View allAll Photos Tagged RappAndRapp
The New Orpheum Theatre, as it was originally called, opened in 1914. Designed by the firm of Rapp & Rapp, the theater was based upon the Salle de la Spectacle at Versailles. It had a 30 foot high main lobby, a 40 foot high auditorium ringed with 24 corinthian columns, and highly ornamented loge boxes at the mezzanine level. The stage was large enough for any vaudeville act, and included a screen for moving pictures.
NRHP #91000085
Also known as RKO Orpheum Theatre;Orpheum Theatre
In the 1920's, RKO began operating the Orpheum Theatre, with films now the primary form of entertaiment at the theater. To lure audiences to the Orpheum Theatre as attendance began sinking in the 1950's, RKO started to screen films in such new formats as Sensurround, Cinemascope, and 3D. The theater's facade received a garish aluminum covering and its interior was updated in a 1967 remodeling.
NRHP #91000085
Also known as RKO Orpheum Theatre;Orpheum Theatre
The Orpheum Theatre was originally a vaudeville house. Among the stars to grace its stage in its early days were Will Rogers, Bob Hope, and the Marx Brothers.
NRHP #91000085
Also known as RKO Orpheum Theatre;Orpheum Theatre
This is part of what once was the Michigan Theater. It is now a parking garage. It was built in 1926 by the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp for theater owner John Kunsky. It had a crowd capacity of 4,050. It was partially demolished in 1976 and turned into a parking garage. It is also the former site of the garage that Henry Ford used to make his first automobile.
Built in 1921, this French Renaissance Revival-style building was designed by Rapp and Rapp to house the Chicago Theatre, part of the Balaban and Katz chain to serve as their flagship theater, hosting movie screenings and live performances. The building originally housed a 3,880-seat auditorium, and was among the first movie palaces to be built in the United States, and is the oldest surviving example of a French Renaissance Revival or Neo-Baroque theater building in Chicago designed by Rapp and Rapp. The building hosted many notable live stage shows during its early history, with jazz performances being particularly popular in the early years.
The building’s large auditorium fills up the entire middle half of the block the building stands on, with a separate commercial building to the rear, along Wabash Street, and the historic Page Building, which was built to house offices on the upper floors and retail space on the ground floor, on the north side of the lobby wing along State Street. The exterior of the auditorium is rather plain, and is clad in brick with terra cotta trim at the bays that contain doors at street level, with a large vaulted roof over the auditorium and a separate, smaller, low-slope roof high above the stage house in the rear. The most ornate portion of the exterior is the facade of the lobby along State Street, which is clad in terra cotta with decorative reliefs, a large arched window with a circular panel containing stained glass, sculptures, cartouches, broken pediments, windows on the upper portion flanked by reliefs below an intricate cornice with dentist and rosettes, windows at the top of the facade with arched pediments and cartouches above them, stone panels at the base, a large and intricate marquee over the street, and a tall blade sign mounted in front of the north bay of the facade. The Page Building, which stands north of the lobby, features a brick facade with a curtain wall facade at the base with Chicago windows, paired one-over-one double-hung windows on the upper floors, cartouches above the end window bays and pilasters between the intermediate bays, and a cornice with modillions. Inside, the theater lobby is richly decorated with a grand staircase featuring a decorative metal balustrade, broken pediments richly trimmed with sculptural reliefs, cartouches, and garlands, paneled walls, decorative cornice trim on the ceilings, decorative columns, a vaulted ceiling, chandeliers, marble and carpet floors, marble cladding on the walls and columns immediately inside the front entrance, brass torchiere light fixtures on the balcony over the front entrance, and coffered ceilings over the balconies. The interior of the auditorium features a ceiling with a domed central section, decorative trim work on the ceiling, murals by artist Louis Grell around the edges of the ceiling, decorative sculptural reliefs, cartouches, and pediments on the walls, a Wurlitzer organ, box seats with half-domed hoods, engaged fluted corinthian columns, decorative balustrades and semi-circular balconies, arched bays on the walls ringing the balcony, a decorative and ornate proscenium arch that terminates in a mural at the top, decorative chandeliers, box seats beneath the balcony, and a vaulted ceiling under the main balcony.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1983. The theater went through a period of decline in the 1970s, which led to the building becoming host to live performances once again, after a period of functioning solely as a cinema that started in the 1950s. The theater and adjacent Page Building were purchased by the Chicago Theatre Preservation Group in 1984, and in 1985, due to no longer being viable as a cinema, the last first-run motion picture screening was held at the theater. The building was renovated in 1986 to modernize building system and restore historic elements, carried out under the direction of Daniel P. Coffey and Associates, Ltd and A.T. Heinsbergen and Company. As part of the renovations, the building’s interior was reverted to its circa 1930s appearance, and the theater capacity was reduced to 3,600 seats. In 1994, another renovation replaced the 1949 marquee with a new one that was identical, with the old marquee being donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 2004. In 2004, the building was purchased by TheatreDreams Chicago, LLC, which sold it to Madison Square Garden Entertainment in 2007. The building today still hosts a variety of shows and live performances, being an anchor of Chicago’s historic downtown theater district, and a significant local landmark.
