That “vintage exterior” view isn’t vintage at all. I’d say that picture is only a few years old at the most. That particular car was owned by the previous theater owner, and he parked it there all the time! I used to live about two blocks from there. Its “sad” he took the fotoplayer when he left, but considering he had taken it apart I guess it would be good that he take it because nobody else could put it back together. The owner got a new job in Texas I believe and that’s why the theater was sold.
I did some research on the Maplewood and came up with the following:
March 15, 1927 Maplewood Theater opened.
107ft on Maplewood ave, 191ft deep. Leased to Maplewood Amusement Co. and branded as “Roth Maplewood” Owner was Isadore Portnoff of Newark. Architect of William Lehman. Cost $300,000+. White terracotta in Spanish renaissance 28ft wide lobby. First picture The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse with Rudolph Vanentino. Matinee was 30 cents, evening show was 40 cents. 36ft ceiling. 7 trusses. 175 tons of steel. Manager was Walter Hoffman.
Newpaper had multi week run up to opening where there was a front page survey of the format—– Photoplay with Organ, Photoplay with Organ and Orchestra, Photoplay and presentations with Organ and Orchestra, , Photoplay and Vaudeville with Organ and Orchestra.
Maplewood News, Special Theater Edition from March 11th, 1927:
Roth Maplewood A Theatre of beauty in which the acme of real comfort is reached
The Roth Maplewood theatre was especially designed and built for the community it is to serve. Everything that taste, experience and culture can conceive to ate it attractive and comfortable had been provided by the owners.
The Roth Corporation specializes in building theatres for communities of the highest type. They are all of the same style and arrangement and no expense is spared on them. The programs are prepared for a selected clientele.
The materials that entire into the theater construction will not deteriorate but will grow more beautiful with age. The facade of the building is of a specially selected terra cotta which will look just as nice twenty years from now as it does today.
The decorations of the theater are restful and beautiful. In the center is a large oval dome in the preparation of which twelve thousand leaves of gold were used by skilled decorators from New York. The chandelier with its beautiful clusters of cut glass prisms is a duplicate of the one so much admired in the large new theater in Irvington.
Pompeian colors are used throughout the auditorium, which is oval shaped and without a gallery. A real novelty has been introduced by the use of old Spanish stone pilasters to bring out the gold, greens, blues and reds that are the dominating tints in the auditorium.
The proscenium arch is a remarkably effective example of oriental work done by the New Jersey Plastering Company, under the supervision of Harry Pearce, supervising foreman. It is decorated in green carrying red tint.
Red and blue prevail on the side walls, green and gold in the dome and ceiling. The lobby is decorated with a beamed ceiling in colors imitating wood on an inlaid design The doors are finished in Roman gold. The lobby is practically a repetition of the Sanford theatre.
The total cost of the theatre is said to exceed $300,000. Its seating capacity is 1,600. Mr. Mumford, the manager, is an experience an of a most attractive personality who will be a great help in arranging functions and benefits which are so necessary to the success of the work of the many civic, charitable, and social organizations in Maplewood; his judgement and care will also help to assure the right kind of programs for Maplewood.
A Wurlitzer organ costing $30,000 with all the latest novelty effect and specially built to please the most exacting of musical critics, is one fo the featers of the new amusement palace. An orchestera of high quality will supplement.
Attend the opening of this beautiful new Roth Theater in Maplewood on Tuesday night and satisfy yourself that our community had a theatre equal in beauty and value to any in the land. The building is fireproof, throughout.
“The exterior gives but faint idea of the beautiful interiorâ€
I drove past this theater this morning. It is still the Newark Gospel Tabernacle. It is very close to Seton Hall University. If anyone cares enough I’ll go visit the inside… when can we post pictures again?!?!?!
Definately one of the largest! Especially when you are 5 years old. No chandalier in this place that I remember… In the pizza place next door they have an old advert for the theater showing the original marquee. It used to have a blade sign. The ad stated “One of the most beautiful theaters in New Jersey”. I remember seeing Ghostbusters here. They had a ghost on the marquee for prolly an entire year. They are hiring right now! i’m tempted to get hired to see some of the back rooms, etc. This place was a mess when I was a kid.
There are several pictures of this movie theater on eBay right now… might have been a barn inside but looks real ornate outside.
