Abby Cinemas
35 Marshall Hill Road,
West Milford,
NJ
07480
35 Marshall Hill Road,
West Milford,
NJ
07480
3 people
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Showing 26 - 36 of 36 comments
It closed as an all second run house with Loews, they repeated the same ads for weeks after closing, which lead us up there to see Robin Williams in Toys (the only theater in the area showing the movie, this puts the Loews closing at 1992). I remember Magic Cinemas reopened it and the first film I saw under the new opperator was Die Hard with Avengence (putting the reopening at 1995).
Music Makers built the type of theaters you could equate with bowling lanes: long and narrow with wall treatements up high, not spanning the whole height of the wall, but only the top 4th. Another cinema they had, that I assume is still in tact (I haven’t been in years and Loews was remodeling it) was East Stroudberg Mall – which was a very 70’s-80’s multiplex. They also owned a theater in Freehold, I think, and the Interstate in Ramsey. I don’t know if Loews opened it or not, but the Showboat Quad in Edgewater also had Music-Maker like theaters (it closed when the Edgewater Multiplex opened in 2000).
This theater did open as a Music Makers Theater- in spring of 1976. It always had four screens. I don’t know how well it did, but from ads I have of the theater in the early eighties, they were showing half first run and half second run films. Loews did take it over.I hope the new venture is a success.
Not quite sure yet. It sounds (no pun intended) like a good idea.
Are they going to put in digital sound?
It’s a brand new circuit that ClassicSciFi.com has a strategic investment and involvement with. Special programming will look something like what goes on at the Lafayette Theatre in Suffern.
What do we know about New Day Cinemas? What sort of special programing will they play?
New Day Cinemas acquired this theatre on 11/1/2006. The new website is http://NewDayCinemas.com New Day plans to continue the old, and introduce some new special programming.
Oddly enough, Clearview bought the Bergenfield Cinema 5 (former Palace), Tenafly Cinema 4 (New Bergen), and Closter Cinema 4 from Magic—-those three were actually the very first Clearview Cinemas.Then-owner Bud Mayo sold them to Magic a few years prior! When he sold those three locations he bought Bernardsville, Madison, and, I believe, Chester.
I remember wen it was Loews, during its last days this was a discount house. It closed (and newspaper ads still ran for it for three weeks) and remained closed for about a year or so until Magic Cinemas aquired it (they were building a fleet of cinemas including this one, Bergenfield, Northamption Crossings, The Colony, and Hadley 11). Regal later took over Magic Cinemas' operations and sold the Bergenfield, Colony Theatre, and this one to Clearview. Clearview closed it later, as Joe Masher notes.
I beleive it opened as a Music Makers Theatre. Loews bought Music Makers in the late 80’s, and that’s where it came into their hands. Clearview closed it in early 2001, because the landlord wanted a substantial rent increase. After it sat closed for awhile, Nelson Page (Galaxy Theatres) struck a deal to reopen the house. It was always a decent performer and always had huge per capita numbers.
Also known as Loew’s Abby, Magic Cinemas, Regal Cinemas, Clearview Cinemas, and I think one other chain before Galaxy Theatres. Is it successful if its changed owners so many times?