The Bijou Dream (nicknamed “the little theater beautiful) launched on September 5, 1914 with motion pictures. The Bijou Dream discontinued operations in 1921. According to the local paper, the Bijou Dream sat empty as a vacant theatrical space until a February 1935 remodeling where it was used for other purposes.
The Strand was closed by Skouras Theatres following a double feature of “War Arrow” and “Forbidden” on February 23, 1954 likely at the expiry of a second 20-year leasing period.
Skouras Theatres closed the Tivoli after a full year of light business caused by the onset of television on June 30, 1950. Final showimes were for “Francis” and “Cheaper by the Dozen.” Union City’s Park Theatre, Bayonne’s Plaza Theatre, and nine other area movie houses were all closed within a one month period heading into the Summer of 1950. The space was occupied by Deliverance Temple likely in an attempt to reduce the taxing liability of the building which was ultimately demolished in 1965.
The Central Theatre closed permanently following the August 8, 1961 showings of “Pepe” and Most Dangerous Man.“ The City sold the building in 1968 for $68,000 for the intended purpose of redeveloping the land.
The Fulton’s original pipe organ was a $13,200 Kramer organ. It transitioned to sound to remain viable. The Fulton closed permanently with a programming day of a cartoon matinee for kids followed by a triple feature of “Transparent Man,” “Raisin in the Sun,” and the documentary, “Mein Kampf.”
The Monticello opened on October 31, 1910 with live vaudeville headlined by Robert Hilliard’s “The Littlest Girl.” Fred Astaire danced live on its stage and, in a desultory show by the audience, had pennies thrown at him in hopes that he’d leave the stage. It installed sound to remain viable. In 1954, it installed widescreen projection to present CinemaScope titles.
The “Monty” closed at the end of its 50-year leasing period on March 31, 1959 with “Sixth Happiness” and “Gun Runners.” The Monticello reopened in 1962. Veteran projectionist Jospeh Cancalosi died on the steep steps descending from the projection booth on October 22, 1963 leading to a very long lawsuit. The venue closed permanently with a quadruple feature of “Short,” “Bushfire,” “Destry,” and “Summer and Smoke.”
Reopened as the Capitol Cinema after a major remodel on June 2, 1978 with “Bad News Bears in Japan.” Reopened after a second major refresh as the Capitol Cinema 1 & 2 on May 23, 1980 with “Kramer v. Kramer” and “The Fog.” Renamed as the Erwin Capitol Theatre under renovation in 2025.
The theater closed for renovations in 1929 reopening with sound and “Rio Rita” on November 9, 1929. It closed again for renovations following “They Drive By Night” on Sep. 1, 1940. It re-emerged Feb. 22, 1941 with a shocking streamline moderne look with “Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary.”
The new-build Broad Street Theatre opened with a live stage play on Oct. 16, 1911. The theatre was designed as a Colonial venue with an impossible to fill 2,300 seats. It belly flopped big time.
In 1919, it got a major refresh including a $25,000 pipe organ as it converted to vaudeville and movies as the South Broad Street Theatre. It launched October 1, 1920 for George B. Ten Eyck with Dorothy Phillips in “Once to Every Woman.” B.F. Keith took it on as B.F. Keith’s South Broad Theatre. It was briefly relabeled in the sound era as Keith’s Broad Street Theatre on March 30, 1929 when it transitioned to sound films.
It soon became the RKO Broad Theatre (catching up with the Keith-Albee-Orpheum transition to Radio-Keith-Orpheum - RKO - moniker that was created late in 1928). The RKO Broad became the lower tier venue in the 1950s neither converted to widescreen projection nor having a functioning air conditioning system. It was closed for the Summer of 1959. It closed again for the season on May 17, 1960 with “Heller in Tights” and “The Rebel Breed.“ The second of two, 20-year leasing periods ended during the summer with RKO moving on. It was made into a gym / youth center created by the Catholic Youth Organization in 1962 likely to greatly reduce the property’s taxing responsibility.
