Fabian Theatre

The new 8-screen cinema at City Center will be called Fabian 8, so the name will live on. I hope Paterson does have a cultural revolution of sorts that would make a comeback for this theater possible, maybe as a live arts venue. We’ll see how City Center plays out and what dining options are around the new theater when it opens, which will be key to its success I think.

The theater’s site is up at fabien8.com – and its advertising that it will have digital 3-D and stadium seating, impressive given the chain is an upstart (Community Theaters) and I can’t seem to locate any additional info on what other cinemas they might manage. No date for the opening yet.

No amount of positive PR in the world would attract NJ locals to Paterson unless there was a major cleanup of the ongoing plight in many of the neighborhoods. It’s happening, although very slowly. I have been keeping my fingers crossed ever since Center City went up in downtown; if that site is successful and this credit crisis ends, perhaps it will attract further big business into the city.

It might help of the city name was correctly spelled. It is “Paterson”

But nobody notices it and nobody goes. I am a lifelong New Yorker and have expored the metro region quite a bit, but have never been to Patterson. I would even venture to say that probably no one that I know (I live in Manhattan) has ever been there either. Why would anyone go?

I personally have always wanted to visit because I have read about the history of Patterson and how important it was in the industrialization of America. I hear that there are quite a few beautiful building (though decaying) left over from its hey day. The Falls are also supposed to be beautiful, and yet, virtually no one even know the falls exist. I would bet that if you asked 100 people if they ever heard of the Falls in Patterson 99.9 of them would say no and 80 of them would probably say “Where’s Patterson?”

It’s a shame, because this city has the architecture, the history and a natural site that is beautiful and yet, it sits in decay and in obscurity.

Bob…my only experience with Patterson has been what I’ve read on this site and it just sounds so awful. It sounds like Patterson is North Jersey’s equivalent of Camden; another city that many feel is so far down the scale that it is impossible to revive, though they are a least trying. They have opened and aquarium, put in new transportation links, and I think and amphitheater. Campbell’s soups still maintains their Corporate HQ there. Alas, Patterson has none of this. Camden is very visible as it is jut across the river from Philadelphia. Paterson remains hidden and destitute. I don’t really see much hope; especially with the current economic environment.

The entire city of Detroit, with a population of just under 1 million, does not have a single department store or a real supermarket. I heard on Bill Mahr’s show that the average price of a house is now $18,000!!!! It costs less to buy a house in Detroit than it does to buy an average new car! Though several of Detroit’s palaces have been restored I don’t beleive any operate as a pure theater. I think that some of them have occassional movies on their programs. There are several large cities around the country that don’t have a single remaining movie palace. The one that I can think of off the top of my head is Cincinatti. Philadelphia was very close to becoming the largest city without a palace but it looks like they have saved the Boyd.

Wow! Finally, a piece of good news for Patterson! Alas, it needs much, much more.

A small 1950s movie ad from the Fabian promoting Gene Autry in “Indian Territory” can be seen here.

Nevermind. A prior post above notes that the level under the balcony contained two theaters when it it divided into a multiplex.

To Bob Furmanek…Wonderful photos…lets hope this grand palace somehow finds a way to survive any wrecking balls and gets a new lease on life.

According to a piece in a local Clifton paper, the Fabian is being gutted for retail purposes, and the Alexander Hamilton is being renovated for condos.

Thanks, Bob, for the great ad … “And Introducing Geraldine Page”. I’d never been to the Fabian but I’ve been to the Montauk several times. That’s still standing too, right?

The Fabian was acquired from RKO-Stanley Warner theaters by Rudy De Blasio of Theater Management Associates in July, 1977. It re-opened in Christmas 1977 as the Fabian 1-2-3 with 1200 seats on the upper level and two 500 seat theaters on the ground floor. According to an article in Boxoffice dated 10/17/77, the upstairs theater was one of the few in the area capable of presenting 70mm films in stereophonic sound.

Here’s a 2002 picture of the balcony theatre after the triplexing and the “modern” Pepto-Bismol paint job:

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Here is a photo of the lobby when the theater opened in 1925:

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Stand by, there will be more vintage photos posted of this once grand showplace in the next few days…