The Loew's Theater in Jersey City,NJ.
The Loew's Jersey opened September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres that opened in 1929 and 1930 in the New York City area. Journal Square, a neighborhood in Jersey City, New Jersey, 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.The theatre was built on land purchased from the Pennsylvania Railroad and located on a main commercial avenue that ran the full length of Hudson County, New Jersey from Bayonne, New Jersey at one end through to Union City, New Jersey. Journal Square also served as a terminus for many Public Service Railway trolley and bus lines. And the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad, now known as the Port Authority Trans-Hudson or PATH, has a major station at Journal Square with lines to New York City, Hoboken, New Jersey and Newark, New Jersey. The cost of construction in 1929 was US$2 million.[3] The capacity of the theatre on opening day was 3,021 patrons.[1] The theatre opened with the film Madame X, 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 Wonder Morton pipe organ.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 with the 50'-0 wide screen rigged to be flown in and out. In front of the stage, a three segment orchestra pit was installed. One segment, on left side of the pit as viewed from the audience, contained the pipe organ 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 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 and a promenade.The exterior of the theatre was dressed with terra cotta tiles and large marquees. 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.Clock tower on the Loew's Jersey Theatre depicting St. George and the dragon.At the apex of the front facade of the building, a Seth Thomas animated clock was installed. The clock featured a white faced clock that was illuminated from behind with a statue of Saint George and a statue of a dragon. 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 lunge.The theatre was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.[2] It also received a Determination of Eligibility from the National Register of Historic Places on October 17, 1985 but was not listed due to an objection by the owner.
Jersey City Landmark Loew’s Lease Ruled Valid
The fight over the Loew's Theatre continues. A Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the Friends of the Loew's appeal, which came after an initial decision siding with Jersey City over operations of the facility.
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Sunny Side of the Street -- Landmark Loews of Jersey City
Don Kinnier, master of the theatre organ, tickles the key stops of the Wonder Morton Theatre Pipe Organ at the Landmark Loews of Jersey City in a performance sponsored by the Garden State Theatre Organ Society.
JERSEY CITY LANDMARKS
JERSEY CITY LANDMARKS
The Italian Village - Jersey City, NJ - Video Footage, 1973
The Italian Village - Jersey City, NJ - Discovered Video Footage, 1973
The Winner
Gino Valenti is one of those great Jersey characters. I mean, Gino is a real person, thoroughly real, but he also represents a type of high-grain, deeply-saturated Jersey style that you hear and feel and know instantly when you meet him. It's something about the under-dog, the believer, the dreamer in him that connects him to the state for me. He is a lifer. He has never given up on his fantasy and he has tasted it from time to time, enough anyway, that at 76 years old he is still reaching for it.
Valenti, whose gone by many other stage names including, Valentine, Valentino, Galant, Galante, etc., is a retired community bus driver. I first heard about Gino from the English as a Second Language teachers in Ocean County, NJ. He drove the many Spanish speaking families around the county to various classes and meetings, serenading them with Sinatra and Bennett songs.
I wouldn't be surprised, I was told by one of the teachers, if these folks wound up learning as much english through his songs as they do in the classes. The children on the bus were already able to sing along. It's the funniest thing, the teacher said, most of these kids are from Mexico, but they all sing with this great North Jersey accent.
Valenti currently lives in Beach Haven West, a small coastal town, but he was originally from Jersey City. He worked for part of his life, his younger life, his early family life for Westinghouse, involved in the manufacture of home appliances. During his employ there, Valenti sang at various work events, until he quit the job and made singing, nightclubs, weddings and stage shows, his life.
Sinatra was and still is Valentis inspiration, but one of the highlights of his career was blessed by Tony Bennett, or the absence of Tony Bennett actually. In the late 1950s Bennett was to appear at Roosevelt Stadium at Droyers Point in Jersey City. When Bennett was unable to perform, Valenti was asked to fill in. And though the crowd was expecting Bennett, Valenti, the native son, won them over and received a standing ovation at the close of the show. He called it one of the most exciting nights of my life.
They used to call Bennett the Poor Mans Frank Sinatra, Valenti said, and then they started calling me the Poor Mans Tony Bennett and ya know what, that was fine by me...cause I liked it.
Enjoy GINO VALENTI: THE WINNER, as we followed the crooner around on the day of his final big stage show. Valenti retired following this performance. Today, he only sings at local senior centers. Life, he said, steals an awful lot away from older folks, including their memories, but for some reason, the music never leaves them. I can see it in their eyes when I start to sing. They light up. Suddenly theyre home again. And because of that, I could never give it up.
