“Another big event of 1909 was the disastrous fire at the armory. It was just past 8:00 PM on a sunday night when the first flames were spotted on the First Street side of the building. The department answered the alarm quickly, but felt that they could not save the building which streched from First to East Front Streets. About 9:00 PM help was summoned from Matawan H & L Co. All three companies arrived within the hour and did great work, helping Keyport to play at least nine streams of water on the blaze. At about 11:00 PM, the slate roof fell in, smothering as much of the fire. Eventually it was brought under control, however for secound time in this building, no cause of the fire was ever found. The Armony was later rebuilt, and renamed the Armory Theatre, eventualy becoming the Palace Theatre where a young Fred Astaire made his Vaudville Debute as a dancing Lobster in 1913. The building remained standing until 1973 at a which time it collapsed without warning into a pile of twisted beams and wires.” excerpt from http://www.keyportfd.org/historicalfires.htm
Went to see eat pray love last night. forgot my camera – I wanted to take some interior shots. can’t find any online. nice gold fabric walls, good lobby and concession stand. overall a nice place. hope they make it.
Old photo:
View link
“Another big event of 1909 was the disastrous fire at the armory. It was just past 8:00 PM on a sunday night when the first flames were spotted on the First Street side of the building. The department answered the alarm quickly, but felt that they could not save the building which streched from First to East Front Streets. About 9:00 PM help was summoned from Matawan H & L Co. All three companies arrived within the hour and did great work, helping Keyport to play at least nine streams of water on the blaze. At about 11:00 PM, the slate roof fell in, smothering as much of the fire. Eventually it was brought under control, however for secound time in this building, no cause of the fire was ever found. The Armony was later rebuilt, and renamed the Armory Theatre, eventualy becoming the Palace Theatre where a young Fred Astaire made his Vaudville Debute as a dancing Lobster in 1913. The building remained standing until 1973 at a which time it collapsed without warning into a pile of twisted beams and wires.” excerpt from http://www.keyportfd.org/historicalfires.htm
this link has video of the demolition – so sad:
http://www.theshowroomap.com/
Listed as the Palace & closed in the 1944 Film Daily Yearbook with a capacity of 600.
View link
1928 postmark.
Thanks for posting this. I wasn’t sure that it was a movie theater. Not listed in the 1944 Film Daily Yearbook.
Went to see eat pray love last night. forgot my camera – I wanted to take some interior shots. can’t find any online. nice gold fabric walls, good lobby and concession stand. overall a nice place. hope they make it.
Appears in a few scenes of Hachi (2009).
I passed by twice last week while on vacation and the museum was not open. Movies are still showing but they appear to be first run only.
View link
Looks like this is going to be hot news with frequent updates.
Latest update on demolition plan:
View link
1956 program:
View link
1941 program (as the State):
View link
1941 program:
View link
View link
Very old photo – “New”:
View link
1933 medal:
View link
1934 program:
View link
View link
View link
Here is the original photo view:
View link
1919 photo:
View link
1936 lobby card:
View link
Don’t think that this old photo has been posted yet:
View link
Old ad – movies are from the late 1930s:
View link
Old program (note reference to “57”, this was neer the theater’s end):
View link
View link
View link
1933 program (movie on cover came out in Dec. 1932):
View link
View link
1926 ad
View link
1932 Program:
View link
View link