Thank you for your considerate thoughts Patrick. I too wish all my fellow Cinema Treasures users here in the UK a safe and valued life today and in the future. I am sure we will get through this.
KenRoe in London. UK
TC; I can’t help much on this one as I don’t have records for the 1920’s NJ theatres. I do have from 1940 through to 1950 listings which only show two theatres in Red Bank: the Carlton (now Count Basie) and the Strand Theatre, Broad Street that had 1,000 seats in 1940 and 821 in 1943 & 1950.
The Emprire Theatre, Red Bank, NJ is listed in the 1914/15 edition of American Motion Picture Directory (no street or full address is given). The Lyric and the Majestic are listed as the other two theatres in town at that time
With various seating capacities given as between 325 and 500, the Jewel Theater is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1940-1955 as operating as a Negro theatre.
The Aldridge Theatre was built in 1920 and opened as a Vaudville and picture house for African American audiences. In the late 1920’s Count Basie and Gonzelle White’s band performed here.
It is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1931-1933 and 1940-1955 as being a Negro theater.
I have just added the Allerton Theatre, its location is very close to what’s given here for the Barnes Theatre, but maps out a couple of blocks away from Barnes Ave.
I don’t have any record of a Barnes Theatre before 1930 nor after 1941 and unfortunately I don’t have any F.D.Y. for 1931 through 1940 to check and see if both the Allerton and the Barnes are listed.
The Allerton Theatre opened in 1927 and I have it listed with that name through to 1957 in F.D.Y. that I have.
TC; Thanks for the organ information you have been providing. It usually gives a fairly accurate date of year of opening of a theatre.
I query the name Ditman Theatre though, as I have listed in the Film Daily Yearbook 1941 edition, a 750 seat Ditmas Theatre at 280 State Street, Perth Amboy as well as the Majestic Theatre. Surely two theatres with similar names, Ditman and Ditmas would have caused confusion back then. Or is that why the Ditman became the Majestic when the Ditmas opened(whenever that was)?
Listed as the Central Theatre in the 1930 and 1941 editions of Film Daily Yearbook (the address is actually mispelt ‘Millrose & 150th St in both editions), it has a seating capacity listed as 1,200.
The 1943 edition of F.D.Y. has the correct address 567 Melrose Ave, Bronx but gives a seating capacity of 1,400. It is not listed in the 1950 edition that I have, giving credence to its closure date of c.1947
The current Cookies Department Store is using the basic outer wall fabric of the former Bronx Theater with a new facade.
The City Island Theater is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1926 edition has having 250 seats. It has disappeared from the listings in the 1930 edition of F.D.Y.
The 5 screen Odeon Mezzanine ‘miniplex’ opened to the public on 20th April 1990. It was constructed in what had been up until then an open passageway that had served as an emergency exit from the adjacent main Odeon Theatre.
It has its own seperate entrance on Leicester Square and Odeon 1 seating 60 is on street level. Up a flight of stairs is Odeon 2 (50 seats) and Odeon 3 (60 seats). Up another flight of stairs above there are Odeon’s 4 and 5, each seating 60. The exits to screens 1, 3, 4, 5 are beside the screen, while in screen 2 the exit is placed under the screen. Drapes cover the walls and all screens have Dolby stereo.
The screens at the Odeon Mezzanine are one third the size of what is now called the Odeon Panton Street which averages out at 150 seats per screen. So yes, its like sitting in a living room or screening room. I still prefer to see movies in the main original Odeon, Leicester Square.
The Wakefield Theatre is first listed in the 1927 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, with a seating capacity of 1,500. The location address is given as 234th Street & White Plains Avenue, Bronx. NY
The 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook gives a seating capacity of 749.
Thank you for your considerate thoughts Patrick. I too wish all my fellow Cinema Treasures users here in the UK a safe and valued life today and in the future. I am sure we will get through this.
KenRoe in London. UK
TC; I can’t help much on this one as I don’t have records for the 1920’s NJ theatres. I do have from 1940 through to 1950 listings which only show two theatres in Red Bank: the Carlton (now Count Basie) and the Strand Theatre, Broad Street that had 1,000 seats in 1940 and 821 in 1943 & 1950.
The Emprire Theatre, Red Bank, NJ is listed in the 1914/15 edition of American Motion Picture Directory (no street or full address is given). The Lyric and the Majestic are listed as the other two theatres in town at that time
The Harber Theatre designed by the Boller Brothers in 1951. It could have been a re-model of the Liberty Theater?
