Loew's Jersey Theatre
54 Journal Square,
Jersey City,
NJ
07306
54 Journal Square,
Jersey City,
NJ
07306
98 people
favorited this theater
Showing 526 - 550 of 1,501 comments
Saps, Yes I know of the Lafeyette Theatre. I haven’t been there, but I will go someday. The Byrd Theatre also intrigues me. The Union County Arts Center (aka Rahway (NJ) Theatre also does it, but the screen is certainly not 50 feet wide, and the organ is 7 ranks vs. 23 ranks, and the theatre seats 1,500. The Loew’s Jersey seats (someday) 1,800 in the balcony alone. I can only think of the quotation from Marcus Loew, “We sell tickets to theatres, not movies.” An interesting survey would ask the question, “did you come to the Loew’s Jersey to see the theatre, the movie, or both?” I am perfectly happy to pay ½ the admission fee to just see the theatre, in my opinion.
There’s a place in Suffern, NY, I believe…
I agree with MBD, in general, I find the presentations of classic films to be outstanding at the Loew’s. I come back again and again, and I usually say “so that’s what the movie is supposed to look like.” Seeing a classic movie on TV and where it was meant to be presented are two VERY different things. A classic film presentation on a 50 foot wide screen in a real movie palace is almost more than we can ask for in 2008. Does anyone know of any other movie palaces that do this on a regular basis? and I’ll qualify it and say, on a 50 foot screen with a live pipe organ pre-quel concert—just like in the good old days?
Thanks, Peter and Movie for answering my projection question. Now I have a question related to the lighting of the auditorium. It looks like all of the lighting in the auditorium has been restored, so my question is, why is it still so dark in the auditorium? Are the lights used at the same wattage as they were in the 1920s-1940s or are they dim lights? Also, there was to have been (back in ‘29) a chandelier in the auditorium, but that never happened. I would think that would brighten things up quite a bit. Of course, the walls are much darker now than they originally were, so I imagine that has an effect too. Yet another dream of mine is to someday see the auditorium in all its glorious shiny gold, cream and red. As it is now, it does not look gold or cream or red—but what a space!!!
I can’t speak to what happened last Saturday during Flesh and The Devil, as I was not there. I am the volunteer projectionist for most of the Friday shows, and I have been running projectors for over 30 years. Please let me clarify some misconceptions.
First, the Loews Jersey is running carbon arc lamps (Ashcraft Super-Corelites for those who care) and presently runs 20 minute reels. Because of this, there is ALWAYS a projectionist in the projection room.
Second, as someone pointed out, from the back of the theatre and the projection room, the movies always look to be in focus. Because of this, we use binoculars to focus.
Third, because of the distance from the projector to the screen, and the size of the screen, any lab printing focus imperfections in the film look terrible. If a reel, or a scene is printed out of focus, there is nothing we can do to compensate for it, and if the focus shifts between scenes in a given reel, it is the film print.
That being said, of course and occasional screwup can happen, but they are the exception not the rule. Everyone involved in Friends Of The Loews wants you to enjoy your visit, and of course, come back.
movie534, your earlier response about an out-of-focus complaint reminded me of my main pet peeve: when a comment about focus is made, the projectionist shouldn’t just look at the screen and determine it’s in focus – he should go to the booth and re-focus the lens to make sure it’s as sharp as possible. I usually sit in the 10th row, and it looks different between the 10th row and the last row. The best way to focus is during the credits, when there is writing on the screen and there is less room for interpretation.
One thing that really irritates me is when I tell an usher that the picture is out of focus, he will invariably go into the theater and check for himself first. It takes every ounce of self-control for me NOT to say, listen, fuckwad, I’ve been going to the movies for 40 years and I know when it’s out of focus!
You beat me to it Peter. I remember in the late 70’s, some of the old grindhouses I worked at did not cut the apertures on the keystone, and wow, our image would be 3 feet over on the bottom of the side maskings. If the Ritz in Elizabeth ever gets sold, and gets going, that is one place that will have a heck of a keystone.
It’s an illusion. The screen masking is a correct rectangle, but the aperture plates in the projector are cut in a keystoned pattern which would project as a perfect rectangle from that high angle. You can see that the image is actually wider at the bottom when the end credits roll, especially if they go from side to side. The image is actually being cropped slightly on left and rights sides, varying from a tiny bit at the top to a bit more at the bottom. Most of the time, it’s not noticeable.
