The Palace Theatre closed as a regular movie house in 1973, but reopened as an porn theater the following year. The Palace flipped back to regular movies in 1977 but didn’t last long, closing as a movie theater the following year.
NOTE: There is another regular movie theater in Netcong called the Lakeside Theater, which closed in 1980.
On June 4, 1981, the Sands Theatre became national headlines when a station wagon (possibly a Pontiac) driven by 40-year-old Howard Thon of Alamogordo recklessly crashed into the side of the Sand Theatre’s auditorium during a showing of “Happy Birthday To Me”, killing a 17-year-old boy and injuring two others.
The Chester Twin Cinemas opened its doors on June 15, 1979 with “Golden Girl” in Screen 1 and “The Champ” in Screen 2. It was renamed the Cinema 206 Twin on September 25, 1981 after management changes. The original Chester Twin name made a comeback in August 1993.
Four more screens were added on July 14, 1997 after a two-month renovation closure, bringing a total to six screens and was renamed the Chester Cinema 6.
The State Theatre opened as early as 1939 and was renamed the Milton Cinema in 1964. It was last known as the East Milton Cinema and closed on December 30, 1988 with “Everybody’s All-American”.
On November 18, 1925, the Tremont Theatre became national headlines when both the theater management and Boston Police ejected 30 members of the Harvard University football team from the theater’s lobby, depicting them as “half-fried party boys”. The squad were forced to walk to the nearest police station to demonstrate their sobriety after then-manager Stanley Osborn lined the players up on the sidewalk and invited several lieutenants to check on them.
The actual opening date is September 14, 1912. It opened with several films, with one of which being Geo. Bennett in “Goodbye My Love Goodbye” (very inappropriate title name for a grand opening in my opinion).
Construction started in 1889, and the Grand Opera House opened its doors on January 11, 1890 by Will McGuire. It was taken over by the father-son team of Clifford N. and Charles L. Niles in 1901. Throughout its history, the theater suffered destruction from four different fires, and two of which happened during its days as the Grand Opera House.
The first fire happened in 1925 and was rebuilt afterward, and the second fire happened in the basement of the theater on the morning of August 6, 1931 with an estimate $75,000 in damages. It was rebuilt and reopened as the Niles Theatre on December 25, 1931 with Wheeler & Woodley in “Caught Plastered” (unknown if extras added).
The Niles Theatre was then destroyed by a third fire and an explosion on the early afternoon of April 13, 1935. The third fire was the most destructive with an estimate $100,000 in damages. After a short two-month reconstruction, the Niles Theatre reopened on June 26, 1935 with Shirley Temple in “Our Little Girl” (unknown if extras added) with sound installations by Western Electric.
On April 30, 1953, the husband-and-wife team of Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Evans of Clinton (who owned the Lyons Theatre there since 1935), bought the Niles Theatre and was renamed the Evans Theatre. The Evans family also had a connection with RKO Radio Pictures for 18 years. The Evans Theatre was remodeled in April 1959 right after the Evans sold their Lyons Theatre in Clinton and officially became their primary movie house. The Evans then sold the theater to Roy Metcalfe in June 1972 (with John Weldon of Cedar Rapids as its manager).
The fourth fire happened in late-January 1984 from an electrical short. Despite suffering small damages, the theater was slowly renovated and was originally planned to reopen with two screens. The fourth fire left the city without a movie theater for the rest of the decade. In 1989, the theater announced that the Evans Theater will be renamed the Jones County Cinema and would officially reopen back as a movie theater. The theater reopened on October 27, 1989 with “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” and “Tummy Trouble”, bringing back movies in Jones County. It was owned by Mike Grassfield.
Opened as the Liberty Theatre, and was renamed the Strand in October 9, 1922. The Strand was destroyed by a fire on February 1, 1975 during a showing of Oliver Reed in “The Three Musketeers”.
The Edison’s Studio Cinema opened in 1983 and was renamed the Mad River Flick in 1996. The theater closed in March 2002 and reopened as the Eclipse Theater in January 2003.
The Loews’s West opened its doors by Loew’s Inc. on July 19, 1966 with James Coburn in “What Did You Do In The War Daddy?”. The theater also opened on the same day the Loew’s East in Richmond Heights opened its doors with the same movie. The Loew’s West was twinned on May 23, 1973.
Both Loew’s Inc. and Loews operated the theater throughout its history until Loews closed their Loews West on September 8, 1991 with “Defenseless” in Screen 1 and “Harley Davidson” in Screen 2.
Opened in 1965, once operated by Walter-Reade.
Closed as a movie theater on July 28, 1978 with Burt Reynolds in “The End”.
The Palace Theatre closed as a regular movie house in 1973, but reopened as an porn theater the following year. The Palace flipped back to regular movies in 1977 but didn’t last long, closing as a movie theater the following year.
The Ledgewood Drive-In actually closed after the 1986 season.
Closed as a first-run movie theater on September 13, 1987 with Walt Disney’s “Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs”.
