Loew's Jersey Theatre

Apparently, it is presentable enough for a celebrity photo shoot…

From the “It’s Old News But So What” department:

A friend of mine, a Jersey City resident, just informed me that singer Tony Bennett was recently photographed here, seated at a Yamaha grand piano on the grand dame’s stage. According to him, the images are to appear in the August 2006 issue of Vanity Fair magazine – fabulous!

A May 20th message posted on vanityfair.com’s “V.F. Dish forum”
(at View link) supports this story -
it refers to a news item published in The Jersey Journal on May 19th (I didn’t read it though – access to their older articles online is fee-based).

Now, how about Tony Bennett LIVE IN CONCERT on the Loew’s Jersey stage?

A legendary theatre deserves a legendary performer â€" perhaps Mr. Bennett has already considered this.

One can only hope and dream…

Find them a Wonder Loews in presentable condition with projector equipment and I’m sure they’d be happy to have their premier there.

Life’s too short: It’s because that during the restoration of the Jersey’s exterior, It was found that the steelwork inside the brick/terra cotta tower was too far gone and structually unsound after years of water leaks to safely hold the weight of another vertical sign akin to the one that was originally there.

Funny but true story: During the terra cotta restoration, the smaller, left tower (as you look at the front of the Jersey) was entered and surveyed as to what needed to be restored and protected. When the larger, right tower was entered, everyone was aghast at what they found: The innards of the tower were completely filled with old, original steel girders, utilizing MUCH more steel than possibly necessary for a skeleton for a brick and terra cotta tower. Everyone forgot that there was a huge vertical “Loew’s Jersey” vertical sign hanging off the tower 40 years prior! (Well, forgot for a few hours anyway) True story.

Original marquee is a possibility, although it would probably take underwriting from a corporation, or a MAJOR grant that is specifically awarded for “Restoration of the Loew’s Jersey Marquee”.

Vertical marquee will not be reconstructed.

JohnMessick: The Jersey’s marquee has been changed twice from the original (middle was a streamlined boxey affair with more moving neon up the edges). We have pictures of this in the archives. The current marquee is the third incarnation. But, what I’m getting at is that the original marquee, or at least the underside of it, is still present. When Loews changed the marquees from the originals, they basically changed only the three sides facing the street. Next time you’re at the Jersey, look up under the marquee, and you’ll see the “curved hat” shape of the original marquee. Yes, there are lights in the three coves under the marquee.

Resoration to the original marquee has been discussed, but it is MUCH further down on the list of priorities. Fire escape restoration… Loge, Mezzanine and Balcony seating restoration… higher up on the list.

I watched the A&E program Breakfast with the Arts. I enjoyed very much seeing the Loews King and Jersey theaters. I do have one question. Will the marquee on the Jersey be restored to what is shown on the vintage picture on this page? I hope that that is listed on the “to do ” list.

I am glad to see that they placed extra emphasis on the Kings and Jersey Theatres, since these two are in the most “need” of public awareness and support (and the ability to get an “insider’s” look at the Kings was a rare treat – there is no reason why it couldn’t live on, serving Brooklyn as a performing arts center).

I was surprised that no interior footage of Loew’s 175th was shot â€" that place is supposed to be in immaculate condition, and I thought “Reverend Ike” welcomed film crews and public access.

The documentary was well-researched and very comprehensive, with many of our Cinema Treasures “regulars” (such as Ross Melnick, Orlando Lopes, Bruce Friedman, Warren Harris…) contributing with interviews and stories. Also nice to see the Museum of the Moving Image and Friends of the Loew’s involved and credited. You were all great!

However, one very interesting point was left out that might leave viewers “wondering”: why did every borough of NYC have a “Wonder Theatre” except Staten Island, and why was it decided to locate the fifth theater in Jersey City instead?

With regards to Staten island, my understanding is: (1) its population at the time was comparatively too sparse (it was considered “rural”) and (2) there were already enough theaters serving the area; therefore, the “market area” was considered “saturated” and unable to support such a large theater, making it economically unfeasible.

Was Jersey City chosen for population density? Or access to rail transportation?
(The Journal Square location seems particularly odd, considering that the much larger Stanley Theater opened just the year before across the street.)

Poor Staten Island…treated like the forgotten stepchild and always getting “shortchanged”. Passed over for… New Jersey (of all places)!

IRV…

I love the Lafayette Screenings…I’ve been going since they began…but unfortunately, yes, there are many talkers, cellphones and rudeness.Many that offend are the older crowd. When I saw “Mutiny on the Bounty” there was a group of middle aged regulars who were friends of the owner (I saw them all commiserating in the lobby) and they had a comment on every scene for the first 15 minutes (they thought they were clever but they were just obnoxious),,,finally I leaned over and said “Hey guys, do you mind?”…they stopped talking at that point as I guess they might have felt embarrassed about being disruptive…I’ve shushed many at the Lafayette….never young people….but , what can you do

550!! That’s a decent crowd! What do they charge, 5 bucks or something? That’s not bad at all! I’m very excited to hear this. Honestly, I have been a skeptic of this classic movie thing. But maybe it works!

Nice photos above! Theaterat: question for you regarding your post of June 4. How many people would you say attended the Jaws screening you describe?

People who attend these shows are going out of their way to attend a classic film in a landmark palace. They still have respect for film going and how to watch a movie. It’s a credit to those with kids that not one of them disrupted the audience. I saw one young family with four kids under 12 and they sat and watched the film like all the rest of us. Nice to see folks who raise kids who don’t run all over the theatre while the parents pretend not to notice so they can watch the film. I recently saw Poseidon in IMAX and this girl kept acting up in the theatre and kept cursing her mother until she gave her money for candy and video games. She never came back and must have spent the rest of the show in the lobby (the mother didn’t seem to care. She was like 12, should have been over the tantrum stage.

I didn’t see these screenings but I have really enjoyed others in the past.

Well, I just typed out a long comment but I didn’t log in first so I think it’s gone. Suffice to say, most of the film tonight (Graffiti) was not in very good focus despite my mentioning this to 2 volunteers after half an hour. The first half of the credits were sharp, then the image went soft, so that is human error, not just equipment. The sound was muffled. The top of the screen was showing the bottom of the frame for almost half an hour till I mentioned it and the focus- but the focus was not corrected. Sorry guys.