Built in 1925-1926, this Renaissance Revival-style theater was designed by Rapp and Rapp and Louis Comfort Tiffany as the flagship venue in the Shea chain of theaters, located in various parts of Buffalo. The building, like many Rapp and Rapp theaters and large theaters built during the time period, features an impressive facade at the entrance to the theater along the principal street frontage, a long corridor to the auditorium that is made up of a series of beautifully decorated lobbies, a large auditorium in the rear along a secondary frontage, perpendicular to the entrance and parallel to the street, and a commercial building along the principal street frontage that runs from the entrance to the theater to the end of the auditorium, maximizing the usage of the site for economically productive purposes. The theater was acquired by Loew’s in 1948, whom operated the theater until 1975, with the surrounding section of Downtown Buffalo declining during that time, and the theater being sold to the Hepco Realty Company in the 1960s, after which it was leased by Loew’s. In 1974, back taxes led to the theater being taken by the city of Buffalo, and later that year, Loew’s attmepted to strip the building of its interior fixtures and fittings, which was narrowly avoided via court injunction, and though Loew’s no longer owned the building, they still argued that original features and fixtures of the building, which they had not purchased or installed themselves, were theirs to take. The building was subsequently given protective custody by the Friends of the Buffalo Theater, Inc., a nonprofit, which, under the direction of Comptroller George O'Connell, reopened the theater as a live performance venue in the late 1970s. The city of Buffalo took back control of the theater in 1979, helping facilitate the formation of the Shea’s O’Connell Preservation Guild, Ltd. to manage the operations of the theater, with the organization gaining ownership of the theater from the city in 2000, which they continue to own and manage.
The theater’s exterior is clad in red and cream brick to the sides and rear, with terra cotta and green marble on the principal facade. The rear facade, along Pearl Street, is clad in cream brick with a large arched faux window panel made of terra cotta above the bronze doors and small marquee, which provide access to the building’s lobby immediately outside the theater, with stone and terra cotta cladding at the base of the facade, a large metal fire escape for the theater’s balcony mounted to the exterior, circular reliefs with shields above, and a terra cotta cornice at the top of the building. The theater’s fly tower and stage were expanded in a renovation under the direction of Kideney Architects in 1997-1999 to add more room for live performance equipment and sets, along with a new backstage wing with a loading dock, small punched opening windows, and red brick cladding on the north side of the theater, encroaching on the former Greyhound Bus Terminal next door, and creating a small, mostly enclosed courtyard between the two buildings. The front facade features a lower two-story commercial wing clad in terra cotta with retail shopfronts on the first floor, large Chicago-style windows on the second floor with metal mullions, a parapet with a renaissance gable in the middle above the entrance to the second-story spaces and near the north end, which supports a sign for the Shea’s Smith Theater, a smaller venue now located within this section of the complex. At the south end of the principal facade is the main entrance to the theater, which features green marble panels flanking the bronze doors at the base, with the words “The Wonder Theatre” on the large transom above, and bronze display cases for show posters and advertisements on either side of the doors. Above this is a large marquee with decorative trim at the top, a lot of exposed lightbulbs, large lettering, decorative brackets that flank reliefs with fleur-de-lis, and digital signs on the north and south sides that are easily visible along Main Street to advertise shows and performances at the theater. Above the marquee is a massive three-story curtain wall in an arched opening, flanked by decorative terra cotta relief panels and trim, with three smaller one-over-one windows at the south end of the facade behind the iconic and massive blade sign, which features a lot of lightbulbs, and is a 2004 reproduction of the original blade sign, which was replaced in 1942. The top of the building features a decorative frieze with urns, vines, and a fleur-de-lis in the central panel, a cornice with dentils, and a parapet with acroterons at the ends, a broken pediment with volutes, a carved face in the middle and rosettes, and a decorative finial at the top.
The interior of the theater is lavishly decorated and has a similar layout and similar features to many of the other Rapp and Rapp theaters. This includes, in the lobby, marble pilasters separating arched bays with mirrors and decorative draperies, original Louis Comfort Tiffany chandeliers and wall sconces, ceilings with murals and painted beams, archways surrounded by decorative trim, decorative brass railings at the stairs and balconies, carpeted floors, and ornate decorative plasterwork. The vestibule housing the ticket booth features walls clad in green marble, a decorative plaster ceiling, bronze radiator grilles on the side walls, an arched transom over the doors to the lobby, decorative plasterwork around the top of the walls, and a freestanding octagonal ticket booth in the middle of the space with a green marble lower portion, decorative wood trim around its plate glass windows, urns at the corners of the roof of the ticket booth, and small chandeliers. The auditorium features many of the same elements as the lobby, with features unique to the space within the building including a large proscenium stage, domed ceilings above and below the balcony, Spanish Baroque styling on the ceiling and walls, arches with decorative trim and large oxeye bays containing mirrors, a Wurlitzer pipe organ, and a reproduction Tiffany curtain that matches the original design of the auditorium, but had been substituted for a Rapp-designed curtain when the theater opened.
