Hi All –
This post will not feature a TCM film or a horror movie of the week, but rather a plea to the people who still love classic film in it’s intended home….the big movie palaces of yesteryear. Not many of these grand theaters are left and those that remain in their original glory are being threatened on a continuous basis by those who consider life as nothing more than an income statement where bottom line increases are never enough. This plea is on behalf of one of those movie palaces, the historic Landmark Loew’s Theatre located in Jersey City, NJ. Please take a moment to check out the history of the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre and the online petition you can sign to help save it for future generations.
If you’re not in the know as to what’s threatening the Landmark Loew’s here’s a brief version of the scoop –
The mayor of Jersey City is looking to take control of the historic venue and turn it into a relic of the past, taking the reigns from The Friend’s of the Loew’s (FOL), the group of volunteers who have worked endlessly to bring the theater to its former glory. You can go here to see the latest news about the struggle to keep the theater in the hands of those whose hearts are dedicated to ensuring the Loew’s Jersey remains a bastion for classics and the arts. Let me just add what I view as the worst insult to this cause – the powers that be have denied FOL the funds they have requested, a mere few million required to bring the historic theater up to standard. Yet, they have approved over $40 million to AEG, the corporation who wants to take over ownership.
Now, by way of this post I implore you to please take a moment to learn more about this cause and sign the petition. Also, please help spread the word to anyone you might know who still loves classic film. I have been to the Loew’s Jersey Theatre dozens of times (as I know Aurora has) and each and every visit has been a trip back in time, always an experience to be had. Add to that the fact that the Loew’s is also the location where a young Frank Sinatra (my favorite) was in the audience watching Bing Crosby perform live. It is rumored that Sinatra decided to become a singer there and then…did it happen that way? Maybe….but it just adds to the folklore of one of the last original movie palaces to grace this great land. Please take a few minutes to preserve some of the only film history that we have left, before long it will all turn to dust.
Before I end this plea – I read the following on the Loew’s Jersey Theatre’s FB page and took it upon myself to copy this information here. In case you would like to take steps beyond signing the petition, here’s a worthy way to get your voice heard:
Friends of the Loew’s has recently been asked about how one can go about writing Mayor Fulop to voice your support of FOL. You may reach Mayor Fulop through the following channels:
E-Mail: fulops@jcnj.org*
Twitter: @stevenfulop @jc_gov
Mailing address: Mayor Steven Fulop, City Hall: 280 Grove Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302*
– If you e-mail Mayor Fulop, please CC us at loewsjersey@gmail.com.
– If you mail a letter, please send a duplicate to Friends of the Loew’s, PO Box 3779, Jersey City, NJ 07303.
– You can Tweet at Friends of the Loew’s by including @loewsjersey and hashtagging #SaveTheLoews.
To read an example of a recent letter that was sent to Mayor Fulop, please visit our website: http://friendsofloews.com/letter-writing-campaign-to-mayor-fulop/
– Rob
Read about the history of the Landmark Loew’s Theatre
Sign The Petition to Save the Loew’s
Once upon a screen... 
I signed 🙂
YAY!!!!
What a beautiful and distinctive theater, Aurora. Let’s hope it is saved.
I know! All is crossed.
Yet another theater designed by the amazing Rapp and Rapp Architects in trouble, ugh. This part of our history is leaving us so quickly…..it just breaks my heart into pieces. I hope beyond hope that everything turns out well here. It will mean so much to all of us if it does.
I live a half hour from this theater. I still haven’t been there but I signed. My state can be a bit stupid sometimes.
Signed, even though I live in the Bronx. There were five theaters in this area when we moved here, now there are ZERO and only TWO left in the borough, both a long ride away and neither of them is in the greatest shape. The NY Times did an article about this back in May and I’m going to do my own write up on the last theater here (which is in the process of being changed into a retail location, grrrrr!)
I don’t think such elaborate cinemas were built in London but too many of those that were constructed with an eye for aesthetics have been converted into pub chains and clubs or left to rot. It’s so sad. Fingers crossed this petition is a success!
Reblogged this on Bruiser Blog and commented:
This amazing theatre has been my home away from home for the past 2 years. I’ve spent countless hours cleaning, restoring and working events. Even though I’ve been there dozens of times, I keep discovering new things there. It belongs in the hands of people who care about the building and its history, and the community, not a multinational corporation that cares for nothing but the bottom line.