BY LEV D. ZILBERMINTS
NEWARK – Depending on which application is approved, and how much public support is there, the century – old Paramount Theatre in Newark will be either torn down or become a part of a redevelopment project. The theatre, which is located at 195 Market Street, Newark, has been in existence since 1886. It has been closed since 1986.
“Local Talk” is writing a two-part series on the Paramount Theatre. The first part, which is in this week’s issue, will focus on the history of the theatre. The second part, which will run next week, will focus on what will happen to the theatre in the near future.
History of Paramount Theater
According to cinematreasures.org/theaters/4603, Paramount Theatre “opened on October 11, 1886 as H.C. Miner’s Newark Theater. It was originally a vaudeville house managed by Hyde & Behman Amusement Co., a Brooklyn-based theatre management company. After H.C. Miner’s death in 1900, his surviving relatives retained ownership of the theatre for several years until its sale in 1916 to Edward Spiegel, the owner of the nearby Strand Theatre. Spiegel also purchased the building next to the theatre with intent to use the space to expand the theatre. To accomplish this he hired famed architect Thomas W. Lamb to do the alterations. In 1917, Thomas Lamb remodeled the theatre in an Adam style.”
According to https://afterthefinalcurtain.net/2011/09/28/the-newark-paramount-theatre/: “The old wood frame balconies were removed and replaced with a single steel and concrete balcony. The auditorium was decorated in the Adamesque style and the lobby was doubled in size. The original seating capacity was 1,900; after the remodeling was completed an additional 103 seats were added. In 1932, when vaudeville’s popularity began to diminish, the owners struck a deal with Paramount-Publix (now known as Paramount Pictures) to start showing movies. The theater underwent another remodel, less significant than the first, which covered most of the Thomas Lamb décor with a flat paint. After this last remodel, the theater was renamed the Paramount Theatre.
The Paramount Theatre closed on March 31, 1986 due to an increase in insurance rates. This increase also led to the closing of the nearby Adams Theatre. In the years since the 1986 closing the lobby area has been reused as an Army/Navy surplus store and other similar pop-up retail stores. The current plans for a multi-use entertainment complex on the lot call for the auditorium to be demolished. Only the front facade will remain.”
Again, according to cinematreasures.org/theaters/4603, “The former Paramount Theatre still boasts the vertical “Paramount” sign, as well as the ‘Newark’ marquee. The Paramount Theatre was closed on April 1, 1986.
Although a retail store operated out of the former lobby until about April 2011, a store employee confirmed that behind the drop ceilings and walls remains much of the old theatre, complete with stage area and balcony seating intact. During the winter of 2020 / 2021 part of the auditorium roof collapsed due to the weight of snow.”
A commenter, “markp” posted that when he worked at the Prudential Arena in October 2018, the old theater was used for filming the Warner Brothers film “Joker.” The same poster confirmed in an April 2, 2021 post, “when I worked at the Arena on the next block, I could see the sag in the roof the past few years. I knew it was just a matter of time that this would happen. So sad.”
An online post by EsseXplorer on March 31, 2021 states that “as of 2021, half of the theater’s roof has collapsed. The weight of all the snow and ice we got was just too much for the old girl to withstand. I have not heard any updates on the redevelopment of the property since.”
Photographs on https://afterthefinalcurtain.net/2011/09/28/the-newark-paramount-theatre/
website confirm that the old theatre is in a very dilapidated condition. While it is possible to preserve it, such an undertaking would involve a lot of money, time and effort. It is unclear whether the current redevelopment plan will preserve the old Paramount Theatre or not.
