Lafayette Theatre

The history of the Lafayette Theatre, named for the Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette, began when the Suffern Amusement Company hired noted theater architect Eugene DeRosa to design a location on Lafayette Avenue in downtown Suffern, New York. DaRosa’s concept was a combination of French and Italian Renaissance influences, subtlety mixed in a “Beaux Arts” style. The theater was also equipped with a custom-designed Muller organ to accompany silent films and augment live performances.

The Lafayette Theatre opened its doors in 1924 with the silent film classic “Scaramouche,” and flourished through the rest of the 1920’s with live vaudeville shows and film presentations. A renovation in 1927 added the distinctive Opera Boxes along the side walls and, shortly thereafter, the projection equipment was updated to play the new miracle called “Talking Pictures.” During the mid-1930’s, an air-cooling system was installed which, unfortunately, forced the removal of the organ. It was during this renovation that the chandelier was also removed.

After World War II ended, movie-going habits changed with the advent of television. To keep pace with audience expectations, the Lafayette Theatre changed, too. Equipment to handle 3-D films was installed in early 1953 and, later that year, the Lafayette Theatre was the first theater in Rockland County to install CinemaScope to show widescreen, stereophonic sound movies. The premiere engagement was the Biblical epic “The Robe” and audiences flocked to the Lafayette Theatre to see it in the new widescreen process, modestly known as “The Miracle You See Without Glasses!”

The Lafayette’s star faded during the 1950’s and 1960’s as downtown populations moved further into the suburbs and television took hold as the popular entertainment medium of the day. Luckily, the Lafayette Theatre was spared both the wrecking ball and the multiplexing boom, where large single-screen auditoriums were divided up into several small theaters to accommodate playing several films at once. As part of a minor renovation in the late 1980s, the old stage was refurbished and the New York Theatre Organ Society installed a new pipe organ, the Ben Hall Memorial Mighty Wurlitzer.

In the late 1990’s, the Lafayette’s future as a single-screen neighborhood movie palace was uncertain until Robert Benmosche, a resident of Suffern and chairman of MetLife Insurance, saw the potential of the Lafayette and purchased the building the houses the theater, making necessary and immediate repairs to the roof and exterior in order to prevent any more serious damage from occurring.

Late in 2002, the Galaxy Theatre Corporation, under the leadership of Nelson Page, took a long-term lease to operate the 1,000-seat Lafayette Theatre as a single-screen movie house, erasing any lingering fears that the unique building would be converted to small auditoriums. Page and his team began immediately to refurbish the interior of the theater, bringing back its luxurious pre-war style while investing it with modern projection equipment and concession areas. In September of 2003, a chandelier was hoisted to the ceiling of the Lafayette Theatre, the first time an ornate lighting fixture had been there since the 1930’s, and it was a final signal of the rebirth and continued good health of Suffern’s downtown treasure.

The Lafayette Theatre thrives seven days a week as a first-run movie theater. From February 2003 to December 2008, a classic film series, especially on Saturday mornings, presented over 250 classic films. Boston Culinary Group became a partner of Page in 2007, and Page departed in January 2009, but later in 2009 Page bought out Boston Culinary Group’s interest and resumed control of the theatre.

Recent comments (view all 611 comments)

Marcel on October 19, 2011 at 9:11 am

A true Cinema Treasure.

PeterApruzzese on October 20, 2011 at 8:08 am

Thanks MPol and Marcel.

Print updates for the HorrorThon, which starts Friday night (note Metropolis begins at 8pm):

HD version of Metropolis (Moroder version) looks fine. If you like that version, you’ll be very pleased. Sounds great.

Mysterious Island digital ‘print’ from Sony arrives tomorrow but should look flawless and it has the new 5.1 stereo surround sound on it.

Monster that Challenged the World is a mint 35mm print, it’s pretty much new and will be great to project.

