Ceiling Drape

Thought I had done about all the blogs about Loews in Jersey City, took all the pictures I thought there was to take and then when I went to see Sunrise I noticed this for the first time, a drape? a banner? not sure what the proper word is for this hanging peice of fanfare. The theater dates back to the 20s, built just before the depression hit, glitzy opulence of the Jazz-age? Is that a griffin? A forgotten coat of arms? The fabric looks like satin, wonderfully faded and worn, gnawed by moths. Has it been hanging in this spot since the 1920s?

Sunrise, directed by Murnau was a brilliant work, beautiful and influential, not just for film but they say it was the birth of the femme fatale in noir, even influencing James Cain and Hammet and Chandler. Could be, the plot is set in motion when a sexy woman encouraging a man to murder his dowdy wife. He has a change of heart and he and his wife reconcile and fall in love again during a whirlwind date in the big city. A little hokey in spots story wise, but you could see the style of this early filmmaker basically define what is film, much like Homer defines literature. For Halloween, the theater screened Nosferatu to a near sell out crowd. Made sense to book another Murnau. Audience was about a third of that, but seeing a silent film with real organ accompaniment was a singular experience. I love the way black and white looks but on a big screen the textures are just enthralling. The day before I saw the enjoyable Stranger Tides film in 3-D, which was entertainment except for the 3-D, which is a gimmick and ultimately only detracts from cinema. Side Note: In June is the last weekend for films at Loews before a two month hiatus for the summer. The theater has no air conditioning!