Loew's Jersey Theatre
54 Journal Square,
Jersey City,
NJ
07306
54 Journal Square,
Jersey City,
NJ
07306
98 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Friends of the Loew's, Inc. (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Loew's Inc.
Architects: George W. Leslie Rapp
Firms: Rapp & Rapp
Styles: Baroque, Italian Renaissance
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
201.798.6055
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Oct 22, 2014 — 'The Shining' - Movie and Masquerade at Loew's Jersey Theatre
- Oct 8, 2014 — Of Monsters & Haunted Houses
- Sep 13, 2014 — 3 Classic Movies About the Movies at Loew's Jersey Theatre
- May 15, 2014 — Imagining the Future On The Big Screen
- May 10, 2014 — Tug of war over the Jersey
- Apr 24, 2014 — NY on screen at the Loew's Jersey - starting April 25
- Oct 27, 2013 — Major investment leads to Loew's Jersey
- Oct 22, 2013 — 3 Classic Horror Films on the Big Screen - Loew's Jersey Theatre
- Sep 18, 2013 — Three films that Cut to the Chase
- Sep 7, 2013 — Cutting To The Chase - On the Big Screen - Loew's Jersey Theatre
- May 21, 2013 — Sci-Fi and Ray Harryhausen at the Loew's Jersey
- Apr 23, 2013 — 'M*A*S*H' with Sally Kellerman In Person
- Apr 12, 2013 — Refractions of War - On Screen - Loew's Jersey Theatre
- Feb 9, 2013 — Tough Guys Playing (or Directing) For Laughs
- Jan 12, 2013 — Who-Done-It? at the Movies - 3 Very Different Takes On The Classic Genre
- Nov 20, 2012 — Movies, Music, & Santa at Loew's Jersey Theatre
- Nov 13, 2012 — 'Wings', 'Stairway to Heaven' and Don Murray & Keir Dullea in person - Loew's Jersey Theater
- May 26, 2012 — Fantasy weekend at the Loew's Jersey
- May 22, 2012 — 'The Producers' & 2 screwball comedies at the Loew's Jersey Theatre
- Jun 12, 2011 — New Photo Page!
- Apr 8, 2011 — Classic Sci-Fi at the Loew's Jersey
- Oct 15, 2009 — 3 Classic Horror Films at Loew's Jersey Theater - Oct. 23-24, 2009
- Jul 1, 2009 — Classic Film Theaters in New Jersey and New York?
- May 11, 2009 — 'The General' with live organ accompaniment - also 'It Happened One Night' and 'Dinner At Eight' - Loew's Jersey Theater
- Mar 20, 2009 — 3 Classic Ghost Films at the Loew's Jersey Theater - March 27-28, 2009
- Mar 20, 2009 — Loew's Jersey call for restoration volunteers - Saturday, March 21
- Feb 20, 2009 — 4 Classic Noir Films at the Loew's Jersey Theater
- Jan 22, 2009 — Loew's Jersey looking for volunteers
- Oct 20, 2008 — Horror at Loew's Jersey Theater (with live organ accompaniment)
- Sep 24, 2008 — Live Theater Organ Weekend featuring 'Flesh and the Devil'
- Sep 17, 2008 — 3 Classic Marlene Dietrich Films at the Loew's Jersey Theater
- Jun 9, 2008 — King Kong, Planet of the Apes, Mighty Joe Young at the Loew's Jersey Theater
- May 6, 2008 — Clockwork Orange, The Terminator, Blade Runner: The Final Director's Cut - all on the big screen
- Apr 10, 2008 — W.C. Fields, Laurel and Hardy, 'Duck Soup' and The Three Stooges
- Apr 4, 2008 — 'All About Eve' and Celeste Holm at the Loew's Jersey Theater
- Mar 11, 2008 — Classic Fantasy Films at the Landmark Loews Jersey Theater
- Mar 6, 2008 — Help Loew's Jersey Theatre get Hudson County Grant
- Jan 15, 2008 — Orson Welles Weekend at Loew's Jersey
- Nov 30, 2007 — Loew's Jersey Call for volunteer ushers(12/1)
- Nov 12, 2007 — Magnificent Morton Wonder Organ plays again at The Loew's Jersey
- Nov 9, 2007 — A November to Remember at Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre
- Oct 8, 2007 — Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre celebrates Halloween with Boris Karloff
- Sep 28, 2007 — Volunteer ushers needed at Loew's Jersey
- May 7, 2007 — East Meets West[ern] at the Loew's Jersey Theatre
- May 4, 2007 — 3 film screenings at the Loew's Jersey Theater in Jersey City, NJ
- Apr 17, 2007 — Classic Films - Timeless Romance at the Loew's Jersey
- Feb 16, 2007 — 3 Classic Films at Loew's Jersey in Jersey City, Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, 2007
- Apr 12, 2006 — Loew's Jersey presents: Films of Director John Ford
- Jan 26, 2006 — Saluting Animal Lovers and Lovers of Classic Film at The Landmark Loew's Jersey
- Dec 1, 2005 — Santa Returns to The Landmark Loew's Jersey!
