Grand Theatre
405 S. Main Street,
Williamstown,
NJ
08094
405 S. Main Street,
Williamstown,
NJ
08094
4 people
favorited this theater
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Grand just opened another season of live performances. Shows this year include Jimmy Buffett’s Escape from Margaritaville, the Mountaintop, the Bodyguard, My Way, Beautiful and a ‘legends’ cabaret.
Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer article re summer theater camp at the rebuilt Grand, http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20130728_Kevin_Riordan__Kids_come_alive_with_the_sound_of_a_musical.html
Reopening this weekend with a production of Hairspray. Philadelphia Inquirer story here.
Does not look too good for them.
That’s probably it for this place unless they have a big insurance policy. Sounds like good things were happening. So this is really a shame.
here is a link to a vidieo of the collapse.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=7443238
Sadly this is more than just a buckle in the roof as the previous article implies. The chances of this being repaired in a month’s time seem pretty slim looking at these photos: View link
Part of the roof collapsed today. Article here-
View link
SCarino….please contact me for further comments on the Grand Theatre in Williamstown. I’m doing a short history and would like to have you included. Thanks…LesterELGY
@ aol.com
The Theater was not sold to a local church group in the 1970’s. That wasn’t until the early 1990’s. The Grand ran second-run films thru the 1970’s until 1987. The last film to play there was Wes Craven’s Deadly Friend. After the theater closed, the words “Deadly Friend” hanged on the sign outside for a year. Growing up in Williamstown, I was there every weekend. earliest film I remember seeing was The China Syndrome. The lobby was filled with vinage 1950’s era vending machine that didn’t work and they sold soda in the smallest paper dixie cups. They discouraged people from drinking in the theater itself with signs in the concession area telling you not to do so. The best thing about the theater was how the the whole town came out to the movies in the summer… you didn’t need parking- everyone walked.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loojie/169188389/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loojie/169847505/
Opened in 1924. Remodeled along with new marquee in 1940. Sold to a local church group in the 1970s. Purchased in 2004 for use as a theater.
Images of America: South Jersey Movie Houses, page 78