Loew's Jersey Theatre

The TEN COMMANDMENTS is usually shown on the Channel 7 movie on Easter night, but there will be no comparison to seeing it on the big screen- the way it is supposed to be seen.I remember seeing a re release of it at the Loew1s 46th.St theater in Brooklyn in the summer of 1966 and another re release of it on St Patricks Day in 1984 at a theater on Bway in NY.I can`t remember what theater it was, but I went with my friend Mike B{ More of a film buff than theaterbuff} and the print quality and presentation were first rate. You just HAVE to see the parting of the Red Sea on the big screen! One of the best special effects { for my money anyway} ever filmed. Oh almost forgot The Plagues and the Exodus.

re: APE marathon: I saw all five at the Plaza in Paterson. Same times as the Central., What is going on here?? 10 Commandments?? at the Loews?? I just heard the Ziegfeld is planning a 70MM Lawrence of Arabia on mar. 24th??? WOW>>this is great

10 Commandments will run on Sunday March 26th starting at 2pm in the afternoon. They have secured an excellent condition, archival original release, dye transfer Technicolor print for the showing.

So let it be written, so let it be done…

/Mitchell :)

Bob, I agree with most of what you’re saying, but the 1.37 is the old academy ratio, right, which is almost square. And the 1.85 is the new “flat” which takes up the full screen. But then when you have the scope ratio of 2.35, you have less height but the same width, which means less screen space.

So, at the Loew’s Jersey, 2.35 is bigger than 1.37, but the 2.35 is smaller than the 1.85.

EdSolero—I think you’re right about summer ‘74 for the Apes fest. I remember the Nostrand being sold out. The line stretched around the block. It was so popular that a couple of weeks later, the Nostrand began showing a double feature of “Planet” and “Battle”. I remember my dad taking my brother and I back for that one. We even stuck around and watched “Planet” a second time. It provided my mom with one of the few quiet days of the summer! In case you’re interested, all five films, the TV show, and the Saturday morning cartoon are being re-released as a special DVD box set at the end of March.

Bill and R.H… I distinctly remember seeing “Battle for the Planet of the Apes” as a solo feature during its initial run – that film was HUGE for kids my age at the time (I was also 8). I remember the movie came out just before the end of the school year in June – which was a great idea because kids who saw it had a chance to brag about it in school and encourage other kids to go out and catch it thte following weekend. I remember the poster for “Battle…” featured a large shirtless gorilla lifting a human soldier over his head and I recall wondering “when in the film is THAT going to happen?” It never did, of course.

Anyway, I could swear the “Go Ape” festival was summer of ‘74, perhaps to spur interest in the upcoming “Planet of the Apes” TV show.

So if they lower the mask for the 2.35 (widescreen presentation) there is less square footage on view, right? which was my point.

I went “APE” as well (just like the gorilla in the Uncle Sam style poster instructed me). I saw the films at the Fox Theater in East Setauket on Long Island with my cousins who lived out there. I’m trying to remember if they played them in that order when I saw them… It sounds familiar. Anyway, someone at Fox might have thought that in that order the series made more chronological sense (since 4 takes place in the 1990’s and attempts to show that this is when “intelligent” apes started to emerge). But this thinking is a bit misguided since I think folks were pretty easily able to see how the events played out in the series connected the overall saga in a cycle, where the last film is sort of a prequel to the 1st. Also, if you start out with “Conquest…” (the 4th film), you wouldn’t know the connection between the ape Milo (who becomes Caeser) and the circus man Armando.

Anyway… was that 1973? So soon after the release of the final film that very same year? I remember the series played many theaters in the Century circuit.

The only drawback to seeing widescreen pictures at the Jersey is that the actual screen space is smaller than for flat pictures, since they don’t widen the screen for the wider ratio but lower the top masking to get the proper view.

Or how about Charlton and Sophia Loren in EL CID? I never actually saw the entire film- only bits and pieces of it on TV many years ago, but it is definately one to see on the big screen.Also Bill Huelbig-remember when ALL the PLANET of the Apes movies all played together in the early 70s? Did you “go ape' back then?I did and even though one and two were the best, it was a great day {literally} at the movies.

Ben Hur was at the Jersey last year but if they could get the Ten Commandments I know I would be there. Instead of “Planet Of The Apes”, how about “The Greatest Show On Earth” which also starred Charlton Heston.

It would be even better if the TEN COMMANDMENTS and BEN HUR played as a double feature! This would probably run for over 9 hours with intermissions, setting up the films and introductions, but I am down for it. Maybe someday.Still,nothing can compare to seeing these epics on a big screen at a great theater.