- Mar 18, 2005 — Glorious Black & W-I-D-E At Loew's Jersey - April 1&2
- Mar 1, 2005 — Four of the Best of Oscar's Best At The Loew's Jersey Theatre
- Nov 16, 2004 — Free Event at Loew's Jersey This Sunday
- Sep 28, 2004 — Loew's Jersey Update - Lease Has Not Yet Been Signed
- Jun 9, 2004 — Mayor To Sign Lease To Friends of the Loew's Tomorrow
- Apr 21, 2004 — Today's Newsreel
- Apr 13, 2004 — Some "Friends of" Groups
- Jan 9, 2004 — Paramount Center for the Arts Begins Renovations
- Oct 21, 2003 — Friends of the Loews Seeks Permanent Lease, Greater Role In Future Of Theater
The Loew’s Jersey Theatre was the 4th of five Loew’s ‘Wonder Theatres’ to open in the New York City area, opening just two weeks after the Loew’s Paradise Theatre, Bronx and the Loew’s Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, which had both opened on September 7, 1929. The Loew’s Jersey Theatre opened September 28, 1929 with Ruth Chatterton and Lewis Stone in “Madame X”. On stage were Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings plus “Cameos” direct from the Capitol Theatre, New York featuring Chester Hales Girls. In the orchestra pit were the Loew’s Symphony Orchestra and the mighty Robert Morton ‘Wonder’ organ which had 4 manuals and 23 ranks. Resident organist for many years was Ted Meyn. The building had cost $2 million to build and the wonderful Baroque style façade still boasts the mechanical clock of George & the Dragon, a companion piece to the one (now lost) on the top of the façade of Loew’s Paradise Theatre, Bronx.
The opulent Italian Renaissance style auditorium with its 50 foot wide proscenium is reached by passing through a dramatic three-storey lobby rotunda, supported by jade-green columns. In the music gallery above the entrance on the first floor, a grand piano was played to entertain waiting patrons. As was the case in all big movie palaces, the 35 foot deep x 82 foot wide stage was put to good use in the early years with artistes such as Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, The Ritz Brothers, Jackie Coogan, Russ Columbo and His Band and many others appearing. The orchestra pit (which is on an elevator) was boarded over in 1949.
Later in January 1975, two additional screens, each seating 524, were placed in the orchestra seating area beneath the balcony, leaving the main screen in the balcony, with a seating capacity of 1,078. The Robert Morton ‘Wonder’ organ was removed at this time and now resides in the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara, California. The Loew’s Jersey Theatre closed on Thursday August 21, 1986 with “Friday the 13th Part VI:Jason Lives”.
In April 1987 it was sold to a private company for demolition, but preservationists saved the theatre from becoming an office building and the theatre was purchased by the city in 1993. The Friends of the Loew’s had been formed and they embarked on an ongoing renovation/restoration project beginning in 1995. The wall dividing the orchestra seating into two screens was removed, and the theatre was re-opened to the public in 2001 (albeit in the beginning using only a fraction of the seating area in the orchestra level). Regular monthly screenings of classic and revival films began during fall, winter and spring, and as work by the dedicated team of volunteers has progressed over the years, the program expanded to also presenting occasional live performances and concerts.
The Garden State Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society acquired a ‘sister’ identical Robert Morton ‘Wonder’ organ that had been originally installed in the Loew’s Paradise Theatre, Bronx. After several years extensive work on the instrument, it was ready for its debut in its new home at the Loew’s Jersey Theatre in late-2007.
The Loew’s Jersey Theatre has become the centerpiece of the Journal Square renaissance, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It was closed at the end of 2021 for a full refurbishment/restoration to be completed by 2023.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 1,498 comments)
What will it be used for when reopened?
It will be a performing arts center, but we’ve been promised that the classic movie screenings won’t be discontinued. I hope they mean it.
Promises! From politicians!
Will all the volunteers of the last years that kept this building operational be honoured?
I hope so too, Bill! The Loews, in all of its collective glory and beauty has been such an oasis for so many film lovers over the past twenty-five years or so… I hope its beauty and heritage are respected and maintained! (As someone who grew up in Hudson County I completely “get” the “hesitation” of many of us regarding local politicians!)
The Loew’s Kings in Brooklyn had a similar restoration some years ago, but as far as I know they’ve only had one classic movie event (Barry Lyndon). The Loew’s Jersey has a better claim on keeping classic movies being shown, since the building would have been torn down long ago if not for Friends of the Loew’s and their classic movie shows.
As far as I know, the city’s contract with the commercial operator that will eventually run the theatre guarantees that Friends Of The Loews a specific number of dates to run their own programming. How this will work out in real life remains to be seen.
Has the $70 million dollars for the restoration been made available yet? I hope so.
Any updates?
The last bit of news I read (and this is by no means conclusive!) is that the “re-opening” date has now been scheduled for 2026!!!! I’m beginning to get a bit “concerned” as most of the film venues that featured “classic” films of various genres as part of their regular schedule (The Lafayette in Suffern, NY, Film Forum in NYC) seem to be dropping their classics due to “lack of interest”. Although, to be fair there is a relatively new venue, The Barrymore Center which opened in Fort Lee, NJ a short time ago.
The theatre where I work thats shows 35MM offered to let them do their series at our theatre in Rahway NJ but they declined.