Ritz Theatre
388 Central Avenue,
Jersey City,
NJ
07307
388 Central Avenue,
Jersey City,
NJ
07307
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.
Architects: William Neumann
Previous Names: Hippodrome Theatre, Hespe Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Located on the east side of Central Avenue near Charles Street for the Hudson City section of Jersey City. The Ritz Theatre was one of the two theatres on Central Avenue. It was opened by 1914 as the Hippodrome Theatre, but didn’t come up to code and was redesigned by architect William Neumann and reopened by owner Charles H. Hespe as the Hespe Theatre on June 29, 1921 with Pauline Frederick in “Salvage”. It was renamed Ritz Theatre on January 30, 1922 screening George Arliss in “The Ruling Passion” & vaudeville, when it had a seating capacity for 1,500. Later in 1922 a new organ was installed. By 1941 it was operated by Warner Bros Circuit Management Corp. It was closed on October 23, 1956 with Burt Lancaster in “The Killers” & Richard Conte in The Sleeping City".
The vacant building had a minor fire, set off by local children. It was soon demolished.
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dallasmovietheatres
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
The Ritz Theatre was located at 388 Central Ave. and it seated 1454 people.
Above is confirmed via the 1951 FDY.
1942 ad, courtesy of Bill Huelbig (see middle right):
View link
Still listed as a Warner Bros. theatre in the 1956 FDY.
There is a photo of the Ritz on this Google site:
http://tinyurl.com/73p3ce
Listed in the 1914/15 AMPD as the Hippodrome.
A venue opened here as the Hippodrome but was shuttered due to major fire safety concerns. Owner Dr. Charles H. Hespe then ran a gambit where you could invest in the theatre. That got him the money to hire architect William Neumann who solidified the new building.
The Hespe Theatre had a $12,000 Kramer Pipe Organ and actually (!) opened June 29, 1921 with a Pauline Frederick film, “Salvage.” And that was the goal of Hespe’s creditors within months. Charles H. Hespe’s fortunes ran out - or perhaps he simply ran out with the money - by year’s end when the theatre was repossessed and the venue was force sold into new hands. As was the case in Hippodrome and Hippodrome-like ventures across the nation, the investors did not come out too well.
The Hespe Theatre was renamed the Ritz Theatre under new operators on January 30, 1922 with “The Ruling Passion” and vaudeville. And they even had to get a new organ later that year as creditors seized the Kramer unit. The Ritz converted to sound to remain viable. The Ritz would crumble in the TV age not converting to widescreen and closing on October 23, 1956 with “Killers” and “Sleeping City.” Stanley Warner Management offered their theater for sale and kids got in setting a fire that did minor damage to the property early in 1957. So it was quickly demolished for a parking lot.