Hyway Theater
2260 Broadway,
Fair Lawn,
NJ
07410
2260 Broadway,
Fair Lawn,
NJ
07410
3 people
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Grand opening ad:
Hyway theatre opening Tue, Jun 30, 1942 – 4 · The News (Paterson, New Jersey, United States of America) · Newspapers.com
The Hyway Theatre launched on July 1, 1942 with the film, “In This Our Life” and “Two Yanks in Trinidad.” It closed in February of 2009 with “Coraline.”
Two screens on February 17th, 1978. No ad found.
Is he still alive?
35 years ago yesterday ET played here on one screen while Conan continued to play on another. Later on, ET would be played on two screens due to popular demand and the rest is history.
I have a very distinct memory of seeing “Jaws” here in 1975 at age nine. One of the first instances of intense blockbuster style marketing that we now take for granted. Huge posters, cardboard lobby standees, souvenirs for sale. Ice cream available for sale in “sharklate, finilla or Jawsberry.”
Had it stayed open, The Hyway would’ve faced even more competition from Regal’s first ever theater in Paramus.
You’d never know a theater existed here if you saw it now. They’ve done a complete renovation on the site effectively wiping out anything from the theater.
The opening of the AMC Garden State Plaza 16 effectively killed the Hyway because AMC now had booking clearance over them and the Hyway would not have been able to get the top films any longer.
Money. That makes sense because it certainly wasn’t due to attendance being off. It was a decent, neighborhood place that people in the area could actually walk to. And the outside was never dirty or anything. Sad that it took money to finally bring it down.
The owner of the theatre where I work knows the owners of this former theatre. They weren’t going to invest the money needed for digital projection, and they got a boat load of money for the building. Its like anything else today, show me the money.
I wish someone could post some pictures of this theater when it was in its “heyday”. I can’t imagine what it must have looked like. Right now the false facade is ripped off the front of the theater facing Broadway/Route 4. You can see that the original building had some kind of curving front where I assume the marquee was (and I think is confirmed by the 1986 photo posted by ‘Lost Memory’ where it appears like the titles gently “curve” around the front of the building). I’d like to know what made the owners sell. Although I really didn’t like this theater (it was a fairly typical neighborhood place, not overly well maintained but OK), I picked up my daughter once after she and some friends saw a movie and there was quite a crowd. This was only about 2 years ago.
Oh crap, I can’t believe I just heard today that this theater had closed! There is an article about it in today’s Record newspaper. I grew up in Elmwood Park and used to walk to this theater when I was a kid. Is the Hyway sign really gone? Had I known beforehand, I would’ve gone on closing night and seen a movie and snapped a few photos.
I went by the theatre the other day and it was completely gutted inside and the “HYWAY” neon sign above the marquee was being removed.
Even though it’s not actually in Paramus, this was the last of the classic style theaters in the area. First the Paramus Picture Show went, then the little theater in front of Garden State Plaza, and lastly the Tenplex on rt. 4. It’s sad that, other than that generic, cold, factory style AMC theater at the mall, there won’t be any other movie theaters in the area. AMC, with their Walmart style of operations, has really found a way to eliminate the competition. I remember the days, not too long ago, when each movie theater in North Jersey was special in its own way, not cookie cutter copies of each other. It’s a shame that the younger generation doesn’t have the respect for the classics that us “old folks” do, and just accept whatever piece of “new” crud is put in front of them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the Hyway was a cinematic gem, like the Tenplex was in its heyday, but I’d still take it over any AMC googleplex in a heartbeat. :(
Is the theater actually closed now?
Great Pictute!
Sad to see the Hyway go. Just another example of a local movie theatre disappearing.
Let’s face it: Broadway needs a lot of things and none of them will be easy. While I don’t particularly like the Hyway theater, it’s closing would remove one of the few things on the thoroughfare that brings in people after 5:00 PM.
A medical building is what Fair Lawn just needs in this economy.
Last time I pasted the Hi-Way Theatre it was closed. It is going to be turned into a medical building.
For more info on it see the link below:
http://www.broadwaysid.com/index.asp
I believe the front 3 theaters (shoeboxes) are still mono sound….it’s a good neighborhood theater but not one I’d travel to.
I went to the Hyway during the 1950’s and 1960’s. In the 50’s you could get in for 50 cents, watch two movies, cartoons and the “race”. A great afternoon of fun. Kids lined up around the corner down Midland past the parking lot to where the houses began. I think the last movie a saw there was the Beatles “A Hard Days Night.” Been a Beatle fan ever since.
As “bad” as the Hyway may seem, you get better service there and at the Teaneck 4 (or whatever it’s called these days…) than you get at the mega-multi-whatever-plexes. Perhaps it’s private ownership but these types of places are getting more appealing.
And the Hyway gets all the first run films. The presentation might be a tad shoddy but this place still gets crowds.
WoW…The Hyway as a premiere theater…those were the days…in 1974, they had the premiere of “The Savage is Loose” with an appearance by George C. Scott. I have the ad. Wonder if anone has pictures from that. Have you seen the marquee now at the Hyway. Man, talk about bland.