Autumn Years Winter 2023/24

The 1930s and 1940s Some new theaters opened even during the Depression. Hackensack’s 2,230-seat Fox Theatre opened in 1931. To en tice people to the large Art Deco-style movie house, “Free Beer” was offered in 1933. Very popular for years, the the ater’s final first-run movie, Jaws 2 , was shown in 1980. Soon after that, the the ater closed, sat vacant and was demol ished in 1998. The Warner Theater opened in Ridgewood in 1932. Also in the pop ular Art Deco style, this 1,542-seat neighborhood palace was impressive. As the decades wore on, however, the theater began to look worn. First, the iconic Warner sign was removed, then eventually the theater was converted to a “fourplex.” Today it is known as Bow Tie Cinemas Warner Theater and shows first-run movies. The Teaneck Theater opened in 1937 with 1,034 seats and some Art Deco styling. In 1953, the manager encour aged patrons to bring their unique pets

Westwood Cinema . At 95 years of age, this is the oldest theater in Bergen County exclusively show ing movies. Dirty movies In the 1920s, American society was beset by clash es in moral standards, and the types of movies being shown were a point of contention. And things would only get worse as the years passed. In 1929, the Fairview Theatre opened on Anderson Av enue and immediately showed The Road to Ruin , the story of a 16-year-old girl who takes up smok ing and drinking, engages in affairs with older men, gets arrested during a

the Grant Lee Theatre. Af ter operating as an adult theatre in the 1970s, it was renamed Sharon Cin ema in 1981 and screened mainstream movies until it closed in the late 1980s. The Queen Anne The atre in Bogota opened in 1928 as an impressive 1,391-seat theater. By the late 1960s, it was show ing what were called “skin flicks.” In 1970, the theater began show

ing X-rated films. One follower of the Facebook site Vintage Bergen County

strip-poker game, discovers she is preg nant and gets an illegal abortion. The theater soon closed. The Grant Lee Theatre in Fort Lee opened in 1924. By 1960, it had begun showing films that were rated “B” and “C.” The C-rated movies were what would be considered R-rated today. By 1966, the theater, in response to public pressure, restricted entry to adults only. When the X-rated movie Deep Throat was released in 1973, a New York judge banned the movie, saying “It is one throat that deserves to be cut.” The Ber gen County Prosecutor chose not to act, however, and the movie opened at

recalled the theater in her neighborhood, say ing, “I remember be ing outside when they had a premiere! A big buxom blonde arrived in a limo.” The theater closed in 1987 after X rated films were widely available on video.

(Left) Artist’s view of Fox Theatre, Hackensack. (Right) Warner sign being removed, Ridgewood.

46 AUTUMN YEARS I WINTER 2023/24