The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 to help facilitate its preservation. Between 2000, when the Shea’s O’Connell Preservation Guild, Ltd. was deeded the theater, and 2014, the theater and its interior were fully restored and the building’s systems modernized, and allowing the building to become a fully-featured Performing Arts Center, anchoring the theater district along Main Street in Downtown Buffalo.
"'Pansy' the Roller-Skating Cow, featuring Rose, Betty, and Harry Rapp (A Rapp & Rapp Production)."
Pansy the Roller-Skating Cow performed for fairs, carnivals, and circuses throughout the United States during the 1940s and 1950s. Other than some newspaper ads and brief mentions in Billboard magazine that turned up in Google searches, I haven't been able to locate any information regarding Pansy or the Rapps.
Originally posted on Ipernity: Pansy the Roller-Skating Cow.
Built in 1917-18, this Renaissance Revival-style former movie theater was designed by Rapp and Rapp, and was the second theater opened by the Balaban & Katz Company. The theater originally had a capacity of 2,600 people, and originally showed silent movies with orchestral accompaniment, eventually being converted into a “talkie” movie picture house, remaining in use as a movie theater until 1977. Originally the largest and grandest theater in Uptown, its status was supplanted by the larger and grander Uptown Theatre upon its opening in 1925 just one block to the north.
The building features an L-shaped layout with a large auditorium tucked away to the rear of a lobby and commercial building in front of the building along Broadway and Racine Avenue, with the stage house of the theater bordering Lawrence Avenue, and featuring a brick facade with rusticated brick pilasters, brick panels, a coiling overhead door at one end of the facade to provide access to the backstage area of the theater, and a metal door at the other end of the facade, with the impression of a since-removed cornice being visible near the base of the parapet on the stage house. The rest of the auditorium features a sloped gabled roof with stepped parapets, multiple exterior exits and fire escapes to the adjacent alley, and a chimney at the southwest corner of the building, which is all clad in Chicago common brick. The portion of the theater property along Racine Avenue and Broadway features a commercial block and a theater lobby, both clad in red brick with terra cotta trim, with the commercial building being mostly separate from the theater but featuring Chicago-style windows, terra cotta spandrel panels, brick pilasters, terra cotta trim, including a bracketed cornice, and first floor storefronts, with a Bank of America branch presently occupying the first floor, with apartments above.
The theater lobby facade features a curved parapet with several bands of terra cotta trim, an arched front window with gridded mullions, a marquee with lightbulbs and neon letters, and many entrance doors at a recessed entryway beneath the marquee. Inside, the vestibule features decorative plasterwork, including a coffered ceiling, ionic pilasters, urns, ionic columns, a ticket booth with a bronze upper partially enclosed portion featuring an egg and dart motif, protective cages, and rounded corners, which rises from a marble-clad base, clerestory windows between the vestibule and the lobby. The lobby features a coffered ceiling, decorative ionic pilasters, plaster wall panels, clerestory windows between it and the lobby, a large chandelier in the main foyer, staircases with decorative bronze railings, and a long hallway to the rear that allows access to the orchestra seating in the auditorium via a set of double doors, with the hallway being decorated with mirrored panels, pilasters, an ornate plaster ceiling, and pilasters. Downstairs, beneath the vestibule, the building features a series of restrooms that have many stalls and have changed little since a renovation sometime in the mid-20th Century, with this area presently being renovated. Upstairs, there is another hallway that allows access to the theater’s balcony ceiling, and another staircase that connects to the third floor balcony seating, with the second floor hallway having archways and oxeye openings that look down into the bar at the rear of the orchestral section of the theater, which features an elliptically domed ceiling, with faded and yellowed murals on the three blind arches closest to the stage, painted faux Serpentinite panels, and decorative trim panels, ceiling medallions, and very little alteration from its original appearance. The interior of the theater features a balcony at the rear that slopes upwards towards the third-story entrances, box seating on the sides near the stage, with the faces of the boxes and balcony featuring curved plaster low walls covered in heavy ornament including cartouches and designed in a way to resemble balustrades, decorative cornices, pilasters, intricate and delicate cast plaster elements on the ceiling and walls around the stage, portions of which have broken off over time, giving the theater the patina of age, plaster reliefs on the walls, a ceiling with a coved elliptical dome in the center surrounded by four medallions made of delicate cast plaster, a coffered ceiling and elliptical dome on the bottom of the balcony, arches on the side walls of the theater with the arches closest to the stage featuring intricate cast plaster and housing the box seating, with the arches above the balconies each featuring a chandelier, arched mirrored glass “window” with a juliet balcony, a Wurlitzer organ within the theater, and either a door or a decorative wall panel, and murals in panels on the ceiling above, which have faded and yellowed with age, and an ornate proscenium arch made of delicate cast plaster elements and trim, with a large cartouche above the center of the stage.
