Sony Theatres Community Twin
Route 36,
Eatontown,
NJ
07724
Route 36,
Eatontown,
NJ
07724
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Loew's Theatres, Music Makers, Sony Theatres, Walter Reade Theatres
Architects: David Marner
Styles: Colonial Revival
Previous Names: Community Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The 600-seat Community Theatre was opened on August 25, 1964 with William Holden in “The 7th Dawn”. It was a single screen house, operated by Walter Reade Theatres and was twinned poorly on November 3, 1976. The sight lines were so bad that you had to practically sit sideways in your seat to get a full view of the screens. Taken over by Loews and renamed Sony Theatres Community Twin, it was closed on July 6, 1995 when a sixteen-plex opened in Monmouth Mall across the highway. It was demolished on October 22, 1999 and a strip mall now occupies the property.
Contributed by
jimmyt
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
This theater was under the Lowes ’s banner when it was twinned an shut its doors. The AMC lowes Manmaouth Mall multiplex that replaced it is 15 screens not 16 screens
This theatre looked like a barn.
Anyone know the details about this?
Construction on this theatre began February 17, 1964 with the opening on August 25, 1964 featuring THE 7th DAWN (United Artists) starring William Holden, Susannah York and Capucine. The theatre was of the standard Colonial design established by Walter Reade, Jr for most of his new theatres. The theatre was part of a complex named Eatontown Cinema Centre (Community Theatre and Eatontown Drive-In) with a special motion picture research library for film historians. The drive-n was demolished 1982 and the Community was demolished October 19, 1999. Cinema Centre Motion Picture Researc Library stil exists, having been established September 11, 1963 in connection with the 1st New York Film Festival at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City. Cinema Centre had two operating bases – Long Branch and Eatontown, NJ. The Eatontown operations will begiun new operations in March 2007 after a reorganization period. Plans are being considered to operate from the Paramount Theatre, Long Branch site when the theatre is refurbished, renovated and reopened in 2008.
The Eatontown Theatre concept was originally planned for the Monmouth Shopping Center [1960] (now the Monmouth Mall) and redesigned with futuristic design [1963] for the stretch of Route 36 heading east where the Community Theatre stood and which is now occupied by a strip mall and several car dealerships ending at the NJ Motor Vehicle facilities. The shopping center incorporation was denied and the Eatontown Theatre design was scaled down. The projection equipment was standard 35mm optical (monophonic sound). In 1977, under the Music Maker firm, the theatre was made into a twin. Special sound presentations included EARTHQUAKE (Universal 1974) and BATTLESTAR GALATICA (Universal 1978) in Sensurround, and DAMNATION ALLEY (20th-Fox 1977)in Sound 360. Cinema Centre has files on the Community which include gala opening data, original news ads and tear-sheets, theatre photo and artist design for the original Eatontown Theatre and Cinema Centre complex. Inquiries:
I remember the barn shape! I miss this place!
The Boxoffice article Tinseltoes linked to says that the Community Theatre in Eatontown was designed by architect David Marner. As the article says (and photos demonstrate) that the Community Theatre in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, opened in 1963, was almost identical to this house, it’s probable that Marner designed that house as well.
Walter Reade opened the 900-seat Community Theatre with its colonial architectural style with an invitational screening of “The Seventh Dawn” on August 25, 1964. Just after Loews rebranded as Sony, it closed as the Sony Theatres Community Twin on May 24, 1995 with “Panther” and “Perez Family.”
[Deleted] is the current email address.
In which auditorium was “Damnation Alley” screened?