This will bomb, as well. Parking is an issue with the locals, and they should never base a concept on what is presumed to be the taste of the average tourist. While SA gets a lot of blue-collar families, it also attracts upper-end business conventioneers who are not going to be caught dead in the place. Plus, kids will be bored by the shows. SA isn’t Branson, or Nashville. I’m thrilled that the theater has been restored, but finding the proper usage of the space will be difficult.
Well, I started going there soon after it opened, and never cared for it. A sister lived in town, so I only went a few times a year. By the early 90s, I refused to see films there at all. I do remember that the building seemed “bad” from the outset. The Carolina had been horribly butchered by twinning. My regional favorite was the lost Ultra-Vision Mall Theatre behind the Asheville Mall – oval theaters, great design. (Most of its life, was called The Mall Twin Theater, I believe.)
Fondest theater memory from childhood was in 60s/70s Florida – the Sunny Isle Twin in Miami. It also had oval theaters – with spectacular tile work in the lobby, and two different color themes for the auditoriums….Aquamarine,(blue) and Driftwood (orange……rocking plush chairs….wow.
Actually, they might have added the largest auditorium (seen to the right in the above photos)AFTER the building housing the twins was first constructed in 72. The first film that I remember seeing in the large auditorium was “Star Wars” in 1977, and “Close Encounters” (1977). “Earthquake” (1974) was definitely in one of the twins in the main building, as was “The Towering Inferno” (1974).
AA, thanks for the heads up. I just Google-mapped it, with Street View, and it is indeed the theater where I saw “The Exorcist” in Nov. 1982, while a UM student. Why I went to a Spanish-subtitled theater, I’m not sure. Probably, because I had never seen the film on the large screen. Strange that I would eventually move only a few blocks south of it, my senior year, but not remember it. (As a UM film school student, I went to a lot of the theaters in the Gables area.)
That MUST be it! I was at UM at the time I saw the film, but a year later, moved just three blocks south of this theater, on Douglas. Never went back again. It’s very possible I saw a Spanish-subtitled version of the film, and the reason I never returned. It’s the NW corner, and I remember parking behind the auditorium, with the screen at the west end. Thanks for the suggestion – makes total sense.
I seem to remember it being near the big gray Florida Power & Light (??) building, that was once lighted in bright colors. Whatever the intersection, it was on the NW corner.
Unrelated to this theater, but I remember a theater in the area of Flagler and Le Jeune. I saw a special rerelease of “The Exorcist” around 1982. I could be wrong about the intersection. It was an older theater with a nice marquee. It showed special releases by the 80s, I think, and was a bit run down.
I guess I can get confused – a Coral Gables, a Coral, and possibly two Gables Theaters? (Not two mention the newer Twin Gables – or whatever it was called – on Coral Way.)
Yep, remember “Oliver!” there. Again, we never went to Miami Beach/Bay Harbor. “The Bible: In the Beginning” had a big rerelease showing at Dadeland – I know it wasn’t the initial 1966 release – wasn’t in Miami then. In 83, I stood in line five hours for “Return of the Jedi” – number five in line. Unfortunately, it was with a bunch of sci-fi nerds in costume – I hid from the news cameras.
I’ll Google Map it with a street view. I’m curious if it’s the same structure. Yep, it’s ScanDesign – the building is still very distinct. AA let me know that I saw the roadshow of “Chitty” there, and not 163rd Street, in 1968. I remember the place seeming so exotic to a six year-old. If only theaters could, these days, put a little bit of the whimsy back into their structures.
I attended a few roadshows at Dadeland Twin in the late 60s. I’ll check out Sunny Isles – to a mere six year-old, all I remember was 163rd Street – it was Siberia to a kid who rarely traversed north of the airport (except Westland). In college, though, it was indeed the 163rd Street Theater where I say “Eddie…”
I went to the grand reopening in 2006, and it was terrible. The pre-show in the lobby was dull, and the special film was completely out of focus, and also boring. I told my friend it wouldn’t last the year, and it didn’t. At one point, they were going to replace the IMAX-ish film, with some kind of rotating country-western show, like the Grand Old Opry. I think the economy may have slowed that down.
I had scouted the old theater for a movie, back in the early 90s, and it was creepy, but cool – pre-restoration.
