Lafayette Theatre

The side balcony boxes had special dignitaries siting in them, such as the mayor of Suffern, Rockland County politicos, and the owner of the building (the gentleman from Met Life, who bought and saved the place a few years ago).

SPECTACULAR! That’s what it was billed as, and it lived up to it in every way. Saturday December 15th was the Christmas Spectacular at the Lafayette. On the ticket was IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, with the short subject BIG BUSINESS with Laurel & Hardy. Also shown were vintage Christmas Greetings & Happy New Year snipes from 1955 and 1952 respectively. Nelson Page did a reading “The Night Before Christmas”, after which Santa Claus appeared with greetings and a message for the children.

The show was a SELL OUT! The auditorium was filled to capacity, and over 200 people were turned away. This was by far, the best Christmas show the Lafayette has produced.

Here, the brave begin to gather outside the theater about a half hour before the doors open:

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The auditorium before anyone arrives. The inside of the Lafayette is a beautiful place:

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The place begins to fill up:

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All filled up! On with the show:

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Here is a video of the Classic Christmas and New Years greeting snipes that were run before the feature:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8F_9kbF3bk

Thanks to Nelson, Pete, and all the Lafayette staff for a wonderful show! The Lafayette opens it’s Spring season on March 8, 2008 with an outstanding film! I’m going to let Pete provide the info on this, I don’t want to spoil his surprise.

Boy, whoever was projectionist at that time must have really been sick of listening to that film soundtrack for 20 weeks. I can envision him pacing the floors of that small booth, or hiding out in the rectifier room/toilet directly beneath the booth!

The Lafayette Theatre’s HORROR-THON Film Festival returns on October 19-20-21!

FLASH: Bela Lugosi’s Dracula cape (worn by him on-screen in “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein”) will be displayed at the 2pm show on Sunday of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein! This one-of-a-kind artifact comes to the Lafayette courtesy of collector Todd Feiertag. Go to: View link for more information.

Here’s the complete HORROR-THON 2007 line-up:

Friday, October 19,
8:00pm – Ed Wood’s PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE plus Ed Wood Home Movies and more (Now in color for the first time!)

Saturday, October 20
2:00pm – FRANKENSTEIN starring Boris Karloff and Colin Clive
4:15pm – MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, starring Vincent Price and Hazel Court
8:00pm – THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, starring Lon Chaney, the silent horror classic will have LIVE Pipe Organ Accompaniment by Jeff Barker

Sunday, October 21
2:00pm – ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN; PLUS – Bela Lugosi’s original Dracula cape (as worn in this film) will be displayed at this showing!
4:15pm – CURSE OF THE DEMON starring Dana Andrews – uncut British version!
7:30pm – Robert Wise’s THE HAUNTING starring Julie Harris and Richard Johnson

All tickets – $8 per movie. Doors open 30 minutes prior to each showtime and you can buy your tickets at the door for each movie.

Go to: View link for more information.

Great photo, Bea-Anita.

Would you allow me to reproduce it on the Lafayette’s website with a credit to you? I’m slowly expanding our collection of vintage photos as we come across them and that 1947 shot would be wonderful to display. Feel free to contact me by direct e-mail (click my name, then click the “e-mail” link on my profile page).

Hello – My sister’s family photo album revealed this wonderful photo of The Lafayette during the 1940’s:

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Her flower shop is the “featured star”!! Unsure of the date, but along with the film, Shocking Miss Pilgrim, maybe the car will provide a clue?

More recent photo taken Aug. ‘07.

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We tend not to re-run things during our Saturday morning shows, so that’ll be it for a long time on that one. Come by this Saturday for James Cagney in Public Enemy!

It looked and sounded excellent, if I may say so. Very dynamic with nice separation – it sounds as if they either used the original 4-track mix (assuming it had one) or made a new mix using the original stereo music tracks (which were unearthed a few years ago for a double CD of the complete soundtrack) and then did a nice “steering” of the dialog and effects.

I was by there on my bicycle trip on Monday. The above introduction/history is exactly what’s posted inside the lobby on two large parchments (one on the theater, the other on the organ) on the wall under glass.

The theater’s architecture is also known as Beaux Arts. There’s a dress shop on the ground floor on the left and a salon on the right. The marquee is rounded, all lit up with neon and lots of light bulbs.
Facing front, around to the left side of the lobby and the auditorium, are Mediterranean-style arches with a multicolored tile trim which is very beautiful.

There was a movie playing so I couldn’t see the single screen but the lobby is full of things to look at and they get theater buffs from time to time to take pictures like me.

Out front to the left of the main doors is a large poster in glass that says “Lafeyette Theater, Home of the Mighty Wurlitzer” and when it’s played before shows. On the right of the doors is a large poster under glass that has a bunch of 50s folks in black and white with x-ray glasses on with wide open scared mouths and looks. In the approach to the ticket booth are walls adorned with old movie posters such as “Million Dollar Kid”. The doors at the end before the ticket counter have 2 small halved mini-chandeliers on either side on top with a red neon sign saying “Lafayette Theatre”. There’s a Roman bust/column of a plaster statue on the side of the door showing a woman with her arms above her head. Other posters under glass include an article from the Los Angeles Times with the headline “Marcus Loew is Dead”.

To the left of the ticket counter is the original wooden ticket booth with an explanation inside it telling of its origin and its appearance in 2 films, one recently for the film on Neal Cassady. There’s an old newspaper from that town under glass about the theatre’s playbill from 1928 and small pics showing the auditorium.

The three staff were very nice and nicely dressed.

Re: The Great Escape – it’s a print struck a couple of years ago by MGM. The print should be in Dolby Stereo. A 4-track mag of The Great Escape – if they even exist any longer – would be badly faded as it was not a Technicolor release.

Does anybody know if the print of THE GREAT ESCAPE which will be unspooling here Sept. 8 is 4-track mag or remixed to Dolby Optical?

To LostMemory and others –
Not sure if I am getting off-topic; but my sister sent the following info: (Keep in mind this is regarding the Lafayette Theatre building and businesses in the block during the 1940’s and early 50’s).
“The manager’s name was Fred ? Lichtman , he had one daughter. I think before it was Lafayette Avenue, the street was just Route 59. The dress shop at the other end was operated by Ethel Salling, one son, Lloyd. Next to my florist when I moved into it, was a Real Estate shop operated by Carl Marcum. On the other side of the street was the Bright Spot, Carmen’s Beauty Parlor and Cheerful Furniture and Rug Shop. There also was a small jewelry shop next to the beauty shop.”