By MADDY VITALE
The Moorlyn Theatre began featuring films in the era of silent movies. It opened in 1922 and was an Ocean City staple on the Boardwalk for visitors and residents for many years.
Aside from some ownership changes, it remained a movie theater, but was closed until new owners came along to renovate and update it while keeping some of its historic charm.
Bret DeNafo and business partner Clint Bunting purchased the property in 2022 for $1.25 million. And since then, have done all they said they would.
The landmark business officially reopened as the Moorlyn Square Theatre on Friday, restoring a gem in the community.
DeNafo and Bunting joined city, county and state officials for a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday with the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce to officially welcome them to the resort and reopen the iconic theater.
Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, explained how important the reopening is to the community.
“This revitalized landmark marks a significant milestone for our community, bringing the excitement of cinema back to Ocean City,” Gillian said.
The theater is located on Moorlyn Terrace along the Boardwalk between Eighth and Ninth streets.
Gillian emphasized that the reopening “promises to enhance the entertainment options available to residents and visitors, reaffirming Ocean City as a vibrant destination for leisure and family-friendly activities.”
She noted that the theater’s prime location on the Boardwalk “is poised to become a hub of entertainment and community engagement once again.”
Patrick McMahon, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said, “We are thrilled to see the Moorlyn Square Theatre reopen its doors to the public. This revitalization not only restores a beloved venue, but also contributes positively to our local economy and enhances the overall experience of our Boardwalk.”
DeNafo is no stranger to investing in theaters and beautifying them under his company, Town Square Entertainment. He and his business partners own theaters they restored, including ones in Stone Harbor, Northfield, Ventnor and Rio Grande.
While DeNafo could not be immediately reached for comment about the reopening, he explained in a prior interview with OCNJDaily.com how he and his partners planned to make improvements to the old theater while keeping some of the historic touches.
“We will put in new drapes, new movie screens, a whole new concession and it will be a luxury theater. We are going to bring some old Moorlyn Theatre back, too. We found some old picture lights,” DeNafo said in the interview.
He also said that it would be “a good old-fashioned movie theater, giving people something fun to do on a rainy day.”
The Moorlyn is one of the oldest businesses in Ocean City and was one of the first attractions on the Boardwalk. It began operations in 1901 as Moore’s Bowling Casino, housing a bowling alley and later a roller-skating rink, according to the Ocean City Historical Society.
In 1921, a theater replaced the roller rink. The following year, the property was renamed the Moorlyn Theatre and was showing movies ever since aside from interruptions with ownership changes.
The theater sat vacant for about six years, while there were changes in ownership.
When the Ocean City Tabernacle owned it, the plan was to use the building to recapture the days when the ministry had a presence on the Boardwalk.
The Tabernacle had renamed the Moorlyn Theatre as the Moorlyn Family Theatre and developed a programming mix of live stage performances, first-run films and classic movies from the theater’s glory days.
After those attempts failed, they felt it was time to sell the theater and waited for the right buyer, a Tabernacle trustee said in 2019.
The Tabernacle, which had owned the property since 2012, put it up for sale in March 2018 for an asking price of $1.1 million. Sey West Realty Partners LLC of Ocean City purchased the property in 2019 for $800,000 from the Tabernacle and then sold it. The buyer was Charlie Edgewater Park LLC for $999,999, who sold to DeNafo and Bunting and Scott Kaufman.
While the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the project for a couple of years, DeNafo released a statement on social media in 2022 about what he and his partners promised for the future of the Moorlyn Square Theatre.
“The Moorlyn has long been a dream project for us due to its incredibly rich history in serving Ocean City and surrounding community with entertainment since the early 1900s. The building has survived hurricanes, super storms, neglect, and even a 200 foot move to the east after the ‘Great Boardwalk Fire of 1927.’ We have a lot of work ahead of us but we can promise you this: Ocean City will soon enjoy a Better Way to See a Movie,” the statement said.
