miamiguy, since the Rex closed only a year before the Florida opened, you are most likely correct that this was most likely a modern conversion of the Rex.
The Rex operated from 1931 to 1947 and the Florida from 1948 to 1974.
Here is a 1948 photo, the year it became the Florida.
The Gables opened in 1936 and closed in 1981. A previous Coral Gables theatre also operated on Ponce De Leon Boulevard, possibly on the site of the Coral.
This theatre opened in 1960 with the exclusive South Florida roadshow engagement of “SPARTACUS”. The run was a failure and Wometco refused to book roadshows for several years at any of its theatres as a result.
Ripshin, that “CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG” roadshow actually ran on both screens of the nearby SUNNY ISLES TWIN further down 163rd Street. It had staggered showtimes there.
Roadshows eventually settled back on South Beach where they always did best with the tourists keeping them going for months, sometimes years.
The Variety indeed did open in 1946. In 1961 it reinvented itself as the Paris and switched over to “nudie” pictures full time. It eventually went to full porn.
Patrick, I think this move will hurt most when we lose track of the thousands of old timers who posted their valuable comments on one or two theatres and may never come back without a reminder. Many are not theatre buffs and it seems like wasted email resource list to dump them.
The Tivoli opened in 1927 and closed in 1988.
miamiguy, since the Rex closed only a year before the Florida opened, you are most likely correct that this was most likely a modern conversion of the Rex.
The Rex operated from 1931 to 1947 and the Florida from 1948 to 1974.
Here is a 1948 photo, the year it became the Florida.
View link
It may have been the last one this large but hardly the last single screen even in Manhattan.
Quite true, mp775.
Once the Sunshine on Houston re-opened it made this theatre even less viable for the newbys.
The Boulevard operated from 1940-1970 at which time it became the Pussycat.
The Kitty Kat appeared in 1973 and became known as the Pussycat-2 in 1975.
Here is how I see it:
Rosetta 1926-1971
2nd Avenue Art – 1972-73
King Art – 1973
Rex Art -1974-1984
What makes you think it would do well with 38 Screens already on the same block?
Broadway is hurting badly during this recession and several theatres are dark.
???
That’s about right. There was only one GABLES but also one MIRACLE.
The Community opened in 1923 and closed in 1940. It was apparently Miami Beach’s first full time movie theatre.
The Plaza Art reportedly had front doors taken from the Paramount in New York after it closed. It closed as a movie theatre in 1976.
The intro should be altered as follows:
“The Capitol name came back briefly at the Harlem Theatre in the early seventies for a brief unsuccessful test as a blaxploitation house.”
The Biscayne Plaza closed in 1951. It was renamed Plaza when Wometco took it over in 1935.
The Tower opened in 1926 and recently hosted screenings for the Miami Film Festival.
The Coral opened in 1941 and closed in 1982. A previous Coral Gables Theatre may have operated on the same site from 1927 to 1936.
That former one was a Famous Players/Lasky 1500 seat house.
The Gables opened in 1936 and closed in 1981. A previous Coral Gables theatre also operated on Ponce De Leon Boulevard, possibly on the site of the Coral.
The Parkway open in 1938 and closed in 1982.
That was exactly what I thought, Michael. Thanks for clearing that up.
The Dadeland Twin ran “FUNNY GIRL” and “OLIVER!” on roadshow although they were added runs after both had played a while in Miami Beach/Bay Harbor.
This theatre opened in 1960 with the exclusive South Florida roadshow engagement of “SPARTACUS”. The run was a failure and Wometco refused to book roadshows for several years at any of its theatres as a result.
Ripshin, that “CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG” roadshow actually ran on both screens of the nearby SUNNY ISLES TWIN further down 163rd Street. It had staggered showtimes there.
Roadshows eventually settled back on South Beach where they always did best with the tourists keeping them going for months, sometimes years.
The Variety indeed did open in 1946. In 1961 it reinvented itself as the Paris and switched over to “nudie” pictures full time. It eventually went to full porn.
http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/94504501
Does this mean Miami never had three-strip?
Wrong link, Chuck.
Congratulations to all those on CT who have been fighting to keep this theatre viable.
It is a shame though, that both newspapers reported that the 1969 Ziegfeld was designed by an architect who died in 1942.
Patrick, I think this move will hurt most when we lose track of the thousands of old timers who posted their valuable comments on one or two theatres and may never come back without a reminder. Many are not theatre buffs and it seems like wasted email resource list to dump them.