Autumn Years Winter 2023/24

The 1920s During the Roaring Twenties, going to the movies became a major social activity, and audiences increasingly preferred beautiful, elaborate theaters. (Marcus Loew, creator of Loews The aters, once said, “People buy tickets to theatres, not movies.”) In April 1922, the 2,200-seat Rivoli Theater opened in Rutherford. It featured a marble façade and an ornate interior, the centerpiece of which was a huge chandelier made of 62,000 crystals from Czechoslova kia. Rutherford native Boyd Cote re called, “As a kid, I never sat under the chandelier. I was afraid it would fall.” A fire in 1977 destroyed the front half of the theater. Following renovations, it reopened and today is the Williams Center . Primarily a live performance venue, the Williams Center also offers films of various genres. In August 1922, the 2,500-seat New

Rivoli Theater interior, Rutherford.

these theaters brought a decent movie going experience to these towns. The Rialto showed feature films for many years, switching to art-house films be fore closing in 2008. The American Theater closed its doors in 1958, when owner James “Buddy” Basil turned his attention to becoming a bodybuilding champion. Three new theaters were

Collins Theater opened on Stuyvesant Avenue in Lyndhurst, featuring what were called “Mov-Ezy” the ater chairs (billed as “the finest theatre chair made”). The building later became a bowling alley. In 1923, Ridgefield Park’s 520-seat Rialto Theatre opened, as did Lodi’s Ameri can Theater with 850 seats. Although not movie palaces,

constructed in 1926. In Dumont, the owners of an existing theater (built in 1914) constructed a new 850-seat theater around the corner called the Du mont Theater . It closed in 1930. From 1956 to 1963, it served as the Dumont Borough Hall.

WINTER 2023/24 I AUTUMN YEARS 43