From the Archives: A Tradition of Arts and Music in Fort Lee

The tradition of arts and music in Fort Lee predates the annual Fort Lee Arts and Music Festival. 

From 1898 through 1971, Palisades Amusement Park’s stage atop the cliffs of the Palisades offered the best of musical entertainment the nation offered. From the swing bands of the 30s and 40s to the Rock & Roll of the 50s through the early 70s, the stage at Palisades Amusement Park rocked and rolled all summer long. 

Also, for a more upscale venue, one could go to The Riviera Night Club on the top of the Palisades north of the George Washington Bridge. The first Riviera was located in the old Villa Richard Restaurant atop the Palisades in the Coytesville section of Fort Lee. Operated from 1931 by Ben Marden, the very successful club was destroyed by a Thanksgiving night fire in 1936. 

By May of 1937, Ben Marden built a new art deco Riviera just south of that spot, and it included a revolving stage and a retractable roof for dancing under the stars.  Here the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Pearl Bailey—just to name a few—sang the great songs of the day. 

The Riviera remained popular until it was closed at the end of 1953 for the construction of the Palisades Interstate Parkway.

That covers the musical end of Fort Lee, but what about the art? 

If all we had were the Ortlip family, our bases would be covered in that regard. The Ortlip family created their own art colony atop the Palisades for most of the 20th century. Other cliff-top artists such as the late Irv Docktor later joined the Ortlips. Early 20th century artists such as Pop Hart made Fort Lee their home as well due to the magnificent venues offered by the Palisades.

As we celebrate this history of art and music in Fort Lee Sunday let us also look to the future: many of us saw that future at the recent Circle of the Arts program at Fort Lee High School. Our local students with their great artistic and musical talent will surely keep Fort Lee the place to be for art and music in the 21st century.

Editor's Note: The author is Executive Director of the Fort Lee Film Commission.