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 library is at 101 West Flagler Street next to the Museums. You can park across the street at the Cultural Center parking lot. You get a $5.00 parking discount if you show a museum sticker. Otherwise it is $11.00 on weekdays.
If you bring a pen drive (memory stick) you can copy microfilm articles onto your drive for free as their viewers are actually connected to computers. I have some items on PDF that I will post when I figure out how to convert them to JPG.
This appears to be the only local library that has Miami Herald/Miami News microfilm going back to the early teens.
I went to the Miami public library downtown and searched on microfilm. The Herald website articles do not go too far back. Sorry, no photos of the Strand but there were ads for live shows accompanying the movie and talent night competitions prior to the Wometco take over.
Regarding George Stegmeir’s post of July 10, 2006. I did find the BILTMORE located at 151 N.E. 40th Street and operating from 1921 to 1953.
An open air theatre at 79th street at 2nd Avenue may have been the RIALTO (1926). I had once heard it was mostly frequented by Seminole Indians and had a metal grate for a floor. It was allegedly intended to segregate the Seminoles out of the ROSETTA. When it rained, all hell broke loose as the crowd ran over to the indoor theatre demanding admission.
MayfairMan, I love hearing the recollections and never tire of them. Since Miami is so transient and so many older people are not online, these memories may otherwise be lost forever, so bring them on.
I sometimes wish I could go back in time and hear the Mayfair cashier repeat; “Little boy, this movie is in Czech with subtitles. Are you sure you want to see this?”
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.
Sounds like you threw the baby out with the bathwater. Couldn’t people just remove themselves from the unwanted pages?
The library is at 101 West Flagler Street next to the Museums. You can park across the street at the Cultural Center parking lot. You get a $5.00 parking discount if you show a museum sticker. Otherwise it is $11.00 on weekdays.
http://www.hmsf.org/about-visit-museum.htm
If you bring a pen drive (memory stick) you can copy microfilm articles onto your drive for free as their viewers are actually connected to computers. I have some items on PDF that I will post when I figure out how to convert them to JPG.
This appears to be the only local library that has Miami Herald/Miami News microfilm going back to the early teens.
Louis,
I went to the Miami public library downtown and searched on microfilm. The Herald website articles do not go too far back. Sorry, no photos of the Strand but there were ads for live shows accompanying the movie and talent night competitions prior to the Wometco take over.
Regarding George Stegmeir’s post of July 10, 2006. I did find the BILTMORE located at 151 N.E. 40th Street and operating from 1921 to 1953.
An open air theatre at 79th street at 2nd Avenue may have been the RIALTO (1926). I had once heard it was mostly frequented by Seminole Indians and had a metal grate for a floor. It was allegedly intended to segregate the Seminoles out of the ROSETTA. When it rained, all hell broke loose as the crowd ran over to the indoor theatre demanding admission.
I can’t get that like to work, Harvey.
Here is a new link to the August 14, 2007 photo.
View link
MayfairMan, I love hearing the recollections and never tire of them. Since Miami is so transient and so many older people are not online, these memories may otherwise be lost forever, so bring them on.
I sometimes wish I could go back in time and hear the Mayfair cashier repeat; “Little boy, this movie is in Czech with subtitles. Are you sure you want to see this?”
I have seen a wide shot photo which clearly shows one other small building at the corner. The State opened in 1930.