Loew's Jersey Theater
Encyclopedia
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
of the United States of America. Opened in 1929, it was one of the five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship Loew's movie palace
Movie palace
A movie palace is a term used to refer to the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opened every year between 1925 and 1930.There are three building types in particular which can be subsumed...
s in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area. It was designed by the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp
Rapp and Rapp
The architectural firm Rapp and Rapp was active in Chicago, Illinois during the early 20th century. The brothers Cornelius W. Rapp and George Leslie Rapp of Carbondale, Illinois were the named partners and 1899 alumnus of the University of Illinois School of Architecture...
in a Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
/Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
style. Tri-plexed in 1974, and then closed in 1986, it was dark for years. The theater is now under continuing renovation and has been restored to its original single-screen form. It has resumed operation presenting live events and films.
Overview and description
Journal Square
Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues...
, a neighborhood in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, was a popular entertainment and shopping destination. In addition to the Loew's Jersey, two other entertainment theatres were present in Journal Square: the State Theatre and the Stanley Theatre
Stanley Theater (Jersey City)
The Stanley Theater is a theater venue near Journal Square in Jersey City, New Jersey.The theater opened to the public on March 22, 1928. Mayor Frank Hague attended the ceremonies that evening and, with the audience, was greeted on the screen by actress Norma Talmadge...
.
The theatre was built on land purchased from the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and located on a main commercial avenue that ran the full length of Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
from Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
at one end through to Union City, New Jersey
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
. Journal Square
Journal Square
Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues...
also served as a terminus for many Public Service Railway
Public Service Railway
The Public Service Railway, owned by the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey, operated most of the streetcar lines in New Jersey by the early 20th century. Public Service lines stretched from northeast New Jersey to Trenton, and then south to Camden and its suburbs...
trolley and bus lines. And the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad, now known as the Port Authority Trans-Hudson
Port Authority Trans-Hudson
PATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey...
or PATH, has a major station at Journal Square
Journal Square
Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues...
with lines to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
and Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
.
The cost of construction in 1929 was US$2 million. The capacity of the theatre on opening day was 3,021 patrons. The theatre opened with the film Madame X
Madame X (1929 film)
Madame X is a 1929 drama film directed by Lionel Barrymore, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. Ruth Chatterton was nominated for Best Actress for her performance as a fallen woman.-Plot:...
, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra. Tickets to view the movie plus live performances were $0.35. Additionally, the theatre was equipped with a 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton
Robert Morton Organ Company
The Robert Morton Organ Company was a producer of theater pipe organs and church organs, located in Van Nuys, California. Robert Morton was the number two volume producer of theatre organs, building approximately half as many organs as the industry leader Wurlitzer...
"Wonder Morton" pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
.
The theatre was built with the intention of presenting both live performances and films. The stage of the theatre was equipped with a full counterweighted fly system
Fly system
A fly system, flying system or theatrical rigging system, is a system of lines , blocks , counterweights and related devices within a theatre that enable a stage crew to quickly, quietly and safely fly components such as curtains, lights, scenery, stage effects and, sometimes, people...
with the 50'-0" wide screen rigged to be flown in and out. In front of the stage, a three segment orchestra pit
Orchestra pit
An orchestra pit is the area in a theater in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music or in cases when incidental music is required...
was installed. One segment, on left side of the pit as viewed from the audience, contained the pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
console. The organ lift could rise independently and rotate. The remaining width of the orchestra pit could also raise, lifting the orchestra up to the stage level. The third segment was an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that could either rise independently or with the orchestra lift.
The theatre was equipped with a stage lighting
Stage lighting
Modern stage lighting is a flexible tool in the production of theatre, dance, opera and other performance arts. Several different types of stage lighting instruments are used in the pursuit of the various principles or goals of lighting. Stage lighting has grown considerably in recent years...
system that controlled a system of lighting fixtures and units on the stage and in the auditorium.
Beneath the stage, two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall were provided.
The auditorium was laid out with approximately 1,900 seats on a sloping ground floor, divided into sections by aisles running from the entrance of the auditorium to the stage. An additional 1,200 seats were placed on a steeply sloped balcony.
