Re: Astor Plaza…what was the first showing at the theater? what was the date?? They did show premieres. I remember in 87, I believe The Untouchables had the premeire there.
Bill, I have an extensive collection from microfilm research also as I am collecting all of my movie memories (well not all, it’s impossible) I mostly go to the Montclair State University college library.
Re: Tommy and the Hindenburg. I can’t say they were 70MM (I didn’t either) I was commenting on the sound. I don’t recall 70MM presentations from the Cinema 46, but in 1975 those 2 films (Tommy being the first) introduced me to a whole new level of moviegoing…being a stereophinic track.They had 4 track stereo presentations or possibly 6 track.In my research there’s really no advertising of the audio. The opening of Tommy is still something I remember today.
The first 70MM film I saw was Star Wars at Stanley Warner paramus.
Bill, Now that would have ticked me off (as I’m sure it did you). What bothers me about some theaters (Allwood, Cinema 23 in particular) is that I’ve seen some films there on Mon or Tues. that’ve opened on Fri. and the some Panavision films were shown in 2:35 with a 1:85 masking. Meaning that NO ONE in the audience or especially the theater staff or projectionist corrected the problem. I always did though. Theater managers are usually young guys who got a job who don’t have that love of film presentation (as the people on this site do) They’ll have the candy guy (usually a kid( flick the swith on the projector and just walks away.
It’s bad enough that 1) ticket prices are outrageous 2) most movies suck today but why can’t there at least be a little care in the presentation. Thse guys today don’t even check the theater climate for gods sake or the sound levels, or close the theater doors (I always do that myself). A patron should never have to get out of his seat. The front 3 theaters in Cinema 23and the front 2 of the Allwood are parked in 1:85. Naturally you can imagine my chagrin when the film comes out on DVD at 2: 35. I feel ripped off, but hey, like the staff will say..“the film was sent to us that way”…please!!!
Joe, if you’re a Division manager for Clearview, maybe I can bring you to another matter. I realize that all these former big theaters are chopped up to accomodate multiple screenings for financial gains. These former single screen masterpieces of Cinema will never be in their original glory again and it’s something to finally get used to…you’ll understand of course if I gripe..a child of the 70’s.
But some Clearview Cinemas (in North Jersey ) do suffer from a lack
of enthusiastic, courteous and most of all, knowlegable employees. I can list things, but the one thing that really is bothering is that some theaters, when playing in their “smaller” theaters, DO NOT show the film at the proper aspect ratio. EXAMPLE: Cinema #5 and 6 at the Allwood in Clifton. There are multiple films shot in 2:35 panavision that are played in matted 1:85 ALL the time in these theaters. It’s unsettling for me to bring it to the attention of a high school kid who’ll say, “That’s the way the film was sent to us”…It’s not, it’s just lazy and bad management. I realize there’s things to put up with but at least show the film as it was shot. I’ve seen films in the first run screen and then peeked in the other screen when it was moved down and the screen is the same. They just don’t open up….
The prblem is that most patrons, won’t say anything (guess they just don’t care)..BUT there are those who do, which is why I won’t frequent this theater. Others that do that are Cinema 23 in Cedar Grove, I had to make them open the masking last time I was there for a panavision film. They didn’t know what panavision was…
Anyway Joe. Thanks for the comments and I hope you don’t mind the gripe, but I thought it should be addressed since we all comment on the glory days of theateres on this site.
With all due respect Joe, you obviously haven’t been upstairs in theater #3. It’s like a basement and there is absolutely NO leg room at all in between the seats and the projection quality is dull, and the sound no better. It’s the left side of the balcony. I loved this theater and it ’s a shame it turned into this mess of a quad.
BTW…thanks for the web info about the pictures. Got to look into it.
You nkow, they have remastered and are releasing Around World in 80 days to DVD this month or next. I’m wondering if any of the big theaters are planning a special engagement screening. It won’t be in Cinerama, that’s for sure, but wouldn’t it be grand if RCMH, or Zeigfeld or Astor Plaza played the film…I doubt they will though. It would interfere with the Will Smith flick…..oh well
Jim, you should go to the Lafayette theater in Suffern NY, they show classic movies on the big screen, it’s an old vaudeville style single screen movie house and the owmers love movies, they put on quite a presentation. Go to…bigscreenclassics.com
Bill and Pete: It seems we have the same experiences.. I saw Altered States at the Bellevue in 81 and was knocked out of my seat and I saw Outland at Cinema 46, it was something. At the same time, Poltergeist played at Cinema 46 and was the same knockout experience.
