Stanley Theatre
2932 Kennedy Boulevard,
Jersey City,
NJ
7306
2932 Kennedy Boulevard,
Jersey City,
NJ
7306
25 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 144 comments
sorry for my loudness, but i don’t understand how you can say “i found it disrespectful”? Example: if you were to buy a Landmark and restored to it’s original state, but made it your own with different colors and decors, also many of your religious artifacts as you please…. i have no say in your beliefs or decor it’s your home, it your right as the owner.I guess it hurts to hear someone put them down, when its so clear there hard work was motivatied by good hearts…..(nuff said):(
trying to get rid of the ringing in my ears from so many capitals and exclamation marks in joannie’s message…
1) I have EVERY right to ‘criticize’. Just as you have every right to ‘yell’ and reveal your true nature. (‘nuff said.)
2) It’s their property…I was given a tour…I found the presentation distasteful, disrespectful…
3) I reject your admonition that unless I ‘have something good to say, say nothing at all’. What are you, a primary school teacher? This is a message board. Where discussion and discourse take place. Ironic that I could throw your little advice back at the JWs and say ‘Just let people wander on their own and respect the impetus behind their visit.’
4) Would love to, and intend to, if the opportunity arises.
Thanks for your (loud) input.
The Picasa album is now available to any and all who want to take a peek at the photos of this outstanding restoration. Email me.
Mr. Schmadrian my visit to the Stanley Theatre was wonderful and very rewarding. I work for the Historic Preservation office in DC,and was very pleased to see how they had restored the exterior facade and interior to it’s original state. There were obviously two choice demolition or restore. Thank you to the Jehovah’s Witnesses' for
restoring it, what right do you or i have to criticize what they use it for or say on their tours?!!!! It’s their property!!!!! further more you now have two choiecs 1)DONT VISIT AGAIN 2)OR SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THE VOLUNTEERS DID. THE SAME GOES TO YOU ASS I SAID TO Ms PEACHES “IF YOU HAVE NOTHING NICE TO SAY DON’T SAY NOTHING AT ALL”………… P.S Next time their is a Theatre in danger of being demolition, BUY. RESTORE IT. DO AS YOU PLEASE WITH IT!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Warren:
Go back and read what I’ve said.
There’s nothing in there negative about the efforts made. Or reducing the impressiveness of the exquisite results. The fact that this building was saved is fantastic. (I take issue with the notion that the movie industry ‘abandoned’ the Stanley; movie-going habits of the paying public effected that situation.)
I feel I have to declare, to re-define my status as someone who loves cinema treasures. My hometown had two Thomas Lamb theatres a block apart. One was razed, the other is now a bar. One evening in the late 80s had me attending the closing of two other movie palaces. One now is only an auditorium, the other has stood vacant since then…with talk of it being converted into a condo complex. Each and every time a palace is torn down, I hurt. Every time I read of one slated for demolition, my heart aches. I love cinema treasures.
In fact… The way I’m constantly explaining it is that to me, great movie houses are ‘cathedrals of film’. They’re where those who hold film in esteem, go to worship.
If I owned offices that were housed in a reclaimed cinema, and I held tours, you better believe that I’d show respect to the heritage of the building and ensure that alongside explaining what was done to bring the premises back to life, I’d relay information and insight in this regard. It’s common sense, it’s good manners…it’s plain and simple respect.
In fact, that’s what all of this comes down to. A matter of respect.
I applaud the Jehovah’s Witnesses of Jersey City for restoring The Stanley to its former glory. They did a fine job. And now I’d suggest that they show respect (something they’ve been fighting for in the US courts for some fifty years on many fronts) for the edifice that allows them such a heightened sense of worship and acknowledge the building’s heritage in their tours…and establish a small enclave within the Stanley where film aficionados can witness some of this history. To have no representation on-site is at the very least perplexing, and at the worst, wholly lacking in respect.
Maybe Schmadrian got stuck with an extremely on-message, missionary-like guide, and I was lucky enough to get a much more open-minded one?
Here’s a great indicator: before she took us into the building-proper, she showed us the map of the world illustrating with coloured push-pins where the regional offices of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are (!!!), she asked how we found out about the Stanley. I replied ‘Cinema Treasures’. She gazed back at me with the blankest face imaginable…and continued with her JW PR presentation pre-tour. It was then that I realized the tenor of our visit. And it was then that this very uneasy feeling in the pit of my gut began to gurgle.
I’m certainly not offended by your remarks. it is an intelligent, decent conversation.
I, too, didn’t need to see those additional, modern areas, but they must have many Jehovah’s Witnesses from around the world who want to see what they did.
I do agree it would be lovely if they could mention some of the movie palace history. It is, however, up to them. It isn’t impossible that if a few highlights were politely given to them (esp in the form of publications like THS Marquee or newspaper clippings) that they could decide to mention a bit. But, even if they don’t, in my opinion we are lucky it has survived.
