Loew's Jersey Theatre

Good job Brucec, I know today’s miserable excuse for movies cannot compare to the great ones of years gone by, but to see all those magnificent films listed just about sums up what all of us true movie lovers have all come to agree upon, they sure don’t make em like they used to.

Here is a list of top grossing films in 1959

1 Auntie Mame
2 The Shaggy Dog
3 Some Like it Hot
4 Pillow Talk
5 Imitation of Life
6 The Nun’s Story
7 Anatomy of a Murder
8 North By Northwest
9 Sleeping Beauty
10 Rio Bravo

Note that in 1959 that female stars had top billing in five of the top grossing films Rosaland Russell,Marilyn Monroe,Doris Day,Lana Turner and Audrey Hepburn. In the modern era men dominated the top grossing films. Note “Ben Hur” released in 1959 did most of its business in 1960 and 1961.brucec

Here is a list of the time grossing films of 1939

1 Gone With The Wind
2 Babes in Arms
3 Drums Along the Mohawk
4 The Hunchback of Notre Dame
5 Jesse James
6 Mr. Smithe Goes to Washington
7 Stagecaoch
8 The old Maid
9 The Rains Came
10The Wizard Of Oz

They also released about 500 films in 1939.brucec

For Jim,

Here’s another comparison-

Top grossing films 1948 (I could only find top 5):
The Red Shoes
The Road to Rio
Easter Parade
Red River
The Three Musketeers

Top grossing films 1968:
The Graduate
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
Gone With the Wind (re-release)
Bonnie & Clyde
Valley of the Dolls
The Odd Couple
Planet of the Apes
Rosemary’s Baby
The Jungle Book
Yours, Mine, Ours

I haven’t seen any of the 1948 films so I can’t judge, but I have seen most of the ‘68 films, which at first glance of that list ain’t too shabby at all. Compare that one to 2004!

What would a fictitious top grossing list for 2024 look like? Number one would probably be a feature starring the offspring of Britney Spears followed by a feature starring Paris Hilton in her 3rd Academy Award nominated performance.

The decay of films described in earlier posts is certainly true, and it has been accelerating ever since the major studos were bought by the conglomerates in the 1970s. And while the studio system did whitewash the often scadalous behaviour of the ‘stars’, it did not originate for that purpose. It originated as a way for the man who found it to make the greatest profit while still making a name for himself as a producer of quality entertainment. The long and the short of it is that there were ‘some’ morals back before the Vietnam war, but after that there were absolutely none, save the overriding greed of the conglomerates to make MONEY and more MONEY, and did I forget to mention MONEY? To them, nothing else at all matters; that is what a conglomerate is for. They wouldn’t know or care what ‘art’ was if it came up and bit them! Since they are the product of a society with no morals (and how can one have true morals without an ACCURATE knowledge of God?!!) and the people who watch the films have, for the most part, no real morals, why should we expect quality films? Each conglomerate has a committee of financial and marketing types who meet to consider each new film idea and then pass or fail it solely on its potential to make MONEY, their god.

Irv’s list of films from 1970 appears better only in comparison to the dreck of 2004, and if compared to most any list from, say, the 1940s, those of 1970 would appear amoral at best, though far more glitzy. We have mostly dug ourselves into this pit, and there is no real way to dig ourselves out unless we were to (gasp!) renounce MONEY as the real god of our society. I suggest that we do NOT hold our collective breath until that happens! If the JERSEY or any other theatre is to survive, it cannot be on the silver screen offal that the conglomerates shovel at us via disrobed actors spouting inane “relevancies” as they engage in sex, soot-em-ups, sex, car chases, sex, and special effects mayhem. For those with morals, cling to them, for the Hollywood conglomerates are intent upon stripping you of them (along with the cash in your wallet).

Robert: Here are two earlier posts concerning the air conditioning:

RE the air conditioning… the Jersey DOES have air, but it doesn`t work too good. It was on Sat 6-4 for Tron and Star Trek II and while it was cool, it just isnt strong enough to cool the entire theater, especially on a hot and humid day {or in this case, a night}.
posted by Theaterat on Jun 6, 2005 at 11:17am

That’s not air conditioning. It’s the return air system which just moves the air around the building. The AC system is in terrible shape and is going to require MAJOR funds to repair.
posted by Bob Furmanek on Jun 6, 2005 at 11:20am

Box office grosses do not tell the whole story; all that says is that good films do not always gross the highest. The industry has changed. There are certainly many great films being made, they just do not recieve the same kind of box office recognition. Theaterat says “Movie stars had CLASS”. But hearing the real stories of their lives bears out the facts otherwise. The studio system was in place to censor their behavior. It was set up to create the illusion of class. The magazines always did their best to glamourize. It’s changed; now we hear all about indiscretions.

Irv… Could not agree with you more.Maybe I AM a crotchetty middle age guy, but as a lifelong moviegoer, the product kind of speaks for itself. Want some Prozac? Betcha its better than the Kool-Aid!

Will Dunklin (your full name…wow, how cool!)

Your statement sums up alot of what is wrong with society today, that being if you make a comment that disagrees with the status quo, you must be crazy. Forget Prozac, you need to be DE-programmed my friend.

Look, let’s not kid ourselves here. The product Hollywood churns out these days by-and-large DOES suck. Sure, you’ve got a ‘Lord of the Rings’ here and there, but ‘cmon. Vincent, movies are as good today as they’ve ever been? What kool-aid are you drinkin’? We’ve got at least a half-dozen remakes out there on the market today. Not to mention a Deuce Bigalow sequel (figure that one out). You’re telling me that’s as good as it’s ever been?

Here are the top grossing films for 1970

Airport
MAS*H
Patton
Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice
Woodstock
Hello, Dolly!
Cactus Flower
Catch-22
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
The Reivers

Here are the top grossing films for 2004

Shrek 2
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Spider-Man 2
The Incredibles
The Passion of the Christ
The Day After Tomorrow
Troy
Meet the Fockers
Ocean’s Twelve
I, Robot

Can’t wait to see the top grossers of ‘05. 'Dukes of Hazzard’ number one perhaps?

Um,obviously not.

Dear Theaterat: I do hope for the best and hope you will talk to your doctor about Prozac.

Mellowly yours and posting my full name
Will Dunklin
Knoxville Tennessee

Vito Bill H,,, To quote Dennis Miller- I don1t want get off on a rant- but 98 percent of todays movies are GARBAGE! They have been dumdrd down to the point of being moronic, and creativity simply just does not exist anymore. I WOULD Not go to see “Bewitched”, “Dukes of Hazzard” “The Honeymooners” “The Bad News Bears” or the upcoming “Green Acres” even if I were given a free pass AND be allowed to smoke in the theater! When Hollywood gives is these constant TV into Films, needless sequels, and atrocious re makes of films that were mediocre at best, it is time to question the product. Also. I am SICK AND TIRED of people like TOM CRUISE and other no talents foisting their political and religious beliefs down our troaths. Nobody really gives a hoot, and those who fawn over these highly paid celebrities are just as vapid and brain dead as the so- called movies that they pass off as ‘entertainment" today.If more adults-and intelligent younger viewers would boycott these products, maybe Hollywood would get the message. The backlash is starting to show at the box office and if it continues, maybe things will change. I hope for the best- do you?