Photo added from segment of CBS Sunday morning showing that the Pier currently as an amusement park. The bio above says it’s the Taj Mahal. Which is correct?
And now a page from our “Sunday Morning” Almanac: June 18th, 1898, 119 years ago today — the day Atlantic City, N.J., opened its famous Steel Pier, with Annie Oakley in person as the headliner.
Great segment on CBS Sunday morning today about the Pier
Loaded with amusements and attractions, the Steel Pier was the centerpiece of the jam-packed beach scene that Thomas Edison captured on film in 1901.
The pier featured diving horses, bears on bicycles, and tiny cars that spun in midair, and acrobats galore. The pier hosted some of the very early Miss America pageants as well.
It also was the stage for some of the biggest entertainers of the day. The Three Stooges ogled a bathing beauty in this 1938 color short of dubious political correctness.
In 1958, Ricky Nelson performed for a Steel Pier record crowd of 44,000-plus.
Eventually, however, changing times and vacation habits caught up with Atlantic City’s Steel Pier; it closed in 1978.
And then, in 1982, came WORSE: The main building of the Steel Pier was destroyed in a suspicious fire that raged for more than six hours.
There were no serious injuries, but a fire official said that the Steel Pier’s career was ended.
Not quite, as it turns out.
The Steel Pier has been rebuilt with new rides and amusements — an echo of the original pier’s claim to be “The Showplace of the Nation.”
The very first time I went to NYC which was 1974 the Astor was a flea market. I thin the last film to play there was The French Connection. The screen was still intact at that time
The first time I went there the theater had masking. It was the late 70’s. I saw a foreign film called Cat and Mouse. When I went back to see Prince Of The City it had just the typical single strip for masking that Rugoff theaters used.
bigjoe 59 I agree if you look at the screen at the AFI In Silver Springs MD they show films in 70 MM and it is also a small screen. Several movies I saw in the 70’s and 80’s were 70MM but were actually shown like a film that was in 1.85 with the masking closed.
Thanks moviebuff82. Definitely not something that would interest me. All this new technology seems to be a way to just charge more money for something.
It was also a legit house in the early 80’s that housed Blues In the Night with Leslie Uggams.
After thirteen previews, the Broadway production, directed by Epps, opened on June 2, 1982 at the Rialto Theatre, where it ran for 53 performances. Jean Du Shon, Debbie Shapiro, Leslie Uggams, and Charles Coleman comprised the cast. The show was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical.
Oh wow thanks moviebuff 82. Sounds like a totally different concept. Not sure I would like the rumbling recliners. Regal RPX at least here in Asheville is the pits. I’ve seen 2 films in the RPX theater Sully and Beauty and The Beast and both were shown in regular 2.35 format. Definitely not worth the extra money especially since two of the other screens in this multiplex are much larger.
Thanks to the Frank Theater chain, they ruined a great theater when they took it over from Shriver theaters and chopped it up into 5 screens. They also ruined all the theaters in Wildwood NJ. What a piece of crap theater chain. They were even worse when I worked briefly for them in 1975
Yeah that was in Sommers Point. When they twinned the Ventnor they did a terrible cheap job. The original theater had large screen masking and great curtains. The twinning had none of that.
Me too but I was just a kid so at that time who knew. Yes the Frank’s totally destroyed the Strand In Ocean City. There is a web page of the old Hunts and Shriver theaters. It had beautiful pictures. To think now where our beautiful Steel Pier stood is a casino that’s been in bankruptcy more then once UGH
Yeah the Frank’s ruined the Astor. The original owner Sam Shapiro whom I knew from bingo on the boardwalk was a first class act. he ran two summers in a row The Graduate. I remember when it burned down in the middle 70’s. Frank theaters had already closed it several tears before. Apparently it had amazing murals on the ceilings and beautiful statues. The Frank’s also ruin all the Wildwood and Ocean City theaters either twining them or making them 5 plexes.
The old Frank chain was the pits. I worked one summer for a few months at the Embassy and they were really buttholes that didn’t care about customers or employees. When they purchased the Apollo circuit chain which was the Embassy, Apollo and Strand it was the end of another good AC chain just like when Hamid sold his theaters to G & G and the Steel Pier to the owners of Million Dollar Pier.1973 was the last summer for 3 of the 4 boardwalk theaters. The Roxy became Movieworld museum run by Hamid’s son, the Apollo became a burlesque house and the Virginia was closed because the government bought the 900 block and allowed everything except the Virginia to remain open. Hamid’s son told me that they wanted to keep the Virginia open but couldn’t. That was also the last year for the Steel Pier under Hamid who had already sold it but was asked to run it one more year. Fortunately the Strand was sold to private owners and remained open for at least 6 more years. The casino’s ruined our great AC.
Photo added from segment of CBS Sunday morning showing that the Pier currently as an amusement park. The bio above says it’s the Taj Mahal. Which is correct?
And now a page from our “Sunday Morning” Almanac: June 18th, 1898, 119 years ago today — the day Atlantic City, N.J., opened its famous Steel Pier, with Annie Oakley in person as the headliner.
Great segment on CBS Sunday morning today about the Pier
Loaded with amusements and attractions, the Steel Pier was the centerpiece of the jam-packed beach scene that Thomas Edison captured on film in 1901. The pier featured diving horses, bears on bicycles, and tiny cars that spun in midair, and acrobats galore. The pier hosted some of the very early Miss America pageants as well.