We used to go to the blue star. It was probably from the late 60’s or early 70’s. The lobby was double height with a glass wall. Nothing special.
That “vintage exterior” view isn’t vintage at all. I’d say that picture is only a few years old at the most. That particular car was owned by the previous theater owner, and he parked it there all the time! I used to live about two blocks from there. Its “sad” he took the fotoplayer when he left, but considering he had taken it apart I guess it would be good that he take it because nobody else could put it back together. The owner got a new job in Texas I believe and that’s why the theater was sold.
John
I did some research on the Maplewood and came up with the following:
March 15, 1927 Maplewood Theater opened.
107ft on Maplewood ave, 191ft deep. Leased to Maplewood Amusement Co. and branded as “Roth Maplewood” Owner was Isadore Portnoff of Newark. Architect of William Lehman. Cost $300,000+. White terracotta in Spanish renaissance 28ft wide lobby. First picture The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse with Rudolph Vanentino. Matinee was 30 cents, evening show was 40 cents. 36ft ceiling. 7 trusses. 175 tons of steel. Manager was Walter Hoffman.
Newpaper had multi week run up to opening where there was a front page survey of the format—– Photoplay with Organ, Photoplay with Organ and Orchestra, Photoplay and presentations with Organ and Orchestra, , Photoplay and Vaudeville with Organ and Orchestra.
Maplewood News, Special Theater Edition from March 11th, 1927:
Roth Maplewood A Theatre of beauty in which the acme of real comfort is reached
The Roth Maplewood theatre was especially designed and built for the community it is to serve. Everything that taste, experience and culture can conceive to ate it attractive and comfortable had been provided by the owners.
The Roth Corporation specializes in building theatres for communities of the highest type. They are all of the same style and arrangement and no expense is spared on them. The programs are prepared for a selected clientele.
The materials that entire into the theater construction will not deteriorate but will grow more beautiful with age. The facade of the building is of a specially selected terra cotta which will look just as nice twenty years from now as it does today.
The decorations of the theater are restful and beautiful. In the center is a large oval dome in the preparation of which twelve thousand leaves of gold were used by skilled decorators from New York. The chandelier with its beautiful clusters of cut glass prisms is a duplicate of the one so much admired in the large new theater in Irvington.
Pompeian colors are used throughout the auditorium, which is oval shaped and without a gallery. A real novelty has been introduced by the use of old Spanish stone pilasters to bring out the gold, greens, blues and reds that are the dominating tints in the auditorium.
The proscenium arch is a remarkably effective example of oriental work done by the New Jersey Plastering Company, under the supervision of Harry Pearce, supervising foreman. It is decorated in green carrying red tint.
Red and blue prevail on the side walls, green and gold in the dome and ceiling. The lobby is decorated with a beamed ceiling in colors imitating wood on an inlaid design The doors are finished in Roman gold. The lobby is practically a repetition of the Sanford theatre.
The total cost of the theatre is said to exceed $300,000. Its seating capacity is 1,600. Mr. Mumford, the manager, is an experience an of a most attractive personality who will be a great help in arranging functions and benefits which are so necessary to the success of the work of the many civic, charitable, and social organizations in Maplewood; his judgement and care will also help to assure the right kind of programs for Maplewood.
A Wurlitzer organ costing $30,000 with all the latest novelty effect and specially built to please the most exacting of musical critics, is one fo the featers of the new amusement palace. An orchestera of high quality will supplement.
Attend the opening of this beautiful new Roth Theater in Maplewood on Tuesday night and satisfy yourself that our community had a theatre equal in beauty and value to any in the land. The building is fireproof, throughout.
“The exterior gives but faint idea of the beautiful interiorâ€
I drove past this theater this morning. It is still the Newark Gospel Tabernacle. It is very close to Seton Hall University. If anyone cares enough I’ll go visit the inside… when can we post pictures again?!?!?!
Definately one of the largest! Especially when you are 5 years old. No chandalier in this place that I remember… In the pizza place next door they have an old advert for the theater showing the original marquee. It used to have a blade sign. The ad stated “One of the most beautiful theaters in New Jersey”. I remember seeing Ghostbusters here. They had a ghost on the marquee for prolly an entire year. They are hiring right now! i’m tempted to get hired to see some of the back rooms, etc. This place was a mess when I was a kid.