Steven Spielberg's Camden Co. Childhood, Westmont Theatre Featured In Oscar-Nominated Film

HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ — Steven Spielberg may have only lived in Camden County for about five years. But the area became instrumental in the director's career and gets the spotlight in his semi-autobiographical, Academy Award-nominated film, "The Fabelmans."

Camden County officials will honor Spielberg on Tuesday morning at the site of the former Westmont Theatre, which ignited his passion for cinema. Spielberg featured the theater in "The Fabelmans," which received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

The 95th Academy Awards take place Sunday.

Spielberg, 76, was born in Cincinnati, but his family moved to Haddon Township in 1952. His father, Arnold, worked as an electrical engineer for RCA in Camden City before the family moved to Phoenix in 1957.

"The Fabelmans" tells a coming-of-age story about a fictionalized version of Spielberg's upbringing. The movie recreates his experiences at the Westmont. When Spielberg was 5 years old in 1952, watching "The Greatest Show on Earth" sparked his interest in film. And from there, the theater served as a springboard for his passion which turned into an iconic Hollywood career.

"The Westmont Theater is an iconic location here in Camden County that has played a part in so many of our childhoods, including that of Steven Spielberg," said Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. "We wanted to honor Spielberg and his connection to South Jersey by installing a commemorative placard at the site where the Westmont Theater once stood."

The Westmont was built in 1927, initially showing silent pictures with a 120-piece orchestra that played every Sunday. The facility closed during World War II and reopened in 1949 as a 1,200-seat, first-run movie house, according to the South Jersey Film Office Cooperative.

In 1973, the Westmont became the only New Jersey theater and one of 30 in the United States to participate in the world premiere of "The Exorcist." The theater served as a home to repertory groups until 2000. The theater's historic outside has been preserved, but the facility reopened in 2017 as a Planet Fitness.

"The Fabelmans" has already received several accolades, winning two Golden Globe Awards in January, including Best Director. The film's seven Oscar nominations include the Best Director award.

Spielberg went on to direct several iconic films, including "Jaws," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "E.T." and "West Side Story." Although the Academy has nominated him for 22 awards, Spielberg hasn't won an Oscar since 1999, when he earned Best Director for "Saving Private Ryan."

His recent film earned the following Oscar nominations:

• Best Picture
• Best Director (Spielberg)
• Best Actress (Michelle Williams)
• Best Supporting Actor (Judd Hirsch)
• Best Original Screenplay (Spielberg and Tony Kushner)
• Best Original Score (John Williams)
• Best Production Design (Rick Carter and Karen O'Hara)