You’re welcome, Rob. I cannot help but gush when it comes to something as rare and unique as the Loew’s Jersey.
I agree with you partially about the brightness of the photos. In addition to what you said, I think the nicotine stains, general grime, and darkening lacquer of 50+ years has a lot to do with the present dark appearance of the theatre. I’m sure the interior walls will eventually be cleaned, and this alone would make the theatre much brighter.
I would think that the lighting scheme (I found your discussing about LEDs fascinating) would be different depending on the old surfaces vs. the restored.
It’s incredible just how many scenes there are in this theatre. Every turn and every few steps bring with them a completely different and interesting view. As you know, it was planned that way to “keep ‘em moving.” There’s only so much time to change audiences between shows (in the good old days). My favorite view was always coming into the auditorium from the mid-balcony level lobby. Used to sneak up there when I was a kid in the early 1970s—before the theatre was tri-plexed. The theatre seemed more intact back then, except that the lobby mezzanine promenade and Music Room had been blocked off. Much of the art work was still around back then.
Isn’t it amazing how the architects managed to design a completely symmetrical lobby and auditorium on such an oddball site? The design is extremely efficient and makes the best use of the space available. I’m also amazed by the sight lines (every seat is perfect) and the acoustics. I know for a fact that one can hear a person talking on the stage from the projection booth.
Any chance you could post those 1929 auditorium photos? Please?
To sum it all up, here is the Martin Landau near soliloquy from “The Majestic” from 2001:
Now that you’re back we’ve decided to reopen.
Reopen?
How hard can it be?
We fix the place up—sell tickets.
Look around. It’s a dump.
I am looking around and all I see is potential.
Potential for what? This place is ready to fall down. All you have to do is walk outside and give it a good shove.
You are wrong you know.
Oh, I know She doesn’t look like much now,
but once this place was like a palace.
That’s why we called Her The Majestic.
Any man, woman, child could buy their ticket.
They’d walk right in.
There they’d be.
Here we’d be.
“Yes Sir,” “Yes Ma'am,"
Enjoy the show!
In they’d come entering a palace,
Like in a dream, like in Heaven.
Maybe you had worries and problem out there,
But once you came through those doors,
They didn’t matter any more,
And you know why?,
Chaplin, that’s why,
and Keaton,
and Lloyd,
Garbo,
Gable,
Lombard,
Jimmy Stewart,
Jimmy Cagney,
Fred and Ginger.
They were gods,
and they lived up there.
That was Olympus.
Would you remember if I told you,
Just how lucky we felt to be here?!
To have the privilege of watching them!
This television thing,
Why would you want to stay home,
and watch a little box?
Because it’s convenient,
Because you don’t have to get dressed up,
Because you can sit there?
How can you call that entertainment?
Where are the people?
Where is the audience?
Where is the magic?
I’ll tell you.
In a place like this,
The magic is all around you.
The most amazing and wonderful thing about the Loew’s Jersey is that it is one of the very few (countable on one hand?) very large 1920s movie palaces that still has a theatre pipe organ, and still shows movies.
Sorry, the Castro, the Byrd, etc. can’t measure up to this place—literally. That’s just a fact. Although these theatres do wonderful work to keep the tradition alive and well.
One cannot get this experience in New York City. Either the theatres are gone, or closed, or they have different uses now. In terms of the building and facilities, the Loew’s Jersey was in the same class as the Times Square Paramount, the Capitol, and the Roxy in my opinion—all no more.
Certain people tend to make a big deal out of the new (c. 1967) Ziegfeld. I would like to ask them, “do you want to see a real theatre!?”
Want the 1920s movie palace experience? Come to New Jersey. We still have it here.
Click on each photo for a much larger version. Even in the b/w photos, it looks like the interior was much brighter then than it is today. The furniture and artwork adds so much to the interior.
Though somewhat smaller than the defunct SF Fox, I think the Loew’s Jersey is more beautiful. The Loew’s Jersey is on a par with only one other theatre I know of that remains today, and that is the Midland in Kansas City.
Ah, if it could only look like it does in these photos again! Well, we can always dream and work towards the goal.
Incidently, wasn’t the theatre originally named “Loew’s Jersey City Theatre”? “The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre” also works well as a name for this very rare jewel.
Hi Rob, Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions in depth. I forgot that one cannot see such details from 60+ feet away. If the curtains are in such bad shape that they are falling under their own weight, they should come down. New drapes, medallions, etc. that size must cost a small fortune; but I’m sure that they will be restored eventually. Really looking forward to the new traveler. That will make a world of difference in terms of a good presentation.
I worry about this theatre, but I’m glad to hear that it is in such good hands. The radiator grills look fine and are a vast improvement over no grills at all. They will blend in very well.
