Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 1,901 - 1,925 of 3,462 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Golden Theatre on Aug 10, 2009 at 12:56 pm

Does this type of listing open this website to theatres that are mostly legitimate although they screened movies for a while?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Bill Cosford Cinema on Aug 9, 2009 at 7:15 am

I was here in 1981 for a Miami Q & A with Ralph Bakshi for the animated “AMERICAN POP”. When students started questioning him about his controversial older film “COONSKIN” instead, Balkshi had a fit and refused to answer any more questions.

The Beaumont was famously faced with an exploding projector when it tried to screen the Cuban made “MEMORIES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT” sometime in the late sixties, after local theatre chains were intimidated into not showing the now classic film.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Parkway Theatre on Aug 4, 2009 at 3:53 pm

Both Coral Way and 13th Avenue (Cuban Memorial Blvd.) have central reservations or “parkways”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Gramercy Theater on Aug 2, 2009 at 1:47 pm

The city usually does that and then fines the theatres for cutting them back.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Embassy 49th Street Theatre on Aug 1, 2009 at 2:13 pm

The WORLD and SHOW WORLD are two different venues. The latter is still there, in some form, on 42nd and 8th Avenue.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Empire 25 on Jul 30, 2009 at 12:57 pm

An Empire on 39th and 9th did show some films in 1923-24.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about The man responsible for all those American Classic photos on Jul 29, 2009 at 2:24 pm

Great story. These people probably have a better sense of America, as a result of their photo obsession, than most of us will ever have.

A big thank you from Miami.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Helen Hayes Theatre on Jul 28, 2009 at 1:36 pm

It did indeed show movies in 1915, 1916 and again from 1947-1949.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Weston 8 on Jul 26, 2009 at 4:49 pm

Opened in 1988 as “8 at Weston”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Parkway Theatre on Jul 21, 2009 at 6:21 pm

The Parkway was indeed located near where Coral Way bends on its way to 1-95.

The address above should be 1261 SW 22nd Street.

The building is demolished but I have not noticed the Coca-Cola sign.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Regal Movies at Lauderhill on Jul 17, 2009 at 8:21 pm

The UA Movies at Lauderhill opened in 1985.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's 42nd Street Theatre on Jul 15, 2009 at 5:07 pm

Cool find, LM!

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Normandy Theatre on Jul 13, 2009 at 11:56 am

This theatre was opened as the NORMANDY by Claughton in 1948. In 1961 Wometco took it over and changed the policy to art films and the name to NORMANDIE, most likely for the reason Warren mentions above.

In 1971 the name was changed back to NORMANDY. It stopped showing films in 1988.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Directors Guild of America Theater on Jul 9, 2009 at 1:58 pm

I have the DVD set of I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW) and (BLUE). They are really incredible timecapsules of the sixties.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Movieland on Jul 8, 2009 at 10:02 am

Notice the huge, high, Capitol theatre sign to the right of the flag, near the horizon.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Warnor Theatre on Jul 8, 2009 at 9:53 am

An April 26, 1941 issue of Boxoffice magazine announces the imminent opening of the Warnor to be followed shortly after by the Colony. Unless the war changed these plans, both theatres opened in 1941 and the Warnor never operated as the ‘Warner’.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Riviera Theatre on Jul 6, 2009 at 1:09 pm

Johnnie, this ended up being run by General Cinema, not Loews, for most of its existence.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Tivoli Theatre on Jul 5, 2009 at 7:33 am

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.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Center Theatre on Jul 4, 2009 at 12:02 pm

The foyer here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/2302530326/

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Center Theatre on Jul 4, 2009 at 11:59 am

The Center auditorium can be seen here:

View link

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Town Theatre on Jul 2, 2009 at 4:10 pm

The Miami opened in 1937 and became the Town in 1946. This would mean it was never a silent house as I previously thought.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Town Theatre on Jul 2, 2009 at 3:21 pm

I found confirmation in a May 18, 1946 Boxoffice Magazine that the Town was indeed the same as the old Miami. The name change came after a Wometco renaming contest. The move was decided once Wometco started construction on a larger theatre on Flagler street and decided to transfer the name away from this location.

http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_051846

This listing should included MIAMI as an aka name.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Cinema & Drafthouse on Jul 2, 2009 at 7:05 am

Does anyone know about a ‘Cinema Tavern’ operating somewhere in West Broward in 1982?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Jul 1, 2009 at 2:26 pm

An IMAX theatre already existed in Las Vegas by 1980.

Those paintings along the huge lobby walls of old Loews Theatres and movie stars are still there.

I saw the last HARRY POTTER here with a few minutes in 3D IMAX. The screen size and 3D did not add much to the film so I won’t bother this time.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Royal Theatre on Jul 1, 2009 at 11:54 am

According to boxoffice magazine this was operated by the same manager as the Lido (147th street, aka Bluebird) in 1945.