No, it was demolished to make way for the BUS station. People were pushing for it to be torn down, due to its final years as a porn house. The Presbyterian church across the street was probably glad to see it go, although I attended church there at the time, and was sick to see that wonderful old building come down.
I only went here twice, as we lived down in the Fairlawn area (Flagler & Red), and it was too far. My family saw the roadshow engagement of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (with Intermission) in 68, then while attending UM, I caught “Eddie and the Cruisers” in 1983. It was definitely a triple by then.
Well, I finally found this theater – was looking in the Gables section. I attended more movies here, in the early 70s, than any other theater. Mom would drop us off, and when picked up again, we’d go next door to Sears, and get something from the candy counter, or go to nearby Sambo’s. Also went a few times between 82 – 85, while at UM (I don’t remember the Plitt name). The last films I saw there were “Tootsie” and “Octopussy”. We moved to Miami in 67, so I’m trying to figure out where we went before that – Dadeland Wometco Twin (then), The Coral and The Miracle, I guess. I have no memory of The Gables.
I did not go to this theater while a child (67-73), but certainly did in the early 80s while attending UM. I hated it when they chopped up the theater, though. Best memory…I and a roommate lived in the nearby San Remo Apts, and right before we went to see “2010,” we watched the VHS of “2001”, timed to the minute. We had to run like crazy to make the showing.
Why is the Gables Triple not covered with its own page, or am I missing it?
I believe I saw all of the “missing” Hitchcock’s there in 83 or 84, just after their initial rereleases. My first viewing of “Rear Window” – I’ll never forget it.
Yes, saw many Disney films there in the late 60s/early 70s. I actually watched them tear it down in the early 80s – made lots of people really angry. Didn’t they put up some furniture store? (I can’t believe what has been torn down in the Gables…the Presbyterian Church was a Mid-Century masterpiece! And the Coliseum……sad.)
This will bomb, as well. Parking is an issue with the locals, and they should never base a concept on what is presumed to be the taste of the average tourist. While SA gets a lot of blue-collar families, it also attracts upper-end business conventioneers who are not going to be caught dead in the place. Plus, kids will be bored by the shows. SA isn’t Branson, or Nashville. I’m thrilled that the theater has been restored, but finding the proper usage of the space will be difficult.
My last movie here was “Fright Night” (1985) – the place was in horrible shape by then.
Well, I started going there soon after it opened, and never cared for it. A sister lived in town, so I only went a few times a year. By the early 90s, I refused to see films there at all. I do remember that the building seemed “bad” from the outset. The Carolina had been horribly butchered by twinning. My regional favorite was the lost Ultra-Vision Mall Theatre behind the Asheville Mall – oval theaters, great design. (Most of its life, was called The Mall Twin Theater, I believe.)
Fondest theater memory from childhood was in 60s/70s Florida – the Sunny Isle Twin in Miami. It also had oval theaters – with spectacular tile work in the lobby, and two different color themes for the auditoriums….Aquamarine,(blue) and Driftwood (orange……rocking plush chairs….wow.
Actually, they might have added the largest auditorium (seen to the right in the above photos)AFTER the building housing the twins was first constructed in 72. The first film that I remember seeing in the large auditorium was “Star Wars” in 1977, and “Close Encounters” (1977). “Earthquake” (1974) was definitely in one of the twins in the main building, as was “The Towering Inferno” (1974).
The balcony was made into two other screens, I believe.
AA, thanks for the heads up. I just Google-mapped it, with Street View, and it is indeed the theater where I saw “The Exorcist” in Nov. 1982, while a UM student. Why I went to a Spanish-subtitled theater, I’m not sure. Probably, because I had never seen the film on the large screen. Strange that I would eventually move only a few blocks south of it, my senior year, but not remember it. (As a UM film school student, I went to a lot of the theaters in the Gables area.)
That MUST be it! I was at UM at the time I saw the film, but a year later, moved just three blocks south of this theater, on Douglas. Never went back again. It’s very possible I saw a Spanish-subtitled version of the film, and the reason I never returned. It’s the NW corner, and I remember parking behind the auditorium, with the screen at the west end. Thanks for the suggestion – makes total sense.
I seem to remember it being near the big gray Florida Power & Light (??) building, that was once lighted in bright colors. Whatever the intersection, it was on the NW corner.
