Historic Montauk Theatre could be destroyed

posted by tibia on January 22, 2010 at 7:52 am

PASSAIC, NJ — The historic Montauk Theater seems to be set to be torn down. In most recent years it was a xxx house, and although extremly dirty, was said to be intact.

A number of years ago a man who runs movie theatres in Northern New Jersey, offered to buy it from the city. The idea was to keep the balcony area as a divided movie theatre, and turn the downstairs into a performing arts center, with a theatre pipe organ possibly controlled by the main console of the former Roxy Theatre console.

This whole idea came to nothing, as the city of Passaic said it needed the building for retail space. If one were to look around the city, there is more than enough empty retail space, so this is ridiculous. It has been reported that a huge stained glass window with the letter M survives. The theatre once had a theatre organ by the local firm of Griffith Beach. Passaic has never been the same since they took out the railroad from downtown. I will update when new info is available.

Eric Fahner

Theaters in this post

Comments (9)

Eric Friedmann
Eric Friedmann on January 22, 2010 at 10:59 am

For a minute, I thought this was about the theater in Montauk, Long Island. Thank goodness, because as long as I’ve been going to the Hamptons, I’ve never been to a movie at that theater.

Simon Overton
Simon Overton on January 22, 2010 at 11:30 am

Well, well…LM-HG… it’s about time you went there with cash in hand… that’s how they keep the lights ON!!!

markp
markp on January 23, 2010 at 10:21 pm

What a sin it would be if this theatre is allowed to be demolished.

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on January 25, 2010 at 11:32 am

my dad used to go to this place back when it showed real movies and not adult porn.

mviragh
mviragh on January 25, 2010 at 4:56 pm

I’m opening a cinema in New York and I wonder if they would allow us to remove some of the beautiful Montauk theater details to preserve them at our new theater? Eric, do you have any contacts you could share? I assume we’ll have to inquire with the Passaic city government?

MPol
MPol on January 30, 2010 at 9:19 pm

That’s ridiculous. Why can’t the city maintain the theatre better, and keep it clean, instead of destroying it? If the city of Passaic, NJ has other places that can be used as extra retail space, then, for G*d’s sake, save the theatre, instead of depriving the residents of Passaic, NJ of the right to enjoyment of a theatre that belongs to their community.

Toots6
Toots6 on May 18, 2010 at 10:24 pm

View link

My name is Angelica and this is a page I have made to raise awareness abou this theatre. It shares a little history on the theatre and also a picture of the outside back in 1925. Please join! Spread the word! I’m trying to get it on the National Register of Historic Landmarks. It would make it eligible for grants so we can turn it into a “clean” theatre. We could restore it to it’s natural glory!

Toots6
Toots6 on May 20, 2010 at 10:44 am

Tehnically as of now, they want to demolish the entire block and build a school there.

markp
markp on October 12, 2019 at 5:54 pm

And 9 years later, the school finally opens

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