The Lafayette Theater Needs Your Support!

OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR

TOWN OF RAMAPO

237 Route 59

Suffern, New York 10901

(845) 357-5100 Fax: (845) 357-3877

CHRISTOPHER P. ST. LAWRENCE

Supervisor

The Lafayette Theater Needs Your Support!

October 15, 2007

I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear that the downtown movie theater in Pearl River will not re-open. Nationally the large multiplex movie houses are causing the rapid demise of the single screen movie. We are very fortunate to have a Classic Movie Palace in Ramapo, The Lafayette Theater, which was recently selected as one of the Top Ten Classic Movie Theaters in the United States by USA Today. In order for theaters such as the Lafayette to survive, they must be supported by local residents.

The Lafayette opened its doors in 1924 with the silent film classic “Scaramouche”, and flourished with live Vaudville Shows and film presentations. The Lafayette's star began to fade during the 1970's and 1980's, when the multiplex boom began, and large single-screen theaters were divided into several small theaters to accommodate playing several films at once. In the late 1990's, the Lafayette's future as a single screen movie palace was in jeopardy, until Robert Benmoshe, a resident and chairman of the Met Life Insurance Company, at my request, saw the potential of The Lafayette and saved the Theater.

In late 2002, the Galaxy Theater Corporation under the leadership of Nelson Page took a long term lease and began an amazing revitalization of the Theater. The Town of Ramapo has co-sponsored The Big Screen Classics Film Festival which takes place in the Fall and Spring seasons, every Saturday morning at the Lafayette Theater. Over 15,000 theater aficionados have enjoyed seeing the greatest movies of all time on the Big Screen.

This coming week, October 19, 20 and 21 the Lafayette is offering a unique special program:

Friday, October 19th

Plan 9 From Outer Space at 8:00 PM

Saturday, October 20th

Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff at 2:00 PM

The Masque of Death starring Vincent Price at 4:15 PM

The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney with live organ accompaniment at 8:00 PM

Sunday, October 21st

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein at 2:00 PM

Curse of the Demon at 4:15 PM

Robert Wise's The Haunting at 7:30 PM

Special appearance by Conrad Brooks, star of Plan 9 From Outer Space on Friday night after the movie. On Sunday, Bela Lugosi's Dracula Cape will be on display at 2:00 PM.

I hope to see you at the Lafayette this weekend and at the Grand Opening of our Ramapo Senior Center (formerly The Masonic Temple) located at Route 202 and Mayer Drive on Sunday, October 21st - 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM.