Theater reopened in February and now features air conditioning for year round programming.
“The theater’s history goes back to 1927, when a wealthy Rahway businessman named Barney Engel man bought a parcel of land off Irving Street and built the old Rah way Theater for vaudeville acts and to showcase the fledgling movie in dustry.
The theater held its opening night on Oct. 16, 1928, with silent films and live organ music.“ extracted from View link
First opened in 1917 with Poor Little Rich Girl as its first feature movie. Danel D. Dorn was the first projectionist. Located on NE corner of Broad St. and Borden Street (now known as Linden Place). Immediately after closing became a Lerner’s store. In 1991 a Merrill Lynch office was constructed at the site, and there is very little left of the original building. During contruction old wall murals were discovered by not salvaged.
This theater was built in 1912 by the Red Bank Amusement Company. Original name was the Lyric Theater. Located on E. Front Street across from the Globe Hotel. Functioned as a vaudeville house and moving picture theater. Briefly known as FERBER’s Theater in 1919. In 1920 it became the Palace Theater. Leased by ME McNulty, the local “Mr. Barnum”. It was during this period that Count Basie was a frequent patron, often listening to Harold LaRoss play the organ for silent movies.
In 1928, the Palace was sold at a sheriff’s sale to Tony Hunting, just as talkies were taking off. By 1944, no longer listed in the Film Daily Yearbook.
The Frick’s Theatre listed in the main description is a different theater.
source: Stars of the New Jersey Shore 110-111, 116-117
Open from at least 1913. Managed by M.E. McNulty, known locally as Mr. Barnum of Red Bank. In addition to showing moving pictures, his vaudeville shows at the Empire featured dancers, magicians and animals. The roof collapsed in January 1920 from heavy snow. The building was ruined and never reopened.
According to “Asbury Park’s Glory Days: The Story of an American Resort” page 91, this theater was lost to fire in the mid 1920s. It was owned by Walter Reade. He used part of the insurance money to fund building of the Mayfair.
Nice obituary for the long time NJ theater man Alvin Sloan:
Alvin Sloan lived life with passion
Friday, February 22, 2008
A good man departed
The resume of Alvin Sloan is too long to publish, so here’s a condensed version: Theater projectionist. Theater owner. Justice of the peace. Youngest mayor in New Jersey (Washington Borough, 1936, age 24). Newspaper publisher (Warren Journal, Belvidere Apollo, The Forum). Band leader. Chairman of the Washington Parking Authority. Founder of the Vernon Oaks Society, a fund-raiser for the Washington Emergency Squad. Crusader for a Washington-area health clinic. Proponent of a borough library expansion. Author of the history of the Washington Police Department. Ardent defender of the borough’s manager-council government.
From his arrival in Washington in 1928 until his death last Saturday at 96, Alvin Sloan was an advocate for community advancement. He was a tireless hawker of ideas and a thorn in the side to those who disagreed with him, particularly in recent years, when he aired his differences with some borough council members.
Yet his involvement with his hometown covered eight decades, and if the term “civic leader” is becoming an anachronism, it is because people such as Sloan are no longer here to define it. Far from a government insider (he served in elected office briefly, in the 1930s) he was an entrepreneur who lent his acumen and organizing energies to the public good. His love of movies and the organ music that accompanied silent films led him into that line of work. At one point, he owned 14 movie theaters in Warren, Hunterdon and Sussex counties.
His passion didn’t end with making music and money. The borough’s emergency squad was formed while he was mayor. He saw it would be easier to support the squad by asking businesses to help, rather than have volunteers perform this task. He created the Vernon Oaks Society, named after his friend and former borough fire chief.
Along the way, Sloan donated or raised money for many causes, and sought little recognition. He was keenly interested in how governance could be improved, and he pushed for a switch to a council-manager government, which he thought could counter cronyism. In his later years, he became the person who could provide the historical reference for just about any issue or incomplete memory that arose.
With his death, Washington has lost a link to its most productive, eventful years. The matter of a fitting memorial to a big-hearted patriarch is sure to arise, and the questions might be: What? Where?
Just look around. They’re already there. Most of the borough’s public institutions are imbued with the spirit, sweat and support of a good man.
Indeed today this buidling houses a mosque called Masjid Jalalabad
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What a great restaurant. Here is their website.
http://mibanderanj.com/
Visited Union City yesterday. The theater location is now a parking lot.
Theater reopened in February and now features air conditioning for year round programming.
“The theater’s history goes back to 1927, when a wealthy Rahway businessman named Barney Engel man bought a parcel of land off Irving Street and built the old Rah way Theater for vaudeville acts and to showcase the fledgling movie in dustry.
