Comments from Ken Roe

There is no listing for a Fairfax Theatre in the Film Daily Yearbook;1941 edition.
In the 1943 edition there is a Fairfax Theatre listed with 700 seats operated by Paramount through their subsidiary E.J. Sparks.

The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. lists a Fairfax Theatre with 555 seats. However the address is different from the one given in the headers above. It is located at 4122 Heschel Street, Jacksonville

Could there have been two different Fairfax Theatre’s operating in the city at seperate periods of time?

I should have been more specific and said that the front of house (foyers and lobby spaces) have been gutted for the current use of Hamilton Place discount store. As Joey states, the auditorium block is huge and could well be still in a state of limbo as seen in Warren’s photo posted July 28th 2005.

Photographed in July 2003:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142890244/

Two views of the former Players Cinema as seen in June 2005:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142772569/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142773500/

The exterior (rebuilt facade and entrance) photographed in July 2003. The brick mass of the auditorium block can be seen at the rear:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142660071/

Three views of the former Loew’s Rio Theatre taken in July 2003:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142274860/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142275376/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142275926/

Two photographs taken in July 2003:
Facade and marquee:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142173254/
Detail in close-up:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142173666/

Here is a July 2003 photograph of the former Alhambra Theatre in Harlem:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/142133303/

Lost Memory;Thanks for the additional information. I must say that it now seems to be the Renaissance Ballroom was part of the complex with the Renaissance Theatre, but they were two seperate, but adjacent buildings. The square trim in the brickwork matches at the top of each building, set on end on the ballroom and flat on the theatre. Today, the ballroom building is now gone, but the theatre building lingers on (or did a couple of years ago).

I now realise that there was never a ballroom in the 2nd floor of the theatre building and that space is or never was large enough for that use, but is an ideal size for first a billiard parlour, then restaurant use. The name ‘Casino’ must have been part of the initial opening names;Renaissance Casino Theatre, Renaissance Casino Ballroom, even possibly Renaissance Casino Billiard Parlour? I see there is a Renaissance Pharmacy in the ballroom building.

The street scene is totally changed today, from the 1927 view. It has been widened with a dual carriagway, the left hand side of the street has been taken up with road widening and on the right I can’t recall seeing the church to the north of the ballroom.

From what I have been told only the adjacent shop units have been demolished. The cinema building still remains in April 2006, awating its final ‘death’.

Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook;1950 edition with a seating capacity of 425.

A night photograph of the Marmorhaus, operating as a 3 screen cinema in 1981?
http://flickr.com/photos/jeanpaulraabe/116334683/