It could very well have been that we had a tour guide who, over the two years she’s been doing the tours, had developed her own personal habit of not having anything to do with the Stanley’s past. (When she took us to the cafeteria…then the adjoining auditorium…each seating 700, each with sizable wall-mounted Sonys…I thought to myself ‘You MUST be joking! What makes you think that we’re interested in an office-like place that was built where a parking garage used to be?!? We’re here to see what this movie palace looks like now, restored, not more proof of your religious practices!’) Last night, speaking with my NYC host, I said “I’d like to go back and repeat the tour, only have with me all manner of documents and photos of the Stanley when it was in its heyday, providing for them what they so very much neglect.”
It’s not the Jehovah’s Witnesses' responsibility to be cinematic historians. But it is their responsibility in a purely ‘good manners and showing respect’ sense that they at least address the heritage of this building they take such delight in worshiping in. But they don’t. (At least that was MY impression after MY tour.) And maybe it’s hard for readers to appreciate what my reaction was/is like, to understand how much a smack in the face it is to have NOTHING offered in terms of the other half of the motivation of why ANY movie palace aficionado would take the tour…and instead, be insulted by the obvious neglect in reference. The tour did a number on my head and clearly, I’m still trying to sort out my reaction. No apologies are offered here by me for how this doesn’t sit well with Cinema Treasure members. I remain Mr Conflicted.
When my friend Jeff and I took the Stanley tour 3 years ago, the guide asked us if we’d ever been there in the old days when it was a movie theater. I told her about seeing “The Miracle Worker” and “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” there in 1962, and she seemed genuinely interested in hearing about that.
I enjoyed my tour! Majestic movie palace. Even got to see the twinkling stars & moving clouds of the auditorium!
As a volunteer, I’ve given dozens of tours of Philadelphia’s closed Boyd. Sure, I mention the “movie palace” history. As to the Stanley, respect those many volunteers who saved it, restore it, and use it. No movie theater history? Nothing is perfect.
In my opinion, I’m thrilled they allow the public to tour it. Now, the United Artists in LA’s Broadway hasn’t been avail for tours in a while….they should resume.
“95% of the nation’s historic moviehouses are closed, mostly demolished or gutted.”
And this is exactly why I’ve felt conflicted.
I would have thought I’d have been overjoyed it was there. I wasn’t. Not the way I saw it. In fact, its occurred to me that considering their approach, they shouldn’t be doing tours. At least not as a former movie palace.
Former movie palaces turned legit often do the same!
95% of the nation’s historic moviehouses are closed, mostly demolished or gutted.
Lucky! remains my word for the Stanley and many others….
Well, let me add this: I have nothing against, I have no problem with a palace being used as a church. What I take issue with is the entire whitewashing of the heritage of the building. It’s as if it’s incidental that it ever was a cinema.
The more I ponder my tour, the more I tend to lean towards the descriptive ‘disrespectful’. That might seem harsh to some…but as I say, this entire interlude has thrown me for a loop…as it has for anyone who loves cinemas whom I’ve shared my experience with.
But, the Stanley is NOT a strip joint or flea market!
I’ve taken the tour, and see many classic movies nearby at the Loews Jersey. Two movie palaces almost next to each other!
I’m in Philadelphia. Philadelphia’s Stanley, Earle, Mastbaum, Fox, and others GONE. Only one left in downtown: the Boyd, which is closed & at risk of demolition. Yet, Jersey City was lucky enough- and had people fighting to save the Loews, to retain TWO. I wish Philadelphia had another movie palace lovingly reused by a church!! I’ve visited Loews 175th in NYC and toured the United Artists in downtown LA, both restored & lovingly maintained by churches. Those cities and Jersey City, are lucky.
Understanding that what I’m about to say might not sit well with some people, I want to preface my comments by noting that my opinion wasn’t something formed on the spur of the moment, nor in isolation.
During my recent trip to the New York City area, I took in a tour of the Stanley with my host. When we’d left the building and had crossed the street more than an hour later, I stopped and looked at her and said ‘I can’t believe how utterly conflicted I feel.’
Let me flash-forward a bit and throw this analogy at you: If you were dumped by the love of your life, which do you suppose you’d prefer? Never seeing them again…or watching them take up with someone new?
First things first: the restoration was a labour of love. The effort that went into it was immeasurable, very reminiscent of what was accomplished in Toronto at the Elgin/Winter Garden. Except most/all of the work done at the Stanley was performed by volunteers. It is an exquisite facility now, something that only an in-person visit can do justice to. (However, I will be putting together a Picasa album this week; anyone interested in the link can email me at adrian-at-olorinfilms.com )
Having said this, I am still, several days later, trying to sort out my feelings about this once-showpiece now being a place of worship.
