Virginia Theatre
Boardwalk and Virginia Avenue,
Atlantic City,
NJ
08401
Boardwalk and Virginia Avenue,
Atlantic City,
NJ
08401
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The Virginia Theatre was operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. in 1941. It was later Atlantic City’s premiere theatre that showed roadshow features. The theatre had 70mm and steophonic sound equipment. The theatre closed in 1973 when the Government purchased the block for future casino development. The theater sat empty until it was demolished around 1980. The last features that played there were “The Sound Of Music” re-release in 70mm which opened June 27, 1973, followed by “Cabaret” re-release and the last feature to play was “A Touch Of Class” with Glenda Jackson and George Segal. They were scheduled to get the re-release of “Mary Poppins” on August 15, 1973, but didn’t, due to the great success of “A Touch Of Class”.
A few of the other features that I remember playing there were, “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World”, “The Carpetbaggers”, “Gone With The Wind”, “Sweet Charity”, “Krakatoa East of Java”, “Hello Dolly” (non-roadshow engagement that opened June 24, 1970), and “Fiddler On The Roof”, which was done as a reserved performance format instead of roadshow engagement.
Contributed by
Mike MArtinelli
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Recent comments (view all 59 comments)
Summer 1969 I saw Krakatoa East Of Java at the Virginia. I have pics of the theatre then but am unable to upload. Film was show in 70MM-Stereophonic sound.
Some other summer 1969 info, the Ice Capades were getting ready for their engagement at Convention Hall, and Gary Lewis and the Playboys were the Headliners at the Steel Pier
just uploaded a pic of the theatree when KRAKATOA was playing there
Great picture rivoli157. I remember it well. It opened August 15 after Sweet Charity which was basically a flop. Many theaters that showed Charity ended it and opened with Krakatoa East of Java.
I watched this beautiful theatre get demolished; it was around 1980. It was still furnished…chandeliers, curtains…maybe even chairs. All the buildings around this neighborhood (Virginia to Connecticut, Boardwalk to Atlantic) were demolished for an urban renewal project which never materialized…but this building and the boardwalk stores leading up to Maryland Avenue remained standing until 1980. I think I saw “Fiddler on the Roof” here…maybe 1972?
Does anyone know/recall if “Camelot” had its Atlantic City roadshow run at this venue?
It definitely wasn’t here at the Virginia.
Virginia had the 70MM roadshow version of GWTW so this would have been the time period of Camelot. I remember all the display photos outside the theater walking by it in the summer of ‘68. Above the theater was a faded billboard of Thoroughly Modern Millie which might have played there summer of '67.
It was the summer of 1967. That was out first year in AC. Prior to that they had The Sound Of Music for two summers. George Hamid kept the theater open all winter because business was so good. That was rare for a boardwalk theater.
Happened at the Paramount in Asbury Park as well. I assume this is the only time in Jersey shore history a film played through the autumn and winter through to the following summer. Even the other biggest roadshow hits like South Pacific(surprisingly,) WSS and MFL were gone by the autumn while they continued their big city engagements.
Funny how still in ‘67 the newly posted picture could be from the 50s except for the film and the women’s clothes. In a matter of only a few years this was sadly going to drastically change. And films on the boardwalk would be movies like Klute and Shaft.