On June 4, 1981, the Sands Theatre became national headlines when a station wagon (possibly a Pontiac) driven by 40-year-old Howard Thon of Alamogordo recklessly crashed into the side of the Sand Theatre’s auditorium during a showing of “Happy Birthday To Me”, killing a 17-year-old boy and injuring two others.
The Chester Twin Cinemas opened its doors on June 15, 1979 with “Golden Girl” in Screen 1 and “The Champ” in Screen 2. It was renamed the Cinema 206 Twin on September 25, 1981 after management changes. The original Chester Twin name made a comeback in August 1993.
Four more screens were added on July 14, 1997 after a two-month renovation closure, bringing a total to six screens and was renamed the Chester Cinema 6.
This opened as a replacement of the Glenway 5 in nearby Newmarket which closed the previous day.
Opened in May 1984.
The State Theatre opened as early as 1939 and was renamed the Milton Cinema in 1964. It was last known as the East Milton Cinema and closed on December 30, 1988 with “Everybody’s All-American”.
On November 18, 1925, the Tremont Theatre became national headlines when both the theater management and Boston Police ejected 30 members of the Harvard University football team from the theater’s lobby, depicting them as “half-fried party boys”. The squad were forced to walk to the nearest police station to demonstrate their sobriety after then-manager Stanley Osborn lined the players up on the sidewalk and invited several lieutenants to check on them.
Opened in 1984 as the Harlan Cinemas 4. It originally housed 960 seats.
Closed on January 4, 2001.
Opened in mid-August 1917.
This actually opened in the Spring of 1985 by the sponsorship of George Gund.
Opened on September 8, 1938 with Joe E. Brown in “The Gladiator” (unknown if extras added).
The actual opening date is September 14, 1912. It opened with several films, with one of which being Geo. Bennett in “Goodbye My Love Goodbye” (very inappropriate title name for a grand opening in my opinion).
Construction started in 1889, and the Grand Opera House opened its doors on January 11, 1890 by Will McGuire. It was taken over by the father-son team of Clifford N. and Charles L. Niles in 1901. Throughout its history, the theater suffered destruction from four different fires, and two of which happened during its days as the Grand Opera House.
The first fire happened in 1925 and was rebuilt afterward, and the second fire happened in the basement of the theater on the morning of August 6, 1931 with an estimate $75,000 in damages. It was rebuilt and reopened as the Niles Theatre on December 25, 1931 with Wheeler & Woodley in “Caught Plastered” (unknown if extras added).
The Niles Theatre was then destroyed by a third fire and an explosion on the early afternoon of April 13, 1935. The third fire was the most destructive with an estimate $100,000 in damages. After a short two-month reconstruction, the Niles Theatre reopened on June 26, 1935 with Shirley Temple in “Our Little Girl” (unknown if extras added) with sound installations by Western Electric.
On April 30, 1953, the husband-and-wife team of Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Evans of Clinton (who owned the Lyons Theatre there since 1935), bought the Niles Theatre and was renamed the Evans Theatre. The Evans family also had a connection with RKO Radio Pictures for 18 years. The Evans Theatre was remodeled in April 1959 right after the Evans sold their Lyons Theatre in Clinton and officially became their primary movie house. The Evans then sold the theater to Roy Metcalfe in June 1972 (with John Weldon of Cedar Rapids as its manager).
The fourth fire happened in late-January 1984 from an electrical short. Despite suffering small damages, the theater was slowly renovated and was originally planned to reopen with two screens. The fourth fire left the city without a movie theater for the rest of the decade. In 1989, the theater announced that the Evans Theater will be renamed the Jones County Cinema and would officially reopen back as a movie theater. The theater reopened on October 27, 1989 with “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” and “Tummy Trouble”, bringing back movies in Jones County. It was owned by Mike Grassfield.
The Jones County Cinema closed in 2004.
Opened as the Liberty Theatre, and was renamed the Strand in October 9, 1922. The Strand was destroyed by a fire on February 1, 1975 during a showing of Oliver Reed in “The Three Musketeers”.
Opened on December 5, 1975 with “The Towering Inferno”.
The Edison’s Studio Cinema opened in 1983 and was renamed the Mad River Flick in 1996. The theater closed in March 2002 and reopened as the Eclipse Theater in January 2003.
Closed on June 23, 1988 when General Cinema opened their Westwood Town Center Cinema 6 nearby.
Opened on June 3, 1989.
The Loews’s West opened its doors by Loew’s Inc. on July 19, 1966 with James Coburn in “What Did You Do In The War Daddy?”. The theater also opened on the same day the Loew’s East in Richmond Heights opened its doors with the same movie. The Loew’s West was twinned on May 23, 1973.
Both Loew’s Inc. and Loews operated the theater throughout its history until Loews closed their Loews West on September 8, 1991 with “Defenseless” in Screen 1 and “Harley Davidson” in Screen 2.
Once operated by Sony Theatres, closed by Loews on May 27, 1997.