The first big stereophonic sound film I ever saw was Tommy in 75 at Cinema 46, never heard anything like it. And the Hindenburg was tremendous. They played with 4 track stereo also with The Car in 77.
Now it seems that 6 track is taken for granted as all movies are in stereo so it has to be a real awesome experience to be appreciated. I will tell you one that was great as of recent.. and that was the 40th Anniversary of Lawrence of Arabia last year at the Ziegfeld.
Bill..I saw Psycho, Jaws and The Sting at the Music Hall in 97. It was awesome. The year before, I saw Bonnie and Clyde. I thought they’d have a yearly festival too, but I guess gave in to the demands of MTV and the hiphop youth culture. I can’t believe they didn’t make money on the flicks, as they were all sellouts and a success.
I’ve peaked behind the curtains and have seen the proscenium. I can’t believe it’s still there and it looks great. I believe I saw the screen also. That must’ve been one heck of a theater in its day. Hell, they should make another theater of the original.
I saw Marooned there in 69 when it was the Jerry Lewis Cinema. It was the roadshow version with an intermission. Through the mid 70’s I was there constantly. It was the best small cinema I’ve ever been to. The screen had a “in your face quality” that the the moviegoing experience very special there. Mom would take us every week there. They had 99cent shows. In the 70’s it was called the Wayne mall Theater. Then it went to pornography and became an eyesore for wayne NJ.
I was overjoyed when in 1996 it was refurbished as the Valleyview Twin. They cut the theater in 2 and made a nice neighborborhood twin cinema. The prints are sharp and the atmosphere good.I do miss the single screen cinema but it’s great that it is restored and not a victim of the wrecking ball
I’ve never been to the Montauk as I always remember it as being a porn house. But it’s still there, owned by a slumlord who refuses to restore or repair the theater, I guess it’s a good writeoff. The thetaer is a scandal as they’ve caught patrons having sex acts in the isles. They’ve since re-opened it. It’s the same. I’ve written letters proclaiming that a good way to revitalize Passaic would be to restore the theater to it’s original glory. They could have film premieres, concerts, shows and show classic films. But that’s a pipedream since Passaic , NJ is a dump. Gangs, drugs, stripbars etc. Who’d go there. I’ve never seen pictures of the interior..I hear it’s awesome with a great procenium and over 2000 seats and a balcony.
Spragga…The Fabian closed in the early 90’s due to the deterioration of the neighborhood, no-parking at all and the spate of movies. Splatterfilms, low budget horror, martial arts. But mainly, the neighborhood. I saw The Godafather there in 72. My Grandfather took me. In those days you could go to the Fabian and not fear for your life. Now , Paterson is a gangland area of thugs. The Fabian is still there. I’d love to see them restore it, as well as paterson, which they’re trying to do. I think it’s a pipedream though.
Bill..I envy you, seeing How West was Won at Clairidge in Cinerama. I would have loved to have seen that. The theater is now a dump. I saw Rocky 3 in 70mm at the Bellevue in 82…the last movie I saw there as a single screen. Even the DVD version doesn’t have the widescreen or sound that the bellevue had in 82. I wonder whatever happened to that print?
The Bellevue was one of the most awesome theaters. That’s another one that has but cut to 4 screens.Everything is multiplexed. Young people today will have no feel for what a movie experience in a great theater should be….all we have our the memories. They could cut the Astor up into a 10plex if they wanted to. I’d rather see them bring it down than do that.
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.
You know, I went there for the first time this year and I was impressed by the size of the theaters. It must have been something in the old days. I saw The Alamo there last week and the theater was huge, although the projection and sound were poor. There were a couple highschoolers working there. I couldn’t stop thinking about how that theater could be better used if spruced up a bit. I’d love to see pictures of the old interior. The theater still has phone booths. I was thinking about getting a part=time job there this summer.
