Local History: More About the Movies, Thanks to Reader Replies

Patch asked; you answered.

A recent local history column looked at the cinema once known as the State Theatre. Now the Valley Transportation and Bus Company at 582 Valley Road on the Orange- West Orange border, the old building boasts a rotunda and trim that hark back to its past.

According to Roland, an employee of the company and amateur historian, a chandelier once hung from the center of the vaulted rotunda. The outline of the state is still visible, and the theatre's wings lead to nothing.

I asked readers for more information about the theatre, and I am grateful to for your replies. From you I learned that, yes, it was known as the State Theatre, and it was in use until at least 1951, when it was listed locally as having 981 seats.

Roland showed this writer detailed molding, one section of which he plans to restore, and two storage areas that once served as balconies. The theatre was once lit by gas; Thomas Edison brought electricity to the building. And Roland noted the building's acoustics by talking in the center of the room; despite machinery noise, a normal tone is audible throughout the room. "No microphones then," said Roland, who believes the building was built in the late 1800s.

Readers led me to programs from 1934 (see photos), which advertised Leslie Howard starring in "Of Human Bondage." The program suggests that moviegoers dine at The State Delicatessen, just next door. It seems that "lady patrons" saw movies free on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

From the exterior, the brick building has two front areas that suggest ticket booths. The entryway is decorated with molding that features bushy-tailed squirrels.

So tell me more about the State Theatre or the businesses that surrounded it; our past is still present, when we stop in and take a look.