Cranford Theater
25 North Avenue W,
Cranford,
NJ
07016
25 North Avenue W,
Cranford,
NJ
07016
6 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 36 comments
This is a very nice well run downtown movie theater. The new owners really did a good job with the renovations. The seats are very comfortable the screens are of a good size. They have classic movies once a month at other special events. Good restaurants and shops in the area on the main street and in other areas of Cranford. Definitely support and come to this downtown movie theater. We have been losing too many downtown movie theaters across the country in recent years. If you don’t come and support an independent Theatre. All the business will go to the multiplexes. Don’t sit home and watch streaming movies or go to the local Multiplex AMC. Come down to the Cranford theater you’ll be glad you did
Please update, it was twin March 31, 1978 by RKO Theatres. No Grand opening ad. Cineplex Odeon bought RKO Century in 1987. Please add RKO and RKO Century as previous owners
https://www.cranfordtheater.com/ Looks like they went under independent ownership.
The Cranford Theater was a few towns over from where I lived. I saw a few movies there but Alien is the only one I remember. A nice single theater that eventually went the way of the ‘split’.
I saw on facebook this morning a local article that the theatre will reopen in November with new seats and carpet. Did not state the name of the company who will run it.
I Can’t believe they started moving things out while there were still patrons in the theatre for a special showing of “Fried Green Tomatoes”
A local article about the closing can be read here, the “tapinto” link within will lead to a picture of an employee on a ladder changing the marquee to read “closed.”
A final note on the Cranford’s Wurlitzer: an old comment mentions it was opus 1468, installed October 10, 1926. Adding to that, it was a 2 manual style 190, with 8 ranks.
Theatre closed as of Wednesday the 4th. Same issue that closed the Rialto in Westfield NJ.
Was in town visiting a boyfriend and i mention to him what a nice town he said theres even a ‘'theatre’‘ thats all it took and had him drive me by and there it was it a nice gem in a town thats preserves places like this how wonderful CRANFORD is ;)
New vision has rebranded this theater as “New Vision Theatres Cranford Theatre”
great theater saw lots of movies there from the 90s till now. i remember being a twin cinema. I happen to see the last movie when they had only 2 screens twin cinema in 1998 before it closed to turn into a 5 screen theater and reopen in july 1998. I was there when it reopen in july 1998. Its a nice theater one of my favorites!
Wow. The current parent company of this theater also owns other theaters that AMC had to divest upon the acquisition of Carmike due to proximity to AMC’s own theaters.
First film I saw at this theater was STAR TREK III. Also saw RE-ANIMATOR here – what a blast!
great theater saw lots of movies there
I can see this theatre closing once AMC assumes control of it after the Carmike purchase is complete.
I’ve just uploaded an ad for opening night in 1926, which took place a week after the 534 seat Cranford Theatre closed. A local civic minded group known as the Cranford Booster Club initiated a movement to convince the owners of the new theatre to rename it the Cranford. They were successful and the New Branford became the New Cranford on January 27, 1927, with some fanfare. I’m also uploading a photo I took while passing through town last week.
The Wurlitzer organ was reported to have cost $15,000.
I’ve uploaded a picture from NJ.com which shows the theater for the brief period it was the Branford.
This is now taken over by Carmike Cinemas. Now they have cinemas in the three largest markets in the USA (NYC-LA-Chicagoland)
All screens now digital.
The only house in New Jersey playing the ballet Esmerelda performed by the Bolshoi Ballet.
Now owned by the Digiplex Destinations chain.
http://www.digiplexdest.com/
1967 “BONNIE and CLYDE” wonder if it was first run or hit the drive-in first.I heard in some parts it was booked right into Drive-ins then Caught Fire and it in the indoor Theatres,this from an old Prpjectionist that said it happened to him.
great theater seen alot of movies there. i remember when they closed during the renovations i saw Major League:Back to the Minors one of the two movies which was playing when they closed for renvations. Then i remember them open back up and got to see Armageddon, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Patriot, Shrek and many more.
Here is a photo circa 1967:
http://tinyurl.com/cqk92z
I remember the clock in Theater One at least, used that to deduce that it took Alec Baldwin 45 minutes to re-adopt his costumed alter ego in “The Shadow” in 1994. Saw “Jurassic Park” here the prior year and recall what an experience that was, every seat was filled and the ticket line went down the street. Haven’t been here since “Swimming Pool” in 2003 or so.
I practically grew up in that theater, I remember the beautiful chandelier, I used to stare at it before the Saturday Matinees used to start. :-D (1960s). Standing in a very long line outside the theater to see “Help” and “A Hard Day’s Night”, “Yellow Submarine”, oh you name the movie, I was there weekly. Love that old photo with “Bonnie and Clyde” on the marquee (which I saw there too!) I was literally sick when they made the theater into two screens, and now it’s five screens? Wow! I’m in Texas now, but I dearly miss my old hometown of Cranford, and my favorite theater of all time.