Abby Cinemas
35 Marshall Hill Road,
West Milford,
NJ
07480
35 Marshall Hill Road,
West Milford,
NJ
07480
3 people
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I believe that Nelson Page ran this theater for a while. It was a nice little three screen Theater. Good side screens comfortable seats
This opened on April 7th, 1976. Grand opening ad posted.
The theatre is now a TJ Maxx store.
According to this article, the theater space will be “removed” if a proposed retail expansion plan is approved. View article
It is my understanding, that may not be 100% correct, is that the owner of the Shop-Rite mall strip mall will only rent the theater on a month by month basis, as the want to eventually demolish the entire complex and replace it with a larger Shop-Rite and more profitable stores. The cost of upgrading the projection equipment for digital cinema, a requirement these days, would be so expensive that without a long term lease you will never get back your money.
I was also told by someone involved with the township that when the theatre closed, it was going to be gutted and leased to Tractor Supply hardware store chain, but the deal fell though when the economy tanked.
Sad. I used to work there in the early 90’s (City Slickers, Dracula, Hook..), my bus driver was the manager at the time and got me the job. Then after it reopened as Galaxy, a friend of mine was a manager there, and again when it was Clearview. We had some absolutely great times there. SHREK
!! I have some very fond memories of that theater, and am sad that it closed. It’s a shame. If I had the money, I would love to re-open it, with some AV improvements, as a dollar theater with special screenings (Rocky Horror, diff classic films) etc. But, alas, no money. I hope somebody does something with it. West Milford needs the theater to return, it always did decent. I even remember standing in lines that stretched all the way up to the Shoprite for some films (Ghostbusters II especially). I even remember when the arcade was next door (Play a Lot). Fond, fond memories.
Riverdale never had a theatre. The closest theatre to Riverdale was The Colonial in Pompton Lakes. The next closest was the Butler Theatre on Arch street in Butler that closed in the 1950’s, followed by the Meadtown Cinema in Kinnelon which was built in the 1970’s and is still there.
The theater in Riverdale must be invisible. I live in the next town and have never seen it. Probably disguised as a nail place.
Wait!? There was a theater in Riverdale, NJ?
Any photos of the LOEWS ABBY?
I would just like to say that I speak for all teens in W.M. when I say that the closing of his cinema is a real tragedy. Especially knowing that we have to ask our parents to lug us all the way to Riverdale for the theatre over there. Abby Cinemas, we hope to see your return.
>The theater’s new name was named after Nelson Page’s daughter.
The theatre opened under the name ABBY Cinemas in 1976, years before Nelson Page’s daughter was born.
The theater’s new name was named after Nelson Page’s daughter.
Maybe the AMC in Rockaway killed this theater.
The theatre fell on hard times because New Day the company that ran the Abby Cinema’s HAD NO CLUE ON HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CINEMA! They ran the Newton into the ground (it is now better then ever under Majestic Star and Nelson Page)
I went to the Abby a few times and the staff tried but he upper management were snooty with a BIG chip on their shoulder!There was a problem with the print and the manager had a “who cares” attitude when I brought it to his attention!
Sorry to hear that news; I worked at the Abby from late 1979 to early 1981. The place had really fallen on hard times when I visited a year or so ago.
As of today, the Abby Cinemas are now closed. The sun has set on the New Day…
1976 magazine cover:
View link
It was fun to see The Dawn Of The Dead at the Abby.I have not seen a continuation of the “Big Screen” program at the Abby Cinema’s in 2008.
Lets hope they do more of these screenings as it brings in extra business and gives a variety as opposed just to showing regular Hollywood fare.
The Newton Theatre is once again doing very well selling out on Fri and Sat nights now that Galaxy has been running the cinema for the past 6+ months.
That is what happens when you have management who is experienced and knows how to run a cinema and treats their customers with respect!
I did work in that booth. I don’t see Abby leaving, at all.
Abby is doing quite well thank you.
We’re starting up a new season of special big screen showings of classic films. This weekend for example the horror great “Dawn of the Dead” is showing Friday and Saturday at 10:30 pm, and Sunday at 11:00 am.
All seats are $5.00 for these shows and there is a costume contest during all the shows as well.
Stop by and lend your support. We’d be glad to show you the booth.
Don’t count on it.
after the closing of the newton, will this theater be next?
Abby cinemas first bookings were Taxi Driver, Gable & Lombard, Bad News Bears, and Blazing Saddles. The Abby openned in either March or April of 76
It closed as an all second run house with Loews, they repeated the same ads for weeks after closing, which lead us up there to see Robin Williams in Toys (the only theater in the area showing the movie, this puts the Loews closing at 1992). I remember Magic Cinemas reopened it and the first film I saw under the new opperator was Die Hard with Avengence (putting the reopening at 1995).
Music Makers built the type of theaters you could equate with bowling lanes: long and narrow with wall treatements up high, not spanning the whole height of the wall, but only the top 4th. Another cinema they had, that I assume is still in tact (I haven’t been in years and Loews was remodeling it) was East Stroudberg Mall – which was a very 70’s-80’s multiplex. They also owned a theater in Freehold, I think, and the Interstate in Ramsey. I don’t know if Loews opened it or not, but the Showboat Quad in Edgewater also had Music-Maker like theaters (it closed when the Edgewater Multiplex opened in 2000).