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Sunday, August 30, 2009

2009: REMEMBERING THE CENTRE THEATER


I took this photo this morning on my way to bring communion to the folks at South Village on Lalor Street and Stokeley Avenue. I have saved the original in 10 megapixel size which results in a HUGE image. The original is so large it reveals minuscule parts of the photo which are not
visible in lower resolution. However, it is far too large to post and I saved its "little brother" which still has beautiful resolution (thank you, Kodak!) I would bet that there is at least one or two visitors to this website who have fond memories of their visits to the Centre theater. The Centre was the twin of the Gaiety. I have never been able to figure out whether they were under the same management or not. However, their ads in the newspapers were always consolidated as one.

THIS RECEIVED FROM FELLOW HAMILTON HIGH "HORNET" DON NUGENT, A NATIVE OF SOUTH TRENTON WHO ATTENDED WESLEY CHURCH AND ALSO RECALLS THE HAPPY TIMES SPENT AT THE CENTRE THEATRE. MANY THANKS, DON!

DON NUGENT WRITES:
I remember many a Saturday matinee at the Centre Theatre. I lived in South Trenton until I was 12 years old. Mom would give me a quarter and admission was 15 cents, a bag of popcorn 10 cents. There would be a double feature, a cartoon, and newsreel. There were also, as I remember, "dish nights" at various times, where they would give away dishes to the ladies who came.

I lived on Third St., went to Mott School, and Wesley Methodist next door for Sunday School. I have many fond memories of those places.

Don Nugent HHS class of '60
GO HORNETS!!!

5 comments:

Mack said...

Hi Tom:)
Great picture:)
The reason the newspaper ads once
put this and the Gaiety together
is they were once part of
W.C. Hunts Theatres..a chain that
grew to 22 until he began getting
rid of the ones that were not in
the Wildwood area. Here is a link to a 6 minute youtube interview with his GrandDaughter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykR3utVpseg

The Hunts Pier and Hunts Theatre
in Wildwood are/were part of his
little empire.

Tom Glover said...

Many thanks, Mack. The original Gaitey was established by a fellow named TenEyck in the 1920's. (Not sure of the spelling but you all get the idea.)By the way.....did you know that today's Teaneck NJ started out as TenEyck? I think it's Dutch, but that's off the top of my head.

Tom Glover

Mack said...

George B Ten Eyck was also a
member of The Sons and Daughters
of The Pilgrims I see a thing on Ancestry showing that:)

Don Nugent said...

I remember many a Saturday matinee at the Centre Theatre. I lived in South Trenton until I was 12 years old. Mom would give me a quarter and admission was 15 cents, a bag of popcorn 10 cents. There would be a double feature, a cartoon, and newsreel. There were also, as I remember, "dish nights" at various times, where they would give away dishes to the ladies who came.

I lived on Third St., went to Mott School, and Wesley Methodist next door for Sunday School. I have many fond memories of those places.

Don Nugent HHS class of '60
GO HORNETS!!!

Steve said...

I too spent many afternoons at the Centre Theater. It later became a church, possibly a Baptist church, where the local black community worshiped.