It was still operating in 1987 according to the original edition of the book ‘The Movie Lovers Guide to New York’ by Richard Alleman.
Apparently the Ditmas Theatre burnt down in the late 1940’s. Could be that the owners didn’t notify the listers on F.D.Y. straight away.
The Villa Theater opened in 1938 and closed in 1978. It was demolished in 1983.
The Victoria Theatre was operated in the 1940’s by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary Ed Rowley.
The Plaza opened in 1935 and during the 1940’s was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary Ed Rowley.
With various seating capacities given as between 325 and 500, the Jewel Theater is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1940-1955 as operating as a Negro theatre.
Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1947 edition has being operated as a Nego theatre. By the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it was for regular audiences.
The Aldridge Theatre was built in 1920 and opened as a Vaudville and picture house for African American audiences. In the late 1920’s Count Basie and Gonzelle White’s band performed here.
It is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1931-1933 and 1940-1955 as being a Negro theater.
Still in retail use as a 99 cents store when I visited in early June 2005
I have just added the Allerton Theatre, its location is very close to what’s given here for the Barnes Theatre, but maps out a couple of blocks away from Barnes Ave.
I don’t have any record of a Barnes Theatre before 1930 nor after 1941 and unfortunately I don’t have any F.D.Y. for 1931 through 1940 to check and see if both the Allerton and the Barnes are listed.
The Allerton Theatre opened in 1927 and I have it listed with that name through to 1957 in F.D.Y. that I have.
TC; Thanks for the organ information you have been providing. It usually gives a fairly accurate date of year of opening of a theatre.
I query the name Ditman Theatre though, as I have listed in the Film Daily Yearbook 1941 edition, a 750 seat Ditmas Theatre at 280 State Street, Perth Amboy as well as the Majestic Theatre. Surely two theatres with similar names, Ditman and Ditmas would have caused confusion back then. Or is that why the Ditman became the Majestic when the Ditmas opened(whenever that was)?
The Apollo Theatre is listed as closed in the 1930 edition of Film Daily Yearbook. Obviously a possible casualty of the ‘talkie’ revolution.
The 1926 F.D.Y. has it listed as open with 450 seats.
The Mike Rivest Ultimate Theatre Guide has the Barnes Theatre operating from 1935 through 1940. Anyone know what happened after that?
Listed as the Central Theatre in the 1930 and 1941 editions of Film Daily Yearbook (the address is actually mispelt ‘Millrose & 150th St in both editions), it has a seating capacity listed as 1,200.
The 1943 edition of F.D.Y. has the correct address 567 Melrose Ave, Bronx but gives a seating capacity of 1,400. It is not listed in the 1950 edition that I have, giving credence to its closure date of c.1947
The current Cookies Department Store is using the basic outer wall fabric of the former Bronx Theater with a new facade.
The City Island Theater is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1926 edition has having 250 seats. It has disappeared from the listings in the 1930 edition of F.D.Y.
Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook 1930 edition as the Louis Theatre with a seating capacity of 728.
By the 1941 edition of F.D.Y. it was the Jackson Theatre with 599 seats (same details in the 1943 edition).
In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it is the Borinquen Theatre with a seating capacity of 570. Disappeared from listings in 1957 edition.
While I was in NYC in early June 2005, I took a peek into the former Bijou/Jewel Theatre and it has been gutted internally back to bare brick walls.
Prior to its current/most recent use as a live performance space, the former American Movies Theatre had been a night-club named the ‘G-Spot’
The 5 screen Odeon Mezzanine ‘miniplex’ opened to the public on 20th April 1990. It was constructed in what had been up until then an open passageway that had served as an emergency exit from the adjacent main Odeon Theatre.
It has its own seperate entrance on Leicester Square and Odeon 1 seating 60 is on street level. Up a flight of stairs is Odeon 2 (50 seats) and Odeon 3 (60 seats). Up another flight of stairs above there are Odeon’s 4 and 5, each seating 60. The exits to screens 1, 3, 4, 5 are beside the screen, while in screen 2 the exit is placed under the screen. Drapes cover the walls and all screens have Dolby stereo.
The screens at the Odeon Mezzanine are one third the size of what is now called the Odeon Panton Street which averages out at 150 seats per screen. So yes, its like sitting in a living room or screening room. I still prefer to see movies in the main original Odeon, Leicester Square.
The Wakefield Theatre is first listed in the 1927 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, with a seating capacity of 1,500. The location address is given as 234th Street & White Plains Avenue, Bronx. NY