The lobby of the theatre was built as a three story oval with restroom facilities on the second level. Both the Ladies' and Men's restroom featured elaborate decoration and additional spaces for makeup application and socialization. The lobby also possessed a grand chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
and a promenade.
The exterior of the theatre was dressed with terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
tiles and large marquee
Marquee (sign)
A marquee is most commonly a structure placed over the entrance to a hotel or theatre. It has signage stating either the name of the establishment or, in the case of theatres, the play or movie and the artist appearing at that venue...
s. A large vertical sign announcing the theatre's name rose on the righthand tower of the building's face and a marquee with interchangeable lettering was installed over the entrance.
At the apex of the front facade of the building, a Seth Thomas
Seth Thomas (clockmaker)
Seth Thomas was an American clock maker and a pioneer of mass production at his Seth Thomas Clock Company.-Biography:Thomas was born in Wolcott, Connecticut, in 1785. He started in the clock business in 1807, working for clockmaker Eli Terry...
animated clock was installed. The clock featured a white faced clock that was illuminated from behind with a statue of Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
and a statue of a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
. On the quarter hour, the clock would chime and the statues would perform. The dragon was equipped with red light bulbs in its mouth to represent fire and the statue of Saint George would be tilted by a motor toward the dragon, simulating a spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
lunge.
The theatre was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
The New Jersey Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The program is administered by the Historic Preservation Office of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.The register was...
on August 15, 1985. It also received a Determination of Eligibility from the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on October 17, 1985 but was not listed due to an objection by the owner.
Triplexing
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres.Two theatres were created on the ground floor by erecting a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium that extended from the entrance from the lobby to just beyond the end of the balcony. Walls were constructed across the width of the auditorium connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. Within these new theatres, projection booths were built.
The third theatre was created by having patrons sit in the balcony and watch a movie projected on the original screen of the theatre using the original projection booth.
In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible to patrons was removed and disposed of.
The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
Closing
The theatre closed in August 1986. The final film shown was Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason LivesFriday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is a 1986 slasher film, the sixth film in the Friday the 13th film series. The film was written and directed by Tom McLoughlin...
. The Loew's Corporation sold the theatre to Hartz Mountain, who announced plans to demolish the theatre and build a new structure on the site. Preservationists began a campaign to save the structure and succeeded in saving the building from demolition. The theatre was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City, the current owner.
The theatre remained closed from 1986 through to 1996 while the preservation efforts occurred. During that time, the building suffered some vandalism and some objects of value were removed. Also, due to the lack of maintenance, heating, humidity control, water and electrical services during that period, mechanical systems, paint surfaces and other vulnerable finishes deteriorated.
Restoration
Volunteers began restoration of the theatre once it had been acquired by the city of Jersey City. The volunteers removed the partitions that divided the auditorium into three theatres and restored mechanical systems. They also rehabilitated and installed projection equipment, allowing the theatre to once again present films. Other efforts restored the on stage systems, repairing the original lighting system, fly system and dressing rooms. Volunteers also restored the seating of the auditorium.The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ to the missing Loew's Jersey pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and began the installation and restoration of the organ. A video of the organ being played on November 3, 2007 is available on YouTube
Projection system
Currently, the Loew's Jersey is equipped to present 35mm films in their original 1.33:1Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
, 1.37:1, 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 aspect ratios
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
with adjustable horizontal and vertical masking on its 50' wide screen. Films are projected using Ashcraft Super Core-Lite carbon-arc lamphouses and modified Norelco (Kinoton) FP-20 projectors.
Work is currently underway to install 70 mm
70 mm film
70mm film is a wide high-resolution film gauge, with higher resolution than standard 35mm motion picture film format. As used in camera, the film is wide. For projection, the original 65mm film is printed on film. The additional 5mm are for magnetic strips holding four of the six tracks of sound...
projection equipment, as well as Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
, DTS
Digital Theater System
DTS is a series of multichannel audio technologies owned by DTS, Inc. , an American company specializing in digital surround sound formats used for both commercial/theatrical and consumer grade applications...
, and 6-track magnetic sound.
