Menlo Park Twin Cinema
390 Menlo Park Mall,
Edison,
NJ
08837
390 Menlo Park Mall,
Edison,
NJ
08837
12 people
favorited this theater
This large theatre sat at the corner of US Route 1 and Parsonage Road in Edison, outside the Menlo Park Mall. It was one of Northern New Jersey’s large, prestigious theatres that was later twinned in the mid-70s. It played exclusive engagements of both “Star Wars” and “The Empire Strikes Back”, the latter in 70mm.
It was demolished after Cineplex Odeon opened a 12-screen multiplex theatre in the newly rebuilt Menlo Park Mall around late 1991.
Contributed by
Tim Quan
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Recent comments (view all 75 comments)
Menlo Park Cinema tribute group formed!
A tribute to Central New Jersey Movie Theaters that brought happiness to thousands of people but have sadly been demolished. The theaters may be gone but the memory lives on and here is a place were we can discuss, reminisce, and remember.
This group can also be open to other thetheaters the surrounding areas such as Somerville, Plainfield, Westfield and other areas of Somerset County. Please feel free to post your stories and in particular any ads, photos or memorabilia you may have. Many Thanks and…enjoy the show!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MenloBlueStarCinemas
Exactly 17 years ago today, I as the the last projectionist, along with my partner Ed H. turned over the keys to the mall owners, after a month of stripping and gutting and removing whatever General Cinema wanted. The following week the demolishon began. I walked out of this place at 3:30 p.m. for the final time.
A brief article about the Cinema at Menlo Park appeared in Boxoffice of November 13, 1961, not long after it had opened. There is a single photo of the exterior. The 1,600-seat house was operated by the General Drive-In Corporation, which was soon to become General Cinema Corporation.
The article says that the Cinema was “Conceived by designer Elliot Willensky, now head of the Architects Design Group, New York City….”, though the architect of record for the building was Lathrop Douglass. Willensky went on to write a number of books on architecture, most notably “The AIA Guide to New York City” first published in 1968. Lathrop Douglass is best known as an architect of shopping centers, and might have been the architect of the Menlopark Mall.
If somebody out there still has pictures of this place, I’d love to see them.
Thinking about this place the other day. Something I remembered. The first 2 full time projectionists here were Abe Levine and Joe Gazi. They worked there from the time it opened till April 1989. That’s when myself, Mark Pusillo and my partner Ed Hawley came in and ran it till it closed 2 years later. In 30 years this theatre only had 2 sets of full time projectionists. Of course there were many like Jerry Kampo and my father Joe Pusillo, as well as Ed’s father Ted Hawley who did relief work. Had they lasted just 2 more years, they would have seen it from beginning to end. I know Mr. Gazi died in Oct 1989, but Mr Levine was there on closing night bidding it farewell.
Some really great stories,,as always the ones from old theatre folks are the best to read,I can relate to so many and the ones that JERRY couldn’t print here I bet anyone in the business for several years has witnessed.LOL.
Hey everyone, just uploaded 3 pics of our fav theatre for all of us to remember … shot in late 1991. Just passed by the location a week ago, along route 1. I can’t stand the site of what sits there now!
Joe S. (Filmakr1)
I could cry. Thank you for whomever uploaded those pics. I have had MANY fond memories of the General Cinemas Menlo Park Twin. This is where I was first graced with “The Empire Strikes Back” in May 1980, which was a memorable day for me. I’m from Newark, but my mother loved the Woodbridge Mall, so she would take me to this cinema if it was on the agenda that day to see a movie and go to the mall. I saw many films here, off-hand “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, “Cocoon”, “The Fly”, “Predator”…I remember hitting the theater during its final months in ‘91…I saw “Dead Again” and the last film I’d see there would be “The Commitments”…I think it closed right after that.
I just uploaded the Exclusive Engagement poster for “The Empire Strikes Back”…I remember seeing this poster displayed on an easel in the lobby. You can see the Menlo Park info on the bottom right.
Described in this 1962 trade article: Boxoffice