The theatre presently is utilized as a live performance venue, housing various musical acts and events, and is a well-preserved example of a historic “movie palace”, having remained viable despite the decline in popularity of similar venues in the neighborhood over the 20th Century, with the exception of a brief period when the theater served as a private nightclub in the 1980s. The building is one of the structures that comprises the Uptown Square Historic District, a Chicago Landmark District designated in 2016.
Built in 1917-18, this Renaissance Revival-style former movie theater was designed by Rapp and Rapp, and was the second theater opened by the Balaban & Katz Company. The theater originally had a capacity of 2,600 people, and originally showed silent movies with orchestral accompaniment, eventually being converted into a “talkie” movie picture house, remaining in use as a movie theater until 1977. Originally the largest and grandest theater in Uptown, its status was supplanted by the larger and grander Uptown Theatre upon its opening in 1925 just one block to the north.
The building features an L-shaped layout with a large auditorium tucked away to the rear of a lobby and commercial building in front of the building along Broadway and Racine Avenue, with the stage house of the theater bordering Lawrence Avenue, and featuring a brick facade with rusticated brick pilasters, brick panels, a coiling overhead door at one end of the facade to provide access to the backstage area of the theater, and a metal door at the other end of the facade, with the impression of a since-removed cornice being visible near the base of the parapet on the stage house. The rest of the auditorium features a sloped gabled roof with stepped parapets, multiple exterior exits and fire escapes to the adjacent alley, and a chimney at the southwest corner of the building, which is all clad in Chicago common brick. The portion of the theater property along Racine Avenue and Broadway features a commercial block and a theater lobby, both clad in red brick with terra cotta trim, with the commercial building being mostly separate from the theater but featuring Chicago-style windows, terra cotta spandrel panels, brick pilasters, terra cotta trim, including a bracketed cornice, and first floor storefronts, with a Bank of America branch presently occupying the first floor, with apartments above.
The theater lobby facade features a curved parapet with several bands of terra cotta trim, an arched front window with gridded mullions, a marquee with lightbulbs and neon letters, and many entrance doors at a recessed entryway beneath the marquee. Inside, the vestibule features decorative plasterwork, including a coffered ceiling, ionic pilasters, urns, ionic columns, a ticket booth with a bronze upper partially enclosed portion featuring an egg and dart motif, protective cages, and rounded corners, which rises from a marble-clad base, clerestory windows between the vestibule and the lobby. The lobby features a coffered ceiling, decorative ionic pilasters, plaster wall panels, clerestory windows between it and the lobby, a large chandelier in the main foyer, staircases with decorative bronze railings, and a long hallway to the rear that allows access to the orchestra seating in the auditorium via a set of double doors, with the hallway being decorated with mirrored panels, pilasters, an ornate plaster ceiling, and pilasters. Downstairs, beneath the vestibule, the building features a series of restrooms that have many stalls and have changed little since a renovation sometime in the mid-20th Century, with this area presently being renovated. Upstairs, there is another hallway that allows access to the theater’s balcony ceiling, and another staircase that connects to the third floor balcony seating, with the second floor hallway having archways and oxeye openings that look down into the bar at the rear of the orchestral section of the theater, which features an elliptically domed ceiling, with faded and yellowed murals on the three blind arches closest to the stage, painted faux Serpentinite panels, and decorative trim panels, ceiling medallions, and very little alteration from its original appearance. The interior of the theater features a balcony at the rear that slopes upwards towards the third-story entrances, box seating on the sides near the stage, with the faces of the boxes and balcony featuring curved plaster low walls covered in heavy ornament including cartouches and designed in a way to resemble balustrades, decorative cornices, pilasters, intricate and delicate cast plaster elements on the ceiling and walls around the stage, portions of which have broken off over time, giving the theater the patina of age, plaster reliefs on the walls, a ceiling with a coved elliptical dome in the center surrounded by four medallions made of delicate cast plaster, a coffered ceiling and elliptical dome on the bottom of the balcony, arches on the side walls of the theater with the arches closest to the stage featuring intricate cast plaster and housing the box seating, with the arches above the balconies each featuring a chandelier, arched mirrored glass “window” with a juliet balcony, a Wurlitzer organ within the theater, and either a door or a decorative wall panel, and murals in panels on the ceiling above, which have faded and yellowed with age, and an ornate proscenium arch made of delicate cast plaster elements and trim, with a large cartouche above the center of the stage.