Volunteers
Volunteers continue to be the primary force in the restoration of the Loew's Jersey. Volunteers come from throughout the New York Metropolitan Area and Northern New Jersey. Some volunteers bring experience from the film or theatrical industries but the vast majority of volunteers are individuals without prior experience in restoring or operating a performance venue. Their efforts, in performing duties such as painting, cleaning, preparing and selling concessions or serving as house staff for events allows the theatre to operate successfully.The theatre holds an "open door" volunteer work call most Saturdays from 10am to 6pm year round. Volunteers and individuals interested in volunteering are welcome to drop in and participate. The schedule does change due to performances, holidays and other events, so individuals are invited to contact the theatre to confirm work dates.
Current programming
As of 2007, the Loew's Jersey presents a wide range of programming. This includes film weekends, generally one weekend per month from September through June, where approximately three classic films gathered around a common theme are presented. Often, speakers or performers from the films are presented before the movie. The Loew's Jersey does not show films in current release.Other events currently presented at the Loew's Jersey include performances of Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
operas, Jersey City sponsored events, touring productions (such as Nicklodeon's Jamorama, a live show for children) and live performances by musicians and bands such as Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
and The Decemberists
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
.
Additionally, the Loew's Jersey is a popular venue for film and photography shoots. The lobby of the Loew's Jersey was the disco in the film The Last Days of Disco
The Last Days of Disco
The Last Days of Disco is a 1998 sardonic comedy-drama film written and directed by Whit Stillman and loosely based on his travels and experiences in various nightclubs in Manhattan, including Studio 54. The film concerns a group of Ivy League and Hampshire graduates falling in and out of love in...
and was featured in a 2007 Geico
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
commercial featuring their gecko character. The theatre has appeared in two A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
specials and numerous magazines as a backdrop for brides and other fashions.
In February 2011, critically acclaimed rock musicians, The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
, shot a music video for the single "Under Cover of Darkness
Under Cover of Darkness
"Under Cover of Darkness" is a song by American rock band The Strokes. The single served as the lead single for their fourth studio album, Angles and was released online on 9 February 2011 as a free download for 48 hours exclusively. It is the first single release from the band in five years,...
" off of their 2011 album Angles
Angles (The Strokes album)
Angles is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band The Strokes, released on March 18, 2011 in Australia; March 21, 2011 in the UK; and March 22, 2011 worldwide...
at the Loew's Jersey Theatre, featuring the main lobby, promenade and stage.
The Trans-Siberia Orchestra recorded one of their popular Christmas albums in the Loew's Jersey.
The Loew's Jersey is also a popular venue for fundraising and corporate events.
Numerous weddings have been held in the lobby of the Loew's Jersey.
Trivia
- Local history states that a young Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, living in Hoboken, New JerseyHoboken, New JerseyHoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, attended a performance by Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
at The Loew's Jersey. As a result of that concert, Frank decided to become a crooner and performer.
- When the theatre first opened, concessions were not part of the experience of attending a film. The theatre was built without plumbing for a concession stand and one small room beneath a staircase was provided for storing candy.
- Modern audiences are surprised by the fact that the theatre only has one restroom for each gender. The ladies' room draws the most criticism due to the presence of only 7 stalls for a theatre capable of seating more than 3,000.
- When it first opened, there were numerous free water fountains placed throughout the lobby on both levels of the Loew's Jersey. After concessions became a profit source, all water fountains were removed.
- In the process of renovating the building, volunteers have found objects left behind by the construction crews. These include ceramic coffee cups embedded in a wall, circa 1929 newspapers, construction lighting and scaffolding.
- A promotional sign for 1959's Ben-HurBen-Hur (1959 film)Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the third film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay was written by Karl Tunberg, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The score was composed by...
was found hanging on a battenBattenA batten is a thin strip of solid material, typically made from wood, plastic or metal. Battens are used in building construction and various other fields as both structural and purely cosmetic elements...
onstage.
- A large sign exhorting audience members to contribute scrap metal to the World War II effort was found in the theatre.
- Virtually all surfaces in the theatre are faux finishes created by forming plaster and then painting them. Most notable are the "marble" columns in the lobby and the "wood" panelling in the Men's lounge.