Recalling New Year's Eves past in Cedar Grove

BY ERIC MODEL

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

JOURNEYS INTO NEW JERSEY

On Dec. 31 folks will again head out to revel in a new year – hard to believe that 2011 beckons.

Some will go to Times Square, others will do dinner and a movie. One of my favorite New Year's Eve past times over the years has been that of "First Night."

Unfortunately as budgets have been cut, especially for the arts and sponsorships, there are fewer locations hosting First Nights and those with them offer up fewer activities. Personally, these days I always enjoy playing a Guy Lombardo record for the kids.

One place that will not be a party place is a now unassuming spot on the old Pompton Turnpike in Cedar Grove.

But back in its time, the Big Band Era, the site was as important as any.

Cedar Grove was once home to the Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook Ballroom. In its day, along with the Glen Island Casino along Long Island Sound, it was the place for big band music. Some of the great bands and vocalists of the time to play there included the likes Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Gene Krupa, Sammy Kaye, and Glen Gray.

Some famous singers who performed early in their careers included Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney. Many a New Year's Eve were there parties there long before anyone knew of Dick Clark or Ryan Seacrest.

One retrospective describes the Meadowbrook as "a cheery place with a large dance floor, tables around the dancing area and a balcony on all sides except over the bandstand. It drew large crowds of college kids, especially at its Saturday matinees."

The Meadowbrook was a big band remote broadcast location, popular on radio during the 1930s and 1940s, involving a coast-to-coast live transmissions.

As early as 1923, listeners could tune in The Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra. The Oriole Orchestra (Dan Russo and Ted FioRito) was performing at Chicago's Edgewater Beach Hotel when they did their first radio remote broadcast on March 29, 1924, and two years later, they opened the famous Aragon Ballroom in July 1926, doing radio remotes nationally from both the Aragon and the Trianon Ballrooms.

According to some reports, the first nationally broadcast live radio program of dance music originated from the Meadowbrook in 1936.

Routinely, remotes involved the network sending a two-man team, announcer and engineer, with remote radio equipment to a designated location. The announcer would open with music behind an introduction:

Coming to you from Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook on Route 23, just off the Pompton Turnpike in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, we present the music of Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra.

Frank Dailey himself was a local guy. Born in Bloomfield in 1901, he owned the Meadowbrook from 1931-1956. Born in 1901 in Bloomfield, and a musician himself, Dailey played the violin and led several orchestras like the Stop-and-Go Orchestra. l period of time.

After its heyday during the radio era, the Meadowbrook had the distinction of being the site of first nationwide telecast of dance music. Dailey appeared on television's "Music at the Meadowbrook" from 1953-1956. It was an hour-long program featuring big band music.

For a long time after its peak, the place only opened for summer theater and to cater parties. It just about ended completely when Frank Dailey suddenly died on Feb. 27, 1956 in Montclair.

With Dailey gone and television heading to California from New York (i.e. Lawrence Welk), The Meadowbrook location was converted and opened as one of the nation's first dinner theaters. During this era it hosted the likes of Van Johnson, Eve Arden and Ann Sothern in presentations such as Guys and Dolls and the Odd Couple.

After the dinner theater closed, it saw use as a disco and rock'n'roll venue. Finally it closed completely as an entertainment venue in 198.

Today, the ballroom, still stands, and is used by Sts. Kiril and Metodij Macedonian Orthodox Church as a social hall.

In 2008 a Centennial Ball was held there to celebrate Cedar Grove's 100th birthday.
These days it is mostly quiet, many unaware of its distinguished past.

Still, cars – especially those driven by old timers – can be seen slowing down along Route 23 to get a glimpse at was briefly a landmark and recall in their minds what used to be.

For more on the Meadowbrook, click here.

Eric Model explores the "offbeat, off the beaten path overlooked and forgotten" on SIRIUS-XM Radio and at journeysinto.com.