Loew's Jersey Theatre

Thanks

Does anyone know what films the Loews is planning to screen in Jan. So far there is nothing listed on their web site.

Help bring time back to Journal Square

Passing through Journal Square and seeing the hands missing from the silent clock is like time is standing still — sending out a message of neglect and inactivity at what may appear from the street an old abandoned movie palace. And as we all should know, the Loew’s Jersey is alive and as well as it can be working on limited resources.

The whole clock was restored by a professional clock restorer, but at some point the wooden hands had fallen off. A friend of mine in upstate, NY who belongs to a clock and watch association, introduced me to Chuck Roser of the Clock Tower Chapter of that organization. I contacted him for FOL and for $500 he created new aluminum power coated (an enamel like paint) hands from original drawings and specifications he had on file from the Seth Thomas Clock Company. New counterweights for the hands were also made that were painted white to blend in with the clock face.

The hands are now on display in a lobby showcase awaiting funds for their installation by an insured clock installer who, I’m told, costs $1,200 to install the hands and fix a small gear box and shaft directly behind the hands that link them to the massive clock works.

Donations provided the cost of the new hands and begun towards the $1,200 goal for their installation. I trust that the loyal base of donors and new donors will come forward to restore this crowning touch to the Loew’s facade.

Along with the newly restored Wonder Morton organ, a working clock tower with its bells and and animation of St. George slaying the dragon every 15 minutes will show the community that the Loew’s Jersey has pride in not only its historic past but its future.

I am not writing in any official capacity but rather as a interested individual looking to help the Loew’s return to its former glory.

I think one thing that could be done to help insure the long-term survival of the Jersey Theatre, apart from it being declared a National Historic Landmark, is if the City of Jersey City would organize a yearly “Jersey City Film Festival” with the Loew’s Jersey as its centerpiece. I would imagine it could easily rival anything done in Manhattan and would appeal to those who either can’t afford a trip into the city or don’t want to be bothered. Hasn’t anyone thought of that before?

I apologize. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. I just simply care greatly about this theatre.

I’ll take your word for it when you say “Any rumors about the theatre being in danger of demolition or profiteering are just that.”

The City of Jersey City owns the Loew’s Jersey Theatre and the FOL, the operators of the theatre lease it. Is that correct? Is the long term lease still being negotiated, has the new lease been signed by both parties, or what kind of an arrangement does the FOL have at this point with the city?

I am concerned because there has been some gossip that the theatre is in danger thanks to the skyrocking real estate values around Journal Square. The Loew’s sits on a prime site. Others say that the theatre will benefit from the new affluent residents in the area.

Are the city’s plans to preserve the theatre at all costs are they becoming greedy? Can we rest easy or is it time to get out our picket signs, petitions, and lawyers?

In todays edition of The Real Deal, New York’s Real Estate Bible publication, there was an article about a new residential/commercial project to be built in Journal Square. Demolition is to start in January and construction will begin in late March. It is to be a two tower complex, one 60 story tower and one 40 stories built ON TOP of a 7 story parking facility. There will be 1,500 apartments in addition to a fair amount of retail space. No word as to whether they will be rentals or condos. This will be the tallest building in New Jersey; taller than Trump’s new waterfront project. I think this is great news for Loew’s Jersey theater (which was referenced in the article). More housing and new construction means more visibility and potential customers for the theater which could lead to more contibutions for its continued restoration.

If someone can explain to me how to link an article I’ll be happy to try it!

We don’t have 70mm at the Lafayette in Suffern, but we do run 35mm reel-to-reel.

Film Forum does not show 70mm (why would they on those postage stamps they call screens?), Radio City can, Ziegfeld can, the AMMI in Queens can, I think the Museum of Modern Art can. The Loew’s Jersey would be a great venue for 70mm outside of Manhattan

Rory,during the roadshow reel-to-reel days, We did clean the audio heads every day. In platter runs, running continuous shows, we cleaned them after evety performancea.
In addition, for roadshow engagements,they were often replaced at the start of a new movie’s run.
If Rendres reads this I would be interested in knowing what the policy was regarding mag heads at Radio City.

I wouldn’t think the studios would go to all the trouble to restore the sound of 70mm or even 35mm stereophonic films, then strike new prints with magnetic tracks! That would be truly retro. Those megnetic tracks weren’t that great even in the day, with lots of tape hiss. I wonder how many theatres back then even regularly cleaned the projector’s audio heads after every showing? No, for better or worse, it’s all converted to digital now.

Fox has restored many of their 70MM Todd-AO / D-150 films in recent years. They have been shown at the Egyptian & Aero and the Academy Theatres in Los Angeles. These prints are DTS sounded and no magnetic tracks and for change-over houses only. And you have tobe a Special Venue with a Great track record on prints.

Has 20th Century restored “Doctor Dolittle” to roadshow length? The DVD and cable versions have all been of the shorter general release version. I’d enjoy seeing that one (a childhood favorite) on the big screen.

At the risk of betraying my lack of proper education in these matters, I’d like to ask a question pertaining to presentation of various aspect ratios at the Jersey. Do both the scope and flat presentations here utilize the full height of the Jersey’s screen – with masking only necessary to bring in the legs at either side? Or are 2.35:1 films masked at top and bottom as well?