Since the time I wrote that “Sole survivor among the once-numerous single-screen art cinemas…” comment, a new one-screen art cinema has arrived in Coral Gables: http://www.gablescinema.com/. Other newly minted single-screens have also opened in Wynwood (O Cinema, http://www.o-cinema.org/) and Miami Beach (Miami Beach Cinematheque, http://www.mbcinema.com/).
Al, I attended several times in the early 90s: I remember “Akira” and “Vampires in Havana” as playing there in 1990, and I attended one of those roadshow animation festivals around the same time. Think the Beaumont was only open over the weekends by then. If they were excluded from The Herald’s movie time clock, I’m guessing New Times was my source for showtimes.
CL Reece, thank you for the marvelous photos and recollections! Although I only visited once toward the end (GCC got my business at North Broward’s Pompano Cinema), I remember seeing the exteriors when my family drove through the area.
It appears some of the first comments were deleted during CT’s site conversion, so I’ll mention my one visit from c. 1995 again. The Hollywood Cinema was second run by then (I went to see “Powder”), and there was a five-minute wait halfway through for a reel change. A few remnants of the glorious past remained, especially the immense lobby and chandelier.
There were hopes that Hollywood Cinema would have new life with French films, catering to the Canadian/Quebecois winter population (the first played to packed houses for more than a month). After it closed, there were plans to convert the facility into a nightclub (the local press even showed renderings), in light of new activity to the west along Hollywood Boulevard.
Last time I was in the area (Art & Culture Center), I was panhandled even before I could step out of the car. Here’s hoping there may eventually be new life for the Hollywood Cinema.
Re street view: Movies at Pompano 6 was in front of the present Muvico Broward (formerly Muvico Pompano), to the right of the curb cut next to the Quizno’s sign. (Don’t look for Quizno’s there now, they’ve since closed.) Muvico’s current space was previously a supermarket behind the UA sixplex.
Closed — drove past there this evening. This will now be the second former Deerfield Beach movie house to become a church. Just as well, since the place showed substantial wear and tear after 25 years' operation, and probably couldn’t compete with the newly upgraded Deerfield Mall 8 a mile west.
Street view notes: This LWP marquee is fairly new, installed in recent years. To the left, a little bit of the Stonzek Studio Theatre (still in use as a digital minicinema and occasional live stage space) may be seen.
Scanning the Palm Beach Post/Google archives, I’ve seen frequent references to an art/adult cinema, the Capri, “in the heart of Lake Worth.” Does anyone know if LWP previously had this alias?
The map given above is south of the Sunset’s former location; it was just a block or two south of Las Olas Boulevard, around the corner from where the Las Olas Riverfront 15 shows movies today.
Built in 1947, demolished in 1971. General Cinema briefly ran the Colony in the mid 1960s (among many changes in ownership). By the time of its closing, R and X rated fare dominated the schedule, to community concern and objections:
http://www2.palmbeachpost.com/archives/google_archive/search.php?searchTerms=Colony+Theatre+1970+Palm+Beach&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
Street view: This is where the Gold Coast entrance was once located. Box office and screen were about halfway into what is now Rivertowne Square’s parking lot.
Street view: Entrance to the Plantation CrossRoads complex from University Drive. This sign was formerly the theatre’s marquee. The actual fourplex is a bit further in beyond Google’s reach.
There was also a time when, as with other Wometco locations, you received a token for admission and entered via turnstiles (making one usher redundant). Think they did eventually revive paper tickets toward the end. Some friends couldn’t set foot there due to that “funky smell,” they suspected mold in the wall treatments and curtains.
Not much to see now, but the marquee once occupied the empty rectangular grid in this street view from University Drive. A similar marquee was set up on the Royal Palm Blvd. side.
This may have been originally owned/operated by the same company that ran the Lake Shore, Thunderbird, Hi-Way Airport and other drive-ins (the Movie Center III’s ads were on the same block as the others, with an eventual notation MC III was an indoor venue). The then-newly founded Muvico Theaters took it over in the mid 80s, switching to second-run discount admission once GCC opened the Coral Square 8. This space stood to be cleared out for retail.
Street view (with indistinct former Sunrise Cinemas signage) is at the south end. U.S. 1 would be immediately to the left. The theatre’s low-level street marquee was slightly further north, now used to promote events elsewhere in Mizner Park.
As of 6/11, the windows are covered, with no further word of renovation activity.
