Meandering
...............With John Corcoran
"The movies" have been very popular in Gloucester City, just as they have been throughout the whole country. In 1907 Harry Black rented his pool room on the corner of Middlesex and Willow Streets to a man named Young. He started a "nickelodeon" but the place soon became too small. So Young built
his own place on the corner of Middlesex and King Streets, where he ran a motion picture theater.
It is also said that Powell's grocery store on the northeast corner of Market and Burlington Streets had movies back in those early days ... but you can't prove it by me since it was just a wee-bit before my time.
To show the movies Powell had to paint all of the windows, and for the audiences he had to put long wooden benches with fence-rail backs. The "flickers" were projected from the back right over the viewers' head.
Another "theater" was located in a small shoe store behind Graham's Saloon on the corner of Market Street and Pig Alley.
A few more of these early movie houses can be mentioned. There was Boylan's Theater on the east side of King
On Broadway next to turner's fruit stand was the Strand Theater. That was just about where the deli and Duffy's are now located.
The old City Hall in the 300 block of Monmouth Street must be considered as a "movie house" (as well as for all of the other things such as dances, basketball games, "live" shows, etc.) because motion pictures were shown there often for the entertainment of the public.
There was Kings Palace, which later became Mommy Hayes' Theater, located where the VFW is now on Burlington between Bergen and Hudson Streets. Mommy Hayes not only gave audiences "the latest" in motion pictures but also put on vaudeville and burlesque shows. I've been told that my dad and my Uncle George played in the orchestra there "on occasion."
Just across Burlington Street where the Sportsmen, A.C. is located was another movie theater which showed movies. This one I sort of remember as I'm sure most of you do also. That was The Leader. As far as I know it was strictly a "movie house," at least as I remember it
I would be remiss, even though I have mentioned it briefly recently, if I did not bring up the King Street Theater. At first called the Apollo, this was located on the southeast corner of Somerset and King Streets.
I saw many-a-movie there, but I followed the Saturday matinee serials most consistently. You remember, the hero was just about dead this week, but came to life very rapidly to save the heroine by the next week's showing installment! Adults could get in for 15 cents, matinee; 20 cents for a balcony seat and 25 cents in the orchestra.
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