Grove International Theater
346 16th Avenue,
Irvington,
NJ
07111
346 16th Avenue,
Irvington,
NJ
07111
1 person
favorited this theater
This was a small theater that specialized in foreign language films catering to the mainly Polish, but also Hungarian, Lithuanian and Czech immigrants who settled in the area in the 1940’s and 50’s. The only way I knew of the Grove was because it was across the street from Olympic Park (another sorry loss.) After the Grove closed, the building became part of the Irvington Public Library System, but I do not know its current status.
Contributed by
Jim Thatcher
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
Listed as open in the 1951 FDY.
“(Gary)Heckel, whose family owned the Grove Theater in Irvington when he was a child, connected with Roberts accidentally when he took a fill-in projectionist job at the Chatham theater some 20 years ago.”
The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), March 25, 2003 p022
A Robert Morton organ was installed in this theater in 1926. After it was moved to the Capitol Theatre in South River, NJ, the Grove theatre bought another Robert Morton in 1928.
Oddly enough, may have been known as the Hindenburg Theater in 1940:
View link
I found the following on a message based website:
Q-“Does anyone remember the name of the movie house up 16th Avenue towards Irvington, that use to have the "Our Gang” races? You were given a piece of paper with a number on it when you came in, and if your number won the race you went up on the stage to get a prize. I remember winning a little wind-up train".
A-“Back in the 30’s there was the Hindenberg Theater around 16th Street (Avenue) and Grove. They were forced to change the name to the Grove theater by those who wanted to get rid of anything connected with the Germans – just as many streets, schools, and hospitals had to change their names”.
From the same website:
Q-“Wasn’t there a theater called the West End in that area”?
A-“Fairly sure it was the West End on 16thAve near S 18th st”.
There’s a wonderful 1940 photo of the Hindenburg Theatre in this book. Before the USA entered WW2, there were rumors that an underground tunnel connected the cinema with Willy’s Tavern, a reputed hang-out for Nazi sympathizers: View link