file photo
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Bow Tie Partners, the parent company of the Warner Theater, has officially declared the permanent closure and cessation of operations for the longstanding Ridgewood movie theater. The final evening showtimes on Sunday marked the conclusion of its operations, as announced in a press release on Monday, cue the calls for a RHS Performing Arts Center.
Bow Tie Partners is a real estate development and entertainment company with its headquarters in Manhattan.
Bow Tie Partners specializes in the redevelopment of historic and architecturally significant properties by adding value through a combination of physical redevelopment, creative change of use, financial restructuring and market repositioning. Bow Tie Partners owns and operates properties for its own account.
Founders and partners Charles B. Moss, Jr. and Ben Moss are, respectively, the 3rd and 4th generation owners of a century-old real estate and entertainment company, the roots of which lie in the vaudeville, legitimate theater and motion picture exhibition industries.
Ridgewood resident Rurik Halaby: “The Warner Theater is closing. Sad news!
The Good News? Turn it into the Ridgewood Performing Arts Center.
I called for that in October 2020 in the depth of the Covid-19 crisis when the theatre closed temporarily, but that fell on deaf ears.
Hopefully our Village Council will jump at the opportunity.” (Novbermber 22, 10:21PM)
Opened on June 15, 1932 with Warren William & Bette Davis in “The Dark Horse”. This 1,542-seat Art Deco style neighborhood palace was originally part of the Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. The Warner Theatre later became part of the Stanley-Warner chain and then the merged units of RKO-Stanley-Warner.
As the decades worn on, the Warner Theatre lost its grand, signature Warner sign. It was twinned on June 26, 1978. In 1981, Cineplex Odeon purchased the theatre and converted it into a four screen house on May 23, 1984 and renamed Warner Quad. Operated by Clearview Cinemas circuit since 1998, in June 2013, Bow-Tie Cinemas took over, as that chain took most Clearview locations. The Warner Quad offers a healthy diet of first run commercial and art house fare and its asymmetrical Art Deco style façade continues to highlight Ridgewood Avenue.Opened on June 15, 1932 with Warren William & Bette Davis in “The Dark Horse”. This 1,542-seat Art Deco style neighborhood palace was originally part of the Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. The Warner Theatre later became part of the Stanley-Warner chain and then the merged units of RKO-Stanley-Warner.
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Streaming services are killing the movie theater businesses, especially in affluent communities.
It’s the affluent areas where they have lasted. Other areas lost their movie theaters long ago.
Paterson still has a theater, as does Hawthorne.
Paterson’s theater is RKO at the Garden State
What a run of fun, entertainment and personal continuity the Warner Theater has provided for generations. We will all miss it.
It has always been a gift and a treat for anyone to be able to see a movie, run errands, have a meal and dessert, or shop and go for a stroll in town.
Thanks to all of the business establishments for their contributions to the community over the decades as well. Thankfully, there’s always our collective memories.
Like Town and Country and many other recently shuttered ‘anchor’ businesses in town – a national trend over the past several years – the better question may be, how did these companies actually survive so long?
So far, I haven’t read anyone mentioning the obvious: that ‘downtown’ Ridgewood has probably been suffering its biggest economic down-turn since the early 90’s – the current percentage of empty store fronts is alarming.
Unfortunately, the village’s downtown attraction may also be in a long-term process of decline – losing it’s regional destination appeal.
Please consider how, over the decades, the ever-increasing political miss-management, corruption, petty squabbling, bone-headed decision making processes have interfered and delayed progress.
Along with the lack of the necessary ‘shop local’ support from the village’s wealthy residents, weak chamber of commerce leadership, and the ever present political intrigue has all greatly contributed to the village’s current 21st century demise.
With almost criminal neglect, accompanying a lack of vision and leadership, the too-little-too-late infrastructure investments have apparently beleaguered the village with devastating consequences.
By and by, you end up with the town you deserve.
Press release says “will close following Sunday showtimes,” so they may be open this week.
That’s a good location for BERGEN county to take over that location, an extension to BERGEN pack. Or maybe the village Ridgewood can take over the building and village troll, can have their meetings there to hold more people and put on a show.