The Garden Theatre opened on June 13, 1913 with sound accompanied films. It played films on a continuous, grind policy from 10 a.m. to midnight. Charles Hildinger and Milton Hirshfild - operators of city’s second Bijou Theatre, the Rialto, the Berkley, the Victory, the Royal, the Majestic, the Jefferson, and the Strand - all in Trenton. The theatre was not wired for sound and is used rarely for live events.
New operators took on the venue on November 21, 1930 under the name of The Little Cinema with “The Unholy Tree.” The theater immediately switched to German language films. Diversifying under the name of The Little Cinema Theatre in 1931, it programmed Italian, Yiddish, German and Hungarian language films. The Danceland dance hall opened above the theater. The name was shortened to the Little Theatre closing in 1936.
On November 18, 1937, the “New” Garden Theatre opens under Mercer Entertainment Circuit with the exploitation film, “Human Wreckage.” It plays other exploitations titles including, “Lash of the Penitentes” and “Smashing the Vice Trust.” The theater became an African American venue into 1960 with an end date hard to pinpoint. It then became Teatro Puerto Rico showing Spanish language films. In the 21st Century, it was a live music hall with the theater intact in the 2020s with the Beach nameplate restore and replaced when it became a nightclub.
George B. Ten Eyck’s Gaiety Theatre contracted with architect W.W. Slack & Son for a new vaudeville and moviehouse to join his Broad and Orpheum houses. Ten Eyck’s Gaiety was built by contract William Ehret after a groundbreaking on May 23, 1925. Ten Eyck’s Gaiety launched with 1,200 seats - wisely dialed down from the 2,000 seats in the original drawing - on November 9, 1925 with “The Unholy Tree.”
Reachable by both the Hamilton Avenue and the Esate State Street trolley lines, the Gaiety represented an early attempt at “stadium seating” in a movie house. People were impressed by the 50 foot blade signage containing 2,800 bulbs. The theater opened to capacity its first day with the house on a grind policy from late morning to day’s end.
The theatre transitioned to sound to remain viable. In January of 1950, it got a new marquis and name becoming the Olden Theater.
The St. Regis closed on June 16, 1923 with a double feature. It then cost $30,000 to refresh it as the Stacy Theatre reopening on October 6, 1923 with Hope Hampton in “The Gold Diggers.“ The Stacy converted to sound to remain viable. It then suffered a major fire on January 15, 1952. The Stacy underwent demolition on May 14, 1957.
The Strand launched with “The Final Judgment” on February 7, 1916. It appears to have closed with “Jessica” and “Escape from Alcatraz"on January 6, 1963.
The City Square Theatre opened as an open-air venue and was demolished after the 1914 season to make way for the new-build hardtop venue, the City Square Theatre. It launched on August 28, 1915 with “The Unbroken Road.” Pearson H. Hume was at the helm. Charles Hildinger, operator of city’s second Bijou Theatre, the Rialto, the Berkley, the Victory, the Royal, the Majestic, the Jefferson, the Garden, and the Strand - all in Trenton. It was offered for sale and doesn’t appear to have been converted for sound following its closure and sale ad in June of 1932.
The City Square Theatre opened as an open-air venue and was demolished after the 1914 season to make way for the new-build hardtop venue, the City Square Theatre. It launched on August 28, 1915 with “The Unbroken Road.” Pearson H. Hume was at the helm. Charles Hildinger, operator of city’s second Bijou Theatre, the Rialto, the Berkley, the Victory, the Royal, the Majestic, the Jefferson, the Garden, and the Strand - all in Trenton.
Leon B. Lewis opened the Grand for African American patrons in May 1938. The Grand closed February 22, 1981 with “Flying Guillotine” and “Emma Mae.”
BTW: Brummer’s chocolates left Jersey after 116 years closing in Westfield in 2020 and only has one location remaining in Vermillion, Ohio.
The Bijou Dream (nicknamed “the little theater beautiful) launched on September 5, 1914 with motion pictures. The Bijou Dream discontinued operations in 1921. According to the local paper, the Bijou Dream sat empty as a vacant theatrical space until a February 1935 remodeling where it was used for other purposes.
