State Theater

@ Markp or other CT members – Even from a young kid’s view point you could see the crumbling of the plaster walls from the roof leaks, and the lack of maintenance. Do you know anything about “Speck” the usher, or any of the staff? I have been trying to find “Specks” real name, if he had a family, etc. Any help would be appreciated.

I went to this theater as a kid, back in the 60’s. The usher wore a blue Eisenhower uniform jacket, and a hard brimmed cloth dress hat, similar to a soldier’s derss hat. His name was “Speck”, if I remember correctly, and he seemed to hate children. He would take our ticket and, in a gruff voice say “10 rows up from the front”. I think he thought that would stop us from hitting the screen with our candies. The children’s matinee had some classic films, like 4-D Man, or most of the Roger Corman-Vincent Price films. I even remember seeing Fra Diavolo with Laurel and Hardy one Saturday afternoon! Whoever the booker was knew exactly what sold with a kiddie audience. I can remember lines around the corner, and being turned away due to the sellout crowd when they ran Three Stooges Meet Hercules. If it had held in for another 5 years, it might have been saved.

Here is an undated picture of the State Theater. It appears similar to the 1927 postcard that TC linked to.

My father Joe Pusillo was projectionist at this theatre from the early 60’s till it closed on March 15, 1971. The projection equipment was moved to the Forum theatre in Metuchen, N.J. where he and I would work together later on in the early 1980’s. I remember seeing many movies here, most notably my first ever movie, “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t” and the last movie shown there, “Doctor Doolittle” with Rex Harrison. I remember dad telling me the place closed, not because business was bad, because it was good, but rather that it was in such disrepair, it would cost too much to fix.

Also listed as part of the Snaper Circuit in the 1961 Film Daily Yearbook.