I grew up in Carteret and have fond memories of spending many a day at the Ritz theater, where you could see cartoons and a double feature for 35 cents. Instant babysitting, where our mom could drop us off for a good part of the day and not have to worry about us.
I want to say the bakery caty corner and about half a block east of the Ritz was originally called Uhlman’s Bakery, where you could smell the baking from blocks away, and the candy store next to the Ritz was Harrigans, and a door or two down was another sstore where we sometime got candy but always got our comic books was Jakee Klien’s (not sure about first name spelling). As I recall, the movie was either owned or run by a Mr. Spewak or Spevak (again, not sure about the spelling). The young usher guy someone said reminded him of Lurch reminded me more of someone from Terry and the Pirates, or those guys who put a stocking over their heads and pull it back to draw their face back. He was freaky to us kids.
I also recall sticky (from spilled sodas and gum) concrete floors, and seats covered underneath with bubble gum, kids throwing jaw breakers at the screen, and my favorite candy from the machine were Boston Baked Beans, They would also hand out a little bi-fold flyer telling you what movies were next, and it would be great if someone had one they could scan and post, as it would bring back lots of memories.
I also recall the red plastic seats, the blue-lighted neon-like Flieshman’s clock up front on the right side, and I want to say they may have had a small balcony on each side near the front, but I am not sure.
I want to say they would typically show two of the same sort of movies, like two westerns, or two sci-fi movies. My mom would tell us about the earlier movie theaters in the area, as back in the 60s, the remains and sign for the old Majestic up the Hill in Carteret, could still be seeen along Roosevelt Avenue. The Majestic in Pert Amboy was one of the old, grand type theaters, much larger than the Ritz. I also recall the Woodbridge Drive-in, and they had a mock-up space ship up near the Woddbridge Circle, where you sat inside this cigar-shaped rocket ship, they would raise it up at an angle, it would shake, and you would get out on the other side in a soryt of lunar landscape, and could pick up what we thought were moon rocks, and buy ray guns at the store where you got your tickets. Fun times for a space-race Cold War kid in those days.
I grew up in Carteret and have fond memories of spending many a day at the Ritz theater, where you could see cartoons and a double feature for 35 cents. Instant babysitting, where our mom could drop us off for a good part of the day and not have to worry about us. I want to say the bakery caty corner and about half a block east of the Ritz was originally called Uhlman’s Bakery, where you could smell the baking from blocks away, and the candy store next to the Ritz was Harrigans, and a door or two down was another sstore where we sometime got candy but always got our comic books was Jakee Klien’s (not sure about first name spelling). As I recall, the movie was either owned or run by a Mr. Spewak or Spevak (again, not sure about the spelling). The young usher guy someone said reminded him of Lurch reminded me more of someone from Terry and the Pirates, or those guys who put a stocking over their heads and pull it back to draw their face back. He was freaky to us kids. I also recall sticky (from spilled sodas and gum) concrete floors, and seats covered underneath with bubble gum, kids throwing jaw breakers at the screen, and my favorite candy from the machine were Boston Baked Beans, They would also hand out a little bi-fold flyer telling you what movies were next, and it would be great if someone had one they could scan and post, as it would bring back lots of memories. I also recall the red plastic seats, the blue-lighted neon-like Flieshman’s clock up front on the right side, and I want to say they may have had a small balcony on each side near the front, but I am not sure.
I want to say they would typically show two of the same sort of movies, like two westerns, or two sci-fi movies. My mom would tell us about the earlier movie theaters in the area, as back in the 60s, the remains and sign for the old Majestic up the Hill in Carteret, could still be seeen along Roosevelt Avenue. The Majestic in Pert Amboy was one of the old, grand type theaters, much larger than the Ritz. I also recall the Woodbridge Drive-in, and they had a mock-up space ship up near the Woddbridge Circle, where you sat inside this cigar-shaped rocket ship, they would raise it up at an angle, it would shake, and you would get out on the other side in a soryt of lunar landscape, and could pick up what we thought were moon rocks, and buy ray guns at the store where you got your tickets. Fun times for a space-race Cold War kid in those days.