That, or we could make into yet another salon/injectables suite/barbershop but … buuuut … it’s also a combo KFC/Taco Bell?
W.C. Fields would remind you not to forget the snake farm and delicatessen.
No, no, and no. Really?
Doesn’t look like the bowtie real estate company has been too successful in developing any of their other properties in the north east.
The theater brings back memories of of RHS days
My RHS girlfriend was with me when I did the ‘popcorn trick’ and she’s still talking about it today
Stuck on stoopid.
maybe it was your sister who enjoyed the popcorn el stupido
Taking a cue from Tenafly recently, it will be redeveloped with multifamily.
“Or maybe the village Ridgewood can take over the building” Thats it , spend taxpayers money.
The place is old ,when was that built.make it to a go’go bar. / gay bar. / trans bar so everyone can have a place to go.
It would make a nice shelter for illegal aliens..
You are probably right
Shhhhhhhh!!
The building used to hold 1500 seats when it was a single screen Warner theater. It is large enough to have a redesigned 1000 seat state of the art performance arts center similar to the Bergen PAC, which is booked at least 200 days each year. The owner is spending $$$ to recommission and reopen an amusement park in Albany NY in May 2024 that he used to go to as a kid. So IF his words are to be believed, he will likely go through with plans to create a spot where musical and theatrical performances can be seen by folks in North West Bergen County.
If the town is smart, Ridgewood should support this cultural project and offer a free shuttle trolley from the parking garage to the entrance of the soon to be planned future performance arts center.
Bergen PAC doesn’t make a profit. Save your cash and go to Englewood and let it be their problem.
The property is not owned by the town of Ridgewood but by the family real estate trust that owns Bow Tie Inc. It would be their money, profit or loss, that would be at risk, not Ridgewood’s. Plus for Ridgewood would be continued tax revenues, increased restaurant and small business attendance and a way to make sense of the parking garage that is now empty at most times. So I don’t understand your comment of “let it their problem”.
Given local support from the Ridgewood Arts Foundation, this would bring next level culture to Ridgewood and a place that would be more desirable than a jazz concert at William Patterson or a performance at the Barrie Center at Ramapo College.
There is a similar reenvisaged/ redesigned movie theater in Montclair that is very popular and profitable.
IMHO, this would be win win for Ridgewood with the assumption that the Bow Tie owner is actually committed to stay in Ridgewood and provide the kind of state of art single performance arts center.
“Daddy, I want an Umpalumpa.” Cash is king and this place is not profitable. Proven by a big time owner. It’s dead, and there’s’ nothin’ you can do about it.
Sounds good, but the theatre in Ramsey has been vacant for years. Rent and Ridgewood commercial property tax rates will be the determining factors. Unless the owner is a charity, these ideas are doomed. If a theatre can’t make it, neither will a performing arts center.
Well, it may not be the right thing to admit but in the 70’s we (me and a few other idiots) would climb the fire escape to the roof and enter the hatch on the roof where a precarious ladder would drop you into blackness until you got behind the silk screen with the movie on and patrons staring up at you. At the right moment we would come down the side of the stage into the front row. Eventually some of us were caught and parents were told by the police we should join Boy Scouts. It will be missed.
We have a mayor that thinks nothing of giving his friends a mortgage loan for $47 K, the same friends that are involved in bringing a giant neon billboard to Ridgewood Gail Price and Richard Brooks, Chair of the Conservation and Park/Rec. Let’s hope the movie theater doesn’t turn into a giant neon billboard.
I am told that the Hasidics are very interested…have a soft offer on the table.
Is that why I hear Yiddish coming from beneath my basement?
I hope nor
so sad
First Town & Country now our theater. There is literally nothing classic left in our town. What’s next, the Daily Treat? Sad
Hey Steve K. Give it up already. The movie theater closing has nothing to do with the mayor
They should convert it back to ONE auditorium for performing arts, but still have a screen that can go up and down, in case they wanted to still have special screenings.
I grew up at this theater, and my brother, myself and my sister all worked there.
I’d hate to see it go to waste.
