Proctor's Theatre

The theatre first opened as Proctor's Palace. When RKO took over in 1929, "Palace" was dropped in favor of RKO Proctor's, with newspaper advertising as RKO Proctor's Newark to signify the location. It was actually the second Proctor's theatre in Newark, preceded in 1902 by Proctor's Park Place. When F.F. Proctor built the Palace, he converted the Park Place into a cinema known as the Bijou Dream. He later sold it to William Fox, who re-named it the Terminal. In the late 1920s, Fox announced that he would replace the Terminal with a new super theatre seating 4,000 people, but that never happened due to his bankruptcy.

This is a huge theater building, and we were able to do a walk through around 1978. They had many, many levels of dressing rooms, and the place was in bad shape. (Somebody said they had closed it in the late 60's right after the Newark riots.) When we saw it, there was quite a bit of plaster damage from a leaky roof, and entire sections of the ceiling had collapsed onto the seats. Keep in mind this was nearly 25 years ago. I can only imagine what kind of condition it's in now.

Up until the early 90's, the building still had the original marquee, and a huge curved RKO vertical sign at the top of the facade. The vertical was removed and the marquee was covered over when they converted the long entry lobby into retail space.

I came across a newspaper ad from 1961 showing the Penthouse booked with Ingmar Bergman's "Secrets of Women." I guess that downtown Newark was still a safe place to visit in those days and nights. I wonder how patrons accessed the Penthouse. Was there an elevator or did they have to walk up several flights of stairs?

Warren, it's been a long time, but I'm pretty sure there was an elevator in the lobby.

When I saw it, the Penthouse was in really bad shape. There was extensive water damage, and this was 25 years ago!

How far is this theater from Newark/Penn Station?
Also, does anyone have any information on The Little Theater located on Broad Street?

Proctor's is not more than a five minute walk from Newark's Penn Station. Market Street is one of the main drags. Let us know the condition of Proctor's if you go. The Little was at 562 Broad Street, not far from Proctor's. Broad & Market was once the busiest intersection of downtown Newark, and might still be.

I have seen it then. I remember looking at the building and it is clear to see that it housed a theater. I might try and get up there and take pictures of the building. The area is ripe for for redevelopment.

Opened in 1905 as Proctor's Palace Theatre and Proctor's Palace Roof Theatre.

"Manager Proctor's Newark venture has proved successful beyond expectation, and from the opening performance the theatre has been filled almost always to capacity. At one of the first performances the crowd was so great that when the doors were opened the inrushing people wrecked the ticket office and the picture frames in the lobby and caused General Manager J. Austin Fynes to issue orders that doors should be opened a half-hour earlier than had been deemed necessary." From the New York "Mirror".

"This playhouse is recognized everywhere as having the most fashionable clientele of any vaudeville theatre in America. Favored with a central location and a perfect auditorium, this playhouse holds a unique position on Mr. Proctor's circuit." From the souvenir pamphlet, "F. F. Proctor's Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Jubilee, Celebrated at Poctor's Fifth Avenue Threatre the Week of April Ninth, Nineteen Hundred and Six"

The architect, John William Merrow, was F. F. Proctor's nephew. He was born 15 Aug 1874 in New Hampton, New Hampshire, graduated from Dartmouth College in 1897 and attended the architectural course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was employed by Proctor Theatrical Enterprises "supervising the building of numerous theatres in and out of the city, in addition to keeping all of the houses owned by Mr. Proctor up to modern requirements and standards" for about 18 years prior to his death 11 Apr 1927. From "New York Telegraph", 12 Apr 1927.

I have some very clear photos of the front and top, with a closeup of the carving at the top and the left-hand mask. When viewed from the side you can see that it definitely was a movie palace. It's now a sneaker store. Down a bit on Market is the Newark Paramount. The marquee on that theater is still intact, but the lobby houses something else.

Frankly, it's depressing to walk on Market street. There are so many buildings speaking of former glories that now are just junk.

Small view of the RKO Proctor's sign in this vintage postcard:

http://www.oldnewark.com/streetsa/images/streets/m/market/east/markeast05.jpg

One of Fred Astaire's earliest performances was at this theater on
July 23-28 1907.

Here is an ad from when RKO opened the Penthouse cinema upstairs
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/PenthouseNewark.jpg

Here are two images of the main auditorium:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/131-3101_IMG.jpg

Here's a 1986 image of the main auditorium. God only knows what it looks like in 2005:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/131-3110_IMG.jpg

Old postcard:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d633b3127cce93d1b8b7f9af00000015108IZsW7Zwzc-

Here's a 1940s view of the upstairs auditorium, by which time it had been re-decorated with an oriental motif, perhaps in emulation of the similar Japanese Garden in Manhattan:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/135-3569_IMG.jpg

Another old postcard:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cf38b3127cce95dc68d0fe6d00000016108IZsW7Zwzc-

I'm not 100% sure, TC, but I think that the two postcards are not of this theatre but of the Park Place Theatre, which was Proctor's first theatre in Newark. Aftter he built the Palace and its Roof Theatre, the Park Place became a cinema, first as the Bijou and then (and finally) as the Fox Terminal.

Warren is correct. Those postcards are not the RKO Proctor's on Market Street.

Warren, I have added substantially to John William Merrow's biography at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Merrow
He was my great-uncle. If it was you who put him up on wikipedia, thanks.

