Cranford Theatre
25 North Avenue,
Cranford,
NJ
07016
25 North Avenue,
Cranford,
NJ
07016
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 27 comments
Wow. The current parent company of this theater also owns other theaters that AMC had to divest upon the acquisition of Carmike due to proximity to AMC’s own theaters.
First film I saw at this theater was STAR TREK III. Also saw RE-ANIMATOR here – what a blast!
great theater saw lots of movies there
I can see this theatre closing once AMC assumes control of it after the Carmike purchase is complete.
I’ve just uploaded an ad for opening night in 1926, which took place a week after the 534 seat Cranford Theatre closed. A local civic minded group known as the Cranford Booster Club initiated a movement to convince the owners of the new theatre to rename it the Cranford. They were successful and the New Branford became the New Cranford on January 27, 1927, with some fanfare. I’m also uploading a photo I took while passing through town last week.
Just went this past Wed evening to see “Love & Mercy” the Beach Boy’s Brian Wilson biopic. This is a nice neighborhood place. A huge single screen cut up into small auditoriums, they always feature a mixed bag for everyone, from the big blockbuster to the latest art house fare. Others shows I’ve seen her, “The Devil Wears Prada”, Helen Mirren in “The Queen” and “Prairie Home Companion.
The Wurlitzer organ was reported to have cost $15,000.
I’ve uploaded a picture from NJ.com which shows the theater for the brief period it was the Branford.
This is now taken over by Carmike Cinemas. Now they have cinemas in the three largest markets in the USA (NYC-LA-Chicagoland)
All screens now digital.
The only house in New Jersey playing the ballet Esmerelda performed by the Bolshoi Ballet.
Now owned by the Digiplex Destinations chain.
http://www.digiplexdest.com/
1967 “BONNIE and CLYDE” wonder if it was first run or hit the drive-in first.I heard in some parts it was booked right into Drive-ins then Caught Fire and it in the indoor Theatres,this from an old Prpjectionist that said it happened to him.
great theater seen alot of movies there. i remember when they closed during the renovations i saw Major League:Back to the Minors one of the two movies which was playing when they closed for renvations. Then i remember them open back up and got to see Armageddon, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Patriot, Shrek and many more.
Here is a photo circa 1967:
http://tinyurl.com/cqk92z
I remember the clock in Theater One at least, used that to deduce that it took Alec Baldwin 45 minutes to re-adopt his costumed alter ego in “The Shadow” in 1994. Saw “Jurassic Park” here the prior year and recall what an experience that was, every seat was filled and the ticket line went down the street. Haven’t been here since “Swimming Pool” in 2003 or so.
I practically grew up in that theater, I remember the beautiful chandelier, I used to stare at it before the Saturday Matinees used to start. :-D (1960s). Standing in a very long line outside the theater to see “Help” and “A Hard Day’s Night”, “Yellow Submarine”, oh you name the movie, I was there weekly. Love that old photo with “Bonnie and Clyde” on the marquee (which I saw there too!) I was literally sick when they made the theater into two screens, and now it’s five screens? Wow! I’m in Texas now, but I dearly miss my old hometown of Cranford, and my favorite theater of all time.
Correction to my previous posting: the one screen was split into two screens in the 1980’s.
This movie opened in the 1920’s. It was originally one-screen, had a beautiful curved ceiling and a rear balcony. I think the ceiling had a chandelier at some point. There was also a clock (Westclox?) hanging from the left or right side of the theater. I thought that was odd to put a clock there. The main entrance/vestibule also had a lovely, curved ceiling with a shell-like motif. Sometime in the 1990’s the movie theater was split in half into two screens – big mistake – really small screens. Then a few years later, another Einstein decided to add a second floor to the two rooms, as well as completely covering (or demolishing for all I know) the beautiful curved ceiling. I think the rear balcony was saved/just kept as part of the second floor. But the screens were made even smaller after that – almost like a television. Also the main vestibule’s beautiful ceiling was covered up. Now there are no traces of the theater’s architectural past. It’s a shame. My husband remembers seeing “A Hard Day’s Night” in this movie theater in 1964, as well as old Groucho Marx movies that were re-issued in the 1960’s.
Listed in the 1944 FDY as part of Warner Bros. Listed as part of Stanley Warner Corp. in the 1961 Film Daily Yearbook.
Listed as part of RKO-Stanley Warner Theatres, Inc. in the 1976 International Motion Picture Almanac.
Listed as a 2 screen RKO Century Warner Theatre in the 1985 International Motion Picture Almanac.
My sister-in-law grew up in Cranford and I believe she worked here
when she was in college. My brother and I saw “Young Frankenstein"
here and I believe I saw "Midway” here. Don’t recall musch else.
Sorry.
Late 1960s photo:
View link
saw Peter Weir's
‘Picnic…'
here in the '70s.
A Wurlitzer organ, opus 1468, was installed in this theater on 10/6/1926.