Trivia question: When it was a twin theater…which theater was Century paramus 1 and 2. The top(converted bacony?) or bottom. It’s a matter of time before they knock this down too. I’ve never seen the parking lot full/
The new Bellevue is certainly the destruction and demise of a once great theater. Probably one of the best theaters ever in NJ. I remember in the 70’s it was a premier theater with reserved seat engagement. I always loved the design of the theater and the size of the scree. Now it’s like sitting in a tin can, especially the smaller theater upstairs (where the former balcony was). It’s impossible to sit straight as there is no room at all, you have to sit sideways. The projection and sound are horrible, the theater looks like a homeless shelter. It’s skeevy
The people who bought it and cut it up destroyed it(as many theaters in Northern NJ)Are there any pictures one can get showing the exterior/interior of the old Bellevue??
Vincent..I’ve never been to the Warner…I’d love to see picture from these old Nj theaters…don’t know where to find them…especially from passaic County…I’m dying to get to Loews Jersey City..I was gonna go last week to see Angels/Dirty faces and West Side Story..the problem is they start the films too late and they’re spaced apart…I’d have to wait around till the next one…
I prefer earlier shows like the lafayette shows…plus Jersey City, not the best area…I was in Times Square yesterday, and was very depressed since all of these discussions about the heyday. I agree, that it’s like a big shopping center. I miss the old theaters. I never went to the Criterion, I just remember walking by it alot when the cut it up to like what, 8 theaters? I saw Raging Bull at the Cinerama in 80, wish I could have seen more there, it’s now an arcade? The Astor is showing The Punisher for God’s sake…not the final movie I’d like to see there, maybe I’ll just let it lie with 2001…on a good note, I went to Film Forum to see a pristine print of High Noon, it was awesome.
Hey Vincent, remember theaters like the Claridge in Montclair? now it’s chopped up into 6 small uncomfortable theaters,…as is The Allwood in Clifton and The Hawthorne and Hyway…all cut up…They were great huge single screen theaters back in the day…and what’s with the Ziefeld, I hear it’s not open all the time…The problem with these theaters are they’re not being used right,,,,they’re run by suits with no feel for the experience and love of a great movie..
Vincent,. It’s great you’ve been to the NJ theaters I know. First- 2201 at the Astor a few years back? As I remember , it DID have an intermission. But I saw it the first weekend. There was paractically no advertising for it at all and it bombed, so I assume they just cut the intermission for later shows. I agree with all comments on the state of theater management these days. They’re all run by high school kids and managers who know squat. You ever try to tell one the difference between anamorphic and flat when they frame it wrong. Don’t you want to smack them when they say “That’s how the film was sent to us”. Everyone on this site has forgotton more about the proper way to run a theater than these bozos will EVER know. Imagine if we all bonded and ran our own theater just running classic movies…our way… WOW…unfortunately I think we’d all be like the characters in Reservoir Dogs. Hey, it’s a thought. My compliments to all the passion from you movielovers, I thought I was alone. The morons who run these theaters today have no love for movies, and they’re all stupid.
Vincent, I saw Earthquake at Cinema 46 in Sensurround too and many others for over 25 years. First film there for me , :Live and Let Die". Over the years, it went downhill, run by highschoolers etc. And the last film I saw there, “Empire Strikes Back” in 1997, 1 week before the theater closed in April 97. I went there when they were tearing it down, I was bummed. Stanley Warner…what can I say..first film there…Star Wars in 77, what an experience, I also saw the re-release on the same screen. I was there this past weekend for Man on Fire. I love the big theater. I would have loved to see it as a single screen theater, I only remember it as a triplex to start,,, but the big theater is still the same for me. There’s talk of razing that too for a bigger multiplex.
Now my memories are coming from, The Lafayette in Suffern NY. A true classic 1 screen theater, they love movies there and they show classics every week. Go to …bigscreenclassics.com….you’ll see.
I assume the Astor will go downhill fast now that it’s gonna close. Bad projection, sound etc. Oh the humanity!!! I miss the 70’s. hey Vincent..remember the Totowa Cinema…with the big sheetrock 3 dimensional screen??? That was a theater…first twinned…now gone. RIP 1992.