Double Feature: “X – The Man with X Ray Eyes” is near-mint and has perfect color; “Planet of the Vampires” is also near-mint with perfect color. A little treat – it has the original Italian title on it! “Terrore Nello Spazio”

The Hound of the Baskervilles print has, unfortunately, faded color. Almost sepia-tone. MGM has no other print. We’re trying to obtain an alternate source (possibly an HD transfer), but will run the print if nothing else can be found.

Madhouse has not arrived yet.

Friday the 13th is the uncut version (I’m told it’s 10 seconds of new footage) and looks fine via Paramount’s digital print.

If you can only make one show, make it the double feature as it’s going to be a lot of fun and look great.

bolorkay on October 20, 2011 at 3:23 pm

Hi Peter, This year’s Horror-Thon seems to be one of the best (and most varied) ever. Really looking forward to “Mysterious Island” (my first Harryhausen on the big screen in ‘61) with the 5.1 soundtrack. And of course that double-feature!!

I really wouldn’t worry too much about the ‘short-comings’ of “Hound of The Baskervilles” (MGM had a really nice print for their DVD release in 2002, I wonder what happened to those elements ?)… Cushing’s Holmes always is a standout and,second only to his “Baron Frankenstein” outings will always rank among his best performances.And that finale on the moors (no spoilers, here!)… right up there with the confrontation at the end of “Horror of Dracula”

Keep those Hammers coming every Halloween. They’re wonderful on the big screen. Bob

PeterApruzzese on October 21, 2011 at 10:06 pm

Unfortunately the print of Madhouse was even worse than the print of Hound. We’ve decided to change out those two programs as no suitable materials for either title could be obtained.

“The Skull” (1965) (replaces the scheduled showing of The Hound of the Baskervilles), presented in HD courtesy Paramount Pictures. Starring Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee.

“Scream and Scream Again” (1970) (replaces the scheduled showing of Madhouse), presented in 35mm courtesy of MGM. Starring Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing.

Vito on October 22, 2011 at 3:45 am

Hey Pete have you ever posted pics of the booth? Love to see them

JeffS on October 22, 2011 at 6:37 am

I have photos of the booth. I’ve uploaded them.

ChasSmith on November 1, 2011 at 6:57 am

Pete and all… I’d hoped to get there for the entire HorrorThon, but I drive over from Connecticut, and best laid plans, etc. Made it to the Corman/Bava evening, though, and what a wonderful show that was. Beautiful prints, a great intermission reel, and thanks also for sharing the red “Baskervilles”.

I wouldn’t have missed “The Uninvited” for anything — except for the nastiest storm (at least where I live) which arrived in my driveway at showtime. Hope all is well at the theater and with all of you. Very much looking forward to a fair weather “Birdie” this Saturday!

MPol on November 1, 2011 at 8:14 am

Sorry to hear about the prints of some of the films for the scheduled “HorrorThon” at the Lafayette Theatre, Peter, Jeff, Marcel and ChasSmith. That sounds like a real drag, and it’s unfortunate that MGM never bothered to make newer, better prints of “Hounds of the Baskervilles” and “Madhouse”. That must’ve put a stain on the whole program. Sorry to hear and read about that.

PeterApruzzese on November 1, 2011 at 10:54 am

Thanks Chas, glad you enjoyed the show you made that weekend. As we announced, I ran that red reel as a demo so everyone understood why the program change – the Madhouse was even worse than that. Birdie should be great – brand new digital ‘print’ from Sony with 5.1 stereo track.

MPol – it happens. We’ve been lucky in the 9 years of our programs that it’s only happened a couple of times. Not a bad track record for almost 300 different shows in that time.

bolorkay on December 26, 2011 at 5:28 am

Hi Peter, May I take this moment to wish you and Nelson and the entire Lafayette family a very happy and peaceful holiday sesaon. Thank you for a terrific fall Big Screen Classics season. (“Wichester ‘73” was a first for me.) As always, looking forward to the Spring Season. Do I have my facts straight, you’ll be back in February?