Curtains: As with other 70s twin theatre conversions in the area (Pompano Cinema, Boynton Cinema), Wometco built a wall down the middle of the original BRT to achieve twinning. Each twin was indeed larger and deeper than the Boca Mall 6’s shoebox style, but the reduction of screen space was a definite loss.
There wasn’t much to the interior — Wometco had stopped doing its architectural flourishes by then. It was your basic rectangle with (IIRC) red wall treatments (after twinning, one side was redone in aqua, also IIRC). The box office/lobby/concession area was a long corridor, running along the adjoining restaurant space (eventually McDonald’s).
While searching Google News' archives, found an item from The Boca Raton News (defunct) about an early 70s proposal to relocate the BRT to a smaller space within the Fifth Avenue Shops.
Regarding the street view (nice addition, CT!): The BRT was behind the McDonald’s displayed above, its former space now occupied by a drive-thru lane and additional parking.
Meanwhile, there’s a possibility that the Jackie Gleason Theater (currently aka The Fillmore at…) may disappear in a proposed major renovation of the Miami Beach Convention Center. Live Nation could’ve taken over the Lincoln instead.
It appears Planation CrossRoads is no longer listed at the Frank Theaters site, and there was a report that foreclosure proceedings are underway for the entire shopping center.
As for movies nowadays on Lake Avenue, I can report the nearby Lake Worth Playhouse’s Stonzek Theatre (a 48-seat black box space) is alive and thriving with art house fare. Even with limited space, they’ve proven worthwhile successors to the still much-missed Carefree.
If you’ve tried the link directly above, click on “Pasta Palace/Palm Beach Post/Jan. 9 1976” for the ad itself.
Walking past the building last night, noticed signs announcing the Palm Beach County Cultural Council would soon be setting up headquarters. Turns out the family donated the building in Robert M. Montgomery’s memory. Click below for (presently) a partial exterior shot with the new signage:
Since the time I wrote that “Sole survivor among the once-numerous single-screen art cinemas…” comment, a new one-screen art cinema has arrived in Coral Gables: http://www.gablescinema.com/. Other newly minted single-screens have also opened in Wynwood (O Cinema, http://www.o-cinema.org/) and Miami Beach (Miami Beach Cinematheque, http://www.mbcinema.com/).
Al, I attended several times in the early 90s: I remember “Akira” and “Vampires in Havana” as playing there in 1990, and I attended one of those roadshow animation festivals around the same time. Think the Beaumont was only open over the weekends by then. If they were excluded from The Herald’s movie time clock, I’m guessing New Times was my source for showtimes.
CL Reece, thank you for the marvelous photos and recollections! Although I only visited once toward the end (GCC got my business at North Broward’s Pompano Cinema), I remember seeing the exteriors when my family drove through the area.
It appears some of the first comments were deleted during CT’s site conversion, so I’ll mention my one visit from c. 1995 again. The Hollywood Cinema was second run by then (I went to see “Powder”), and there was a five-minute wait halfway through for a reel change. A few remnants of the glorious past remained, especially the immense lobby and chandelier.
There were hopes that Hollywood Cinema would have new life with French films, catering to the Canadian/Quebecois winter population (the first played to packed houses for more than a month). After it closed, there were plans to convert the facility into a nightclub (the local press even showed renderings), in light of new activity to the west along Hollywood Boulevard.
Last time I was in the area (Art & Culture Center), I was panhandled even before I could step out of the car. Here’s hoping there may eventually be new life for the Hollywood Cinema.
Re street view: Movies at Pompano 6 was in front of the present Muvico Broward (formerly Muvico Pompano), to the right of the curb cut next to the Quizno’s sign. (Don’t look for Quizno’s there now, they’ve since closed.) Muvico’s current space was previously a supermarket behind the UA sixplex.
Closed — drove past there this evening. This will now be the second former Deerfield Beach movie house to become a church. Just as well, since the place showed substantial wear and tear after 25 years' operation, and probably couldn’t compete with the newly upgraded Deerfield Mall 8 a mile west.
Now renamed (for no apparent reason, except the county it’s located at) Muvico Broward 18: https://www.muvico.com/default.asp?t=150
Street view notes: This LWP marquee is fairly new, installed in recent years. To the left, a little bit of the Stonzek Studio Theatre (still in use as a digital minicinema and occasional live stage space) may be seen.
Scanning the Palm Beach Post/Google archives, I’ve seen frequent references to an art/adult cinema, the Capri, “in the heart of Lake Worth.” Does anyone know if LWP previously had this alias?
The map given above is south of the Sunset’s former location; it was just a block or two south of Las Olas Boulevard, around the corner from where the Las Olas Riverfront 15 shows movies today.
