"King Kong" and the "Fred and Ginger" movies had their New Jersey premieres here.
A view of the Stanley Theater from across Kennedy Boulevard. The
theater
is a little north of Journal Square. The marquee is the 2nd largest on
the East Coast. The largest is attached to the Radio City Music Hall.
This
one is copper and is kept polished. I suppose things got too expensive,
so above the third floor they dropped the decoration. It has always
looked
like this. Of course, "the mess" above the third floor used to be
hidden
by enormous electric signs.
The Stanley Theater during World War II. Yes, that is a "battleship"
sitting on the marquee and it is manned too!
Won't you come on inside the great Stanley Theater? This performance
is free. The doors are bronze and the stained glass is real.
You are awe stricken as the immense lobby surrounds you. The chandelier
is from the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. This hotel
was razed for the Empire State Building. The coat check room is to your
left and refreshments are to your right. The grand staircase to the
loges,
1st parterre, 2nd parterre, and gallery (i.e. cheapy seats) is straight
ahead.
Please stop to admire the murals, marble, exquisite chandeliers, and
bronze exit doors (which are separate from the entrance doors).
The VAST 4,500 seat auditorium of the Stanley Theater. It is only 1,500
seats smaller than the Radio City Music Hall. You are in an Italian
courtyard
and above you is "the open sky." Various picturesque "buildings"
surround
you, along with flora and fountains. This theater has the world's
largest
"atmospheric ceiling." It can be lit in any color of the rainbow and
can
simulate a starry sky, rolling clouds, sunrise, sunset, flying birds, a
rainbow, and any number of other effects. I wish I had this postcard in
color. Normally, it is dusk in the room, with rolling clouds, and
twinkling
stars. They could have done better with the replacement curtains.
Loew's Jersey Theater -- 10th Largest Theater In The United States.
New Jersey home of "Gone With The Wind" and "Mrs. Miniver."
Glorious is the Loew's Jersey Theater auditorium -- according
to David Naylor in his book "Great American Movie Theaters." It is
glorious.
The movie screen is about the same size as is found in today's "stadium
style" multiplex cinemas. Take it from there...this is probably the
most
awesome space in New Jersey -- tall, tall, tall and ORNATE beyond
words.
The screen has three matts that can be moved to accomodate most film
formats.
Shown is the standard format of the 1940s and 1950s.
As you can see, even in the 1980s, the Loew's Jersey was a first run
theater, albeit "tri-plexed." The modern alterations have been removed.
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" was playing at the time. I woundn't mind
seeing
that movie again.
Loew's Theatres Inc. was at one time a very powerful corporation. It
owned hundreds of theaters across the country as well as MGM Studios. I
own this "worthless" bond of the Corporation. I purchased it because
the
company's flagship theater was the Loew's Jersey, as you can see in
this
corporate logo. It was their finest playhouse. Of course, some people
say
it was Loew's Midland in Kansas City, but we all know that's not true.
The projection gallery at the Loew's Jersey Theater in 1929. State
of the art -- as big as they get -- it was broken into several
different
rooms depending on the functions: projectors, spotlights, effects
machines.
This room was equal to Radio City, et al, when it was built. This was
serious
business. Of course any part of the theater that was not open to the
public
was extremely plain, utilitarian, and even modern. "Ya' don't need
cherubs
backstage," Marcus Loew once said.
Rehearsals in 1929 at the Loew's Kings Theatre (a sister to the Loew's
Jersey). The Robert Morton Organ is to your left. Note the
piano lift in the middle of the orchestra pit. The organ could be
raised
and lowered as well. AND there are two other elevators in the pit. THEN
you have the two stage elevators. A lighting bridge is lowered (which
an
audience would never see). Finally, you can see the enormous Vitaphone
horn lurking high on your right.