Of course, anything that affects the presentation has to be dealt with first. Ornament can come later. I believe you’re doing it in the right order: stabilize the building (done), get the mechanical and stage systems working (in progress), and then restore the interior surfaces.
Just a curious question: what’s going on with the pelmet and curtains over the organ chambers. Where are the medallions over the swags, and where are the missing pieces of the back straight curtain, behind the swags? Finally, what’s up with the “jeweled” curtains in front of the organ chambers. The left one disappeared 3 years ago, and now the right side one is gone? Where are they? I would think that (until recently) these were the only intact movie palace organ chambers curtains remaining. Where did they go?
Also, when you are simply renovating the radiator grills in the Vestibule, please say so on your website. That is not a restoration. It is however, a welcome renovation.
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the recent presentation of “The Mark of Zorro.” The evening spoke to just how far this theatre can go.
The Loew’s has so much going for it. The venue is very nearly unique in its ability to show vintage movies, and it is so close to New York. What a combination!!
Bolorkay is right. The Friend’s of the Loew’s deserve the highest amount of praise in bringing this great movie palace back to life. I can’t wait to see the new improvements as they come along.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned that the Loew’s Jersey was my home town movie theatre in the 1960s-1980s. I’m spoiled for life. Multi-plex, shmulti-plex. Bah!
Pity is wasn’t shown. Any good Technicolor movie looks just amazing on the Loew’s Jersey screen. When a film takes real advantage of the medium, I would think that the effect of showing it on the Loew’s Jersey screen with the carbon arc projectors would be truly spectacular. With the proper publicity, this film would fill the house—no question. Such a presentation is an all too rare and almost unique experience today.
The house pelmet has been lowered and is being cleaned.
Does anyone know if the side house swag curtains still exist and if there are any plans to re-hang them? (The stage would look a lot better if they were re-installed.) Please tell me they still exist…
You’re welcome, Rob. I cannot help but gush when it comes to something as rare and unique as the Loew’s Jersey.
I agree with you partially about the brightness of the photos. In addition to what you said, I think the nicotine stains, general grime, and darkening lacquer of 50+ years has a lot to do with the present dark appearance of the theatre. I’m sure the interior walls will eventually be cleaned, and this alone would make the theatre much brighter.
I would think that the lighting scheme (I found your discussing about LEDs fascinating) would be different depending on the old surfaces vs. the restored.
It’s incredible just how many scenes there are in this theatre. Every turn and every few steps bring with them a completely different and interesting view. As you know, it was planned that way to “keep ‘em moving.” There’s only so much time to change audiences between shows (in the good old days). My favorite view was always coming into the auditorium from the mid-balcony level lobby. Used to sneak up there when I was a kid in the early 1970s—before the theatre was tri-plexed. The theatre seemed more intact back then, except that the lobby mezzanine promenade and Music Room had been blocked off. Much of the art work was still around back then.
Isn’t it amazing how the architects managed to design a completely symmetrical lobby and auditorium on such an oddball site? The design is extremely efficient and makes the best use of the space available. I’m also amazed by the sight lines (every seat is perfect) and the acoustics. I know for a fact that one can hear a person talking on the stage from the projection booth.
Any chance you could post those 1929 auditorium photos? Please?
What a place!
To sum it all up, here is the Martin Landau near soliloquy from “The Majestic” from 2001:
Now that you’re back we’ve decided to reopen.
Reopen?
How hard can it be?
We fix the place up—sell tickets.
Look around. It’s a dump.
I am looking around and all I see is potential.
Potential for what? This place is ready to fall down. All you have to do is walk outside and give it a good shove.
You are wrong you know.
Oh, I know She doesn’t look like much now,
but once this place was like a palace.
That’s why we called Her The Majestic.
Any man, woman, child could buy their ticket.
They’d walk right in.
There they’d be.
Here we’d be.
“Yes Sir,” “Yes Ma'am,"
Enjoy the show!
In they’d come entering a palace,
Like in a dream, like in Heaven.
Maybe you had worries and problem out there,
But once you came through those doors,
They didn’t matter any more,
And you know why?,
Chaplin, that’s why,
and Keaton,
and Lloyd,
Garbo,
Gable,
Lombard,
Jimmy Stewart,
Jimmy Cagney,
Fred and Ginger.
They were gods,
and they lived up there.
That was Olympus.
Would you remember if I told you,
Just how lucky we felt to be here?!
To have the privilege of watching them!
This television thing,
Why would you want to stay home,
and watch a little box?
Because it’s convenient,
Because you don’t have to get dressed up,
Because you can sit there?
How can you call that entertainment?
Where are the people?
Where is the audience?
Where is the magic?
I’ll tell you.
