Cinema Alley
1214 Route 37,
Toms River,
NJ
08753
1214 Route 37,
Toms River,
NJ
08753
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Easily the sketchiest movie theater in Toms River, Cinema Alley was always an interesting trip. It opened April 6, 1979. Located in the alley next door to Bob Kislin’s Sporting Goods and the Rag Shop, Cinema Alley housed some of the most uncomfortable seats known to man.
Last time I was there, we bought tickets at the window in the alley. The ticket man then ran around to the front door, tore our tickets, ran behind the concession stand, sold us popcorn, ran to the door of the theater to act as the doorman, and then ran up to the projection room to run the movie. It was closed on August 31, 1991 with Tim Curry in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”.
Contributed by
Rob
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
Listed as a 2 screen independent theatre in the 1991 International Motion Picture Almanac. Owner is E. Wilfred.
Saw Tron here in 1982 and Ghostbusters in 1984. Other films screening at the time were Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (82) and Karate Kid (84). I recall the layout with the box office on the outside as mentioned in the description, in 1984 both films were so popular the ticket line streched out into the parking lot. In their advertisements I believe they used a sophisticated cat as a logo. As you entered concessions was in a long row and theater access was side-by-side. Both auditoriums were large, I don’t recall any balcony.
Surprised no one mentioned this, but Cinema Alley used to have midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for many years …
After the theater closed, the midnight showings of the movie moved over to another theater in Bayville …
Saw The Incredible Shrinking Woman, TRON and Ghost Busters here. The Rag Shop absorbed the building space after the theatre closed. Rag Shop recently closed and a gym is being built. Tried to peek in the back door from my car while they were doing construction. Thought I saw a small piece of slanted down floor. Always wondered how much evidence of the theatre was left in the back room of the Rag Shop. Fantasized that a lot was left and they watched movies on the old screens. Haha. Will try to get pics.
Boxoffice of May 28, 1979, said that the recently opened Cinema Alley Twin in Toms River was a client of Montclair, New Jersey, booking Agent Cinema Services.
April 6th, 1979 grand opening ad in photo section.
The gym that was built in the space once occupied by Cinema Alley, mentioned in the comment by dondoubleu3 on August 18, 2010, must be the Retro Fitness, at Toms River Mall, 1214 NJ-37, Toms River, NJ 08753. This Google street view shows the alley next to the gym, down which the theater’s entrance must have been. On the front wall to the left of the alley’s entrance is a case with two posters in it. I wonder if the case could be what’s left of Cinema Alley?
Joe Google link not working.
Rats! Let’s see if this one works.
Well, the new link sort of works. It goes to the right location, but when the page opens all I see is asphalt. I had to pan the view upward to see the buildings.
Here is a bird’s-eye view from Bing Maps. It gives a view of the alley, but you can’t see the front wall of the building where the poster case is.