Ocean Theatre
2700 Boardwalk,
Wildwood,
NJ
08260
2700 Boardwalk,
Wildwood,
NJ
08260
1 person
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Regarding my November 2, 2007, comment in which I linked to a Philadelphia Buildings web page attributing the Ocean Theatre to an architectural firm called Lee & Thaete Associates. I’ve only just discovered that the Lee in Lee & Thaete was theater architect William Harold Lee. His partner in the firm, which was formed in 1964, was named Walter Frederick Thaete.
Philadelphia Buildings also attributes the Liberty Theatre at Cape May, New Jersey, to Lee & Thaete Associates (this was a remodeling job), though Cinema Treasures currently attributes it to Willam Harold Lee alone. Lee died in 1971, but the firm continued to operate under the same name until 1983.
Spent a few weeks in Wildwood in the 60’s with my Grandmother and my two brothers, I remember seeing “My Fair Lady” and “Thourghly Modern Mille”. A very beautiful theatre. You don’t see theatres like this anymore.
Midtown usher
Nice 1971 photo.
I miss this theatre, as well as the Shore Twins a few blocks away. It just doesn’t seem the same in Wildwood anymore without them.
A color photo of The Ocean Theatre’s marquee in 1971
View link
I remember the summer of 1984, saw “Ghostbusters” here, I think one of the last years it was a single. Twinned for the following summer, if memory serves me.
Is this theatre located between Poplar and Juniper Streets? If so, then it must have been designed by Lee & Thaete Associates.
Couple of photos of the Ocean’s exterior from 1976 shown below at this website
View link
The night time picture is more spectacular as it shows the great marquee and also the golf course on the roof.
Listed as part of Hunt’s Theatres, Inc. in the 1970 FDY & 1976 International Motion Picture Almanac.
This was Hunts theater for roadshow engagements. I saw The Sound of Music there. I would love to see a list of the other roadshow engagments that played here. I know Fiddler On The Roof played in 71. This theater was beautiful with 2 curtians and a beautiful curved screen
The old boardwalk entrance to this theatre and original lobby was finally closed in last year as several discount shops expanded into those spaces. The auditorium still serves as storage and upstairs offices & camera rooms still exist. It actually re-opened for 1996-97, 98? (along with the Shore & Blaker!) but was criticized for lack of amenities. Several sections of the stainless marquee with the neon elements were saved as were the neon signs, (signs were 90’s reproductions of the original.). Just this past week a 25-story high rise building was proposed for the large parking lot behind this boardwalk block of stores.
Fondest memory here is not as much about the movie theater. More about the Skyline Golf course on the roof. Spent alot of my childhood summers there. Same with the movie theatres. I remember Chisum playing there, Two Mules for Sister Sara, Posideon Adventure.I even saw RollerBall there. The original one of course not the lame remake with Chris Klein and Paul Heyman.