City Theatre

Joe Vogel on June 13, 2022 at 8:29 pm

This part of Union City was once known as West Hoboken, and this section of Bergenline Avenue was once called Spring Street, so this item from the November 17, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World is about this house:

“West Hoboken, N. J.— Israel Spark of 1563 First avenue, New York City, has filed as the trade name of the moving picture theater at 530 Spring street, the City theater of West Hoboken.”

The City Theatre was not a new house at this time, but only under new ownership. The City Theatre is listed at the Spring Street address in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. West Hoboken merged with adjacent Union Hill to become Union City in 1925, which is when the City Theatre’s address and street name were changed. The records of the Theatre Historical Society say that the City Theatre underwent alterations in 1926, and finally closed on April 1, 1951.

27thstdon on January 22, 2018 at 5:31 pm

I lived on 27th st. between Bergenline and Central back in the 50s, across the street from “Central billiard parlor”.Used to go to the “City” almost every week. The sign on the front of the marquee used to say “Photo Plays”, but some wise guy broke the P and the O in “photo” and the P in plays. Figure it out. The Mgmt. left it like that for as long as I can remember. I can still remember the sound of empty soda bottles rolling down the aisle. Also used to eat in the Public Service bus “Car barns ” diner after the movies : 27th between Bergenline and N.Y. aves. The good old days.

TomPiantanida on February 8, 2012 at 12:24 am

I lived on 28th Street half a block off Bergenline Avenue, and spent many Saturdays at the City Theater in Union City. We called it the Itch. The theater had no candy counter, but there was a candy store on the corner that had a common wall with the theater. A hole was knocked in the common wall, and you could buy candy and sodas from the store by kneeling on the floor of the theater and handing your money through the hole. Because countless sodas were spilled while being passed through the hole, the floor where you had to kneel was sticky enough to suck the knees off your pants. On a Saturday, you could go to the City Theater for a dime and spend all afternoon watching two films – usually a cowboy movie (Johnny Mack Brown or Lash LaRue)and an adventure movie, in addition to half a dozen cartoons, a Dick Tracy, Superman, or Flash Gordon serial, Pathe News, maybe a Wacky Racer, and a live Duncan yoyo demonstration. I have written a book about growing up in Union City, entitled IN THE SHADOW OF THE BIG APPLE, available from Diversion Press. One short story that didn’t make it into the book is entitled Appendicitis and the Itch, and it is about adventures at the City Theater. I will be happy to send the story to you, if your request it.