Closed not long after its 40th anniversary at end of lease on October 31, 1951 with “The Law and the Lady” and “The Scarf.”
Closed at the end of a 30-year leasing agreement on September 10, 1956 with “Maverick Queen” and “Santiago.”
The Strand was closed by Skouras Theatres following a double feature of “War Arrow” and “Forbidden” on February 23, 1954 likely at the expiry of a second 20-year leasing period.
Skouras Theatres closed the Tivoli after a full year of light business caused by the onset of television on June 30, 1950. Final showimes were for “Francis” and “Cheaper by the Dozen.” Union City’s Park Theatre, Bayonne’s Plaza Theatre, and nine other area movie houses were all closed within a one month period heading into the Summer of 1950. The space was occupied by Deliverance Temple likely in an attempt to reduce the taxing liability of the building which was ultimately demolished in 1965.
The Central Theatre closed permanently following the August 8, 1961 showings of “Pepe” and Most Dangerous Man.“ The City sold the building in 1968 for $68,000 for the intended purpose of redeveloping the land.
Skouras Theatres closed the Capitol with “Belles on Their Toes” and “The Harlem Globetrotters” on June 12, 1952.
The Fulton’s original pipe organ was a $13,200 Kramer organ. It transitioned to sound to remain viable. The Fulton closed permanently with a programming day of a cartoon matinee for kids followed by a triple feature of “Transparent Man,” “Raisin in the Sun,” and the documentary, “Mein Kampf.”
The Orient Theatre closed at the end of lease on May 28, 1959 with “Stalag 17” and “Place in the Sun”
The Monticello opened on October 31, 1910 with live vaudeville headlined by Robert Hilliard’s “The Littlest Girl.” Fred Astaire danced live on its stage and, in a desultory show by the audience, had pennies thrown at him in hopes that he’d leave the stage. It installed sound to remain viable. In 1954, it installed widescreen projection to present CinemaScope titles.
The “Monty” closed at the end of its 50-year leasing period on March 31, 1959 with “Sixth Happiness” and “Gun Runners.” The Monticello reopened in 1962. Veteran projectionist Jospeh Cancalosi died on the steep steps descending from the projection booth on October 22, 1963 leading to a very long lawsuit. The venue closed permanently with a quadruple feature of “Short,” “Bushfire,” “Destry,” and “Summer and Smoke.”
Status - Demolished
I’m assuming 1983 as the final season.
Reopened as the Capitol Cinema after a major remodel on June 2, 1978 with “Bad News Bears in Japan.” Reopened after a second major refresh as the Capitol Cinema 1 & 2 on May 23, 1980 with “Kramer v. Kramer” and “The Fog.” Renamed as the Erwin Capitol Theatre under renovation in 2025.
The theater closed for renovations in 1929 reopening with sound and “Rio Rita” on November 9, 1929. It closed again for renovations following “They Drive By Night” on Sep. 1, 1940. It re-emerged Feb. 22, 1941 with a shocking streamline moderne look with “Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary.”
The new-build Broad Street Theatre opened with a live stage play on Oct. 16, 1911. The theatre was designed as a Colonial venue with an impossible to fill 2,300 seats. It belly flopped big time.
In 1919, it got a major refresh including a $25,000 pipe organ as it converted to vaudeville and movies as the South Broad Street Theatre. It launched October 1, 1920 for George B. Ten Eyck with Dorothy Phillips in “Once to Every Woman.” B.F. Keith took it on as B.F. Keith’s South Broad Theatre. It was briefly relabeled in the sound era as Keith’s Broad Street Theatre on March 30, 1929 when it transitioned to sound films.
It soon became the RKO Broad Theatre (catching up with the Keith-Albee-Orpheum transition to Radio-Keith-Orpheum - RKO - moniker that was created late in 1928). The RKO Broad became the lower tier venue in the 1950s neither converted to widescreen projection nor having a functioning air conditioning system. It was closed for the Summer of 1959. It closed again for the season on May 17, 1960 with “Heller in Tights” and “The Rebel Breed.“ The second of two, 20-year leasing periods ended during the summer with RKO moving on. It was made into a gym / youth center created by the Catholic Youth Organization in 1962 likely to greatly reduce the property’s taxing responsibility.
