Clairidge
486 Bloomfield Avenue,
Montclair,
NJ
07042
486 Bloomfield Avenue,
Montclair,
NJ
07042
15 people
favorited this theater
Showing 101 - 117 of 117 comments
Old photo. Theater barely visible on the left:
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I saw “How the West was Won” in 3-strip Cinerama at the Claridge back in the days when people dressed up to go to the movies, and it was a truly grand experience. I’ve not been back there since I was a kid, and based on the comments posted here it is probably a good thing. Some things are best allowed to survive in one’s memories.
A Wurlitzer organ, opus 604, was installed in this theater on 11/24/1922. The organ was discarded in the 1950s during renovations, which included the addition of air conditioning.
I went to this theatre when I used to live in Clifton to see “Life is Beautiful” since it didn’t play in Clifton or Wayne, and it was a decent experience. So-so sound, good picture, and fresh popcorn. I only went there once, when independent films were only playing at theatres like the Clairidge. Nowadays, you can see them at your local multiplex and on DVD, where most of the revenue is right now in an era where box office is down and DVD sales are up! Yet the Clairidge is still open and plays an eclectic mix of films, some of which are on two or three screens (ala the much bigger multiplexes!).
According to in70mm.com, “2001” opened in this theater on July 17, 1968 and ran for 36 weeks.
Here are two more Bergen Record ads. In the first, from July 1968, “2001” was about to begin its exclusive North Jersey run at the Clairidge:
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It was still there in March 1969:
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This is an ad from the Jersey Journal dated August 1960, when the Clairidge first started running Cinerama. Remember – it’s “worth the trip to Montclair”. And it certainly was …
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Vincent:
Actually, other than the I-Max theaters, there are no really wide screen theaters any more.
Actually, based upon “Alexander”, “Troy” etc., no one will be intere3sted in making any more “epic” type of films.
Yes I am aware of the Embassy and it has been discussed on the Embassy page. Of course that would be ideal but I am assuming that will one day be another Times Sqare retailing emporium. If not another skycraper.
As for Larry’s comments “if they showed wide screen epics it would be like any other theater."
Larry please tell me where these large expansive single screen theaters like the old Claridge are!! I want to go to one tonight!
Vincent just mentioned above re showing Cinerama, “there’s nowhere to do it anymore in NY.” I don’t know if the Times Square multiplex known variously as the Embassy 2-3-4, and 1-2-3, and, long ago, as the DeMille, Mayfair, and Columbia is still standing. It was a few years back. The balcony had been plexed, but the orchestra was still intact. This was the auditorium in which the Russian flavor of Cinerama, called Kinopanorama, had a short run in 1959. Screen size was in excess of 60 feet, and the 3 projectors were the ones used at the nearby Roxy to show the CineMiracle “Windjammer.” It was also the theatre in which the new owner, Walter Reade, Jr., having just been elected to the Board of Directors of Cinerama, Inc., had planned to exhibit future Cinerama films.
Although the 6 theaters remind me of sitting in a public school basement, the theater seems to doing a brisk business with it’s selection of films that very rarely play in other theaters.
They stopped making Cinerama films almost 40 years ago..forget that idea. If they showed wide screen epics it would be like any other theater and probably eventually close as so many neighborhood theaters have done over the years.
Leave it as it is..and besides, the popcorn is fresh made and great
Considering then how much still remains it would be wonderful if someone would restore it back to its roadshow glory days and use it as a widescreen showcase showing everything from 3 strip Cinerama to 2:55 cinemascope to contemporary widescreen film epics like they do in Seattle LA and Bradford England. And if Bradford England can do it why not a place close to NYC?
There’s nowhere to do it anymore in NY.
Does anyone know the sizes of the screen when it played Cinerama and 70MM?
I wonder in the managers from the 50"s and 60"s are still alive who could help us with information.
Rhett, If you know someone who works there, you should ask them to show you the original ceiling. If you do, you will fall off the latter. It’s amazing. When you go up, the first things you see are the original projection booth portholes. I pulled out some newspaper surrounding the ports. Roosevelt was giving a speech somewhere. Other than a few missing (extremely expensive and huge) light fixtures, everything else is there and basically untouched. It’s disgusting to see it hidden like that.
I remember seeing “Jaws” (35mm scope) there in 1975. They used an anamorphic lens, or lens attachment, that spread the image across the entire width of the screen. Enough distortion to induce eyestrain, but was somehow still impressive.
If they were to restore it, they’d have to remove the “metal box” supposedly that now resides in side the original theater.
Is there any way for someone to climb the ladder to see it?? Not that anyone who workes there would notice. It is a nice thought though.
This theater was a great 3 strip Cinerama house. Saw “Search For Paradise there in 57' or 58'. What a presentation. Clearview should sell it to someone who would restore it back to Cinerama.
This was one of the BEST theaters in NJ. I only saw 2 movies there in the 70’s. I remember seeing Rocky 2 with a packed house. It was my all-time favorite movie experience. Now it is one of the worst theaters. Cut up to 6 screens. The architect should be sued. There is no way to sit in some of the seat locations as they are way off from the screen. The theater is run by youngsters who know nothing about movies, They NEVER shut the doors when the movie starts. I have to do it all the time. The sound from the projection booth practically drowns out the movie. This is one of the only theater that plays independents so it’s the only place to go. It’s a shame that this theater has gone downhill sooooo much.