plex and sure do miss the "one plex" palace

I've been there many times when it was still one screen. Nothing spectatular, but great fun! 2 occasions stand out; the all-day Planet of the Apes marathon with all 5 films. I walked in near the end of Beneath, and stayed for the other 3 films. Those kids were screaming so loud during Conquest, it gave me a huge headache. The overall quality of Battle did'nt help, either! I also went to see The Song Remains The Same, the Led Zeppelin concert film there. The film starts, but the sound is a little low, so the kids start to yell "Turn it up!" The manager refuses. The kids are screaming "Turn it up!!". Still the manager refuses. These metal-heads want to stick their heads in the speakers and get their eardrums shedded, pronto.
The manager is leaving these hoods no other choice, they start stomping on the seats, breaking them and throwing them at the screen, or at each other. By the time the film is over, about 10 seats are broken, the screen has a hole in it, and one young man has taken it upon himself to urinate on the wall!! Incredible! All because the sound was too low. Gotta love those fine Bergenfield youths.

1926 postcard:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d933b3127ccec4cd9cb1e1e300000040O08IZsW7Zwzcg9vPgQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

1967: an exciting announcement for Palace Theater patrons:

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

Here are 1986 photos of the Palace:

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3

This is a 1988 photo of the Bergenfield Theatre.