Monticello Theatre

Formerly home to Miracle Temple Pentecostal Church.

This was being advertised in 1929 as the Fox Monticello, which would explain the later affiliation with the Skouras circuit. However, the Monticello might have had another owner prior to Fox, which took over many “independent” theatres circa 1928-29. Skouras was formed to take over many of the Fox theatres when Fox went bankrupt at the onset of the Depression.

Here’s a new link to a 1935 view of the marquee:
View link

From the google street photos, it has quite an impressive widefront facade of fancy red brick and white stone. as of 3/24/10 is still a church, the bricks have all been cleaned – it looks obviously renovated. Windows in the auditorium area – they may have done major remodeling in the auditorium. Looks like a bad neighborhood – the doors along the front have roll-down corrugated gates. It is still home to Miracle Temple Pentacostal Church – at least they were having recitals there in 2009.

In between being a legit theatre and a church it was an adult theatre. It was billed as “Jersey City’s most unusal theatre.” That started an uproar. The Catholic Church’s Legion of Decency went into action with pickets outside the theatre. Sermons were devoted to this Sodom and Gomorrah here in Jersey City(kind of ironic on two levels). No one was safe from this menance.
The City at behest of the Church would close it on some violation. It would reopen, be closed again and so on.
Around the corner on Communipauw Ave.was a police station. The two buildings were next to each other. They sometimes park would a police car in front of the theatre (in th bus stop)as an attempt to intimidate future patrons. When the #8 Jackson Ave. bus stopped in front. People would look away for fear of corruption and being turned into salt. Others would sneak a peek at it(myself included as a teen).
It was soft core porn, mild by today’s stndards. The ads in The Hudson Dispatch and The Jersey Journal were tame. No graphic pictures only a silhouette of a female form and some info about the film.
I any event it closed due to harrasement and lack of business. I was never inside since I was too young. Then it was converted to the church in the 80’s.
The area has seen better days. It was at one time a thrieving shopping area. There was also a nice mix of residential housing. The area has had bad times for over 30 years. It is a pity the City does nothing to revive the area. On the other hand, if they did do something; the theatre in all probability would be gone.
It is important that we preserve these gems. They each have a unique personality. They are part of our cinema history.
There was a sister theatre in Newark N.J. about 20 miles away. Same ads etc only a different name and city.
Michael