Vincent…I di see 2001 at the Astor in 2001. It was great..but I HEAR ya because I didn’t have the Rivoli experience you did. I saw Apocalypse Now on opening day 8/15/79 at the Ziegfeld and I never saw or heard anything like it. I saw the re-release at the Astor in 2001 and while good…it just wasn’t the same as the original 79 version at the Ziegfeld.. I thought there WAS a Doors tribute band behind the screen and that there was a helicopter in the theater. There was a theater by me in NJ called the Cinema 46 and in 1975 they played Tommy and The Hindenburg in 6 track. I still never heard anything like it since. Yes, it must be the great prints of yesteryear. Any closing date on the Astor??
Vincent. I think you need to take a trip to Astor Plaza again. You need to see the screen there. You seem to have a bad vibe about the Astor, did you have a bad experience there?
Where is the Mayfair/DeMille located? address.. what’s there now? I agree, the ASTOR is not a design masterpiece of old theater like the Ziegfeld or the Lafayette in Suffern NY. But, it has one of the largest screens I’ve ever seen and I have good memories of seeing flicks there. It IS a great theater.
Darby..I did a play years ago at the Rivoli (now called the Williams center) The chandollier was still there as was the stage area, they were renovating due to a fire. What a theater that must have been. My first job ever was as an usher at the Clifton Theater in 1976. I loved it. When was the last time you saw an usher? We had “smoking sections” back then. I DO really miss the days of the Plaza and fabian. There’s a theater in Suffern, NY (Rockland County) called the Lafayette. It’s the last of the old time vaudville style big theayers. They show classic movies every Saturday complete with Wurlitzer organ. It’s a throwback to the day, you’d love it. Check out bigscreenclassics.com.
At some point I’m going to write about the Plaza and Clifton and include it on this web site. I’d like to start a dialogue. Do you have any keepsakes or remembrances of the Plaza at all?? Thanks Darby. Rhett
Re: Astor Plaza…what was the first showing at the theater? what was the date?? They did show premieres. I remember in 87, I believe The Untouchables had the premeire there.
Bill, I have an extensive collection from microfilm research also as I am collecting all of my movie memories (well not all, it’s impossible) I mostly go to the Montclair State University college library.
Re: Tommy and the Hindenburg. I can’t say they were 70MM (I didn’t either) I was commenting on the sound. I don’t recall 70MM presentations from the Cinema 46, but in 1975 those 2 films (Tommy being the first) introduced me to a whole new level of moviegoing…being a stereophinic track.They had 4 track stereo presentations or possibly 6 track.In my research there’s really no advertising of the audio. The opening of Tommy is still something I remember today.
The first 70MM film I saw was Star Wars at Stanley Warner paramus.
Bill, Now that would have ticked me off (as I’m sure it did you). What bothers me about some theaters (Allwood, Cinema 23 in particular) is that I’ve seen some films there on Mon or Tues. that’ve opened on Fri. and the some Panavision films were shown in 2:35 with a 1:85 masking. Meaning that NO ONE in the audience or especially the theater staff or projectionist corrected the problem. I always did though. Theater managers are usually young guys who got a job who don’t have that love of film presentation (as the people on this site do) They’ll have the candy guy (usually a kid( flick the swith on the projector and just walks away.
It’s bad enough that 1) ticket prices are outrageous 2) most movies suck today but why can’t there at least be a little care in the presentation. Thse guys today don’t even check the theater climate for gods sake or the sound levels, or close the theater doors (I always do that myself). A patron should never have to get out of his seat. The front 3 theaters in Cinema 23and the front 2 of the Allwood are parked in 1:85. Naturally you can imagine my chagrin when the film comes out on DVD at 2: 35. I feel ripped off, but hey, like the staff will say..“the film was sent to us that way”…please!!!
Joe, if you’re a Division manager for Clearview, maybe I can bring you to another matter. I realize that all these former big theaters are chopped up to accomodate multiple screenings for financial gains. These former single screen masterpieces of Cinema will never be in their original glory again and it’s something to finally get used to…you’ll understand of course if I gripe..a child of the 70’s.
