Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What an incredible theatre!

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Posted by Bob Furmanek (Member # 171) on 05-06-2000, 10:51 AM:

Do you want to see the finest surviving movie palace in the New York City area?
Check out this website and visit the fabulous Loew's Jersey theatre. This magnificent palace, once slated for demolition, is currently undergoing restoration. They will re-open as an arts and entertainment center, and yes, they WILL be showing classic movies on the huge 50-foot screen. Take the virtual tour and check out the before and after photos of the projection booth. By the way, the throw from booth to screen is 180 feet!

This is also the theatre where 18 year old Frank Sinatra saw Bing Crosby perform in 1933, and was inspired to pursue his own career as a singer.
www.loewsjersey.org

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-07-2000, 10:24 AM:

Its interesting but I wouldn't run any archival Vitaphone stuff on the U-Base. Anything like that is too rare/valuable and more damage would occur probably to both the disks and the film. The tone arm should be replaced with something more modern or double system should be installed for that purpose. A cute idea but a waste. I have a complete restored U-base and they are stinkers when it comes to wear and tear on the film. Good display thing though.
Also there appears to be a CP-100 in the rack....again this place merits something far better as a CP-100 really limits what you can do, and its sound quality is way lacking by todays standard.
The tower clock is really the neatest part of this place. I've been a clock junkie for may years and indeed that is an extremely rare piece. Not many theaters even had them. I'm really glad that they're not going to electrify it. So many beautiful tower clocks have been ruined that way.
The interior is also awesom. What kind of main projectors are they....DP-75's?
Mark

Posted by Bob Furmanek (Member # 171) on 05-07-2000, 10:46 AM:

Thanks for your comments Mark. The Vitaphone set-up is basically just for show. People are really amazed with it when we take them up to the booth on the tour.

I'm not sure about the sound system. Everything in the booth (except for the Brenograph and lamphouses) are donated. They haven't started their fundraising campaign yet. I'm sure that when they do, someone will want to invest money to upgrade the sound system. It's still pretty cool to have a working Perspecta integrator! BTW, the theatre never had Dolby. It went 4-track mag in 1954, and then remained mono optical until it closed in 1986. I'm not certain what model the Kinetone projectors are. I can find out. Again, they were donated. The booth was converted to platters when it was triplexed in the early seventies, and all the modern equipment was removed when the theatre was closed.

The clock tower is awesome, and I can't wait to see and hear it working again. Same with the Morton organ. It's such a joy to see a theatre like this come back to life. Most of these older palaces in the New York area have been demolished, are converted to other uses (mostly churches) or are deserted and crumbling. Most of them are in very bad areas as well. The Jersey is fortunate to be in a good area with ample parking, and lots of pedestrian traffic. It sits right across the street from a major transportation center.

I got involved in the fight to save it about ten years ago. It came VERY close to demolition, and it was only after a major battle with one of New Jersey's largest developers (Hartz Mountain) that the theatre was saved.

Thanks for your interest!

Bob Furmanek

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-07-2000, 02:40 PM:

Yes indeed Bob,
Its an amazing place. I like the arc lamps too. Should have a dynamite picture there for sure. I wish them the best, and hope its very sucessful. I'm glad the U-base is just for show.
Mark

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 05-07-2000, 04:10 PM:

I first learned to project using those arc lamps. That are Ashcraft's.

Posted by Stephen Winner (Member # 8) on 05-08-2000, 11:02 AM:

WOW! neat palace! Your lobby chandilear is about the size of our auditorium one!!!! You have a similar house-lighting system as we do.

I am sure glad to see a theater restore the vingage projection equipment, and get skilled workers, instead of just installing modern gear, and getting the snack bar operator to do a shift up there! Long live the Carbon Arc's!!!!! The Byrd's running a Brenograph too, check out our web page.

Good luck, and have fun running movies!
http://members.tripod.com/~g_cowardin/byrd/index.htm

Posted by Russ Kress (Member # 461) on 05-08-2000, 05:38 PM:

Very nice! Our company has one in Huntington, WV.
http://www.ourshowtimes.com

Follow the links to the Keith-Albee Theatre. There are a few pics on the web sight, but we are planning a history page for the Keith sometime soon (as soon as my boss can get time to do it).

This theatre is still operated by the same company that built it.

It was designed by Thomas Lamb and was completed in 1928 at the cost of 1.5 million dollars. I believe that they showed nickel matinees when they opened (I guess they weren't in any particular hurry to re-coup their investment!).

There was a Vita-Phone (I think it's still there).

The theatre has a fully working stage. Marshall University brings in Broadway productions as well as various concerts. Alice Cooper played there once!

The only bad memory I have is that I managed that theatre the year I was married (Brad, are we allowed to cuss here?). Oh well, into each life...

Oh! While your at the sight, you can see me live on the lobby cam at the Park Place Stadium Cinemas!

(I'm the pretty one)

Russ

Posted by Larry Shaw (Member # 388) on 05-08-2000, 06:02 PM:

Mark,

Those are lamp tables from a Philips-era (I.E. older) FP-20.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-08-2000, 07:47 PM:

Larry,
I thought they were Phillips or there abouts. Just thought they might have been DP-75's. At least they have good stuff!!
Mark