Advertisement from the Strand (courtesy Philip M. Read); Allwood Theatre matchbook cover (courtesy Mark S. Auerbach).
Top, the demolition of the Clifton Theatre in Jan. 2000; above the Clifton Theatre in 1999, photo courtesy of John Kowolak.
a cartoon,” said Eileen Sperlazzi-Maloney. “You were given a raffle ticket as you entered, and between movies, Jimmy the usher would pick the winning ticket on stage. The Strand was nothing fancy, but it was clean and provided several hours of fun.” In 1950, the modern Allwood Theatre opened with a premiere run of the western Broken Arrow starring James Stewart. According to a 2004 article in The Record, “the theater was owned by Fabian Theatre Inc. and Harry Hecht, a Rosemawr theater executive” and designed by Paterson architect Sidney Schenker. Later, it was converted into a multiplex and continues to serve Clifton with its six screens. In April 1999, Clifton’s largest movie theater opened. The AMC Clifton Commons 16 on Route 3 features spacious chairs, a wide menu and the latest in movie viewing and sound options spread over 16 screens. For nearly a century, on any given night, the show goes on in Clifton.
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March 2018 • Cliftonmagazine.com