Question about projection: The projectors in the Loew’s Jersey are set at about a 20 degree angle in order to reach the screen properly (180 feet away and I would guess about 70 feet lower). Why is it that the image on the screen isn’t distorted? One would think it would be wider at the bottom than the top—is that correct? The current projectionist said they do nothing to correct for distortion, and I haven’t seen a mention of it on this website—out of focus, problems with the reels—yes; but nothing about angle distortion. What am I missing if anything?
Agreed! However, on another issue that I see commented on regularly on CT: I went to see Bill Maher’s Religulous last Saturday night. It was virtually a full house. The commercials had ended and the lights went down and then the screen went blank.
In the old days, when there was a projectionist, the audience would know that the someone was aware of it since there WAS a projectionist. Not today. The screen sat there for at least 5 minutes. Everyone in the theater was waiting for someone (preferably close to the exit) to go tell the ticket take (or someone) that there was a problem. Eventually, someone did. Net result: No previews……It went direct to the film! WooHoo!
You know LuisV, its also true that what one sees, another may not. I know in the multiplex I work in, sometimes the manager comes up and says “the picture in theatre 7 is blurry.” I’ll go take a look only to find its in focus. So whos right, and whos wrong. No one.
You’re right Macbear, I don’t believe 99% of the public have any issue with focus at the theater. I have been going to the movies for about 40 years and I have NEVER sat in a theater and said to myself “this is out of focus”! Yet, many posters on CT complain about it. Since you are in the business, you obviously have a much more exacting eye (as you should) and, as professionals, we should all try to do our jobs to the best of our abilities. Having said that, my untrained eye doesn’t have a problem with focussing at the theaters that I attend and that makes me happy because otherwise it would drive me bananas!
In response to you macbear, and I am not picking on you or anything, but you must realize this, in the case of Loew’s Jersey, they use volunteers, some of which learned to operate projectors on the job, not from a trained person like me. In the case of the Ziegfeld, lets just say its cablevision, and leave it at that. As far as BAM, I have never been there. You also must remember that the projection equipment in use is old, and in some cases parts are not even made anymore. I know this was the case when I was attempting to restore the booth at the Ritz in Elizabeth, N.J. And as you said, film companies are not striking any new 35MM prints, because they all want digital, and this is how they will force everyone to get it.
Not to be a shrill male harpie- I’ve posted about focus at this theater before- I always find this theater fascinating and I attended several films here several years ago like Great Escape, Patton, Godfather 2, American Graffiti, Mad Mad World. Unfortunately they did tend to be a little or more than a bit out of focus, I politely told the lobby volunteers a number of times but the focus never improved. I also find this to be a problem at the Ziegfeld. After noticing focus in the last 5 or 10 yrs I’ve come to the conclusion that most projectionists in the NY area, or maybe everywhere, either can’t tell or aren’t bothered that they’re projecting at least slightly out of focus. (true also at Suffern’s Lafayette when they showed The Haunting a year ago). BAM Cinematek is the worst imo. Most people are just blessed that they don’t notice (audience members that is). Also, more often than not the prints I saw at the Jersey were faded or beat up, no offense intended.
Following the Loew’s Wonder Weekend…
~~EPIPHANY~~
Please, dear lord, take me back to the 1920’s. The 2000’s are far to barbaric for me.
Re: Marquee underlighting
Those were installed sometime in late spring 2008, I believe for a Verizon commercial shoot. The company was gracious enough to provide funding for the restoration, and the theatre got to keep them as a permanent fixture. They really are a beautiful enhancement.
Hopefully, some other generous party will come along to help complete the marquee’s restoration, returning it to its original pre-1949 appearance.
It amazes me how much hype goes into these weekends, then I read about all these projection problems. I know everyone here is volunteers, but I also know that up till a few years ago, there actually was a person who was a union projectionist running the films. After constantly banging his head against the wall with the people in charge, he left. Any wonder why the shows are the way they are? And to GabeDF, yes, carbons do get extremely hot. I know, because I ran them for the first 7 years I was in the union. I remember climbing those mountains, with film cans in arms. THOSE were great times. I would give anything to do carbons and changeovers again.
Agreed, Jimmy D., the masking at the top of the screen was incorrect for the film presented. Also I went on the tour of the Loew’s and when we were in the projection booth, I was pretty sure I saw more than 3 reels. I also strongly suspect that the intermission was presented at the end of the wrong reel.