But some Clearview Cinemas (in North Jersey ) do suffer from a lack
of enthusiastic, courteous and most of all, knowlegable employees. I can list things, but the one thing that really is bothering is that some theaters, when playing in their “smaller” theaters, DO NOT show the film at the proper aspect ratio. EXAMPLE: Cinema #5 and 6 at the Allwood in Clifton. There are multiple films shot in 2:35 panavision that are played in matted 1:85 ALL the time in these theaters. It’s unsettling for me to bring it to the attention of a high school kid who’ll say, “That’s the way the film was sent to us”…It’s not, it’s just lazy and bad management. I realize there’s things to put up with but at least show the film as it was shot. I’ve seen films in the first run screen and then peeked in the other screen when it was moved down and the screen is the same. They just don’t open up….
The prblem is that most patrons, won’t say anything (guess they just don’t care)..BUT there are those who do, which is why I won’t frequent this theater. Others that do that are Cinema 23 in Cedar Grove, I had to make them open the masking last time I was there for a panavision film. They didn’t know what panavision was…
Anyway Joe. Thanks for the comments and I hope you don’t mind the gripe, but I thought it should be addressed since we all comment on the glory days of theateres on this site.
Joe,…can you tell me where on the site to look for the Bellevue pics. And are there any other Jersey theaters on the site?? Thanks.
With all due respect Joe, you obviously haven’t been upstairs in theater #3. It’s like a basement and there is absolutely NO leg room at all in between the seats and the projection quality is dull, and the sound no better. It’s the left side of the balcony. I loved this theater and it ’s a shame it turned into this mess of a quad.
BTW…thanks for the web info about the pictures. Got to look into it.
Can someone tell me which theater is with the original Sutton screen….the top(balcony) or bottom. I’ve never been there..and when is it closing?
You nkow, they have remastered and are releasing Around World in 80 days to DVD this month or next. I’m wondering if any of the big theaters are planning a special engagement screening. It won’t be in Cinerama, that’s for sure, but wouldn’t it be grand if RCMH, or Zeigfeld or Astor Plaza played the film…I doubt they will though. It would interfere with the Will Smith flick…..oh well
Jim, you should go to the Lafayette theater in Suffern NY, they show classic movies on the big screen, it’s an old vaudeville style single screen movie house and the owmers love movies, they put on quite a presentation. Go to…bigscreenclassics.com
Bill and Pete: It seems we have the same experiences.. I saw Altered States at the Bellevue in 81 and was knocked out of my seat and I saw Outland at Cinema 46, it was something. At the same time, Poltergeist played at Cinema 46 and was the same knockout experience.
The first big stereophonic sound film I ever saw was Tommy in 75 at Cinema 46, never heard anything like it. And the Hindenburg was tremendous. They played with 4 track stereo also with The Car in 77.
Now it seems that 6 track is taken for granted as all movies are in stereo so it has to be a real awesome experience to be appreciated. I will tell you one that was great as of recent.. and that was the 40th Anniversary of Lawrence of Arabia last year at the Ziegfeld.
Bill..I saw Psycho, Jaws and The Sting at the Music Hall in 97. It was awesome. The year before, I saw Bonnie and Clyde. I thought they’d have a yearly festival too, but I guess gave in to the demands of MTV and the hiphop youth culture. I can’t believe they didn’t make money on the flicks, as they were all sellouts and a success.
I’ve peaked behind the curtains and have seen the proscenium. I can’t believe it’s still there and it looks great. I believe I saw the screen also. That must’ve been one heck of a theater in its day. Hell, they should make another theater of the original.
I saw Marooned there in 69 when it was the Jerry Lewis Cinema. It was the roadshow version with an intermission. Through the mid 70’s I was there constantly. It was the best small cinema I’ve ever been to. The screen had a “in your face quality” that the the moviegoing experience very special there. Mom would take us every week there. They had 99cent shows. In the 70’s it was called the Wayne mall Theater. Then it went to pornography and became an eyesore for wayne NJ.
