Ventnor Square Theatre
5211 Ventnor Avenue,
Ventnor City,
NJ
08406
5211 Ventnor Avenue,
Ventnor City,
NJ
08406
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Showing 51 - 67 of 67 comments
Mike,
There weren’t any reserved seat engagements at the Embassy or the Ventnor while I was there. They didn’t have the ability to do it.
Al
Was it reserved seat engagment?
Mike,
West Side Story definitely played at the Embassy while I was there.
Al
Did the Embassy ever show roadshow films? There are films from the early years like My Fair Lady and West Side Story that I have no idea where they played.
Al
Did the Embassy ever show roadshow films?
Mike,
I remember two that did very well at the Ventnor, one for adults and one for kids – “Love Me or Leave Me” with James Cagney and Doris Day, and “Lady and the Tramp”, respectively. The latter packed the house to the rafters on a rainy summer day; quite literally every seat was filled, and there was SRO in the lobby within view of the screen; not just for one show, but all day. Those were the days!
Al
Do you rememebr what films played at the Embassy and Ventnor when you worked there?
Well if Frank Theaters still owns the Ventnor Twin no good will come of it. Frank Theaters have ruined every theater they touch.
I wouldn’t say that any of the theaters were ever ruined because the rennovations. Quite the opposite, this practice is what saved many of these buildings.
Everyone loves these old buildings, but the truth of the matter is that basically no one goes to these old buildings. They don’t have enough screens to stay open. This is especially true at the New Jersey shore when even 4 and 6 plexes simply loose money all winter long.
The Ventor Twin was just recently rented by a very experienced individual in the movie business, but all the nostalgia in the world just couldn’t make-up for the lack of business.
The Ventor Twin is still owned by Frank Theatres today and its future is in question at this time.
William Appenzeller, GM of the Towne 16, Frank Theatres
Maybe they will reopen the Ventnor. I lived in Atlantic CIty from 67-78 for the summer. They actually ruined this theater plus some in Ocean City and Wildwood when they twined and made multiple theaters out of most.
The Margate Twin was demolished. Condos are now on the site. The Ventnor is apparently owned by the Frank Theatre family, whose office is at the Towne 16 in Pleasantville, NJ. Their website is www.franktheatre.com (no ’s' at the end of ‘theatre’)
Does anybody know what became of the Margate Twin? I know it’s been closed for many years.
Does anyone know if this theater is availble for sale or lease?
The Ventor closed at the end of 2004, once again, and remains so.
The Apollo Circuit Theatres, then owned by Warren Weilland, included the following theatres and managers:
Apollo – Wesley Watson and Harvey Anderson
Strand – Hy Walters and Tillie Lewis
Embassy – Eddie Watson and Alva Schneider
Ventnor – Eddie Watson (summers only)
Margate – Wayne Lehrer
I worked at the Ventnor and Embassy theatres for ten summers while attending high school and college (1954-63).
Also in 1979, a pair of Brenkert BX-60 or 80 projectors from the Laurelton Drive-In were installed. The autowind had one five platter unit situated between the two machhines. We’d push a button in the new box office to start the shows.
In 1970, Al & Barbara Frank took over the Apollo theatre circuit theatres which I think included The Ventnor, Margate, Embassy (New york & Atlantic Ave) Apollo, and Strand (on the Boardwalk). At the time, the Franks were operating the brand new Towne Twin (next to Shore Mall), the recently re-located Atlantic Drive-in, the Absecon DI. the Towne Cinema (formerly the Astor, on Atlantic between New Jersey & Delaware Aves). The Circus DI. the Rivoli in Hammonton, and the Greenwood in Trenton.
I was assigned to work at the Ventnor in April 1973 by Rich
McSweeny, business agent of local 310 I.A.T.S.E. The Ventnor was still a 800 seat single screen venue and was on the “run down” side. I was told that the theatre was sometimes used as an indoor golf driving range! The booth had a pair of Super Simplex projectors with Sentry Fire Shutters. Peerless Magnarc carbon arc lamps, Western Electric (ERPI) sound heads and tube amp. A DC generator was in the adjacient room (wall now removed)
In March 1974, I showed up for work, but the theatre was dark. The Marquee said “CLOSED DUE TO ENERGY CRISIS”. A few weeks later, they remodeled the Ventnor. They put installed a drop ceiling and put blue & silver drapes on side walls. They never repaired the original ceiling and when it rained,-you guessed it, a chunk of the old concrete & rusted mesh came flying through. SCARRY! The old booth equipment was 86ed and the Super Simplex,Peerles, and Motiograph pedastals from the Rialto in Pleasantville wre installed. The Western Electric,(from the days when they leased the sound equipment like a telephone),was replaced with a university sound 35 (Altec)solid state amp. We re-opened with Blazin' Saddles. The summer of 1975 brought us Senssuround & the film “EaRtHqUakE”. The next year we had “ROLLER
COASTER”.
The Ventnor became the Ventnor Twin in the summer of ‘79. Doug Rieck and I installed the Christe xenon lamps and autowind platter system. I then put on a suit & tie and became manager/operator. The original marquee(read VENTNOR in red-orange neon) was damaged by a truck and replaced with the marquee from the Apollo.
Even after the Ventnor was twined and it rained, -you guess it! Bring a hard hat! I’m pleased to see that the theatre has been restored. I married my first wife in 1974 and we lived in one of the overhead apartments. My CB radio use to bleed through the Ventnor’s sound system!