Cranford Theatre Dead? Mayor Says Not So Fast

CRANFORD, NJ - Downtown Cranford lost one of its iconic anchors on Wednesday night when the Cranford Theatre went the way of Westfield's Rialto, suddenly shutting down after nearly 93 years in operation. But Mayor Patrick Giblin said the venue is not dead yet.

"Many residents are writing eulogies for the Cranford Theater tonight. Not so fast! In my conversations with the owner today, he indicated wanting to keep the property as a Theater," Giblin posted on social media. "He referenced the Bellevue Theater in Montclair, which he also owns and went through similar issues. I’m confident the Township Committee and DMC will put our minds together to come up with some creative solutions. I’ve added this as an agenda for discussion at Monday’s Township Committee Workshop Meeting."

Indeed, the messaging shared with Giblin was the same shared with Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle after the Rialto's surprise closing.

"The property owner and I also spoke at length about possible long-term options for the Rialto if the litigation is not resolved in a manner that allows for its reopening in the near term," Brindle said. "He referenced the recent announcement about the upcoming renovation of the Bellevue Theater in Montclair, which is another theater he owns."

In the case of the Bellevue, which closed its doors in November 2017, has signed a lease with Highgate Hall LLC, with plans to restore and modernize the venue, Montclair Local reported.

After that theater closed in 2017, local arts lovers tried to keep it going via an online petition that gathered hundreds of signatures.

"The Montclair Bellevue Theater has been nestled in Upper Montclair for almost 100 years," the petition read. "This space is iconic to Montclair and beloved by many, it would be a shame to let it waste away into another gentrified retail or office space."

The Bellevue's new lease holders are reportedly include some big names in show biz, including producer Luke Parker Bowles and actor Patrick Wilson, both of whom are Montclair residents, as well as local real estate developer Steven Plofker, Montclair Local stated.

In Westfield, the sudden shuttering of Westfield's Rialto Theater, which has been a staple in downtown since 1922, was caused by a dispute between tenant and landlord, according Brindle. Brindle noted that the matter is currently being litigated. Court documents show that Rialto Holdings filed a complaint against New Vision Cinemas in June of 2018.

Cranford's Downtown Management Corporation said in a statement that this was not the end of the theater, but a new beginning.

"Like many local residents, we are dismayed by the news of the Cranford Theater closing. The DMC Office had been collaborating with the theater in recent months on movie series and had more in the works," the group posted to social media. "We're confident that with the leadership of the Township Committee and our residents, we will come together on ideas to repurpose the theater and once again make it a destination."

The DMC noted that in the meantime, they will be working with the Township and the property owner and local arts and theater groups in hopes of having performances in the space to create activity and bring people downtown.

Some commenters, like Josh Thomas, were optimistic.

"So, not a curtain call - rather, a curtain close between acts," Thomas posted.

Annette Deering referred to the closing as an "intermission," but Stash Belczyk was skeptical.

"Problem is they lied to your face already when they said they weren’t doing anything to the theater, whose to say they’re not lying now. Hope for the best, plan for the worst," Belczyk said.

Elisa Francesca said the closing hit home because her son worked there.

"He was just informed tonight via email that the theatre has closed, that employees will be receiving their final checks in the mail, and that they could file for unemployment," she said. "He had no idea before receiving the email that Cranford was going to close."

The Cranford Theatre opened as the New Branford Theatre on Nov. 29, 1926 with Noah Berry in “Padlocked,” according to Cinema Treasures. It had 1,300 seats and a Wurlitzer pipe organ. In 1927, the name was changed to Cranford Theatre and by 1941 the Cranford Theatre was operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp., the site noted

The theatre was later twinned and was operated by Cineplex Odeon in the 1980’s and 1990’s. In 1998, it was taken over by an independent operator and was divided into five screens. Operated by Digiplex Destinations, it was taken over by Carmike Cinemas in 2014 before being taken over by NewVision Theatres in March 2017 it was renamed Cranford Theatre again, Cinema Treasures noted.

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