The theatre presently is utilized as a live performance venue, housing various musical acts and events, and is a well-preserved example of a historic “movie palace”, having remained viable despite the decline in popularity of similar venues in the neighborhood over the 20th Century, with the exception of a brief period when the theater served as a private nightclub in the 1980s. The building is one of the structures that comprises the Uptown Square Historic District, a Chicago Landmark District designated in 2016.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
Built in 1925-1926, this Renaissance Revival-style theater was designed by Rapp and Rapp and Louis Comfort Tiffany as the flagship venue in the Shea chain of theaters, located in various parts of Buffalo. The building, like many Rapp and Rapp theaters and large theaters built during the time period, features an impressive facade at the entrance to the theater along the principal street frontage, a long corridor to the auditorium that is made up of a series of beautifully decorated lobbies, a large auditorium in the rear along a secondary frontage, perpendicular to the entrance and parallel to the street, and a commercial building along the principal street frontage that runs from the entrance to the theater to the end of the auditorium, maximizing the usage of the site for economically productive purposes. The theater was acquired by Loew’s in 1948, whom operated the theater until 1975, with the surrounding section of Downtown Buffalo declining during that time, and the theater being sold to the Hepco Realty Company in the 1960s, after which it was leased by Loew’s. In 1974, back taxes led to the theater being taken by the city of Buffalo, and later that year, Loew’s attmepted to strip the building of its interior fixtures and fittings, which was narrowly avoided via court injunction, and though Loew’s no longer owned the building, they still argued that original features and fixtures of the building, which they had not purchased or installed themselves, were theirs to take. The building was subsequently given protective custody by the Friends of the Buffalo Theater, Inc., a nonprofit, which, under the direction of Comptroller George O'Connell, reopened the theater as a live performance venue in the late 1970s. The city of Buffalo took back control of the theater in 1979, helping facilitate the formation of the Shea’s O’Connell Preservation Guild, Ltd. to manage the operations of the theater, with the organization gaining ownership of the theater from the city in 2000, which they continue to own and manage.
The theater’s exterior is clad in red and cream brick to the sides and rear, with terra cotta and green marble on the principal facade. The rear facade, along Pearl Street, is clad in cream brick with a large arched faux window panel made of terra cotta above the bronze doors and small marquee, which provide access to the building’s lobby immediately outside the theater, with stone and terra cotta cladding at the base of the facade, a large metal fire escape for the theater’s balcony mounted to the exterior, circular reliefs with shields above, and a terra cotta cornice at the top of the building. The theater’s fly tower and stage were expanded in a renovation under the direction of Kideney Architects in 1997-1999 to add more room for live performance equipment and sets, along with a new backstage wing with a loading dock, small punched opening windows, and red brick cladding on the north side of the theater, encroaching on the former Greyhound Bus Terminal next door, and creating a small, mostly enclosed courtyard between the two buildings. The front facade features a lower two-story commercial wing clad in terra cotta with retail shopfronts on the first floor, large Chicago-style windows on the second floor with metal mullions, a parapet with a renaissance gable in the middle above the entrance to the second-story spaces and near the north end, which supports a sign for the Shea’s Smith Theater, a smaller venue now located within this section of the complex. At the south end of the principal facade is the main entrance to the theater, which features green marble panels flanking the bronze doors at the base, with the words “The Wonder Theatre” on the large transom above, and bronze display cases for show posters and advertisements on either side of the doors. Above this is a large marquee with decorative trim at the top, a lot of exposed lightbulbs, large lettering, decorative brackets that flank reliefs with fleur-de-lis, and digital signs on the north and south sides that are easily visible along Main Street to advertise shows and performances at the theater. Above the marquee is a massive three-story curtain wall in an arched opening, flanked by decorative terra cotta relief panels and trim, with three smaller one-over-one windows at the south end of the facade behind the iconic and massive blade sign, which features a lot of lightbulbs, and is a 2004 reproduction of the original blade sign, which was replaced in 1942. The top of the building features a decorative frieze with urns, vines, and a fleur-de-lis in the central panel, a cornice with dentils, and a parapet with acroterons at the ends, a broken pediment with volutes, a carved face in the middle and rosettes, and a decorative finial at the top.
The interior of the theater is lavishly decorated and has a similar layout and similar features to many of the other Rapp and Rapp theaters. This includes, in the lobby, marble pilasters separating arched bays with mirrors and decorative draperies, original Louis Comfort Tiffany chandeliers and wall sconces, ceilings with murals and painted beams, archways surrounded by decorative trim, decorative brass railings at the stairs and balconies, carpeted floors, and ornate decorative plasterwork. The vestibule housing the ticket booth features walls clad in green marble, a decorative plaster ceiling, bronze radiator grilles on the side walls, an arched transom over the doors to the lobby, decorative plasterwork around the top of the walls, and a freestanding octagonal ticket booth in the middle of the space with a green marble lower portion, decorative wood trim around its plate glass windows, urns at the corners of the roof of the ticket booth, and small chandeliers. The auditorium features many of the same elements as the lobby, with features unique to the space within the building including a large proscenium stage, domed ceilings above and below the balcony, Spanish Baroque styling on the ceiling and walls, arches with decorative trim and large oxeye bays containing mirrors, a Wurlitzer pipe organ, and a reproduction Tiffany curtain that matches the original design of the auditorium, but had been substituted for a Rapp-designed curtain when the theater opened.
