Rivoli Theatre

Newark / New Jersey

site of the old Rivoli Theatre; 208 Ferry, New Jersey


I've stolen every one of these comments from various sites and blogs by old film buffs,
may they all forgive me! I didn't think they'd want their online tags given but I was
convinced their love for the old theatres and their memories of them would make them
want to see any and all information gathered and passed on... and there's so little of it.

____________________________________________________________

  • Listed as open in the 1944 FDY. Listed in the 1961 FDY as part of Triangle-Liggett Theatre Service.

  • 1951 FDY lists the address as 208 Ferry Street with 1200 seats

    I was there every Saturday morning in the mid to late 50’s.

  • I can still remember the ticket booth on the right, walking through the ornate doors, up the slight inclined floor, the snack bar on the left. A quick right, then left into the theater, or right at the snack bar, then right again up the stairs to the mezzanine.

  • At that time the afternoon’s delight was 25 cents.

  • Back in the 50’s and early 60’s the theater showed great sci-fi and Horror films on Saturday mornings.

  • Second-run house serving the Polish and German immigrant community during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

  • My first movie experience was a Saturday Matinee with 25 cartoons a "Our Gang Comedy" and "Superman and the Mole People"

  • This is weird, in the new Tom Cruse re-make movie of "War of The Worlds" the first space craft that came out of the ground was exactly in front of the old Rivoli Theater was on Ferry Street in Newark.


  • Doris Campbell Hector passed away on June 2, 2002 at the age of 81:

    BUSINESS FACILITIES OF THE IRONBOUND SECTION - NEWARK - 1920-1946

    The location of Ferry Street is from the New Jersey Railroad Avenue to the junction of Merchant Street. This section was strictly a commercial area, similar to today's "strip mall" without adequate parking, serving the needs of the people living in the Ironbound section. There were few, if any , private residences. However, people did reside in flats/apartments which were located above the various stores.

    On Ferry Street, close to Penn Station, there was a bank at the junction of Market and Ferry Streets; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel RC Church; the Rubber Set Company, which offered local employment. Moving eastward, there was a firehouse, Shore Piano Co., where my parents bought a player piano; Orego Florist, Dugan Bakery Outlet, Goldfinger's Children and Infant store, where my First Communion dress and veil were purchased. There was the Ironbound Theater, where from 1930 on, only foreign films were shown. Also, the W. J. Jelly Furniture Store, Morrison Photo Studio, where. on special occasions, our family had photos taken. There was the Rivoli Theater, where, on many a Saturday afternoon, I watched serial after serial.

    The Rivoli had a two level balcony and the teenagers weren't allowed in the upper level also because of the necking and what ever else they got away with. The theater closed down in the 60's and the new owners sub-divided the building and the US Post Office took most of it and the rest of it became small stores.

    I remember the little things about theater, the air-conditioning was like the North Pole in the dead of summer, I still can see in my head the giant chandelier in the middle of the ceiling surrounded by ceiling paintings of Angels and clouds and and think immages of Greek or Roman Gods, carvings of cherubs coming out of the walls thick dark red carpets on the aisles with little lights at the end of the rows of seats shining on the aisle floor so not to trip, ushers in unifroms with flashlights to show you your seats and the most distinct thing I can remember was the word EXIT in the signs, it was my very the first word that I understood what it meant and how to spell it with the help of my older brother, I was about 4 years old but couldn't understand why it started with an "E" when it only sounded like an "X" and I would look at the exit signs all day instead of movies, that E bothered me every time I went to the movies, my fixation on that E went away as I got older.


  • February 28, 1926 program from this theatre:


    Return to Index of Theatres