Biscayne III Theatre
301 N. Stadium Boulevard,
Columbia,
MO
65201
301 N. Stadium Boulevard,
Columbia,
MO
65201
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Dickinson Theatres, Jerry Lewis Cinemas
Previous Names: Jerry Lewis Cinemas
Nearby Theaters
Originally opened on March 15, 1973 as the triple screen Jerry Lewis Cinemas at the Biscayne Mall. The opening movies were Stewart Petersen in “Pony Express Rider”, Jack Lemmon in “Alex and the Gypsy” & “Obsession” The theatre was a failure from its opening with the showing of family entertainment. The theatre management wanted to separate from the Jerry Lewis chain in order to start showing trash movies and X-rated fare. The name of the theatre was changed almost overnight to the Biscayne III Theatre to separate it from the Jerry Lewis chain and it reopened on May 1, 1973.
With the expansion of the video market and trash movies dropping off in business, the Biscayne’s business had slowed down. Mainstream movies went over well at the Biscayne until the opening of the four screen at the Columbia Mall. It was closed on October 31, 1975.
The Dickinson Theatres took over the operations of the Biscayne on November 19, 1976 and dropped the prices to $1.50, but finally closed the theater in September 1998.
Contributed by
ChuckVanBibber
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
The Biscayne actually stayed a first-run theater until the summer of 1992, when it became a second-run a few weeks after Dickinson opened the Forum 8.
So they closed a nice Jerry Lewis Theatre to peddle TRASH..Smart.Lame excuse.
There is additional information about the theater and several pictures of it on its page at CinemaTour.
I worked at this theater in early-mid 80’s. It was a first-run movie theater playing all the big hits you can think of from that era (Top Gun, Back From the Future, etc). I really don’t know why I see these review sites discussing this X-rated BS from the 70’s. This theater was a clean operation.
DIckinson took over the operations of this theatre, the Fairlawn Twin, Topeka, KS as well as the Mid-State Twin, Salina, Ks, all Jerry Lewis. The Biscayne and Fairlawn were already in operation, the Mid-State had not yet opened. All three theatres were in a common ownership mall which may have played a part in why Dickinson was the operator who acquired the theaters.
This venue launched as the Jerry Lewis Triple Cinema. It was announced in August of 1972 and would be a triplex with two auditoriums of the common 350-seat configuration and one smaller 240-seater. The franchisee upheld the family-oriented fare rule of the circuit. It delivered at launch on March 15, 1973 with “The Great Dictator,” “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” and “The Other” on a double-feature with “When the Legends Die.”
The Lewis and its parent, Network Cinema Corp., declared bankruptcy as the theater was opening. Less than two months after its opening, the Lewis signage was removed and the theater renamed as the Biscayne III Cinema effective May 1, 1973. But the Cinema began to screen X-rated fare beyond the usual suspects like “Last Tango in Paris” and “Heavy Traffic.” At the Mall were, “Bizarre Devices,” “Danish Pastries,” “Afternoon Tease” and “The Whistle Blowers.” It was probably not what the Mall operator had in mind when it allows the cinema to open.
But in November of 1976, new owners took on the reviled operation. On December 4, 1976, the Dickinson Theatre took on the fledgling mall cinema eradicating X-rated policy and returning it to a family-friendly environment. The theatre was ostensibly replaced by Dickinson with a new-build multiplex in 1992 with the Biscayne III Cinemas downgraded to sub-run discount status. It closed in 1998 at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement.
Grand opening ads posted. It closed on October 31st, 1975 and reopened on November 19th. 1976 by Dickinson.
August 31st, 1998 take: $44.00
Closed in September, 1998