Palace Theatre
174 Newark Avenue,
Jersey City,
NJ
07302
174 Newark Avenue,
Jersey City,
NJ
07302
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Liggett-Florin Booking Service, Proctor's
Architects: John Bailey McElfatrick
Firms: J. B. McElfatrick and Sons
Previous Names: Bijou Theatre, Keith & Proctor's J.C. Theatre, B.F. Keith's Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Opened as the Bijou Theatre on November 14, 1888 It was operated by Frederick Proctor. In 1906 he formed a partnership with B.F. Keith and the theatre was renamed Keith & Proctor’s J.C. Theatre until 1911 when the partnership was dissolved and it became B.F. Keith’s Theatre. On October 9, 1920 a Wurlitzer organ (opus 354) was installed. It was renamed Palace Theatre on October 12, 1929. By 1950 it was operated by Liggett-Florin Booking Service. It was still listed as operating in the 1955 Film Daily Yearbook. It was closed in 1969 and the vacant building was destroyed by fire in May 1970.
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
Nice photo on page 19 of Arcadia Publishing’s “Jersey City: 1940-1960”. They state that this theater is now a drug store named Palace Drugs.
I found this address:
Palace Drug Store
(201) 432-3300
(201) 432-1317
172 Newark Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07302
At one time known as B. F. Keith’s. Opened in 1906.
Here is a photo from Google maps:
http://snipurl.com/5ayy1
From the google aerial photos, the Palace Drugs building is clearly too small to have been a 1,000- seat theater. Also, Palace Drugs is 172 Newark Ave. It’s possible that the low one-floor building to the right of Palace Drugs was where the entrance/lobby was for the Palace Theatre. It would be a fairly long lobby leading back to where there is now a parking lot. Looks like this theater is probably demolished.
Spectrum is correct. The Palace Drug Store was next door. The theatre and drug store were operating at the same time. There was also a restaurant next to the theatre on the other side. They had a griddle in the window with hot dogs on it all the time. Would stop for a dog or two. I saw Elvis Presley in “Love Me Tender” @ The Palace. It was a neighborhood theatre at the time for a working class area of Downtown Jersey City. The theatre was between Jersey Avenue and Eire Street. Newark Avenue was a thrieving four or five block shopping area at the time. It boasted three different “Five and Dime” stores: F.W.Woolworths, H.L.Greens and W.T. Grants. There was a small dep’t store called The Wonder Store. When Mussolini declared war on the USA, the owner fired all the Italian Americans employees. My mom was furious and told the owner. She never shopped there again. When we would pass by in the 50’s she would tell us the story. My mom was actually ashasmed of Mussolini. But, was annoyed that he did this to innocent Italian Americans. A phobia which was showing it’s ugly head at the time. In most cases this prejudice was metted out to Italian, German and Japanese American citizens.
The area suffered a downhill slide. In the late 50’s and 60’s. It is now a shadow of it’s former self. Our family dentist was down the block Dr. S. Grochow DDS. He was a very nice and caring man. He treated us from children until adulthood when he retired. He saw my sister and I grow up. His office was on a triangle at Newark Ave and Eire St. Here is somemore history of The Palace and it’s neighbors. I grew up on York Street about five blocks away. Michael
Here is a brief article about Kieth & Proctor’s Theatre in Jersey City which was published in the June, 1907, issue of Gaillard’s Medical Journal:
The Palace Theatre was originally called the Bijou, and was in operation by 1904, controlled by Frederick Proctor. After Proctor merged his interests into the Keith & Proctor Amusement Company in 1906 the house was remodeled and renamed Keith & Proctors. When the partnership was dissolved, the house became B. F. Keith’s Theatre.By 1918 a 300-seat theater called the Bijou Dream, under the same management as B. F. Keith’s Theatre, was opened in the former Hotel Criterion building next door at 172 Newark Avenue. That building is still standing, but the original Bijou that became the Palace has been entirely demolished.
This web page has a before & after photo of the sites of the Bijou Dream and Palace. The “then” photo shows the new front of the Bijou after it had become B. F. Keith’s Theatre, with the Bijou Dream next door.
This opened as Majestic on September 16th, 1910 and as the Palace theatre on October 12th, 1929. Both grand opening ads in the photo section.
Destroyed by fire in May, 1970, after being closed for more than a year. Newspaper report displayed in photos section.