The Garden Theatre opened on June 13, 1913 with sound accompanied films. It played films on a continuous, grind policy from 10 a.m. to midnight. Charles Hildinger and Milton Hirshfild - operators of city’s second Bijou Theatre, the Rialto, the Berkley, the Victory, the Royal, the Majestic, the Jefferson, and the Strand - all in Trenton. The theatre was not wired for sound and is used rarely for live events.
New operators took on the venue on November 21, 1930 under the name of The Little Cinema with “The Unholy Tree.” The theater immediately switched to German language films. Diversifying under the name of The Little Cinema Theatre in 1931, it programmed Italian, Yiddish, German and Hungarian language films. The Danceland dance hall opened above the theater. The name was shortened to the Little Theatre closing in 1936.
On November 18, 1937, the “New” Garden Theatre opens under Mercer Entertainment Circuit with the exploitation film, “Human Wreckage.” It plays other exploitations titles including, “Lash of the Penitentes” and “Smashing the Vice Trust.” The theater became an African American venue into 1960 with an end date hard to pinpoint. It then became Teatro Puerto Rico showing Spanish language films. In the 21st Century, it was a live music hall with the theater intact in the 2020s with the Beach nameplate restore and replaced when it became a nightclub.
George B. Ten Eyck’s Gaiety Theatre contracted with architect W.W. Slack & Son for a new vaudeville and moviehouse to join his Broad and Orpheum houses. Ten Eyck’s Gaiety was built by contract William Ehret after a groundbreaking on May 23, 1925. Ten Eyck’s Gaiety launched with 1,200 seats - wisely dialed down from the 2,000 seats in the original drawing - on November 9, 1925 with “The Unholy Tree.”
Reachable by both the Hamilton Avenue and the Esate State Street trolley lines, the Gaiety represented an early attempt at “stadium seating” in a movie house. People were impressed by the 50 foot blade signage containing 2,800 bulbs. The theater opened to capacity its first day with the house on a grind policy from late morning to day’s end.
The theatre transitioned to sound to remain viable. In January of 1950, it got a new marquis and name becoming the Olden Theater.
The St. Regis closed on June 16, 1923 with a double feature. It then cost $30,000 to refresh it as the Stacy Theatre reopening on October 6, 1923 with Hope Hampton in “The Gold Diggers.“ The Stacy converted to sound to remain viable. It then suffered a major fire on January 15, 1952. The Stacy underwent demolition on May 14, 1957.
The Strand launched with “The Final Judgment” on February 7, 1916. It appears to have closed with “Jessica” and “Escape from Alcatraz"on January 6, 1963.
The Strand launched with “The Final Judgment” on February 7, 1916.
Opened April 29, 1912. April 16, 1919 after Ethel Barrymore in “Our Mrs. McChensey,” the Majestic closed becoming a garage.
The City Square Theatre opened as an open-air venue and was demolished after the 1914 season to make way for the new-build hardtop venue, the City Square Theatre. It launched on August 28, 1915 with “The Unbroken Road.” Pearson H. Hume was at the helm. Charles Hildinger, operator of city’s second Bijou Theatre, the Rialto, the Berkley, the Victory, the Royal, the Majestic, the Jefferson, the Garden, and the Strand - all in Trenton. It was offered for sale and doesn’t appear to have been converted for sound following its closure and sale ad in June of 1932.
The City Square Theatre opened as an open-air venue and was demolished after the 1914 season to make way for the new-build hardtop venue, the City Square Theatre. It launched on August 28, 1915 with “The Unbroken Road.” Pearson H. Hume was at the helm. Charles Hildinger, operator of city’s second Bijou Theatre, the Rialto, the Berkley, the Victory, the Royal, the Majestic, the Jefferson, the Garden, and the Strand - all in Trenton.