But I’m not complaining…Despite the lackluster film presentation, Dennis James is a MASTER of the art of playing the organ FOR silent films. I have made this judgment after having heard him play only once. His playing is perfection defined.
Question: when were the lights under the marquee installed!? It is a wonderful effect and one I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.
Regarding the organ event this past weekend,
Friday night and Saturday afternoon’s concerts were a lot of fun. Didn’t make Sunday.
But Saturday night’s movie show – what happened? I’ve been to a bunch of Loews events and, aside from some minor stuff that you can expect from a theater that’s not open full time, they are usually good. Except for Dennis James' playing – which was spectacular – the rest of the film show was decidely sub-par. Missing the intermission point at the end of the third reel was a pretty bad error (you could tell the intermission was coming up as he was playing to a climax and they began to raise the organ lift). When the projectionist continued past the intermission point with the film, it took Dennis a good minute or so to find his other music book, start playing (trying to catch up), and the organ guys to lower the console again. Then as the film is moving towards its climax, the screen goes dark at a reel change and the ‘intermission’ happens. Again, Dennis was caught off guard but handled it as well as possible. Having that intermission incorrectly in that spot really did spoil the ending of the movie.
On the way out, I heard somebody from the organ society complaining loudly about the projection errors and I can’t say I blame him.
Looking forward to the Phantom show – my all-time favorite silent movie – and hoping for the best. I don’t want to sound too negative, but I so want these shows to be right.
I wrote to the Loews Jersey staff via their website about the problems with Saturday’s movie but didn;t hear back. I hope they read this note here (my first posting).
Alto – that doesn’t make sense. 35mm films are on 20 minute reels and that is how Loews normally shows them (I’ve been to enough shows there to recognized when they change from each projector). This was a 6 reel movie, and they incorrectly put an intermission at the end of the 5th reel instead of the end of the 3rd as Dennis most likely told them to. Another thing – why was the film image spilling on to the top black curtain? I’ve never seen that happen there previously.
I really can’t get that Dennis James/Lee Irwin “The Eagle” (Valentino) arrangement out of my head. This is my kind of music. It mixes classical and popular themes and just “takes one away” (being the romantic that I am).
This was played by James at the Loew’s Jersey on Saturday night (only this the Irwin recording):
http://www.gstos.org/twoia/twoia2.mp3
It may be sacrilege to say so, but James is better than Irwin was.
They could not have chosen a better piece to preface the silent movie at the Loew’s Jersey; and what better place to watch it than a 3,300 seat Italian Baroque cinema palace with a movable orchestra lift.
I am finally learning at just how high a plane these cinema palaces used to operate, artistically. I found the experience to be elevating in the best sense. Too bad the Great Depression had to go and ruin things. Going to the movies at a cracker box multiplex is NOT the same thing, by any means; and I choose to not do so, usually. Who needs it? On the other hand, I would have paid far more than I did for this last weekend’s events. There is “going to the multiplex” and then there is “going to the cinema—as it used to be” and still should be.
It’s not so much the granduer that gets to me as it is the quality of the presentation. “Did they know how to do certain things in the 1920s that we have forgotten how to do?” Certainly. “Who is educated enough today to understand this?” Far too few people, very sadly. Still it is a great feeling when just one person “gets it” and you see it in their eyes; and it is absolutely thrilling when hundreds of people around you “get it.” So I’m recovering from my whirlwind weekend — in Jersey City of all places (my home town—who would have believed it?).
One thing about Jersey City—we generally don’t knock down our precious landmarks. We will go out of our way to save them, and 90 percent of the time we succeed.
I am in utter and complete awe at what occurred at the Loew’s Jersey this weekend. If you would have told me in 1975 that this would happen someday, I would have laughed in your face. (In point of fact, I literally cried when the theatre lost its organ when it was multi-plexed).
I am in utter and complete amazement over this past weekend. Not in my wildest dreams…(and these were my wildest dreams).
The organ was like velvet no matter how loud or soft it got, Dennis James playing during the silent film was the best I have ever heard accompany a silent film (a true art form all its own), Eddington blew me away, and whatever that 2nd classical piece was that Lew Williams played sent me to heaven—and by the way—New York isn’t the only place now where you can see the orchestra pit travel up (or down) from the basement!
