Sunny Isles Twin

3025 Sunny Isles Boulevard,
North Miami Beach, FL 33160

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dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on September 11, 2022 at 4:22 am

This was one of the last theaters, if not the last, designed by famed architect Robert E. Collins.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on September 10, 2022 at 8:22 pm

It may well be but the local paper reports that the Valentine’s 1982 incident occurred at the Plitt Sunny Isles Twin Theatre and that the movie the man and his wife were on their way to attending did play at the Sunny Isles Twin on Valentine’s Day, 1982. The jury award payout occurred in June of 1986.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on September 10, 2022 at 7:19 pm

Dallas, I believe the lawsuit was for the Plitt Suniland, and not the Sunny Isles.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on September 10, 2022 at 4:13 pm

In 1978, Henry Plitt formed Plitt Theatre Holdings with some partners to buy ABC`s Southern Circuit of theaters includng ABC’s Florida State Theatres for $49 million including the Southern Isles Twin. Plitt operated the venue from December of 1978 until closure on February 2, 1984 as as Plitt’s Sunny Isles Twin.

It reopened as an independent as the Sunny Isles Twin the next day. It closed on March 4, 1984 with “Boarding School” and “Angelo, My Love” placing a “Closed for Remodeling: Returning on May 3d.” But the venue thought better of the plan making the March 4th closure permanent. Following its conversion to retail operationes, the Sunny Isles Twin theatre was in the news one last time in 1986 as Plitt lost a $1 million lawsuit for a 1982 injury incident in its parking lot.

Ripshin
Ripshin on April 2, 2020 at 7:36 pm

It wasn’t released in the US till 1966.

rivest266
rivest266 on January 29, 2020 at 12:13 pm

Ripshin, that was released as Aschenputtel in 1955.

Ripshin
Ripshin on January 29, 2020 at 11:23 am

That “Cinderella” in the opening ad was one of a small handful of films distributed by Barry Yellen’s Childhood Productions in 1966, each a hastily dubbed U.S. premiere of a foreign language film. Thus, LOW budget, and quite lame. The Miracle in Coral Gables usually had better matinees, although a few of the lower end products slipped in.

Ripshin
Ripshin on June 17, 2019 at 1:28 pm

The current Scandesign web site clearly shows the old theater as one of its showrooms.

Ripshin
Ripshin on June 17, 2019 at 1:25 pm

No, it is Scandesign. The restaurant is to the side.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on June 14, 2019 at 11:26 pm

The building is now a Japanese restaurant and lounge(Hiro).

Ripshin
Ripshin on June 14, 2019 at 9:25 pm

So, as mentioned, Aquamarine was on the left.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on August 29, 2017 at 7:28 pm

“CHITTY” played on both, but Aquamarine (Twin 2) was on the left and Driftwood (Twin 1) was on the right. Driftwood had more seats.

Aeterna, thanks for the “HOTEL” shots!

Ripshin
Ripshin on August 29, 2017 at 7:12 pm

Was the Aquamarine on the left, as you entered? I am fairly sure that “Chitty” was in that theater (or both?). I can actually remember two specific moments from that showing in ‘68…walking into the lobby, and the Intermission. Well, and the chairs.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on August 29, 2017 at 12:20 pm

Yes, it closed in 1984.

aeterna
aeterna on August 29, 2017 at 11:40 am

@eapfan69 Added some shots of the “Hotel” premiere. What year did they shutter the Twin? I want to say 1984 or so if memory serves. I am sure it was diminished/diluted by the opening of the nearby AMC Loehmann’s 8 in 1982.

eapfan69
eapfan69 on August 7, 2014 at 3:07 pm

Warner Brothers held a big 3-day event in Miami Beach for the press premiere of “Hotel” that culminated with a black-tie screening of the film at this theater on Saturday, January 21, 1967.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on June 1, 2013 at 11:29 am

This was never multiplexed. The Intracoastal-8 is a separate theatre further east off 163rd street.

tzwicky
tzwicky on May 22, 2013 at 5:32 am

By the time I got to 12th Grade, my brother was managing the theatre with an old-timey exhibitor, known to me only as Jimmy Foof. Dunno where that name could have come from, but with my bro running the place every night, it gave me total access to what was playing, and that year (1973) it was “The Exorcist.” I went through a very short period of film craft interest, just in time to stay through maybe 30 showings of the film. I know every bump and sound in the film track. Max Von Sydow played a 70-80-something priest very convincingly to the point where, before imdb, I never knew his real age. The place had 2 large screens before they multiplexed into 8 smallish screens. At least the concession stand sold Pepsi, “real” Goobers and really good hot dogs. The place still stands, but has been repurposed as a furniture store in a small strip mall. With Oleta State Park right across Sunny Isles Blvd, everyone in the area knew when low tide was. Stinky, stinky mangroves.

jdoc001
jdoc001 on May 17, 2013 at 1:06 am

i remember goin there to see a version of pinocchio once on the big screen when i was younger

rivest266
rivest266 on October 23, 2011 at 12:56 pm

I uploaded the December 16th, 1966 grand opening ad here.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on September 14, 2011 at 8:23 pm

Twin one was “Driftwood”. Twin two was “Aquamarine”.

The lovely Mary Colehower, I think, closed it.

Ripshin
Ripshin on August 18, 2011 at 12:35 am

“Chitty” was in 1968 – it didn’t open the theater. Ads say “A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum.”

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on May 25, 2011 at 10:52 am

oh, Mary Colehower was managing here on June 3 1983.