Smodcastle Cinemas
82 1st Avenue,
Atlantic Highlands,
NJ
07716
82 1st Avenue,
Atlantic Highlands,
NJ
07716
2 people
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Earlier this year filmmaker Kevin Smith announced plans to extend his reign in the world of movies beyond just filmmaking but also to exhibition. The director teamed up with partners in the area to purchase The Atlantic Moviehouse in his native Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, converting it to the Smodcastle Cinemas when the keys got handed over.
Please update open,location renamed The Atlantic Moviehouse and the website is https://www.atlanticmoviehouse.com/?fbclid=IwAR2bQMfQmxXmRT-rwA6PDU2i96posAinqJ1k5oRpN2ZTk-CoNcFYors-7a0 and it reopened today
Please update, became a twin on May 4, 1984, Triplex on July 17, 19982 and a fiveplex on July 2, 1999
It looks like this theatre will reopen soon, here the link to the story https://www.app.com/story/money/business/main-street/2021/06/14/atlantic-highlands-movie-theater-july-opening/7635112002/
from atlantic cinemas
Dear Patrons,
We are sad to announce the official closing of Atlantic Cinemas. We are closing our family owned business on November 15th, 2020 after 99 years of supporting our community. We are closing due to greedy film companies, Netflix and others showing films too early or sometimes immediately after release, regulations and fees imposed by the state of New Jersey, including $15 an hour minimum wage and mandatory vacation pay, added into closing for over 7 months imposed by the New Jersey Governor due to Coronavirus, a small, individually owned business like ourselves, simply cannot survive.
We have spent tens of thousands of dollars just to keep theater equipment and buildings maintained, just to spend thousands more to just be open between October 15th and November 15th. Unfortunately, we have spent almost another $10,000 to pay expenses such as, insurance, salaries, property taxes, mortgage and utilities for less that $1000 coming in to the theater for business. It causes my wife and I great pain to close after serving the community for so many years. It has become a staple in our town, but unfortunately we are left with no choice.
Regards,
Fred Rast
Please update, theatre open in 1921 as per Atlantic Theatre website. No exact date.
Please update, total seats 783 as per Atlantic Cinemas facebook page. Theatre 1 210 Theatre 2 170 Theatre 3 168 Theatre 4 140 Theatre 5 95
Here is a 1988 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/deytqq
Here is an undated photo of the Atlantic Theater on First Avenue. This is prior to major remodeling of the facade:
http://tinyurl.com/ysmmcm
This theater was one of the best thirty years ago. I recently bumped into one of the girls that used to work there as a candy girl. I asked her, “How come nobody has seen a female employee behind the candy stand or as an usher since the mid 70s?” She replied, “The owner seems to veer away from female employment for reasons that seem very odd to me. For the actually reason you would have to ask Mr. Leonard Edwards himself.” I asked, “Why?” I got no answer. I asked her about the employee’s that have been working there for quite sometime almost since the beginning. She remembered a few. I asked her about the benefits at the AC5. She replied, “Well there once was health insurance but for some reason the owner took it way.” I quickly replied, “Isn’t that illegal!” She said, “yes, but the owner doesn’t care, he could get away with murder and he always does.” Recently every happy going employee to begin working that lasts longer than three months seems to be severely depressed. The only one that seems to have a voice around there and any say what so ever that goes into that place is the owner. The owner really has bad business management skills there. One time I went to the movies there and the owner was be little-ing one of the managers over spille d popcorn on the lobby floor that wasn’t swept up when there was a ton of people in the lobby. I thought that was the wrong time to say something like that, it was uncalled for! I would have quit right then and there. I recently found out that the asst. managers and projectionists there are only paid $7.50/hr and not only do they have their manager responsibilities they have to perform various other fill-in jobs. I recently found out that the man that has been working their for a very, very, very long time who was promised the business after Edwards departure has made a career at of this place just on a promise. I really hope he doesn’t get screwed!
Listed as a Brandt Theater in the 1961 FDY.
Hello Altantic:
Both my brother and I worked at the ol’d Atlantic in the mid-60’s. We were always under the careful eye of Lennie.
As a metter of fact I still sport a scar on my right hand from a cut I recived while trying to change a light bulb over the men’s room door. I still remember the lessons learned on how to operate the carbon filament arc projector.
Art (and Joe) Arway
Upcoming event at a local church. They claim opening date is 1921. Too bad its not at the theater.
Showing the next day, Saturday, November 20, at 2:00 pm, again at St Agnes Church Hall, is A SILENT FILM FESTIVAL. This event celebrates the opening of the Atlantic Theatre in 1921 in Atlantic Highlands.
Featured films include: Charlie Chaplin playing an escaped convict, crashes a society party posing as a Count in THE ADVENTURER (1917); Buster Keaton works in a small-town vaudeville theater in THE PLAY HOUSE (1921); Snub Pollard explains the origins of Thanksgiving in THE COURTSHIP OF MILES SANDWICH (1923); and Laurel & Hardy attempts to sell Christmas trees to a very tough customer in BIG BUSINESS (1929).
Tickets for the Saturday showing are available at the door for $8.00 adults and children $5.00. Snacks will be available at a nominal price. See you there!!
A Robert-Morton organ was installed in this theater in 1923.
extracted from this article:
The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), Feb 28, 1997 p018
Theater goes the neighborhood; As movie multiplexes become megaplexes, it’s nice to know the Bijou is just around the corner. (TICKET)
The Atlantic Triplex 82 First Ave. Atlantic Highlands (908) 291-0148
By Bette Spero
July 1, 1961 – Len Edwards remembers the date as if it were on the cornerstone of his Atlantic Triplex in Atlantic Highlands. But that would read 1912, when the brick-fronted building was a garage. By the time Edwards came along a half-century later, the edifice had become the town’s entertainment center.
When he bought it on that summer afternoon in “61, the Atlantic was a single theater with 335 seats. Now there are three screens and spaces seating 300, 150 and 100 persons, for a total capacity of 550.
The Atlantic has sustained itself the past 35 years. Business is good, and Edwards improves the property regularly. Its stucco facade and bold marquee are a focal point on First Avenue, the Shore town’s main street.
Good box office deals abound. The cost is $5.50 for adults and $3.50 for kids, senior citizens and members of the military. On Mondays and Wednesdays, “date nights,” two are admitted for the price of one. Memphis Pig Out down the street, catering to the chicken and ribs crowd, has a “Movie Meal Deal” Mondays: Buy dinner and get two free movie tickets.
Edwards lives in town and spends a lot of time at the theater, which is staffed by 10 employees, including manager Robert Cavallo, who oversees the day-to-day operations. Edwards, a Rhode Island native, has been hanging around movie theaters since he was a 12-year-old assistant usher at the Strand Theater in Newport.
He hardly ever watches the movies, but he enjoys mingling with the folks who do. “All my life I’ve been in this business. I love it,” he declares. “It’s a life of pleasure. You meet such nice people.”
Listed in the 1951 FDY as the Atlantic, same address, with 550 seats.
In the 1/17/91 edition of the Star Ledger, this theater is listed as the Atlantic Twin.
A member of the Atlantic Highlands Chamber of Commerce did confirm, via email, that this is the original single screen theater that I mentioned above, from the 60s.
I have some copies of ads from that time, with programming. If interested let me know. Jerry
Was this originally the ATLANTIC back in the 60s? I have ads that listed the ATLANTIC with its companion theater the MARINE in the Highlands.
Jerry