The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 to help facilitate its preservation. Between 2000, when the Shea’s O’Connell Preservation Guild, Ltd. was deeded the theater, and 2014, the theater and its interior were fully restored and the building’s systems modernized, and allowing the building to become a fully-featured Performing Arts Center, anchoring the theater district along Main Street in Downtown Buffalo.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
© All rights reserved.
Without further delay I have now uploaded a photo after a long recession. This photo of the beautiful Michigan Theatre, Detroit's finest movie palace turned parking garage is one of ten prints I entered in the Scholastics Art & Writing Awards, as well as put in my portfolio. It and three others will go on display at CCS and the portfolio won a Gold Key, and will be further judged in New York. The time since my photo has been spent rushing to get everything together for entry, and in the end, I'm glad it's all done.
Famed theatre architects Rapp & Rapp designed the dramatically massed skyscraper in 1926 at a cost of $13.5M as offices for Paramount Pictures, as a home for the Paramount Theater (since demolished) and as an advertisement for the Paramount Corporation. The building, at its completion the tallest structure on Broadway north of the Woolworth Building (33 stories), sits on the site of the previous Putnam Building, erected to commemorate the spot where Revolutionary War hero General Israel Putnam met General George Washington.
The motion picture company's trademark mountain encircled by five pointed stars is echoed in the fourteen setbacks creating a "para"mountain massing and its surmounting four faced clock, on which the hours are marked by five pointed stars. The setback below the clock faces is flanked by three-story scrolls, making the whole look like a gigantic desk clock. The clock is crowned by a glass glove that, when illuminated, is visible for miles. The globe and clock were painted black at the outset of World War II to maintain blackout conditions for fear of enemy invasion. The Globe and Clock tower were restored in 1996.
With its 3600-seat theater and fabulous Marquee and Arch, the Paramount introduced the likes of Gary Cooper, William Powell, Mae West, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Claudette Colbert, through silent films and talkes to New York. Its stage was graced regularly by Benny Goodman, Jack Benny, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin to name a few. In the 1950's, the Theater became home to the Alan Freed Rock and Roll stage show. In 1956, Elvis Presley’s first movie, Love Me Tender, premiered here.
In 1964 the Paramount closed its doors. The theater space was converted to offices, the marquee wsa removed and the arch in-filled.
The clocks and globe were restored in 1997. In 2000, the World Wrestling Federation began construction of their entertainment complex, renovating the interior for a restaurant, nightclub and retail store at a cost of $38M. In 2001, at a cost $8MM, the original the marquee and arch were restored returning the facade to its original grandeur. In 2004, Hard Rock Cafe purchased the Paramount Hotel for $126.M and rebranded it the Hard Rock Hotel in 2007.
The Paramount Building was designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1982, and its interior was designated separately in 1987.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
The Mitchell Corn Palace reminds me a bit of the Brighton Pavilion.
"Rapp and Rapp," the architects, were brothers George Leslie (1878-1941) and Cornelius Ward Rapp (1861-1926). They were originally from Carbondale IL, and were educated at the University of Illinois - where I am sure they learned all about corn!
Famed theatre architects Rapp & Rapp designed the dramatically massed skyscraper in 1926 at a cost of $13.5M as offices for Paramount Pictures, as a home for the Paramount Theater (since demolished) and as an advertisement for the Paramount Corporation. The building, at its completion the tallest structure on Broadway north of the Woolworth Building (33 stories), sits on the site of the previous Putnam Building, erected to commemorate the spot where Revolutionary War hero General Israel Putnam met General George Washington.
The motion picture company's trademark mountain encircled by five pointed stars is echoed in the fourteen setbacks creating a "para"mountain massing and its surmounting four faced clock, on which the hours are marked by five pointed stars. The setback below the clock faces is flanked by three-story scrolls, making the whole look like a gigantic desk clock. The clock is crowned by a glass glove that, when illuminated, is visible for miles. The globe and clock were painted black at the outset of World War II to maintain blackout conditions for fear of enemy invasion. The Globe and Clock tower were restored in 1996.
With its 3600-seat theater and fabulous Marquee and Arch, the Paramount introduced the likes of Gary Cooper, William Powell, Mae West, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Claudette Colbert, through silent films and talkes to New York. Its stage was graced regularly by Benny Goodman, Jack Benny, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin to name a few. In the 1950's, the Theater became home to the Alan Freed Rock and Roll stage show. In 1956, Elvis Presley’s first movie, Love Me Tender, premiered here.
In 1964 the Paramount closed its doors. The theater space was converted to offices, the marquee wsa removed and the arch in-filled.
The clocks and globe were restored in 1997. In 2000, the World Wrestling Federation began construction of their entertainment complex, renovating the interior for a restaurant, nightclub and retail store at a cost of $38M. In 2001, at a cost $8MM, the original the marquee and arch were restored returning the facade to its original grandeur. In 2004, Hard Rock Cafe purchased the Paramount Hotel for $126.M and rebranded it the Hard Rock Hotel in 2007.