It also was the stage for some of the biggest entertainers of the day. The Three Stooges ogled a bathing beauty in this 1938 color short of dubious political correctness. In 1958, Ricky Nelson performed for a Steel Pier record crowd of 44,000-plus.
Eventually, however, changing times and vacation habits caught up with Atlantic City’s Steel Pier; it closed in 1978.
And then, in 1982, came WORSE: The main building of the Steel Pier was destroyed in a suspicious fire that raged for more than six hours.
There were no serious injuries, but a fire official said that the Steel Pier’s career was ended.
Not quite, as it turns out.
The Steel Pier has been rebuilt with new rides and amusements — an echo of the original pier’s claim to be “The Showplace of the Nation.”
I only saw one movie there as a twin and it was in the smaller theater and the projection was terrible.
I didn’t know it was run by Walter Reade theaters. I assumed it was run by Guild theaters
The very first time I went to NYC which was 1974 the Astor was a flea market. I thin the last film to play there was The French Connection. The screen was still intact at that time
The first time I went there the theater had masking. It was the late 70’s. I saw a foreign film called Cat and Mouse. When I went back to see Prince Of The City it had just the typical single strip for masking that Rugoff theaters used.
Let me work on that.
Theater has been renovated with recliners new screens projection and sound. Please update the synopsis above
bigjoe 59 I agree if you look at the screen at the AFI In Silver Springs MD they show films in 70 MM and it is also a small screen. Several movies I saw in the 70’s and 80’s were 70MM but were actually shown like a film that was in 1.85 with the masking closed.
The theater is installing recliners in all theaters. There are currently working on the first half.
Thanks moviebuff82. Definitely not something that would interest me. All this new technology seems to be a way to just charge more money for something.
Big Walt I went there many times in the late 70’s until 83. I knew one of the other managers Bob.
Please update above.
It was also a legit house in the early 80’s that housed Blues In the Night with Leslie Uggams. After thirteen previews, the Broadway production, directed by Epps, opened on June 2, 1982 at the Rialto Theatre, where it ran for 53 performances. Jean Du Shon, Debbie Shapiro, Leslie Uggams, and Charles Coleman comprised the cast. The show was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical.
What is Imax VR?
Oh wow thanks moviebuff 82. Sounds like a totally different concept. Not sure I would like the rumbling recliners. Regal RPX at least here in Asheville is the pits. I’ve seen 2 films in the RPX theater Sully and Beauty and The Beast and both were shown in regular 2.35 format. Definitely not worth the extra money especially since two of the other screens in this multiplex are much larger.
Can I ask what is a Dolby Cinema Screen. Is this an AMC exclusive?
I’ll be in town Sat-next Wed I may have to come back to this theater.
Thanks to the Frank Theater chain, they ruined a great theater when they took it over from Shriver theaters and chopped it up into 5 screens. They also ruined all the theaters in Wildwood NJ. What a piece of crap theater chain. They were even worse when I worked briefly for them in 1975
The Benn was a RKO Stanley Warner theater. To my knowledge the Benson was not connected with the Benn and RKO SW theaters.
Yeah that was in Sommers Point. When they twinned the Ventnor they did a terrible cheap job. The original theater had large screen masking and great curtains. The twinning had none of that.
Me too but I was just a kid so at that time who knew. Yes the Frank’s totally destroyed the Strand In Ocean City. There is a web page of the old Hunts and Shriver theaters. It had beautiful pictures. To think now where our beautiful Steel Pier stood is a casino that’s been in bankruptcy more then once UGH
Yeah the Frank’s ruined the Astor. The original owner Sam Shapiro whom I knew from bingo on the boardwalk was a first class act. he ran two summers in a row The Graduate. I remember when it burned down in the middle 70’s. Frank theaters had already closed it several tears before. Apparently it had amazing murals on the ceilings and beautiful statues. The Frank’s also ruin all the Wildwood and Ocean City theaters either twining them or making them 5 plexes.
The old Frank chain was the pits. I worked one summer for a few months at the Embassy and they were really buttholes that didn’t care about customers or employees. When they purchased the Apollo circuit chain which was the Embassy, Apollo and Strand it was the end of another good AC chain just like when Hamid sold his theaters to G & G and the Steel Pier to the owners of Million Dollar Pier.1973 was the last summer for 3 of the 4 boardwalk theaters. The Roxy became Movieworld museum run by Hamid’s son, the Apollo became a burlesque house and the Virginia was closed because the government bought the 900 block and allowed everything except the Virginia to remain open. Hamid’s son told me that they wanted to keep the Virginia open but couldn’t. That was also the last year for the Steel Pier under Hamid who had already sold it but was asked to run it one more year. Fortunately the Strand was sold to private owners and remained open for at least 6 more years. The casino’s ruined our great AC.
That was one theater I never went to. It was always the AC theaters and the Ventnor and Margate.
Photo ADDED
The walls of what was once a landmark movie theater in Asheville are starting to come down.
Demolition begins at Beaucatcher Cinemas
Demolition has begun on the old Beaucatcher Cinemas on Tunnel Road. The theater has been there for decades.