Just for the heck of it, I’d like to posit that the Dade wasn’t actually demolished: If you look up the address on Google Street View and tilt it to the 3D view, you’ll see that the store-fixture business now at the above address has a bump-up a few yards back from the sidewalk, making it tall enough to have been a movie theater. The general architecture of the entire block–which appears to have been built as a single project–is very consistent with the streamline-moderne style popular in 1940 when the Dade was built (check out the curved corners). The taller volume at the back of the block–which is also part of the fixture business–looks even more consistent with movie-theater massing of that era, with a few windows added later, but I’ll concede that if that was indeed the auditorium, the lobby would have been ridiculously long.
The present Mothers Food & Liquor Store at this address certainly looks like the same building that burned in 2015. It was gutted and refaced, sure, but the giveaway is the curved walls on either side of the front door.
This one hasn’t been demolished…yet. The street name has changed to N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but the address is still 3002. It doesn’t look like a theater anymore, but the triple-stripe-with-crossbar decorations remain on the second floor, recognizable from older photos of the Aurora.
The building still stands at 310 South 5th Street, though there’s no visible evidence of its former theatrical use. In the 2018 Google Street View, the cinema’s entrance has been turned into a barber shop.
Just for the record, in case anyone’s confused: This theater closed with the original 1976 “Sparkle” starring Irene Cara and Philip Michael Thomas (later to become bigger stars via “Fame” and “Miami Vice,” respectively). Jordin Sparks, who starred in the 2012 remake alluded to above, wasn’t even born yet. :)
Also, I just learned that before it was “Delta Cinema” it was called the Tyson Theater. I don’t have the opening date or anything, but I’ve seen in an old city directory that this was its name in 1960.
This cinema appears to be out of business. As of April 2021, a poster for the 2018 film “12 Strong” was still hanging in the frames on the facade, and the marquee advertised a local event from the previous fall.
Planning to photograph a bunch of old theaters on a road trip and doing advance research…but I’m befuddled by this entry. Not sure what theater is featured in the above photo, but it’s certainly not the theater currently standing at the address of 954 Highland Av.–which is on a corner and not an angled intersection as shown. Also, the cars in the photo are from the late ‘50s or early '60s, by which time the Ritz–according to the caption–had long been renamed the Art. I’ll spend a little more time with the old city directories and see if I can help sort this out!
Demolished in 2020.
Just for the heck of it, I’d like to posit that the Dade wasn’t actually demolished: If you look up the address on Google Street View and tilt it to the 3D view, you’ll see that the store-fixture business now at the above address has a bump-up a few yards back from the sidewalk, making it tall enough to have been a movie theater. The general architecture of the entire block–which appears to have been built as a single project–is very consistent with the streamline-moderne style popular in 1940 when the Dade was built (check out the curved corners). The taller volume at the back of the block–which is also part of the fixture business–looks even more consistent with movie-theater massing of that era, with a few windows added later, but I’ll concede that if that was indeed the auditorium, the lobby would have been ridiculously long.
A peek at Google Street View suggests this one should now be classified as “demolished.” It’s been a vacant lot since at least 2007.
Demolished some time between 2011 and 2023.
Looks like it’s the Druid City Music Hall now.
The present Mothers Food & Liquor Store at this address certainly looks like the same building that burned in 2015. It was gutted and refaced, sure, but the giveaway is the curved walls on either side of the front door.
This one hasn’t been demolished…yet. The street name has changed to N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but the address is still 3002. It doesn’t look like a theater anymore, but the triple-stripe-with-crossbar decorations remain on the second floor, recognizable from older photos of the Aurora.
As of 2023 it’s being used as a church.
Since 2018, it’s been presenting live entertainment as the CAA Theatre.
The building still stands at 310 South 5th Street, though there’s no visible evidence of its former theatrical use. In the 2018 Google Street View, the cinema’s entrance has been turned into a barber shop.
The marquee is gone now, but strangely enough more “dancing ladies” friezes have been added to the facade since the ‘80s!
As of 2022, the outlines of the ramps are still visible on Google Earth!
The building in the photo above is actually 48 East Main.
If you check Google Street View against the postcard picture, it appears that the theater occupied the space that’s now numbered 115 E. 2nd.
Demolished in 2014. There’s now a Starbucks on the site.
“Demolished” might not be quite the right designation, as the facade and many of the interior structural elements remain.
This is the same theater that’s also listed as the State Theater.
Just for the record, in case anyone’s confused: This theater closed with the original 1976 “Sparkle” starring Irene Cara and Philip Michael Thomas (later to become bigger stars via “Fame” and “Miami Vice,” respectively). Jordin Sparks, who starred in the 2012 remake alluded to above, wasn’t even born yet. :)
Also, I just learned that before it was “Delta Cinema” it was called the Tyson Theater. I don’t have the opening date or anything, but I’ve seen in an old city directory that this was its name in 1960.
This cinema appears to be out of business. As of April 2021, a poster for the 2018 film “12 Strong” was still hanging in the frames on the facade, and the marquee advertised a local event from the previous fall.
Planning to photograph a bunch of old theaters on a road trip and doing advance research…but I’m befuddled by this entry. Not sure what theater is featured in the above photo, but it’s certainly not the theater currently standing at the address of 954 Highland Av.–which is on a corner and not an angled intersection as shown. Also, the cars in the photo are from the late ‘50s or early '60s, by which time the Ritz–according to the caption–had long been renamed the Art. I’ll spend a little more time with the old city directories and see if I can help sort this out!
The theater was really at 118 12th Av. East, and it’s still standing as of 2021. 143 is a parking lot.
Demolished in 2018.
The actual address is 348 N. Marion Av., for anyone who’s trying to look it up on Google Street View.
Even the screen’s skeleton is gone now; a new housing project has occupied the site since around 2016.