I was overjoyed when in 1996 it was refurbished as the Valleyview Twin. They cut the theater in 2 and made a nice neighborborhood twin cinema. The prints are sharp and the atmosphere good.I do miss the single screen cinema but it’s great that it is restored and not a victim of the wrecking ball
I’ve never been to the Montauk as I always remember it as being a porn house. But it’s still there, owned by a slumlord who refuses to restore or repair the theater, I guess it’s a good writeoff. The thetaer is a scandal as they’ve caught patrons having sex acts in the isles. They’ve since re-opened it. It’s the same. I’ve written letters proclaiming that a good way to revitalize Passaic would be to restore the theater to it’s original glory. They could have film premieres, concerts, shows and show classic films. But that’s a pipedream since Passaic , NJ is a dump. Gangs, drugs, stripbars etc. Who’d go there. I’ve never seen pictures of the interior..I hear it’s awesome with a great procenium and over 2000 seats and a balcony.
Spragga…The Fabian closed in the early 90’s due to the deterioration of the neighborhood, no-parking at all and the spate of movies. Splatterfilms, low budget horror, martial arts. But mainly, the neighborhood. I saw The Godafather there in 72. My Grandfather took me. In those days you could go to the Fabian and not fear for your life. Now , Paterson is a gangland area of thugs. The Fabian is still there. I’d love to see them restore it, as well as paterson, which they’re trying to do. I think it’s a pipedream though.
Bill..I envy you, seeing How West was Won at Clairidge in Cinerama. I would have loved to have seen that. The theater is now a dump. I saw Rocky 3 in 70mm at the Bellevue in 82…the last movie I saw there as a single screen. Even the DVD version doesn’t have the widescreen or sound that the bellevue had in 82. I wonder whatever happened to that print?
The Bellevue was one of the most awesome theaters. That’s another one that has but cut to 4 screens.Everything is multiplexed. Young people today will have no feel for what a movie experience in a great theater should be….all we have our the memories. They could cut the Astor up into a 10plex if they wanted to. I’d rather see them bring it down than do that.
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.
You know, I went there for the first time this year and I was impressed by the size of the theaters. It must have been something in the old days. I saw The Alamo there last week and the theater was huge, although the projection and sound were poor. There were a couple highschoolers working there. I couldn’t stop thinking about how that theater could be better used if spruced up a bit. I’d love to see pictures of the old interior. The theater still has phone booths. I was thinking about getting a part=time job there this summer.
Trivia question: When it was a twin theater…which theater was Century paramus 1 and 2. The top(converted bacony?) or bottom. It’s a matter of time before they knock this down too. I’ve never seen the parking lot full/
The new Bellevue is certainly the destruction and demise of a once great theater. Probably one of the best theaters ever in NJ. I remember in the 70’s it was a premier theater with reserved seat engagement. I always loved the design of the theater and the size of the scree. Now it’s like sitting in a tin can, especially the smaller theater upstairs (where the former balcony was). It’s impossible to sit straight as there is no room at all, you have to sit sideways. The projection and sound are horrible, the theater looks like a homeless shelter. It’s skeevy
The people who bought it and cut it up destroyed it(as many theaters in Northern NJ)Are there any pictures one can get showing the exterior/interior of the old Bellevue??
Vincent..I’ve never been to the Warner…I’d love to see picture from these old Nj theaters…don’t know where to find them…especially from passaic County…I’m dying to get to Loews Jersey City..I was gonna go last week to see Angels/Dirty faces and West Side Story..the problem is they start the films too late and they’re spaced apart…I’d have to wait around till the next one…
I prefer earlier shows like the lafayette shows…plus Jersey City, not the best area…I was in Times Square yesterday, and was very depressed since all of these discussions about the heyday. I agree, that it’s like a big shopping center. I miss the old theaters. I never went to the Criterion, I just remember walking by it alot when the cut it up to like what, 8 theaters? I saw Raging Bull at the Cinerama in 80, wish I could have seen more there, it’s now an arcade? The Astor is showing The Punisher for God’s sake…not the final movie I’d like to see there, maybe I’ll just let it lie with 2001…on a good note, I went to Film Forum to see a pristine print of High Noon, it was awesome.