Ladies and Gentlemen...Gino Valenti.
State Theatre New Jersey – Since 1921
As we approach our 100th anniversary, we continue to advance the State Theatre New Jersey’s rich history of presenting outstanding performances and programs. Take a look at how our theatre has impacted our community, and what we continue to offer as we help people experience the power of live.
Jersey City
Union Street between Mallory and West Side
12:10 am
February 09, 2013
Wonder Morton Organ In Loew's Jersey Theatre
This 1929 Robert-Morton theatre organ is playing in the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre, Jersey City, NJ. It is a 4 manual, 23 rank Wonder Morton. Five were built for large movie palaces in and around NYC. The current organ, restored and installed by the non-profit Garden State Theatre Organ Society between 1997 - 2007, was originally in the Loew's Paradise Theatre (Bronx).
Ralph Ringstad, Jr. is one of the house organists. Ralph is playing the organ for this video. The awesome and powerful organ can be heard, seen, and felt before most movies at Loew's. There are special organ events a few times a year typically featuring it with bands, soloists, and accompaniment for silent films.
Links of Interest
Jersey City Show 1-24-17 : Friends of the Loews Theater
Only A JOKER Would Leave This At The Loew's ... and that's a good thing
Lots of movies have been shown at The Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre, but only a few have been filmed here. One, shot last fall, left something behind that is crossing the boundary from movie set to real world -- with a little help from FOL volunteers. It's another Our Old Theatre DIY Story -- and this one has a Hollywood ending, so to speak!
Check out this summer's second home movie about the Loew's and how FOL continues to retore it on a show-string budget -- and think about lending a hand this summer: you can always help make a big differnece at the Loew's.
Look under our Events to see when the next volunteer day is happening at the Loew's.
#JerseyCity #JournalSquare #LoewsJersey #MoviePalace #Movie #ClassicFilm #Volunteer #Preservation #Restoration #HistoricPreservation #HistoricRestoration #Architecture #Landmark #Volunteering #LetsMovie #35mm #JOKER #Batman #JokerMovie #JSQ #DIY #painting #FOL #FriendsOfTheLoews #GetInvovled #Loews
Beck - Loews Theatre - Jersey City, NJ
Beck plays Think I'm In Love at the Loews Theatre in Jersey City, NJ.
Finale - A Christmas Festival
Finale of the Holiday Concert: Classical Christmas by the NJ Capital Philharmonic Orchestra with the Princeton Girlchoir.
Vintage entertainment at the Loews Jersey
We are at the Loews Jersey Theater in Journal Square in Jersey City, where we are afforded the opportunity to hear the beautiful sounding theater organ that sits in the orchestra pit. The organ is not original to the theater, but is vintage nonetheless. It is made by the Morton company out of Van Nuys, California. The theater itself was built in 1929 and seats over 3100 people. The organ has over 1800 pipes and other sound effects. Movies are shown at this theater around the end of each month. Look up their website for a complete list of events. It's well worth the visit. Enjoy the sound of the music. If you have any questions about the video, feel free to message me. Comments are welcome. The videos were taken on April 25th, 2015.
Ledger Live: Historical Corruption Tour of Jersey City
Ledger Live for Thursday September 10th, 2009 - Ledger Live with Brian Donohue. On today's show: With the help of Charlie Markey of the Jersey City Public Library, we take you on a walking and driving tour of Jersey City, hitting all of the historic landmarks where major political corruption had occurred.
The Beauty of Nature... Lincoln Park, Jersey city USA
SALAS DE CINE DEL MUNDO: THE LOEW'S JERSEY THEATRE
Inaugurado el 28 de septiembre de 1929, y -para regocijo de los habitantes de Jersey City, N.J.- aún en pleno funcionamiento, The Loew's Jersey Theatre, con su esplendor barroco y su capacidad para más de 3,000 asistentes, es una de esas catedrales cinematográficas en las que en verdad, el show comienza desde la calle.
Stanley Theater, NJ restored by Jehovah's Witnesses
The theater opened to the public on March 24, 1928. Mayor Frank Hague attended the ceremonies that evening and, with the audience, was greeted on the screen by actress Norma Talmadge. An orchestral performance, a stage show called Sky Blues, a newsreel, and a musical piece on the Wurlitzer organ, preceded the showing of The Dove starring Talmadge and Gilbert Roland.