A place of worship lovingly brought to life…but recognizing, acknowledging nothing of its previous history. Not once on the tour was there any mention of the decades of movie-going that had made it possible for it to have been re-born as a Kingdom Hall. Three times I asked our tour guide, in three entirely different ways, how they reconciled its heritage with its present use…and three times my query was brushed off, responded to instead with a reminder of how much work went into the reclamation, how amazing the effort was.
The final wound for me occurred when we’d watched the 15 minute DVD presentation from the front row, and we stood up, and I turned and looked back up to the balcony, up above this vast expanse…and heard the guide say that ‘Yes, that’s where the projection booth used to be…we converted it to apartments.’
I shook my head and thought ‘You couldn’t even make a concession there, and have a small museum for the undoubtedly vast heritage of one of the area’s cinematic landmarks?!?’
So here’s the deal: in the Stanley, we have a sumptuous restoration of a movie palace…where there’s no evidence of anything cinematic. Honestly? Being there broke my heart. No matter how beautiful it was.
Which brings me back to trying to sort out my conflictedness about the Stanley. I’ve been trying to come up with other analogies, trying to test my reaction to this bizarre situation. One is ‘Imagine your favourite, storied baseball stadium, lovingly restored to its former glory…only now, it’s a huge flea market.’ Or how about this one: ‘It’s like a cathedral, war-torn and bombed-out, brought back to life…as a strip joint.’ (Admittedly, this second one might be a little argumentative…so imagine a bar, the greatest bar imaginable…restored by a church group for their services…only there’s NEVER any acknowledgement of its heritage.)
During the tour, much was made of the efforts of the volunteers. But really, considering the end result, I was, and still am, inclined to believe the restoration was less about the theatre than it was about their god. And I’ll be blunt; considering how the list of extant palaces shrinks every year, I felt a little nauseated upon leaving the Stanley. I felt a little sickened by the punchline, that yes, a palace had been saved from demolition…but really, how satisfying can this be, given the circumstances?
So; would you prefer to never see that love-of-your-life again…or could you live with seeing them with someone else? I’m still sorting out my answer.
Here are five photographs that I took on the Cinema Theatre Association(UK) visit that I organised to the cinemas and theatres of New York and Jersey City in October 2007:
Foyer
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/2096480918/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/2096482068/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/2096483146/
Auditorium
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/2095708153/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/2095709259/
I.m a member of the Three Stooges Fan Club in Penna. The Club is trying to create a list of all Three Stooges personal appearances. The club has confirmed a Personal Appearance by Larry, Moe and Curly Joe DeRita (the last “third” Stooge) in 1959. It’s possible there may have been an earlier appearance with Curly Howard as the third Stooge. Can anyone confirm this?
Thanks
Frank Reighter
501 West Court, Apt. A1
(Andalusia) Bensalem, PA. 19020-7773
267 523-5166
Thanks for the pictures, Lost Memory. I was getting hungry looking at the one of Boulevard Drinks. That place is great!
View link
Dear LuisV: Yes, there are organized tours of the Stanley and they are free. I am a Jehovah’s Witness and have been on the tour as a spectator and also attended religious sessions there, during which I found it hard to pay attention to the session for the fact that the view is so beautiful! Just a word of caution to call ahead to be sure that there isn’t a session (a meeting or assembly) going on at the time of your preferred tour because then you won’t be able to have a full tour. Your best bet is to see the Stanley on a Monday thru Thursday. Go see it! You won’t be sorry – it’s gorgeous!
Dear Miss Peaches you really should visit the Stanley Theatre and maybe then you wont’t sound so cold hearted and appreciatied the hard work the volunteers did to restore it. Did your mother ever teach you the saying “If you don’t have nothing nice to say don’t say nothing at all”. THIS IS WHEN IT’S APPLIED. P.S Shame on you!!!!!!!!!!!
Does anyone know if there are organized tours of the Stanley?
The Stanley is one of most breathtakingly beautiful buildings I’ve ever had the honor of seeing in person. Though I am no longer affliated with any religion, I grew up in the great state of New Jersey and was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. The beauty of that building is phenomenal. I now live in Canada, but if I ever make it home for a visit, the Stanley tour is definitely on my itinerary.
If anyone has a chance to see this incredible building, do it!
T o take anything old and beautify it only with volunteers working in unison is a wonder in itself to behold. I wonder if Miss Peaches would like to have someone simply to volunteer their time to pretty her home and even help her when she gets in her golden years. Far more attractive is anyone who who reveals beautiful treasures, words, from within. Most important to have facts. For out of the heart the mouth speaks.
Good job Bill T, in responce to MissPeaches stupid comment. Its a shame she was not able to tour the theater, maybe she would of chosen her words more politely. I do know this, it took thousands of hours just to restore the million dollar chandelier in the lobby. This was done by all volunteers. It would be nice to see MissPeaches volunteer some of her time to improve the looks to a historical landmark in her hometown. kent t.