In a place like this,
The magic is all around you.
The trick is to see it.
A final thought…or two…(I’m on a roll)…
The most amazing and wonderful thing about the Loew’s Jersey is that it is one of the very few (countable on one hand?) very large 1920s movie palaces that still has a theatre pipe organ, and still shows movies.
Sorry, the Castro, the Byrd, etc. can’t measure up to this place—literally. That’s just a fact. Although these theatres do wonderful work to keep the tradition alive and well.
One cannot get this experience in New York City. Either the theatres are gone, or closed, or they have different uses now. In terms of the building and facilities, the Loew’s Jersey was in the same class as the Times Square Paramount, the Capitol, and the Roxy in my opinion—all no more.
Certain people tend to make a big deal out of the new (c. 1967) Ziegfeld. I would like to ask them, “do you want to see a real theatre!?”
Want the 1920s movie palace experience? Come to New Jersey. We still have it here.
I think it has a very bright future ahead of it.
Very highly recommend these photos of the Loew’s Jersey from when it was brand new in 1929, if you haven’t already seen them:
View link
Click on each photo for a much larger version. Even in the b/w photos, it looks like the interior was much brighter then than it is today. The furniture and artwork adds so much to the interior.
Though somewhat smaller than the defunct SF Fox, I think the Loew’s Jersey is more beautiful. The Loew’s Jersey is on a par with only one other theatre I know of that remains today, and that is the Midland in Kansas City.
Ah, if it could only look like it does in these photos again! Well, we can always dream and work towards the goal.
Incidently, wasn’t the theatre originally named “Loew’s Jersey City Theatre”? “The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre” also works well as a name for this very rare jewel.
Hi Rob, Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions in depth. I forgot that one cannot see such details from 60+ feet away. If the curtains are in such bad shape that they are falling under their own weight, they should come down. New drapes, medallions, etc. that size must cost a small fortune; but I’m sure that they will be restored eventually. Really looking forward to the new traveler. That will make a world of difference in terms of a good presentation.
I worry about this theatre, but I’m glad to hear that it is in such good hands. The radiator grills look fine and are a vast improvement over no grills at all. They will blend in very well.
Of course, anything that affects the presentation has to be dealt with first. Ornament can come later. I believe you’re doing it in the right order: stabilize the building (done), get the mechanical and stage systems working (in progress), and then restore the interior surfaces.
Again, thanks for answering my questions.
All the best,
Gabe
Just a curious question: what’s going on with the pelmet and curtains over the organ chambers. Where are the medallions over the swags, and where are the missing pieces of the back straight curtain, behind the swags? Finally, what’s up with the “jeweled” curtains in front of the organ chambers. The left one disappeared 3 years ago, and now the right side one is gone? Where are they? I would think that (until recently) these were the only intact movie palace organ chambers curtains remaining. Where did they go?
Also, when you are simply renovating the radiator grills in the Vestibule, please say so on your website. That is not a restoration. It is however, a welcome renovation.
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the recent presentation of “The Mark of Zorro.” The evening spoke to just how far this theatre can go.
No more movies?…
Just wonderful! I will be there. Are the loges open yet?
The partial Fall schedule is available now:
http://loewsjersey.org/
In my humble opinion, this film also deserves to be shown at the Loew’s Jersey Theatre:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgpfMxYFSmE
Truly an amazing film.
The Loew’s has so much going for it. The venue is very nearly unique in its ability to show vintage movies, and it is so close to New York. What a combination!!
Bolorkay is right. The Friend’s of the Loew’s deserve the highest amount of praise in bringing this great movie palace back to life. I can’t wait to see the new improvements as they come along.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned that the Loew’s Jersey was my home town movie theatre in the 1960s-1980s. I’m spoiled for life. Multi-plex, shmulti-plex. Bah!
Pity is wasn’t shown. Any good Technicolor movie looks just amazing on the Loew’s Jersey screen. When a film takes real advantage of the medium, I would think that the effect of showing it on the Loew’s Jersey screen with the carbon arc projectors would be truly spectacular. With the proper publicity, this film would fill the house—no question. Such a presentation is an all too rare and almost unique experience today.
Thanks for the information, Rob. Too bad that they were cut back then , but thank goodness more harm wasn’t done to the auditorium at that time.
Have you ever considered showing this movie? I would love to see this on the big screen with those carbon arc projectors:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTIgbXtRW4I
It certainly would be flattering to what you’ve got in the Loew’s.
Just a thought.
Here are some interesting photos!: http://loewsjersey.org/alt/
The house pelmet has been lowered and is being cleaned.
Does anyone know if the side house swag curtains still exist and if there are any plans to re-hang them? (The stage would look a lot better if they were re-installed.) Please tell me they still exist…