Tivoli Theatre
744 W. Flagler Street,
Miami,
FL
33130
744 W. Flagler Street,
Miami,
FL
33130
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Paramount Pictures Inc.
Architects: T.C. Haire
Styles: Italian Renaissance
Nearby Theaters
The 1,200-seat Tivoli Theatre on W. Flagler Street between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue was opened on January 18, 1927 with Clara Bow in “The Plastic Age” & Ben Turpin in “When a Man’s a Prince”, plus vaudeville on the stage. It was equipped with a Wurlitzer 2 manual 5 ranks organ which was opened by organist J. “Unit” Smith. By 1941 it was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary S.A. Lynch. It became a primary Spanish language house for the Cuban immigrant and exile community during the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s. The interior was decorated in a Venetian style and the canopy had an impressive blinking neon design and the concession stand served both the inside and the line waiting outside at once.
The house ran double feature first runs mainly from Spain, Mexico and Argentina. Stage shows were common with child stars Marisol, Joselito and Rocio Durcal appearing live between movies.
Our family went every Sunday without knowing what was showing. Cantinflas films played for weeks so we often saw the same film again.
Contributed by
Al Alvarez
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Recent comments (view all 21 comments)
1987 photo of the Tivoli here.
Wow! You’ve hit a gold mine of rare Miami theatres images, Harvey!
I did! I followed a few links posted at the Paris and 79th Street Art by ken mc, so credit needs to be given where credit is due. Thanks ken mc!
According to an April 6, 1940 issue of Boxoffice magazine, the Tivoli was involved in the Paramount Consent Decrees whereby the management claimed that Paramount refused to allow the Tivoli a sub-run on their product until five months after first-run and after lower priced Paramount Theatres had already played out the films in the area. The Tivoli was forced to give Paramount a half interest in its profits in exchange for reduction in the clearance time.
This opened as a playhouse on January 31st, 1927. Ad being posted here.
AlAlvarez, I don’t remember exactly when it started, but by l963 the Tivoli was already showing Sarita Montiel’s movies “La Violetera”, “Pecado de Amor”, “Frente al Pecado de Ayer”, “La Reina del Chantecler”, Spanish movies with Joselito and Libertad Lamarque, Argentinean movies with “Sandro”. I saw “El Bulín”, a very good Argentinean comedy. It later became a supermarket.
I imagine the Tivoli turned to spanish films in the early 1960’s, after the Cuban revolution. Before that the neighborhood was mostly Jewish retirees watching subrun double features.
Quite a few theaters starting with T in Miami, Town, Tivoli, Tower, Trail, Trianón, Twin, Triple.
This opened on January 18th, 1927 (not the 31st as I posted back in 2011). Grand opening ad posted.
Robert E. Collins 1945 redesign sketch - in a $75,000 update to a streamline modern venue - is posted in photos.