The supermarket was an A&P, not a Shop Rite, after I thought about it for a while. This would be in the late 60s. There was another A&P in Pleasantville and a small one in Absecon around that time.
I was in Atlantic City in January. The area by Columbus Park has been completely redeveloped with chain stores, but no movie theater. That seems like an odd omission if you’re trying to get people out of the casinos and into the mall several blocks from the boardwalk. If the retailers are counting on the locals, they are in trouble.
You may be talking about a different era. When I was a kid, the supermarket was a Shop Rite, across the street from the cemetery. The Woolworths was on the other side of the mall, by the movie theater. There was also a bank where the McDonalds is now. I ruined one of the summers of my youth cooking french fries at that McDonalds.
The next bout with fire in the community was not nearly as costly. However, it claimed a sizable amount of merchandise Feb. 16, 1913.
About $8,000 in merchandise and fixtures burned at Rolfe’s Drug store after flames shot out of a furnace in the rear of the store about 10 a.m. The loss was not total.
A 2:30 a.m. discovery of smoke brought firemen to the R. L. Brown Hardware Store March 1, 1916. However, before the fire fighters could quell the blaze $12,000 in stock and the building were gone. Tile structure was one of the early ones in Flandreau and was a landmark. The Bidne-Brown Building in the main business district stands on the site now.
Another early morning blaze engulfed tile Bland Meat Market May 22, 1921. Defective wiring was listed as the probable cause for $9,000 in damage beginning about 3:30 a.m.
The interior furnishings and equipment at the Crystal Theatre received damage to the tune of $6,000 in Nov. No cause was ever established for the fire, which was noticed about 6 O'clock in the evening but it was believed to have been the result of a furnace.
One website alleges that the Gem Theater is haunted:
Athena – Old Gem Theater – Second story of theater is now used as a home and the first floor is the abandoned theater. Reports of hearing foot steps in the hallways, doorknobs turning when there is no one on the other side. A whitish figure wonders about the theater seats.
It looks like time is running out for this theater. Greg Laemmle was interviewed in the LA Times today and said the theater was on a month to month lease. There are plans to open a megaplex by the Staples Center in the next few years as part of a large scale entertainment complex. This theater will be long gone by then.
Here are some photos:
http://tinyurl.com/hjbpo
http://tinyurl.com/z6dp2
The supermarket was an A&P, not a Shop Rite, after I thought about it for a while. This would be in the late 60s. There was another A&P in Pleasantville and a small one in Absecon around that time.
There’s plenty of information on this film on the usual search engines. It doesn’t look like it’s available on DVD at present.
Here is a photo:
http://tinyurl.com/mwtjq
Here are some links:
http://tinyurl.com/ooxuz
http://tinyurl.com/pu7q8
I was in Atlantic City in January. The area by Columbus Park has been completely redeveloped with chain stores, but no movie theater. That seems like an odd omission if you’re trying to get people out of the casinos and into the mall several blocks from the boardwalk. If the retailers are counting on the locals, they are in trouble.
You may be talking about a different era. When I was a kid, the supermarket was a Shop Rite, across the street from the cemetery. The Woolworths was on the other side of the mall, by the movie theater. There was also a bank where the McDonalds is now. I ruined one of the summers of my youth cooking french fries at that McDonalds.
Here are some contemporary photos:
http://tinyurl.com/nn7nk
http://tinyurl.com/m8ry6
http://tinyurl.com/nqt2g
http://tinyurl.com/h6at2
Here is a link with some additional information:
http://tinyurl.com/zqggk
And some more recollections from the locals:
http://tinyurl.com/kxkf9
Here is a photo:
http://tinyurl.com/fjbh2
Further research finds the theater on the right is the “Laff Chance”. A comedy club, perhaps?
I should have said left instead of right. I don’t know what the theater is on the right side of the picture.
Here is a photo from 1924. The Garrick is the smaller building on the right:
http://tinyurl.com/n7rcr
I have looked for any evidence of the tunnel around Pine and Ocean, with no success. Any hints?
Not to worry, Joe.
Here is a 1978 photo showing an old ad for the Newsreel painted on an alley wall:
http://tinyurl.com/mnvnt
Fire in 1921:
The next bout with fire in the community was not nearly as costly. However, it claimed a sizable amount of merchandise Feb. 16, 1913.
About $8,000 in merchandise and fixtures burned at Rolfe’s Drug store after flames shot out of a furnace in the rear of the store about 10 a.m. The loss was not total.
A 2:30 a.m. discovery of smoke brought firemen to the R. L. Brown Hardware Store March 1, 1916. However, before the fire fighters could quell the blaze $12,000 in stock and the building were gone. Tile structure was one of the early ones in Flandreau and was a landmark. The Bidne-Brown Building in the main business district stands on the site now.
Another early morning blaze engulfed tile Bland Meat Market May 22, 1921. Defective wiring was listed as the probable cause for $9,000 in damage beginning about 3:30 a.m.
The interior furnishings and equipment at the Crystal Theatre received damage to the tune of $6,000 in Nov. No cause was ever established for the fire, which was noticed about 6 O'clock in the evening but it was believed to have been the result of a furnace.
Here is a current photo:
http://tinyurl.com/my7bn
One website alleges that the Gem Theater is haunted:
Athena – Old Gem Theater – Second story of theater is now used as a home and the first floor is the abandoned theater. Reports of hearing foot steps in the hallways, doorknobs turning when there is no one on the other side. A whitish figure wonders about the theater seats.
Do they still have a Shop Rite supermarket and Woolworths department store at that location? I haven’t been there in a while.
Here are some vintage photos:
View link
View link
View link
View link
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View link
View link
Here are links with additional information for this theater:
http://tinyurl.com/oe6vl
http://tinyurl.com/qcy8h
1953 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/g4j4l
1955:
http://tinyurl.com/k7hf5
The Electric Theater was mentioned in yesterday’s LA Times article about the decline of theaters in downtown Los Angeles.
It looks like time is running out for this theater. Greg Laemmle was interviewed in the LA Times today and said the theater was on a month to month lease. There are plans to open a megaplex by the Staples Center in the next few years as part of a large scale entertainment complex. This theater will be long gone by then.