Cinema Center 5

Associated Independent Theatres (A.I.T.) Circuit had launched the Brick Plaza Theatre on October 8, 1964 in the expansion of the Brick Plaza Shopping Center. Its success spurred this second theatre designed by Charles H. Gottwalt. When conceptualized in 1966, it was given the working project name of Brick Plaza South. By the time the cinema opened, it was called The Mall Cinema and was in the Kennedy Shopping Mall directly across the Brick Plaza. The Mall Cinema launched as a single-screen theatre for A.I.T. on April 2, 1969 with “Gone with the Wind.” The 800-seat theatre matched the new colonial architectural style of its neighbor.

Music Makers Circuit took on the theatre and created the two-screen operation, Mall Cinema 1 and 2, beginning on December 22, 1971 with “Carnal Knowledge” and “Diamonds are Forever.” The Brick Plaza Theatre also twinned on October 15, 1975.

On May 27, 1976, that the Mall Cinema became a triplex, the Mall Cinema 1, 2 & 3. It was Ocean County’s first triplex.

On October 11, 1985, the Mall Cinema became the Cinema Centre 5. On January 2, 1987, the Music Makers Theatres became Loews Theatres. Loews vacillated between the name of Cinema Center 5 and Cinema Centre 5. The theatre was operated under the circuit’s Sony Theatre nameplate from 1994 from 1999 before reverting to its final two years as the Loews Cinema Centre 5. On March 26, 2001, Loews closed the theatre with Cast Away, Chocolat, Crouching Tiger, Hannibal, Recess, Sweet November and the Wedding Planner.