Hollywood Cinemas
634 Central Avenue,
East Orange,
NJ
07018
634 Central Avenue,
East Orange,
NJ
07018
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: RKO, RKO Century, Stanley-Warner Theatres, Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.
Styles: Spanish Colonial
Previous Names: Hollywood Theatre
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Nov 9, 2004 — The Hollywood Theater Returns
I don’t remember much about this theatre. Opened by 1927. By 1941 the Hollywood Theatre was operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. In the 1970’s I was visiting a great aunt in West Orange, and my family went into downtown Orange to see “The Man Who Would be King” at this theatre.
The outside had a Spanish style façade, and all I remember about the interior was the glass partition at the rear of the orchestra section. It was held together with nicely detailed brass posts, and was obviously there as a remnant of the days when the theatre would be sold out to “standing room only”.
The Hollywood Theatre was gutted and transformed into a five-screen movie house, the Hollywood Cinemas, which opened in August 2005.
The Hollywood Cinemas were suddenly closed in September 2007. It was demolished around late-2016 or early-2017.
Contributed by
Carl Laitenberger
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Recent comments (view all 35 comments)
My only memory of going to see a movie in East Orange was when my Mom and I ventured on the NJ Transit train from Dover.I loved horror movies and the RKO Hollywood was showing “Night Of The Zombies” in late 1983 which theaters in my area passed on.It was an eye opener for my Mom as things had really changed since the days when she worked at Paris In The Sky.My brother had mentioned that Mom had gone to the beautiful Ormont Theater in town back in the day.It was an adventure and unfortunately we were walking so we didn’t get a chance to see the whole city and it would have been a wonderful time for memories to come back and reminisce on.Mom passed away back in 2000 and I miss her and the talks we used to have.These things,like classic ornate theaters are irreplaceable.
ianz hello nice to hear from you i use to be the projectionist at the ormont and the Hollywood working as a union projectionist i went to many theaters.the Ormont was a converted masonic temple the theater had the first 3 floors.i had to go out the fire escape to get into the projection room it was very small.glad you had your mom to visit some of the old neighborhood i still have many great memories of that time i worked there around 1971-73 peace my friend see ya at the movies ! :)
jojo, nice to hear about old union guys from the good old days. Although I am only 54, and have been a projectionist for the past 37 years, I enjoy reading about the days when my father was involved. I joined local 379, Perth Amboy, later 534, and most recently we merged with 21 in Newark. I am in my final days as a projectionist due to all the digital conversions. Its on to stagehand work for me. I will still get occasional reel to reel work at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. Some of the more notable theatres I worked at were the Menlo Park Twin, Woodbridge Twin, Sayrewoods Theatre, Amboys Multiplex, Old Rahway Theatee, Linden Theatre and the Ritz in Elizabeth. Good old days indeed.
i was with local 644 newark,worked at the paramount on broadway,the guild,and bradford.are you on face book?
jojo, yes I am. Mark Pus…. should be enough for you to find me. My profile picture is of me threading a projector, mostly upper magazine. I see the paramount and the adams and proctors in Newark when I work at the new arena.
Demolished in late 2016 or early 2017.
Operated as early as 1927.
Once operated by RKO Century.
Once operated by RKO Stanley-Warner.
The Hollywood Theatre closed on February 2, 1986 with “Eliminators” and sat abandoned for almost two decades until its relaunch as a five-screen multiplex in August 2005.