The Cranford Theater is an independently owned movie theater in Cranford, New Jersey, United States that has been in operation since 1926.[1][2]
 | |
| Former names | Cranford Theatre, New Branford Theatre, Stern's New Cranford |
|---|---|
| Address | 25 North Avenue West, Cranford, NJ 07016 |
| Coordinates | 40°39′20″N 74°18′22″W / 40.6556°N 74.3061°W |
| Public transit | Cranford station |
| Type | Movie theater, small live performing-arts stage added to front of screening room in 2020s |
| Screens | 5 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Renovated | 2019 |
| Website | |
| cranfordtheater.com | |
History
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The Cranford Theater first opened in 1926. With a seating capacity of 1,300, the theater was equipped with an $18,000 Wurlitzer pipe organ with two manual and eight ranks.[3] The inaugural screening featured the silent movie Padlocked starring Noah Beery, Louise Dresser, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Initially facing some naming-conflict issues, the theater opened as the New Branford Theatre, but the matter was resolved at the beginning of 1927. The signage was updated, replacing the "B"s with "C"s, and on January 27, 1927, the theater became known as the New Cranford Theatre.[4]
Throughout its history, the ownership of the Cranford Theater has changed hands.[5] During the 1980s and 1990s, it was under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon and had two screens. Later, in 1998, the theater was purchased by the owner of the Rialto Theater in the neighboring town of Westfield and was converted into a five-screen cinema. After additional changes of ownership, it reopened as the Cranford Theater after renovations in 2019.[6]
Events and festivals
editThe theater is home to the Cranford Film Festival and Garden State Film Festival. It offers screenings for other New Jersey film festivals.[7][8][9] The theater added a small live performing arts stage to the venue in the early 2020s.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ Glackin, Jennifer (January 27, 2023). "NJ Celebrates Film with 'Maybe I Do' at Cranford Movie Theater". TAPinto.
- ^ Shamsi-Basha, Karim (March 23, 2023). "These 11 historic movie theaters connect N.J. to Hollywood history". NJ.com.
- ^ "Cranford Theater in Cranford, NJ". Cinema Treasures.
- ^ "Glimpse of History: Cranford's Branford Movie Theatre in the 1920s". NJ.com. February 27, 2011.
- ^ Bernie Wagenblast (November 8, 2019). "Cranford Theater Reopens". Cranford Radio.
- ^ Wagenblast, Bernie (November 8, 2019). "Ribbon Cutting Held At Cranford Theater". Cranford, NJ Patch.
- ^ Glackin, Jennifer (February 21, 2022). "Garden State Film Festival Coming to Cranford for Second Year". TAPinto.
- ^ Glackin, Jennifer (April 19, 2023). "The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship: Cranford Theater Teams Up with Union County ESC to Help Special Needs Students". TAPinto.
- ^ "Jersey Buzz: News 12 has a pink party with Cranford businesses in celebration of new 'Barbie' movie". News 12 - New Jersey. July 21, 2023.
- ^ Glackin, Jennifer (July 8, 2022). "A New Type of Debut Takes Center "Stage" at Cranford Theater". TAPinto.
- ^ "Cranford Woman's Club Hosted a Night of Comedy at the Cranford Theater". TAPinto. January 13, 2022.