Michael and Bill, how fascinating to put together all the shows and dates! I worked there for all of them! As a matter of fact I used to know the dialogue to most of them after watching them so often! One of my many tasks was to re-stock the candy stand during the first half of the show (before Intermission), and I KNEW exactly when the break was coming in order to alert the candy stand. The renovated booth ( 2nd floor) was manned by 3 projectionists in the early years—-quite a great feat of co-ordination to switch reels all at the same time. Then came, 70mm and it reduced the booth to 1 projectionist—I remember the union complaining like hell, but hey, life moved on as does everything else. Yes, at one point my father was involved in 14 screens in north Jersey. I remember one theater—i think it was the Brook, in Bound Brook, NJ, where they completely refurbished the great Wurlitzer, and opening night there was a concert by SPEBSQUA—a society for the preservation of barbershop quartets—-what a grand palace that was!My father saw the end of what was then the theater business and chased me out—telling me that I should get a good job with a company and maybe I could make $25,000 a year with benefits! He was right..sadly, because I loved the business!
My father owned the Clairidge Theater from 1958-59 until his physical demise circa 1995. As a kid I worked there selling programs, popcorn, and working the box office. I’m intimately familiar with the “Old” theater—pre Cinerama, during the renovation, and afterwards. Fortunately, i was not in the area for the demise. The old theater was quite a majestic showplace: dressing roome, orchestra pit, and little know, at the top of the proscenium, there was a trap door/secret hiding place where one could “spy” on the audience! The Cinerama sound system was called “Sound of the Theater”: made by Altec-Lansing, and to a young boy the 6 speakers behind the screen looked like the size of a Holiday Inn. One post mentioned the Wellmont Theater down the street, which my father also owned: yes, it was much larger, and in the back there were 3 stories of dressing rooms, complete with make-up mirrors, sinks, and even a small resting area—I’m sure this was for live performances year ago. The Clairidge, in it’s heyday was the only “hard ticket” theater in NJ. My father was quite a guy—spending his whole life in the movie industry, named to the first NJ State Film Commission. I don’t know where he found the time to be so involved with NJ Film, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanus Club, NATO ( national asscociation of theater owners, etc. Yes sadly, a time gone by
Michael and Bill, how fascinating to put together all the shows and dates! I worked there for all of them! As a matter of fact I used to know the dialogue to most of them after watching them so often! One of my many tasks was to re-stock the candy stand during the first half of the show (before Intermission), and I KNEW exactly when the break was coming in order to alert the candy stand. The renovated booth ( 2nd floor) was manned by 3 projectionists in the early years—-quite a great feat of co-ordination to switch reels all at the same time. Then came, 70mm and it reduced the booth to 1 projectionist—I remember the union complaining like hell, but hey, life moved on as does everything else. Yes, at one point my father was involved in 14 screens in north Jersey. I remember one theater—i think it was the Brook, in Bound Brook, NJ, where they completely refurbished the great Wurlitzer, and opening night there was a concert by SPEBSQUA—a society for the preservation of barbershop quartets—-what a grand palace that was!My father saw the end of what was then the theater business and chased me out—telling me that I should get a good job with a company and maybe I could make $25,000 a year with benefits! He was right..sadly, because I loved the business!
My father owned the Clairidge Theater from 1958-59 until his physical demise circa 1995. As a kid I worked there selling programs, popcorn, and working the box office. I’m intimately familiar with the “Old” theater—pre Cinerama, during the renovation, and afterwards. Fortunately, i was not in the area for the demise. The old theater was quite a majestic showplace: dressing roome, orchestra pit, and little know, at the top of the proscenium, there was a trap door/secret hiding place where one could “spy” on the audience! The Cinerama sound system was called “Sound of the Theater”: made by Altec-Lansing, and to a young boy the 6 speakers behind the screen looked like the size of a Holiday Inn. One post mentioned the Wellmont Theater down the street, which my father also owned: yes, it was much larger, and in the back there were 3 stories of dressing rooms, complete with make-up mirrors, sinks, and even a small resting area—I’m sure this was for live performances year ago. The Clairidge, in it’s heyday was the only “hard ticket” theater in NJ. My father was quite a guy—spending his whole life in the movie industry, named to the first NJ State Film Commission. I don’t know where he found the time to be so involved with NJ Film, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanus Club, NATO ( national asscociation of theater owners, etc. Yes sadly, a time gone by