The theater held its opening night on Oct. 16, 1928, with silent films and live organ music.“ extracted from View link
Just added to Preservation New Jersey’s 10 most endangered historic sites 2008 list:
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Bruce Springsteen will be playing a benefit concert tonight in support of the upcoming 4 month renovation project at the theater:
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Old photo:
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First opened in 1917 with Poor Little Rich Girl as its first feature movie. Danel D. Dorn was the first projectionist. Located on NE corner of Broad St. and Borden Street (now known as Linden Place). Immediately after closing became a Lerner’s store. In 1991 a Merrill Lynch office was constructed at the site, and there is very little left of the original building. During contruction old wall murals were discovered by not salvaged.
source: Stars of the New Jersey Shore, page 111
MAJOR CLARIFICATION ON THIS ONE
This theater was built in 1912 by the Red Bank Amusement Company. Original name was the Lyric Theater. Located on E. Front Street across from the Globe Hotel. Functioned as a vaudeville house and moving picture theater. Briefly known as FERBER’s Theater in 1919. In 1920 it became the Palace Theater. Leased by ME McNulty, the local “Mr. Barnum”. It was during this period that Count Basie was a frequent patron, often listening to Harold LaRoss play the organ for silent movies.
In 1928, the Palace was sold at a sheriff’s sale to Tony Hunting, just as talkies were taking off. By 1944, no longer listed in the Film Daily Yearbook.
The Frick’s Theatre listed in the main description is a different theater.
source: Stars of the New Jersey Shore 110-111, 116-117
Open from at least 1913. Managed by M.E. McNulty, known locally as Mr. Barnum of Red Bank. In addition to showing moving pictures, his vaudeville shows at the Empire featured dancers, magicians and animals. The roof collapsed in January 1920 from heavy snow. The building was ruined and never reopened.
source: Stars of the New Jersey Shore, page 110
According to “Asbury Park’s Glory Days: The Story of an American Resort” page 91, this theater was lost to fire in the mid 1920s. It was owned by Walter Reade. He used part of the insurance money to fund building of the Mayfair.
Blog with photos:
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NY times article:
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Another description of the project:
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Basic information from a local real estate agent:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-176652665.html
According to today’s Star Ledger, the theatre is being used for filming the final scene of the upcoming movie “The Wrestler”
According to the 2nd paragraph of this article, Clearview was leasing this theatre in 1994:
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Still a triple as of 1998 – see 2nd paragraph:
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Back in 1993 this was a twin theater.
see 2nd paragraph.
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Not sure if originally built as a twin – need to do some more research.
listed as part of Triangle-Liggett Theatre Service in the 1961 Film Daily Yearbook.
Nice obituary for the long time NJ theater man Alvin Sloan:
Alvin Sloan lived life with passion
Friday, February 22, 2008
A good man departed
The resume of Alvin Sloan is too long to publish, so here’s a condensed version: Theater projectionist. Theater owner. Justice of the peace. Youngest mayor in New Jersey (Washington Borough, 1936, age 24). Newspaper publisher (Warren Journal, Belvidere Apollo, The Forum). Band leader. Chairman of the Washington Parking Authority. Founder of the Vernon Oaks Society, a fund-raiser for the Washington Emergency Squad. Crusader for a Washington-area health clinic. Proponent of a borough library expansion. Author of the history of the Washington Police Department. Ardent defender of the borough’s manager-council government.
From his arrival in Washington in 1928 until his death last Saturday at 96, Alvin Sloan was an advocate for community advancement. He was a tireless hawker of ideas and a thorn in the side to those who disagreed with him, particularly in recent years, when he aired his differences with some borough council members.
Yet his involvement with his hometown covered eight decades, and if the term “civic leader” is becoming an anachronism, it is because people such as Sloan are no longer here to define it. Far from a government insider (he served in elected office briefly, in the 1930s) he was an entrepreneur who lent his acumen and organizing energies to the public good. His love of movies and the organ music that accompanied silent films led him into that line of work. At one point, he owned 14 movie theaters in Warren, Hunterdon and Sussex counties.
His passion didn’t end with making music and money. The borough’s emergency squad was formed while he was mayor. He saw it would be easier to support the squad by asking businesses to help, rather than have volunteers perform this task. He created the Vernon Oaks Society, named after his friend and former borough fire chief.
Along the way, Sloan donated or raised money for many causes, and sought little recognition. He was keenly interested in how governance could be improved, and he pushed for a switch to a council-manager government, which he thought could counter cronyism. In his later years, he became the person who could provide the historical reference for just about any issue or incomplete memory that arose.
With his death, Washington has lost a link to its most productive, eventful years. The matter of a fitting memorial to a big-hearted patriarch is sure to arise, and the questions might be: What? Where?
Just look around. They’re already there. Most of the borough’s public institutions are imbued with the spirit, sweat and support of a good man.
please post your photos. the scanned quality is great!
1932 program cover:
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Old program ca 1915
cover
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inside:
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12/31/1936 ticket:
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1934 Program:
cover
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inside:
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