Hey Vincent, remember theaters like the Claridge in Montclair? now it’s chopped up into 6 small uncomfortable theaters,…as is The Allwood in Clifton and The Hawthorne and Hyway…all cut up…They were great huge single screen theaters back in the day…and what’s with the Ziefeld, I hear it’s not open all the time…The problem with these theaters are they’re not being used right,,,,they’re run by suits with no feel for the experience and love of a great movie..
Vincent,. It’s great you’ve been to the NJ theaters I know. First- 2201 at the Astor a few years back? As I remember , it DID have an intermission. But I saw it the first weekend. There was paractically no advertising for it at all and it bombed, so I assume they just cut the intermission for later shows. I agree with all comments on the state of theater management these days. They’re all run by high school kids and managers who know squat. You ever try to tell one the difference between anamorphic and flat when they frame it wrong. Don’t you want to smack them when they say “That’s how the film was sent to us”. Everyone on this site has forgotton more about the proper way to run a theater than these bozos will EVER know. Imagine if we all bonded and ran our own theater just running classic movies…our way… WOW…unfortunately I think we’d all be like the characters in Reservoir Dogs. Hey, it’s a thought. My compliments to all the passion from you movielovers, I thought I was alone. The morons who run these theaters today have no love for movies, and they’re all stupid.
Vincent, I saw Earthquake at Cinema 46 in Sensurround too and many others for over 25 years. First film there for me , :Live and Let Die". Over the years, it went downhill, run by highschoolers etc. And the last film I saw there, “Empire Strikes Back” in 1997, 1 week before the theater closed in April 97. I went there when they were tearing it down, I was bummed. Stanley Warner…what can I say..first film there…Star Wars in 77, what an experience, I also saw the re-release on the same screen. I was there this past weekend for Man on Fire. I love the big theater. I would have loved to see it as a single screen theater, I only remember it as a triplex to start,,, but the big theater is still the same for me. There’s talk of razing that too for a bigger multiplex.
Now my memories are coming from, The Lafayette in Suffern NY. A true classic 1 screen theater, they love movies there and they show classics every week. Go to …bigscreenclassics.com….you’ll see.
I assume the Astor will go downhill fast now that it’s gonna close. Bad projection, sound etc. Oh the humanity!!! I miss the 70’s. hey Vincent..remember the Totowa Cinema…with the big sheetrock 3 dimensional screen??? That was a theater…first twinned…now gone. RIP 1992.
Vincent…I di see 2001 at the Astor in 2001. It was great..but I HEAR ya because I didn’t have the Rivoli experience you did. I saw Apocalypse Now on opening day 8/15/79 at the Ziegfeld and I never saw or heard anything like it. I saw the re-release at the Astor in 2001 and while good…it just wasn’t the same as the original 79 version at the Ziegfeld.. I thought there WAS a Doors tribute band behind the screen and that there was a helicopter in the theater. There was a theater by me in NJ called the Cinema 46 and in 1975 they played Tommy and The Hindenburg in 6 track. I still never heard anything like it since. Yes, it must be the great prints of yesteryear. Any closing date on the Astor??
Vincent. I think you need to take a trip to Astor Plaza again. You need to see the screen there. You seem to have a bad vibe about the Astor, did you have a bad experience there?
Where is the Mayfair/DeMille located? address.. what’s there now? I agree, the ASTOR is not a design masterpiece of old theater like the Ziegfeld or the Lafayette in Suffern NY. But, it has one of the largest screens I’ve ever seen and I have good memories of seeing flicks there. It IS a great theater.
Darby..I did a play years ago at the Rivoli (now called the Williams center) The chandollier was still there as was the stage area, they were renovating due to a fire. What a theater that must have been. My first job ever was as an usher at the Clifton Theater in 1976. I loved it. When was the last time you saw an usher? We had “smoking sections” back then. I DO really miss the days of the Plaza and fabian. There’s a theater in Suffern, NY (Rockland County) called the Lafayette. It’s the last of the old time vaudville style big theayers. They show classic movies every Saturday complete with Wurlitzer organ. It’s a throwback to the day, you’d love it. Check out bigscreenclassics.com.
At some point I’m going to write about the Plaza and Clifton and include it on this web site. I’d like to start a dialogue. Do you have any keepsakes or remembrances of the Plaza at all?? Thanks Darby. Rhett