Here is a 1987 photo by Michael Putnam:
http://tinyurl.com/2cuw93

I found among my fathers papers a business card

Peter
Beauty Shoppe
Complete Beauty Service
Permanent Wave Specialist
116 Mark Street Newark, N. J.
Proctor Theatre Buidling
Market 2-6890
on the back is a pencil note 3:00 Call Pete

would this have been during the time the theatre was active ?

I would guess that the theatre was operating at the time. How old was your father when he died? You appparently typed the address incorrectly. The theatre was/is at 116 Market Street, not "Mark Street."

..sorry - yes Market street is correct

My father was a postmaster onboard the USS New York in 1945 .... so thought the contact could have been while he was in the Navy

He would be 84 years old

Proctor's was definitely operating in 1945, but by that time was known as RKO Proctor's. But I would guess that the commercial premises that went with it were always called just the Proctor Theatre Building.

Amazing set of theaters in the building based on the photos posted above. Such a shame its just another decaying piece of our history.

It does seem weird that Proctor's has just been standing there for decades, waiting to collapse of negligence. Who owns it? If the City of Newark, I guess it has more urgent priorities.

Plus the Adams theater (formerly the Shubert) sits vacant just around the block. Lots of history at that place, going back to the 20's. There's also the Paramount just up Market Street.

Unfortunately, the City sinks all of their arts money into the new Performing Arts Center and neglects the decaying palaces.

I remember Proctors from it's final years as a Full Time Movie House, when I saw the Jerry lewis classic, Whose Minding The Store there, to the time in the early 1970's when it was used for "Special Events" only, like Boxing Telecasts (in the days before Cable) and school programs.

Proctors, along with downtowns 2 other closed, but still standing movie palaces, The Adams, and the Newark-Paramount are all within a VERY short walk of the new Prudential Center Arena.
Perhaps NOW, one of them can be rescued.

Ken

Fun piece of trivia:

Did you know that LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka's play A BLACK MASS premiered at Proctor's Theatre in May, 1966? It was, I suppose, a sort of homecoming for Jones who had had several successes in New York City the previous two years--most notably including DUTCHMAN in 1964.

Based on reading the threads of the Adams, The Paramount and Proctor's it would appear that The Paramount is best positioned to be the one of the three to have the best (though apparently slim) chance of being saved. Proctors appears to be on the verge of collapse and the Adams is the furthest away from Penn Station.

I believe that Newark will be in a position to restore one of these theaters in the near future as its fortunes improve, but I'm afraid the effort will be too little, too late as all of these theaters appear to be reaching the point of no return.

Here are new links to previously posted images of the audtiorium in its prime and in decay:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/131-3101_IMG.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/131-3110_IMG.jpg

Boy, imagine that 1986 decay with another 22 years of water damage. There's probably nothing left!

Warren if the photo you linked to you photobucket is your photo someone else is using it on another site.

1981 Photo

1981 Photo

1986 Photo

1986 Photo

1986 Photo

1986 Photo

A nice but really depressing recent view from the auditorium (that picture was displayed in a gallery in Paris last year):
http://www.wantedparis.com/popup_image.php?pID=YMA011.jpg

What a spectacular photo! What a shame. Ironically, this theater still exists in decay because the area around it is still a shambles. The key question is will the area improve enough to draw redevelopment before the theater reaches a point of no return.

http://www.marchandmeffre.com/theaters/index09.html

http://www.marchandmeffre.com/theaters/index07.html

Does anyone know who owns this theatre now? And is it up for sale? I really think this theatre must be saved we cannot let this one go folks. Maybe if some of us all chip in we can purhcase it and form a group of owners. Has anyone been in the theatre recently? Are dressing rooms still intact? Also what else is intact? Is the main curtain intact? How much water damage is there? I also noticed some of the seating was no longer there in the back of the first floor. Which real estate company is this with and is it a private owner or a group? I am a huge huge fan of old vaudville theatres and I know they can come back. I know the area has changed and that is a huge problem but maybe the areas can be changed and wealthy people will move in little by little.

I also have another question. Does the city of Newark have any interest in declaring this theatre a landmark? Has anyone tried to talk with the city on this? Which office would handle this? City council? I am from Staten Island,NY but I really want to see this theatre open again it cannot go to the waste side or be destroyed. I know we can all do this together everyone! Who is the current owner? Also what ever happened to the lobby when it was destroyed to put a store in? The marquee must still be there? It said it was covered? But what happened to the vetical? When did RKO go out of business all together? Thank you so much everyone.:)

Hi I have some semi good news about this theatre. Today I found out who owns it and the address to write them. I know it is not very much. But I would like to contact them and see if they would like to sell it and if they do maybe the city of Newark can buy it and make it a landmark or we can all take shares and buy it together. But I really feel we can do something with this theatre. We should make a petition as well. What do you all think? Maybe we can all meet with the owner on a set day and discuss it. I also have the number to the ecocomic development department for the city of Newark and maybe they can help us as well. I also found out the Adam's and the Paramount are both owned by private owners and I have the addresses for contact information. Anyone interested in helping me with doing some kind of action with this theatre please e-mail me. newyork5700@yahoo.com My name is Kris. I know we can restore this theatre to it's former self together as a team. I am only 31 years old but I have a huge heart and love for old theatres. I live in Staten Island but this theatre is so amazing we cannot let it go.