Central Theatre
19 Central Avenue,
Passaic,
NJ
07055
19 Central Avenue,
Passaic,
NJ
07055
6 people
favorited this theater
This strikingly modern theatre was designed by John and Drew Eberson for the Fabian circuit and first opened in September, 1940, with a seating capacity for 2,400. Since the top Hollywood movies were already divided up between the city’s Capitol Theatre and Montauk Theatre, the Central Theatre’s main attraction was stage shows, with B-movies shown just as fillers. It was the height of the Big Band era, so the Central Theatre booked all the top entertainers of the time, starting with its opening bill of Charlie Spivak’s Orchestra, the Andrews Sisters, and The Three Stooges.
The Central Theatre will always been remembered for bandleader Glenn Miller’s last American engagement before he left to entertain the troops in Europe and ended up being killed in a plane crash over the English Channel.
After WWII ended, the Central Theatre continued stage shows until it could no longer compete with the variety programs that people could watch free on newfangled television. The Central Theatre switched to movies exclusively.
The Central Theatre was demolished in the 1970’s, and was replaced by a McDonald’s.
Contributed by
Warren G. Harris
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Recent comments (view all 52 comments)
thanks bob but i really would like to know the exact month and year in was closed down..does any one know
Old program:
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Judging by that programme, the Central must have had a period as a “legit” playhouse, perhaps as a link to the “subway circuit” that operated in New York City and the boroughs…A credit in the introduction needs to be corrected. The architects and “firm” are the same: John and Drew Eberson.
Throughout the 1940’s, the Central presented “legit” shows on stage during the summer. That ended in the late 40’s/early 50’s.
I’ve documented every show that played the theater for the first 6 or so years. I had planned to do a tribute website but never got around to it. I suppose I should just post the list here.
I’ve got lots of photos as well. When the theater was being demolished, somebody threw all of the office files into the orchestra pit. My brother and I were in there with boxes saving everything we could. I’ve even got the blueprints for the theater!
Here are new links to images described above on 7/21/05 and 9/12/05:
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I sure wish there was a better image of the artwork on the two side walls by the stage. By time I was going to the Central in the late 60’s, it had been covered over with wallpaper!
Bob, you can enlarge those images by simultaneously holding the control key and using your mouse’s scrolling dial. I believe that the side wall decorations were non-objective and slightly futuristic like other Eberson theatres of that period. But what was the Central’s auditorium ceiling like? Did it have a dome, elaborate decoration, or special lighting effects?
On a trip to Passaic to see a show at the Capitol theater in the 1980’s, I went into the McDonald’s and they had framed pictures of the beautiful theater that had been demolished to build the McD’s. I remember thinking how much nicer the torn down theater was than the Capitol, which remained.
O.K.
I was an usher at the Central from 1961 until 1965. Other users I can recall were: Bob Laird, Richie Harris, Stan Freedman and Ostap Pruchninsky (sic). Managers were Rudy DeBlasio and Roger Nargi.Owner was Harry Hecht? (cannot quite recall) There was another fellow, Roger Prince..I forget his role at the theater – later became a cop in Passaic. Popcorn girl was Audrey Havriliak (her dad was a Byzantine Priest in Passaic. Electrician was John Graham? (memory fuzzy) I forget the names of the projectionists – they still used used carbon-arc projectors back then! Wish I has used my head and taken lots of pictures back then of the upstairs dressing rooms, etc…but I was young and dumb. There was an old guy who took wickets – short and I think his name was Saul. I remember the blind guy who sold newspapers at night in front of the Central – think his name was Joe, but it’s been many years now.