For those interested, Nosferatu (the classic German version of Dracula from 1922) will be shown ON FILM at the Union County Performing Arts Center on Saturday, November 14th at 8:00 pm. Bernie Anderson will be at the Mighty Wurlitzer doing live accompaniment to this tale of horror. The film will be proceeded by a classic comedy silent short. Worth the trip out, just a 20 minute trip on train from Penn Central, or a short drive from Parkway exit 136.
Movie Trailer for the new book on the State Theater and other Woodbridge Theaters. Captures the flavor of the book which is available on Amazon, as well as telling the story of the State Theater’s 40 years.
New book “Life and Death of a Movie Theater” now available on Amazon.com. The Story of the State THeater, also contains the story of other Woodbridge Theaters including the Woodbridge Drive-In.
This October 25th at 8PM will feature the original Lon Chaney “Phantom of the Opera” by film on our big screen. Admission is $7.00. Come in costume and be entered in our prize drawing. At the “Biggest Little Wurlitzer” is Bernie Andersen, using the organ for its first feature performance since the $270,000 restoration. It’s a night not to be missed. From NYC, the theater is 4 minutes walk from the NJ Transit Train Station in Rahway. For more info on the theater or organ, see UCPAC.ORG or http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2014/09/1928_wurlitzer_that_saved_union_county_arts_
to see the organ in action!
Classic films are never shown in the “video” format. Some current short film festivals are, since they were shot and distributed on video. The theater is outfited with “reel” movie projectors. There will be another tour this October 18 & 19 showing the Classic Silent Picture/Vaudeville theater in its 86th year. for information see ucpac.org
@ Markp or other CT members – Even from a young kid’s view point you could see the crumbling of the plaster walls from the roof leaks, and the lack of maintenance. Do you know anything about “Speck” the usher, or any of the staff? I have been trying to find “Specks” real name, if he had a family, etc. Any help would be appreciated.
The Union County will be having a film show January 6th 2011, the first Thursday of the month, at 7:00 PM. Classic films and cartoons of the thirties will be shown from film on our big screen. See http://ucpac.org/images/Image/FilmShortsFlyer.pdf for title information. ADMISSION IS FREE. Come in early and enjoy a walk around our fully restored 1928 vaudeville theater. Cameras welcome before show starts.
Movies will be a part of the upcoming year’s schedules. Program for next film selection will be posted shortly. Watch the website WWW.UCPAC.com or watch this space. Future films from Classics to Independants will be posted in the schedule. Feel free to email suggestions to and they will be reviewed and forwarded. The Art Center always desires to hear patrons requests.
Or come visit and speak to us yourself during 4 Centuries weekend, Oct 16 and 17, 2010.
Thom T – Just read your post from a few years back. The theater was located on the corner of Coreja Avenue and Oak Tree Road. It appears to have been completely gutted, but you can see the outside, which has 4 flat “columns” in the front. Between the center two were the entrance to the theater. There were two stores to either side of the theater entrance, between the remaining columns, and if I rember correctly, the corner store sold Italian Ice and Hot Dogs at one time during the 60’s. THe main store in the theater now is a Sari shop. At one time in the early 80’s, Bollywood films were shown. When the midnight shows were popular, I tried to rent the theater. Could not come to an agreement with the owner. I think it closed around 1984.
I went to this theater as a kid, back in the 60’s. The usher wore a blue Eisenhower uniform jacket, and a hard brimmed cloth dress hat, similar to a soldier’s derss hat. His name was “Speck”, if I remember correctly, and he seemed to hate children. He would take our ticket and, in a gruff voice say “10 rows up from the front”. I think he thought that would stop us from hitting the screen with our candies. The children’s matinee had some classic films, like 4-D Man, or most of the Roger Corman-Vincent Price films. I even remember seeing Fra Diavolo with Laurel and Hardy one Saturday afternoon! Whoever the booker was knew exactly what sold with a kiddie audience. I can remember lines around the corner, and being turned away due to the sellout crowd when they ran Three Stooges Meet Hercules. If it had held in for another 5 years, it might have been saved.
On October 16 and 17 2010 (Satruday-Sunday) there will be tours of the theater as part of Union County’s 4 Centuries weekend. See the website www.ucpac.org for further details. Get to see behind the scenes, and to experience the history of this beautifully restored classic Vaudeville/Silent Film landmark.
For those interested, Nosferatu (the classic German version of Dracula from 1922) will be shown ON FILM at the Union County Performing Arts Center on Saturday, November 14th at 8:00 pm. Bernie Anderson will be at the Mighty Wurlitzer doing live accompaniment to this tale of horror. The film will be proceeded by a classic comedy silent short. Worth the trip out, just a 20 minute trip on train from Penn Central, or a short drive from Parkway exit 136.
