For Closed Ridgewood Warner Movie Theater, An 'Act 2' Is Coming, Town Says

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — This past Sunday, the 92-year-old Bow Tie Warner theater in Ridgewood showed its last films and shut down. Many people mourned the 1932 theater, sharing fond memories.

But the show will go on, the town said in a message:

"While our community is saddened by the news of the closing of Warner Bow Ties Cinemas (after 90+ years), a new chapter will soon be written," town officials wrote on social media.

"Mayor Vagianos has been in touch with ownership and Bow Tie Partners plans to remain part of the downtown Ridgewood community.

"They are currently evaluating multiple scenarios for redevelopment of the movie theater space, including conversion back to a single auditorium to be used as a performing arts venue. More to come as plans finalize!"

Some community members agreed that they'd like to see it restored to its original use as a one-film theater or performing arts center.

"Ridgewood Arts Foundation (RAF) is very excited to join the discussion and play a key role among local arts and civic organizations to discuss the possibility of repurposing the theater space into a dedicated Performing Arts Center (PAC) in the central business district," that group wrote last week.

Elsewhere, Tony Damiano wrote, "Stay tuned on our movie theater closing. The Ridgewood Guild will be meeting to discuss what can be done to save out theater. Wouldn’t it be great to create a Performing Arts Center as other towns have done. With all the talent in town, we have to rely on our schools and houses of worship for a performance venue. Our 14th Annual Ridgewood Guild Film Festival is booked for April 25. Possibly a project fundraiser?"

The owners of the Township Theater in Washington Township noted that their theater would stay open.

"As a family-owned and operated movie theater ourselves, we understand the profound impact that these destinations have on building connections and creating lasting memories," they wrote. "The closure of the Ridgewood Movie Theater marks the end of an era."

They added, "In these challenging times for the cinema industry, we want to assure our community that Township Theatre remains committed to providing a welcoming space for shared experiences and entertainment. ... May the memories of the Ridgewood Movie Theater live on in the hearts of those who experienced its magic."

Fans of the Warner theater posted their memories of visiting, from seeing their first film there as a kid ("Pinocchio" in one case), to grabbing a slice of pizza at Renato's before a film. See more memories here.