Unrelated to this theater, but I remember a theater in the area of Flagler and Le Jeune. I saw a special rerelease of “The Exorcist” around 1982. I could be wrong about the intersection. It was an older theater with a nice marquee. It showed special releases by the 80s, I think, and was a bit run down.
I guess I can get confused – a Coral Gables, a Coral, and possibly two Gables Theaters? (Not two mention the newer Twin Gables – or whatever it was called – on Coral Way.)
Yep, remember “Oliver!” there. Again, we never went to Miami Beach/Bay Harbor. “The Bible: In the Beginning” had a big rerelease showing at Dadeland – I know it wasn’t the initial 1966 release – wasn’t in Miami then. In 83, I stood in line five hours for “Return of the Jedi” – number five in line. Unfortunately, it was with a bunch of sci-fi nerds in costume – I hid from the news cameras.
I’ll Google Map it with a street view. I’m curious if it’s the same structure. Yep, it’s ScanDesign – the building is still very distinct. AA let me know that I saw the roadshow of “Chitty” there, and not 163rd Street, in 1968. I remember the place seeming so exotic to a six year-old. If only theaters could, these days, put a little bit of the whimsy back into their structures.
I attended a few roadshows at Dadeland Twin in the late 60s. I’ll check out Sunny Isles – to a mere six year-old, all I remember was 163rd Street – it was Siberia to a kid who rarely traversed north of the airport (except Westland). In college, though, it was indeed the 163rd Street Theater where I say “Eddie…”
I went to the grand reopening in 2006, and it was terrible. The pre-show in the lobby was dull, and the special film was completely out of focus, and also boring. I told my friend it wouldn’t last the year, and it didn’t. At one point, they were going to replace the IMAX-ish film, with some kind of rotating country-western show, like the Grand Old Opry. I think the economy may have slowed that down.
I had scouted the old theater for a movie, back in the early 90s, and it was creepy, but cool – pre-restoration.
Saw many films there, when on vacation visiting my grandmother – 60s/70s. Specifically, I remember “Willy Wonka”.
No, it was demolished to make way for the BUS station. People were pushing for it to be torn down, due to its final years as a porn house. The Presbyterian church across the street was probably glad to see it go, although I attended church there at the time, and was sick to see that wonderful old building come down.
I only went here twice, as we lived down in the Fairlawn area (Flagler & Red), and it was too far. My family saw the roadshow engagement of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (with Intermission) in 68, then while attending UM, I caught “Eddie and the Cruisers” in 1983. It was definitely a triple by then.
Well, I finally found this theater – was looking in the Gables section. I attended more movies here, in the early 70s, than any other theater. Mom would drop us off, and when picked up again, we’d go next door to Sears, and get something from the candy counter, or go to nearby Sambo’s. Also went a few times between 82 – 85, while at UM (I don’t remember the Plitt name). The last films I saw there were “Tootsie” and “Octopussy”. We moved to Miami in 67, so I’m trying to figure out where we went before that – Dadeland Wometco Twin (then), The Coral and The Miracle, I guess. I have no memory of The Gables.
I did not go to this theater while a child (67-73), but certainly did in the early 80s while attending UM. I hated it when they chopped up the theater, though. Best memory…I and a roommate lived in the nearby San Remo Apts, and right before we went to see “2010,” we watched the VHS of “2001”, timed to the minute. We had to run like crazy to make the showing.
Why is the Gables Triple not covered with its own page, or am I missing it?
Was this gone by the 80s? I don’t remember it from my childhood (67 – 73 in Miami), and definitely not when I went back to attend UM.
I believe I saw all of the “missing” Hitchcock’s there in 83 or 84, just after their initial rereleases. My first viewing of “Rear Window” – I’ll never forget it.
Yes, saw many Disney films there in the late 60s/early 70s. I actually watched them tear it down in the early 80s – made lots of people really angry. Didn’t they put up some furniture store? (I can’t believe what has been torn down in the Gables…the Presbyterian Church was a Mid-Century masterpiece! And the Coliseum……sad.)
Loved the children’s matinees in the late 60s/early 70s. When I returned to UM in the 80s, I HATED that they had chopped up the theater.
One correction to the description…Elizabethton is not a college town.
I could have sworn that I saw “The Empire Strikes Back” there in 1980, on a single large screen. It was the largest screen showing the film.