Roosevelt Theatre

Does anyone know who the original architect was for the Roosevelt?

The Roosevelt theatre opened on December 27th, 1949 by Brandt theatres of New York City starting the trend of northern theatre chains setting shop in Florida (Brandt, K-B, Century, Budco, etc.).

Remember seeing Never on Sunday Fitzwilly and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner on late runs … a decent neighbourhood house

In its early days it was mostly an art house and Cinemascope was not an issue but by 1956 this was South Florida’s first Cinerama house that proscenium obsolete.

Well, I’d hope to it could show whatever you wouldn’t get there!

Good to find lots of info here on this cinema. Saw it on a visit to Miami and would really like to see if there’s support to re-open the place from the local community. It could be great local resource in a much different guise from it’s last incarnation.

During its Cinerama stage this was operated by the Stanley Warner Cinerama Corp.

Hey guys, been almost 4 years since I’ve posted on here! I still love this theater. To HARVEY, above, WHERE did you get that picture???? That is amazing!!! You must have the only picture of this unique theater in its adultfare days…thanks so much and please get back to me. Do you have anymore pics like this? Are you from Miami? At the time of the picture, 1985, I lived around the corner from the theater and was 7 years old! Thanks for bringing back the memories of my childhood even if it’s in this strange semi-smutty manner….damn i could have been walking by with my dad in that photo if it had been grocery shopping day and you’d have caught us! take care

1985 photo of the Roosevelt here.

What the hell is that Chocolate Juice store over to the left? I don’t remember that.

This opened with much fanfare and full-page newspaper ads in 1949.

From the Herald article posted by Harvey on Mar 23, 2008 at 11:47pm
“It’s hard to conceive that the same theater that bowed out with sex romps was originally called the Lemonade Theater when it opened in 1949 because free lemonade was served during intermission.”

The name “Lemonade” mentioned in the article must have been a nickname as the ads proclaimed it as the Roosevelt from day one.

Indeed, as tawdry as it may be, the decade of porn years is probably an important element in why many old theaters like the Roosevelt have survived to this day. There is a beautiful 1912 example in the city where I now live that limped along on porn and then $3 second-runs for years to survive and is now being fully restored as a concert venue. The decline of the neighborhood also contributed to the Roosevelt’s mothballing for the past 20 years to still stand today intact for possible renovation. If the real estate had been more valuable it probably would have succumbed to developers' greed long ago. That may also make the economics of its transition to live-performance theater workable as well (if the neighborhood is safe, even though run-down?). Presumably the sale price and annual property taxes will be resonable, which could help a newly opened theater get off the ground and thrive in its first years, if it can attract people to venture down there for a show.

Al,

I agree that folks, including me, are possibly underestimating the value of the Roosevelt and what it stood for in terms of classic showmanship. However, it may be a generational thing. I take very seriously the exploitation and 70’s porn genre and the theatres that used to show such films, sometimes to obsession, as you obviously do the Cinerama Roadshow aspects of this house.

I was born in North Miami in 1973 and growing up, theatres like the Roosevelt, I remember as mostly porn. I was fascinated as a child driving past these older movie theatres and seeing the marquees promoting such questionable films. I’d always imagine what it would be like inside. Sometimes, it wasn’t even the movies that got me going as much as the thought of ambiance and what the architecture must look like within. But I usually think of them in the terms of the genres I mentioned above because basically, that’s the part of film history I’m into.

Unfortunately, it seems the only time news outlets would mention these theatres is in porn raids or closings of theatres. I’ve recently become fascinated with Leroy Griffith and think what a documentary on him would be like.

Once again, I agree with you on your above comment. I’d also like to say that your thoughtful and historically informative posts on Miami theatres have educated me on past glories these theatres once had, opening my mind to more than just the more lurid aspects that I seem to crave.

I think there’s room for all kinds of comments but I hope in no way have I, or any of my posts, detracted from your enjoyment here.

Sincerely,

Eric Harvey