Built in 1947, demolished in 1971. General Cinema briefly ran the Colony in the mid 1960s (among many changes in ownership). By the time of its closing, R and X rated fare dominated the schedule, to community concern and objections: http://www2.palmbeachpost.com/archives/google_archive/search.php?searchTerms=Colony+Theatre+1970+Palm+Beach&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
As of 6/11, now home to Calling All Kids Indoor Playground/Family Fun Center.
This was formerly in the ABC Florida State chain.
Street view: This is where the Gold Coast entrance was once located. Box office and screen were about halfway into what is now Rivertowne Square’s parking lot.
Street view: Entrance to the Plantation CrossRoads complex from University Drive. This sign was formerly the theatre’s marquee. The actual fourplex is a bit further in beyond Google’s reach.
There was also a time when, as with other Wometco locations, you received a token for admission and entered via turnstiles (making one usher redundant). Think they did eventually revive paper tickets toward the end. Some friends couldn’t set foot there due to that “funky smell,” they suspected mold in the wall treatments and curtains.
Not much to see now, but the marquee once occupied the empty rectangular grid in this street view from University Drive. A similar marquee was set up on the Royal Palm Blvd. side.
This may have been originally owned/operated by the same company that ran the Lake Shore, Thunderbird, Hi-Way Airport and other drive-ins (the Movie Center III’s ads were on the same block as the others, with an eventual notation MC III was an indoor venue). The then-newly founded Muvico Theaters took it over in the mid 80s, switching to second-run discount admission once GCC opened the Coral Square 8. This space stood to be cleared out for retail.
Street view (with indistinct former Sunrise Cinemas signage) is at the south end. U.S. 1 would be immediately to the left. The theatre’s low-level street marquee was slightly further north, now used to promote events elsewhere in Mizner Park.
As of 6/11, the windows are covered, with no further word of renovation activity.
Curtains: As with other 70s twin theatre conversions in the area (Pompano Cinema, Boynton Cinema), Wometco built a wall down the middle of the original BRT to achieve twinning. Each twin was indeed larger and deeper than the Boca Mall 6’s shoebox style, but the reduction of screen space was a definite loss.
There wasn’t much to the interior — Wometco had stopped doing its architectural flourishes by then. It was your basic rectangle with (IIRC) red wall treatments (after twinning, one side was redone in aqua, also IIRC). The box office/lobby/concession area was a long corridor, running along the adjoining restaurant space (eventually McDonald’s).
While searching Google News' archives, found an item from The Boca Raton News (defunct) about an early 70s proposal to relocate the BRT to a smaller space within the Fifth Avenue Shops.
Regarding the street view (nice addition, CT!): The BRT was behind the McDonald’s displayed above, its former space now occupied by a drive-thru lane and additional parking.
As of May 2011, now in the Paragon Theaters portfolio: http://paragontheaters.com/default.aspx?t=105
Extensive lobby remodeling, upgraded seating, and expanded food/beverage menus were introduced toward the end of Sunrise Cinemas' management.
Here’s the new, independent Gateway Website:
http://www.thegatewaytheatre.com/gateway.asp
Frank Theaters did briefly close the Plantation CrossRoads; it’s now due to reopen March 25 under the same owners who took over the Gateway.
(If anyone from CT sees this, time to mark the status as “Closed”)
Fashion retailer H&M just announced plans to take over the former (hurts to say that) Lincoln, aiming for a fall 2012 opening:
View link
Meanwhile, there’s a possibility that the Jackie Gleason Theater (currently aka The Fillmore at…) may disappear in a proposed major renovation of the Miami Beach Convention Center. Live Nation could’ve taken over the Lincoln instead.
It appears Planation CrossRoads is no longer listed at the Frank Theaters site, and there was a report that foreclosure proceedings are underway for the entire shopping center.
As for movies nowadays on Lake Avenue, I can report the nearby Lake Worth Playhouse’s Stonzek Theatre (a 48-seat black box space) is alive and thriving with art house fare. Even with limited space, they’ve proven worthwhile successors to the still much-missed Carefree.
http://www.lakeworthplayhouse.org/indie_films.html
If you’ve tried the link directly above, click on “Pasta Palace/Palm Beach Post/Jan. 9 1976” for the ad itself.
Walking past the building last night, noticed signs announcing the Palm Beach County Cultural Council would soon be setting up headquarters. Turns out the family donated the building in Robert M. Montgomery’s memory. Click below for (presently) a partial exterior shot with the new signage:
View link
Then go here for the announcement:
View link