1941: Hildinger's Movie Theaters

I'm not completely sure about the information on the name of the new theater written about in the article, but I think the theater ultimately went from the Orpheum to the Mayfair. In my many years of local history, I have found that there is a fierce interest in the many movie theaters that were once part of a viable city of Trenton.

THIS FROM MIKE KUZMA, VERIFYING MY "ORPHEUM" TO "MAYFAIR" TRANSITION. MIKE ALSO BROUGHT UP THE LEVY NAME; A FAMILIAR NAME TO ME. EDGAR WAS A FRIEND OF FRITZ AND EDNA KUSER, AND A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE KUSER FARM TENNIS CLUB. WHEN THE KUSERS WENT TO NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR THE SUMMER AND MY BUDDY DON SLABICKI AND I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO COME TO THE SUNDAY NIGHT MOVIES AT KUSER FARM UNTIL THEY RETURNED IN THE FALL, EDGAR GAVE US FREE ACCESS TO HIS GREENWOOD THEATER. ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS TELL THE TICKET TAKER, "EDGAR SAYS OK." THEY WERE THE MAGIC PASSWORDS, BUT WE ONLY HAD TO USE THEM TWO OR THREE TIMES WHEN WE WERE RECOGNIZED AS "FREEBIES." MANY THANKS FOR YOUR MEMORIES, MIKE.

Tom:

It was indeed originally the "Orpheum" I vividly recall the transformation of it to the "Mayfair". It was owned by a group consisting of the Hildinger family, the Levy family, and the Henry's. This group also owned and operated the Greenwood, Strand, Princess and I believe the Rialto. The Mayfair was a sparkling addition to the Movie theatre scene in downtown Trenton, and was located diagonally across from the Stacy Theatre, and up the street from my Favorite all time best movie house "The State" which was just beyond Montgomery St.(Where incidentelly they had the public rest rooms built on an Island in the middle of the street.Vince Henry who managed the Mayfairhad a grandson who later starred with Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer.Thanks for the memoriesMike Kuzmaemail: Princetonvaluer@msn.com