Sorry. I meant Paramount and Artcraft affiliation.
Movie Trailer for the new book on the State Theater and other Woodbridge Theaters. Captures the flavor of the book which is available on Amazon, as well as telling the story of the State Theater’s 40 years.
https://archive.org/details/LifeAndDeathOfAMovieTheater_201505
New book “Life and Death of a Movie Theater” now available on Amazon.com. The Story of the State THeater, also contains the story of other Woodbridge Theaters including the Woodbridge Drive-In.
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Movie-Theater-Joseph-Hyatt/dp/1512212830/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432163736&sr=8-1&keywords=life+and+death+of+a+movie+theater
New book on the story of the State Theater (and all the Woodbridge, NJ theaters) is now available on amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Movie-Theater-Joseph-Hyatt/dp/1512212830/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432163736&sr=8-1&keywords=life+and+death+of+a+movie+theater
This October 25th at 8PM will feature the original Lon Chaney “Phantom of the Opera” by film on our big screen. Admission is $7.00. Come in costume and be entered in our prize drawing. At the “Biggest Little Wurlitzer” is Bernie Andersen, using the organ for its first feature performance since the $270,000 restoration. It’s a night not to be missed. From NYC, the theater is 4 minutes walk from the NJ Transit Train Station in Rahway. For more info on the theater or organ, see UCPAC.ORG or http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2014/09/1928_wurlitzer_that_saved_union_county_arts_ to see the organ in action!
Classic films are never shown in the “video” format. Some current short film festivals are, since they were shot and distributed on video. The theater is outfited with “reel” movie projectors. There will be another tour this October 18 & 19 showing the Classic Silent Picture/Vaudeville theater in its 86th year. for information see ucpac.org
The story of Speck Coughlin, State Theater’s usher for 40+ years!
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k124/sandman300/ijh503.jpg
@ Markp or other CT members – Even from a young kid’s view point you could see the crumbling of the plaster walls from the roof leaks, and the lack of maintenance. Do you know anything about “Speck” the usher, or any of the staff? I have been trying to find “Specks” real name, if he had a family, etc. Any help would be appreciated.
The Union County will be having a film show January 6th 2011, the first Thursday of the month, at 7:00 PM. Classic films and cartoons of the thirties will be shown from film on our big screen. See http://ucpac.org/images/Image/FilmShortsFlyer.pdf for title information. ADMISSION IS FREE. Come in early and enjoy a walk around our fully restored 1928 vaudeville theater. Cameras welcome before show starts.
Movies will be a part of the upcoming year’s schedules. Program for next film selection will be posted shortly. Watch the website WWW.UCPAC.com or watch this space. Future films from Classics to Independants will be posted in the schedule. Feel free to email suggestions to and they will be reviewed and forwarded. The Art Center always desires to hear patrons requests.
Or come visit and speak to us yourself during 4 Centuries weekend, Oct 16 and 17, 2010.
Thom T – Just read your post from a few years back. The theater was located on the corner of Coreja Avenue and Oak Tree Road. It appears to have been completely gutted, but you can see the outside, which has 4 flat “columns” in the front. Between the center two were the entrance to the theater. There were two stores to either side of the theater entrance, between the remaining columns, and if I rember correctly, the corner store sold Italian Ice and Hot Dogs at one time during the 60’s. THe main store in the theater now is a Sari shop. At one time in the early 80’s, Bollywood films were shown. When the midnight shows were popular, I tried to rent the theater. Could not come to an agreement with the owner. I think it closed around 1984.
I went to this theater as a kid, back in the 60’s. The usher wore a blue Eisenhower uniform jacket, and a hard brimmed cloth dress hat, similar to a soldier’s derss hat. His name was “Speck”, if I remember correctly, and he seemed to hate children. He would take our ticket and, in a gruff voice say “10 rows up from the front”. I think he thought that would stop us from hitting the screen with our candies. The children’s matinee had some classic films, like 4-D Man, or most of the Roger Corman-Vincent Price films. I even remember seeing Fra Diavolo with Laurel and Hardy one Saturday afternoon! Whoever the booker was knew exactly what sold with a kiddie audience. I can remember lines around the corner, and being turned away due to the sellout crowd when they ran Three Stooges Meet Hercules. If it had held in for another 5 years, it might have been saved.
On October 16 and 17 2010 (Satruday-Sunday) there will be tours of the theater as part of Union County’s 4 Centuries weekend. See the website www.ucpac.org for further details. Get to see behind the scenes, and to experience the history of this beautifully restored classic Vaudeville/Silent Film landmark.