Cranford Theater Begins 100-Day Countdown to 100th Anniversary

The Cranford Theater is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary on November 29, 2026, marking nearly a century since the theater first opened its doors on November 29, 1926. The theater debuted as the Branford Theater at 25 North Ave. W., on the site of the former township building.

On opening night, the theater showed the silent film Padlocked, starring Noah Beery. The screening was so well attended that many patrons had to be turned away. Mayor Roger Aldrich and Rev. O.C. Hopper Jr., president of the Cranford Lions Club, addressed the audience before the film. Rev. Hopper stated, "Moving pictures are here to stay," and praised the theater's "newness and beauty" as "one of the signs of a greater and more beautiful Cranford."

Originally named after the Stanley-Fabian company's Branford Theatre in Newark, the venue became the Cranford Theater just two months later after the Rotary Club persuaded the company to replace the "B" with a "C." The original theater featured 1,300 seats, a stage, and a Wurlitzer pipe organ.

In 1998, Jesse Sayegh purchased the theater and converted it into a five-screen cinema. In 2019, Doreen, her husband Dino, and her father completed a top-to-bottom renovation. The theater reopened on November 8, 2019, with new seating, flooring, drapes, digital projection, upgraded sound, and an expanded concession stand. Sayegh is now the last independently owned, family-run movie theater operator in Union County.

As part of the centennial celebration, the theater is collecting letters, photographs, family stories, children's artwork, and other keepsakes for a Centennial Time Capsule to be sealed during the November anniversary festivities. The celebration culminates on November 7 with a special screening of Padlocked accompanied by a live organist.

This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy against official sources.

Produced with AI assistance and reviewed against source records.