Prince Theater

Route 1,
Princeton, NJ

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: AMC Theatres, Budco

Previous Names: Prince 3

Nearby Theaters

Caused a stir back in 1972 when it was one of the first first-run theaters in the US to show “Deep Throat”.

Sept. 28, 1972 - “Deep Throat” opens at the Prince Theater, a first run theater in Princeton, NJ. Mercer County prosecutor Bruce Schragger goes on record saying he does not contemplate any legal action against the theater. He’s a “firm believer” in freedom of speech and says that his office has more serious problems to handle. From “Inside Deep Throat” website.

The theater was later purchased by Budco, which made it a triplex. Budco was acquired by AMC. Still open as of 8/9/87 as the AMC Prince 3.

Currently closed, status of building is unknown.

It may have been turned into a sporting goods store at one time.

Contributed by TC

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

teecee
teecee on May 13, 2005 at 8:29 pm

On 11/9/67, received smoke damage from a major fire at the nearby sprawling Princeton Bowl and Indoor Ice Skating Rink on Route 1. The bowling alley, ice rink and cocktail lounge were all destroyed in the blaze.

shoeshoe14
shoeshoe14 on December 10, 2005 at 3:47 am

I’m watching the documentary now and in the special features section it shows the theater in black and white in a newspaper and in the present day. It’s now a Pep Boys. The original prosecutor tours the store and points to where the screen once stood.

JackS124
JackS124 on December 28, 2005 at 1:08 am

The Prince 3 ended its days in the early 90’s (probably ‘92-'93) as a discount movie house showing 2nd run films for $2 for all seats at all times.

teecee
teecee on March 2, 2006 at 8:30 am

Listed as a 3 screen Budco Theatre in the 1985 International Motion Picture Almanac.

amatin
amatin on January 5, 2007 at 5:14 pm

It was a Budco Triplex when I moved to Princeton in 1980. I think the last movie I saw there was Total Recall in 1990.

BarryMonush
BarryMonush on February 9, 2007 at 1:33 pm

For a period in the early 1980s, this cinema would show X-Rated Adult Films on one of its screens, while the other two auditoriums were still used for first-run mainstream pictures, which I thought was very odd.

hondo59
hondo59 on December 7, 2009 at 5:21 am

A Pep Boys Auto Store sits on the site of the Prince 3 today. This was an undistinguished building on Route 1 outside of the Princeton town limits. I believe that the theater building was expanded on its “western” side in the 1970s while the original auditorium was twinned.

It was a Budco theater and it sometimes ran X-rated films as pointed out above. The last film I saw here was Die Hard.

hondo59
hondo59 on December 7, 2009 at 5:23 am

The Prince was razed completely so the status should be changed to closed/demolished.

rivest266
rivest266 on October 2, 2011 at 6:27 pm

This was opened by Budco on July 10th, 1962. The grand opening ad is posted here.

rivest266
rivest266 on September 2, 2013 at 8:15 pm

2 screens on May 24th, 1974. It had shown Deep Throat on September 28th, 1972.

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