This is going to get interesting
Very Sad to hear this news, but not surprised. It was wonderful in the 1970s being able to ride my bike to the theater when I was 14 and go see a movie for about $3. Later an easy local place to take a date. Made Ridgewood a great place to grow up.
After the theater was divided into multiple tiny screens it was not worth the $$$ to go anymore. The quad renovation in 1984 killed the theater. The last time I went was 24 years ago to see the Patriot with Mel Gibson. The projector lamp was so dim the entire movie looked like it took place at night time. The bathroom was a mess.
If it was renovated back to a single theater that showed a mix of classic and current movies at times at a resonable price with proper projection brightness and sound I would return. For example: Lawrence of Arabia – a must see on a big screen theater.
I hope the venue is restored and kept as a theater. Music Bands. Plays. Movies. A multipurpose venue. It would be a great asset to the town and bring patrons to restaurants and shops. My bike an I are ready to return. 🙂
“The last time I went was 24 years ago”
It’s hilarious to me that whenever a local landmark closes its doors, the people complaining always say something like this. Same as when the Fireplace closed down….”WHY IS THIS PLACE CLOSING? I HAVEN’T STEPPED FOOT THERE SINCE LAST CENTURY!”
We were there last month. Very sad, many good memories for us over the years.
Ha. I went to the Fireplace almost every week until it closed. Because it was great!
Point is the theater could be great again!
There is an oppertunity here . Otherwise, lets tear it down and put up another CVS. Hair Salon. Resteraunt. Or a parking lot. Then I will have even fewer if any reasons to visit downtown Ridgewood and the shops. There will be nothing Unique about downtown Ridgewood. Guess I will have to go the the Wellmont Theater in Montclair then. Or the Lafayette theater in Suffern NY.
How about a gigantic plastic soccer & baseball field???
Or a place to house the squirrels?
Better Yet, Mayor Adams should call Pee Wee and his 3 bumbling fools, well 4 including the whistle Blower, Lets drop some Migrants off there, plenty of room for cots, has bathroom’s , even pop corn and soda
Perfect place for Pickleball Courts.
What are the economics of a performing arts center? I am not sure it can be sustained. IS there another movie theater company that would want it?
The Ridgewood Guild and Ridgewood Arts Foundation will be interested in partnering with the owner. they have already reached out to the owner. Between the two groups , there is a lot of high powered entertainment types that always have supported the arts within Ridgewood and the surrounding communities.
” high powered entertainment types “?
Your joking right?
People get ready for a big Tax hike. The village is going to need extra extra millions they talking about replacing garbage trucks right there is a few million, wait until the village starts repairing and replacing Village buildings. Most of them are falling right through their ass.
I definitely see furlough’s in next budget. Or tax increases will be very high.
Excuse me thumbs down on Village buildings. You better get a set of glasses have you checked out the recycling parks, department, tree, division building please, the village fleet service building, the building next to Fleet service from 1920, water pollution building in Glenrock are you high on something. These buildings need major repair or replacing .stop drinking the Kool-Aid. wow, we are buildings that are not even fire code.?????
??? Really? A bit difficult to read.
High density section 8 housing or a welcome center for the illegals that are coming up north would be really great. Come on people, we need to show our wonderful liberal values and be welcoming. We badly wanted this town to be a shining beacon in north jersey. We vote 70% blue all of the time. Time to share the burden and show the world how “smart” and “warm” we are.
Of course some of the people who would benefit the most from this kind of commentary are too deluded to see the value in it, and no amount of rubbing their noses in their own messes is likely to change that. And another proportion of those are at least liminally aware that their professed values of inclusion and equality are shrewd pretenses and will be unceremoniously dropped at the first sign they may be forced to actually abide by them. The descent into full clown world gallops apace.
what if we start our own version of a talent show and get local businesses to sponsor it. It could be like a very real Hallmark movie. Best town in America and how people band together in an attend to try to save the village.
Didn’t Spanky and Alfalfa do that?
A true experiment in democracy, the winner gets to be mayor for a year. I’m not joking. What’s the worse that could happen?
The word is “attempt”