The Paramount Building was designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1982, and its interior was designated separately in 1987.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
Built in 1917, and designed by Rapp and Rapp for the Balaban & Katz theatre chain. It became a private nightclub in 1986. The theatre is located in the Uptown section of Chicago, within steps of other concert venues including the Aragon, the Uptown Theater and the Green Mill.
(Note, there was barely any light in the balcony, and the chandelier light was so dim I could barely see. I went with a slow shutter speed and hoped my hand held camera wouldn't shake too much. I'm amazed how well this scene turned out. The G1X's large sensor and image stabilization system saved the day! I did a small amount of tweaking with Aviary, flickr's free online software.)
Famed theatre architects Rapp & Rapp designed the dramatically massed skyscraper in 1926 at a cost of $13.5M as offices for Paramount Pictures, as a home for the Paramount Theater (since demolished) and as an advertisement for the Paramount Corporation. The building, at its completion the tallest structure on Broadway north of the Woolworth Building (33 stories), sits on the site of the previous Putnam Building, erected to commemorate the spot where Revolutionary War hero General Israel Putnam met General George Washington.
The motion picture company's trademark mountain encircled by five pointed stars is echoed in the fourteen setbacks creating a "para"mountain massing and its surmounting four faced clock, on which the hours are marked by five pointed stars. The setback below the clock faces is flanked by three-story scrolls, making the whole look like a gigantic desk clock. The clock is crowned by a glass glove that, when illuminated, is visible for miles. The globe and clock were painted black at the outset of World War II to maintain blackout conditions for fear of enemy invasion. The Globe and Clock tower were restored in 1996.
With its 3600-seat theater and fabulous Marquee and Arch, the Paramount introduced the likes of Gary Cooper, William Powell, Mae West, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Claudette Colbert, through silent films and talkes to New York. Its stage was graced regularly by Benny Goodman, Jack Benny, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin to name a few. In the 1950's, the Theater became home to the Alan Freed Rock and Roll stage show. In 1956, Elvis Presley’s first movie, Love Me Tender, premiered here.
In 1964 the Paramount closed its doors. The theater space was converted to offices, the marquee wsa removed and the arch in-filled.
The clocks and globe were restored in 1997. In 2000, the World Wrestling Federation began construction of their entertainment complex, renovating the interior for a restaurant, nightclub and retail store at a cost of $38M. In 2001, at a cost $8MM, the original the marquee and arch were restored returning the facade to its original grandeur. In 2004, Hard Rock Cafe purchased the Paramount Hotel for $126.M and rebranded it the Hard Rock Hotel in 2007.
The Paramount Building was designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1982, and its interior was designated separately in 1987.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
Famed theatre architects Rapp & Rapp designed the dramatically massed skyscraper in 1926 at a cost of $13.5M as offices for Paramount Pictures, as a home for the Paramount Theater (since demolished) and as an advertisement for the Paramount Corporation. The building, at its completion the tallest structure on Broadway north of the Woolworth Building (33 stories), sits on the site of the previous Putnam Building, erected to commemorate the spot where Revolutionary War hero General Israel Putnam met General George Washington.
The motion picture company's trademark mountain encircled by five pointed stars is echoed in the fourteen setbacks creating a "para"mountain massing and its surmounting four faced clock, on which the hours are marked by five pointed stars. The setback below the clock faces is flanked by three-story scrolls, making the whole look like a gigantic desk clock. The clock is crowned by a glass glove that, when illuminated, is visible for miles. The globe and clock were painted black at the outset of World War II to maintain blackout conditions for fear of enemy invasion. The Globe and Clock tower were restored in 1996.
With its 3600-seat theater and fabulous Marquee and Arch, the Paramount introduced the likes of Gary Cooper, William Powell, Mae West, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Claudette Colbert, through silent films and talkes to New York. Its stage was graced regularly by Benny Goodman, Jack Benny, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin to name a few. In the 1950's, the Theater became home to the Alan Freed Rock and Roll stage show. In 1956, Elvis Presley’s first movie, Love Me Tender, premiered here.
In 1964 the Paramount closed its doors. The theater space was converted to offices, the marquee wsa removed and the arch in-filled.
The clocks and globe were restored in 1997. In 2000, the World Wrestling Federation began construction of their entertainment complex, renovating the interior for a restaurant, nightclub and retail store at a cost of $38M. In 2001, at a cost $8MM, the original the marquee and arch were restored returning the facade to its original grandeur. In 2004, Hard Rock Cafe purchased the Paramount Hotel for $126.M and rebranded it the Hard Rock Hotel in 2007.
The Paramount Building was designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1982, and its interior was designated separately in 1987.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.
Famed theatre architects Rapp & Rapp designed the dramatically massed skyscraper in 1926 at a cost of $13.5M as offices for Paramount Pictures, as a home for the Paramount Theater (since demolished) and as an advertisement for the Paramount Corporation. The building, at its completion the tallest structure on Broadway north of the Woolworth Building (33 stories), sits on the site of the previous Putnam Building, erected to commemorate the spot where Revolutionary War hero General Israel Putnam met General George Washington.
