Colonial Theater

247 Wanaque Avenue,
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442

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Related Websites

Smiling Rhino Theatre (Official)

Additional Info

Functions: Community Center, Playhouse

Styles: Streamline Moderne

Previous Names: Cowdry's Playhouse

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News About This Theater

Colonial Theater (1920's?)

Operating since 1913, this theater was twinned in the 1980’s, and showed movies until closing in 1996. It is now home to the Smiling Rhino Theatre. The theatre group occupies the second floor of the theatre, while the former orchestra seating area is now a community center.

Contributed by tc

Recent comments (view all 16 comments)

ColonialTwinFollies
ColonialTwinFollies on October 6, 2010 at 6:06 pm

Here is a link to some hilarious clips from a video I made with friends while working at the Colonial Twin Theater. Aside from being funny, it is likely the most extensive collection of video footage ever documented of the Colonial Theater since it opened in 1913. The original video was made 80 years after the theater opened, and just three years before the theater closed. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1QamN6SS4c

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on October 7, 2010 at 10:40 pm

Great idea.Had I had a video camera when I worked in the Business in 70’s and 80’s I certainly would have shot alot of video.Wish we had something like that in those days.You will treasure it for sure.

ColonialTwinFollies
ColonialTwinFollies on October 15, 2010 at 11:01 pm

Here’s a link to the Colonial Twin Follies channel on YouTube. It includes clips from the episodes I produced. Subscribe if you’d like, because there are plenty more clips to come!
http://www.youtube.com/user/ColonialTwinFollies

gd14lawn
gd14lawn on January 2, 2011 at 2:21 am

I watched two of the clips and can’t stomach any more. The owner should have hired people who cared.

ColonialTwinFollies
ColonialTwinFollies on January 2, 2011 at 2:06 pm

The owner eventually did!

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on April 1, 2011 at 1:31 pm

I saw a fantastic double feature here in the ‘70s: “Forbidden Planet” and “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

ColonialTwinFollies
ColonialTwinFollies on August 2, 2011 at 9:57 am

This theater is still listed as having two screens and 800 seats. Not true. The fact is, this theater showed it’s last movie back in 1996…15 years ago! It has only one small stage upstairs that now showcases live theater, (The Smiling Rhino Theater). The downstairs theater was totally gutted back in the mid/late 90’s and has since been used as a teen community center. No screens…no movies…The Colonial, no more!

Jef
Jef on January 2, 2014 at 4:39 pm

I saw “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at The Colonial back in the mid ‘80s.

RogerMooreFan
RogerMooreFan on June 22, 2014 at 10:26 pm

In 1974 Colonial had Ape’s Fest. This was the entire Planet Of The Apes franchise in one sitting.

I remember seeing The Day of the Jackal,The Helstrom Chronicles and Fiddler on the Roof while it was still a single screen theatre

jojo
jojo on June 22, 2014 at 11:06 pm

yes i was working there at that time ,the theater billed the show “see all the planet of the apes films"Go ape for a day!i loved that theater i have been showing films ever since.i use to do all the week end midnight shows also.the very first film i showed there was song of the south.i went to lakeland during the week and worked the colonial on the week ends.

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