I was brave and climbed the “mountain” to the projection booth. I saw the transformers (and something called rectifiers) for the first time. Does the carbon arc really get to 6,000 celcius? Pretty amazing stuff! Boulevard Drinks is a lifesaver for a quick cup of coffee and a hotdog. Ralph doesn’t like Warren and Dubin!? You could have fooled me!
WHAT A WONDERful three days, that will long stand out in my memory as a truly special time. I will be there for the next organ concert in March, as well as many times before then, for the classic films.
First, I want to mention that I enjoyed the previous weekend’s Marlene Dietrich films.
“Wonder Weekend†was fantastic. The highlight for me was the silent film screening (“Flesh and the Devil†starring Greta Garbo) with live organ accompaniment by Dennis James â€" playing to an audience of approximately 400 film-lovers and theatre organ enthusiasts! The music, scored specifically for this screening, brilliantly complimented the film. The event brought in many new patrons as well as some of the “regularsâ€.
With regards to the comments about the awkward intermission, I am going to defend the projection crew on this one. The film was spread across THREE reels (and the last reel happened to be about only 30 minutes long) â€" therefore, the intermission could not occur exactly midway, or else it would require stopping in the middle of a reel (and stopping after the first reel would have been premature). At almost two hours length, the movie, in my opinion, was long enough to justify a break at some point, if for no other reason than to give the organist a rest! Other than the organist and a couple of patrons, nobody else seemed to notice or care, judging by the overall positive response of the audience.
Organist Ralph Ringstad performing with the Silver Starlite Orchestra on Sunday was a great finish to the weekend. GSTOS is already making plans for another organ concert (Sun., 8 Mar. 2009) (mentioned in the “Wonder Weekend†print program).
Meanwhile, just in time for Halloween, there is the much-anticipated screening of the 1925 silent classic “The Phantom of the Opera†with live organ music (Sat., 25 Oct. @ 8 p.m.) â€" that should be absolutely thrilling! In addition, other horror films that weekend include a Val Lewton double feature: 1942’s “Cat People†and 1945’s “The Body Snatcher†(Fri., 24 Oct. @ 8 p.m.).
Other coming attractions…
The UFO-themed “Culture of Contact†festival, featuring an 35mm print screening of the 1953 sci-fi classic “War of the Worlds†(Fri., 17 Oct. @ 9 p.m.).
Alternative rock band The Magnetic Fields in concert (Thu., 23 Oct. @ 8 p.m.). A crowd of 1500 is expected! (MANY volunteer ushers will be needed – interested parties should contact the theatre.)
Loew’s Jersey and Jersey City present their annual Halloween “Haunted Palace†(Fri. evening, 31 Oct.) â€" “trick-or-treat†goodie bags, live family entertainment and costume contests for kids of all ages. (Volunteer help wanted.)
…a VERY busy autumn at Loew’s Jersey!
I agree about the intermission. It was an odd place to stop the film, right in the middle of a scene. And the intermission didn’t even come in the “middle” of the film. It seemed to come about ¾’s of the way through the film. Very odd.
I have always found the film projection pretty iffy.
They spend so much time and effort to set up these presentations and about 50% of the time there are always problems.
Last week for Destry one of the projectors was out of focus and obviously no one on the staff saw it. It wasn’t much but the one projector was perfectly focused so I always wonder why nobody sees this.
I remember one time where they left out an entire reel and then played it after the movie.
With Flesh the film was started with the countdown. Not good.
But the thing that I really thought was amateurish is that they put in an intermission and there wasn’t even one.
Just because this was a roadshow doesn’t mean it had an intermission.
And even if they did there would have been a title card saying so.
So what did they do?
They turned off the projectors in the middle of a crucial scene!
It just went dead!
I doubt if even it had an intermission when it was first shown they
would have pulled the plug at this point in the movie.
As I said they have gone to so much work, an enormous amount of time, an incredible effort and I’m sure a lot of anguish as well to
make this great theater alive again.
It would be nice if after all this work the presentation of the movie was also top notch.
By the way the film was in very good condition and the accompianist was one of the best if not the best I have ever heard with a silent film. And I have heard a few.
Interesting his thoughts about Mr Irwin. Here is a case where the student boldy outshines his mentor.
Attended the Friday night buffet supper and the Jelani Eddington concert, both of which was an outstanding success. All the people from the Garden State Theater Organ Society and the Friends of the Loews should be congratulated for their endeavors in bringing back the “thunder of the Wonder”. Looking forward to future concerts.