The motion picture company's trademark mountain encircled by five pointed stars is echoed in the fourteen setbacks creating a "para"mountain massing and its surmounting four faced clock, on which the hours are marked by five pointed stars. The setback below the clock faces is flanked by three-story scrolls, making the whole look like a gigantic desk clock. The clock is crowned by a glass glove that, when illuminated, is visible for miles. The globe and clock were painted black at the outset of World War II to maintain blackout conditions for fear of enemy invasion. The Globe and Clock tower were restored in 1996.
With its 3600-seat theater and fabulous Marquee and Arch, the Paramount introduced the likes of Gary Cooper, William Powell, Mae West, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Claudette Colbert, through silent films and talkes to New York. Its stage was graced regularly by Benny Goodman, Jack Benny, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin to name a few. In the 1950's, the Theater became home to the Alan Freed Rock and Roll stage show. In 1956, Elvis Presley’s first movie, Love Me Tender, premiered here.
In 1964 the Paramount closed its doors. The theater space was converted to offices, the marquee wsa removed and the arch in-filled.
The clocks and globe were restored in 1997. In 2000, the World Wrestling Federation began construction of their entertainment complex, renovating the interior for a restaurant, nightclub and retail store at a cost of $38M. In 2001, at a cost $8MM, the original the marquee and arch were restored returning the facade to its original grandeur. In 2004, Hard Rock Cafe purchased the Paramount Hotel for $126.M and rebranded it the Hard Rock Hotel in 2007.
The Paramount Building was designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1982, and its interior was designated separately in 1987.
The Loew's Jersey Theatre opened in Jersey City on September 28, 1929. It was one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship movie palaces of movie theater baron Marcus Loew, and the only one built outside of New York City. The others were the Loew's 175th Street Theatre in Manhattan, now called the United Palace Theatre; Loew's King's Theatre in Brooklyn; Loew's Paradise Theatre in the Bronx; and Loew's Valencia Theatre in Queens. It was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places (#85003617) in 1985, and the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1985.
The Loews Jersey was designed in Baroque/Rococo-style by acclaimed theatre architectural firm, Rapp and Rapp. Built on land purchased from the Pennsylania Railroad, initial construction costs were a lavish for their time, $2 million. With a seating capacity of 3,300, the Loews Jersey opened the film Madame X, a live musical performance by Ben Black and his Rhythm Kings and the Loew's Symphony Orchestra, at 35-cents a ticket.
A magnificent Seth Thomas clock is mounted atop an intricate terra cotta facade. A bigger-than-life mechanical St. George on Horseback slays a dragon at the cue of the sounding of the hourly bells. A large vertical sign once rose on the righthand tower of the building's face, and a large marquee with interchangeable lettering sits over the entrance. The Italian Baroque interior, decked in marble, bronze cystal and gold leaf brocade, features an enormous three-story oval lobby with a grand chandelier, a promenade, and green marble columns supporting the rotunda. Restroom facilities on the second level feture elaborate decoration and area for makeup application and socialization.
The enormous domed Rococo auditorium is laid out with approximately 1,500 seats and 37 rows on a sloping orchestra level, divided into sections by two aisles, and an additional 1,800 seats on a steeply sloped balcony. The stage is equipped with a full counterweighted fly system with the 50-foot wide screen. A three-segement orchestra pit fronts the stage. The left segment contains an independent organ lift, designed for the original 4 manual/23 rank Robert Morton "Wonder Morton" pipe organ. The remaining width of the pit also rises, lifting the orchestra up to stage level. The third segment is an integrated piano lift in the center of the orchestra lift that can either rise independently or with the orchestra lift. Beneath the stage sit two levels of dressing rooms, along with a trap room and rehearsal hall.
In 1974, the Loew's Corporation had the theatre subdivided into three smaller theatres. Two were created on the ground floor with a wall in the center aisle of the auditorium extending from the lobby entrance to just beyond the balcony and a wall across the width connecting the dividing center wall to the auditorium's outer walls. The third theatre seated patrons in the balcony watching the original screen. In an effort to reduce cleaning efforts and expenses, the seating on the ground floor that was no longer accessible was stripped and disposed of. The pipe organ was also removed from the theatre.
The theatre closed in August 1986, with a final showing of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The Loew's Corporation sold it to a real estate development company, who announced demolition plans. Preservationists campaigned to save the structure and it was subsequently sold to the city of Jersey City. The Loews remained closed from through 1996, while volunteers restored it to its original design. The Garden State Theatre Organ Society acquired a sister pipe organ, originally installed at the Loew's Paradise theatre, and installed it in the orhcestra.
In addition to hosting private events, The Loews Jersey presents a wide range of public programming. Film weekends are generally held one weekend a month from September through June. The stage has hosted hosted opera performances, touring productions, and concerts, by artists like Beck and The Decemberists. 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 film and photography shoots. The lobby served as the disco in the Whit Stillman's film The Last Days of Disco, and the climax setting for the Gabrielle Union-Morris Chestnut tritefest, The Perfect Holiday.