The Stanley was designed by architect Fred Welsey Wentworth (1864-1943), who is noted for designing many buildings in Paterson, NJ following the 1902 fire. When it opened, its 4,300 seats earned it the rank of the second largest theater on the East Coast, behind only New York City 's Radio City Music Hall. It was fourth in the country in number of seats in a one-screen theater, behind Radio City, and the Detroit and St. Louis Fox theaters. It was an elegant and popular venue into the 1960s. Stage shows at the theater reflected the popular culture of the times with entertainers ranging from Three Stooges and Jimmy Durante to Tony Bennett, Janis Joplin, Dolly Parton, and The Grateful Dead. During the 1970s, however, movie attendance suffered and the theater fell into disrepair, and became an RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum Pictures) grindhouse. The once beautiful metalwork throughout the building was painted dark blue, and the Wurlitzer organ was removed in the 1970s. It finally closed as a movie theater April 20, 1978.
The future of the building was in question until it was purchased in 1983, becoming an Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. At that time some basement sections of the stage area were flooded under two feet (60 cm) of water. The original brass and copper on doors and windows was covered by layers of paint and dirt, the picturesque Italian façade was obscured by 50 years of nicotine and dust, and the seats were stained, torn, and ripped. The theater's huge chandeliers had lost their brilliance under layers of grime. Thousands of volunteers, Jehovah's Witnesses, worked over a nine-month period to renovate and clean the theater back to its original beauty and splendor, for its first assembly in August 1985.
Contents
1 Description
2 See also
3 External links
4 References
Description
A glittering copper marquee spans the entrance, overhanging the solid brass doors. Over the marquee are three large arched windows. Building materials include marble from Italy, Vermont and Texas, limestone from Indiana, and granite from Maine to face the Corinthian columns.
The interior has a three-story lobby adorned with columns, a broad center staircase with trompe l'oeil alabaster handrails and balusters, lamps, velvet drapes, and stained glass windows of faux Chartre Blue in the foyer. Allegorical paintings by Hungarian muralist Willy Pogany originally adorned the ceiling and walls.
The larger of two crystal chandeliers, suspended from the second floor, is from the New York 's original Waldorf Astoria of the 1880s; it is thirteen feet tall and ten feet wide, and illuminated by 144 bulbs that reflect onto 4,500 hanging crystal teardrops.
The grand staircase is the main feature of the three-story lobby. During the day, sunlight streams in, illuminating the lobby. An immense crystal chandelier shines after the sun sets. On three sides of the lobby, stands a formation of marble columns topped by a balcony. A nearly celestial ceiling actually had machine generated clouds and points of light that twinkled like stars.
Movie palace architect John Eberson contributed the design for the auditorium. Here theatergoers enter the environment of an evening in Venice with a replica of the Rialto Bridge spanning the stage. Above the seating is an eighty-five foot ceiling that permits an open sky effect with stars and moving clouds originally effected by a projecting device called a Brenkert Brenograph, costing $290 (in 1920's dollars). Lighted stained glass windows line the walls with grottoes, arches and columns simulating the courtyard motif.
New Jersey Theatre Alliance Growing Theatre in the Garden State
The New Jersey Theatre Alliance serves theatres because a vibrant theatre community is a key ingredient in both the cultural and economic health of the neighborhoods, towns, and cities in which we live and work. Where New Jersey's cultural offerings are rich, people love to live, and visitors with disposable income are drawn. Regional stages provide educational experiences to both children and lifelong learners through classes and discounted ticket programs. Audiences of all ages and abilities benefit by having theatre offerings made accessible. Professional New Jersey theatres enable people to pursue careers in the creative arts without leaving the state. The presence of a strong theatre community in our state leads to many positive results, and the NJ Theatre Alliance is an essential part of the equation. The New Jersey Theatre Alliance is committed to aiding theatres both individually and collectively to keep them strong.
2014-01-14 Lowes Theater, Jersey City, NJ - Neutral Milk Hotel (Live)
Recorded by acidjack.
00:00 - The King of Carrot Flowers Pts 1, 2 & 3
05:37 - [stand up]/Holland, 1945
09:22 - A Baby For Pree/Glow Into
12:24 - Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone
15:18 - Everything Is
18:14 - Two-Headed Boy
22:43 - The Fool
25:44 - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
29:35 - Naomi
33:49 - Ferris Wheel on Fire
39:11 - Oh Comely
47:35 - [thanks]/Song Against Sex
51:22 - Ruby Bulbs/Beautiful Baby
55:42 - Snow Song, Pt. 1
59:56 - Ghost
01:03:55 - Untitled
01:06:07 - Two-Headed Boy Pt. 2
01:11:28 - [preface]/Engine