Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 2,151 - 2,175 of 3,462 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 22nd Avenue Drive-In on Mar 21, 2009 at 11:07 am

Thanks for the insight MayfairMan!

I recently visited Historical Museum of South Florida where they currently have an exhibit on the African Diaspora in Miami.

http://www.hmsf.org/

This type of info would have been a welcome addition. In my theatre research I also stumbled upon another Miami weirdness. The 1926 telephone book had a section for “Colored people”. This odd bit of segregation would surely have made it easier to find black friends and family.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Plaza Twin movie theater in trouble on Mar 19, 2009 at 7:30 pm

They will need to invest in digital projection so print cost won’t be an issue.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Homestead Theatre on Mar 16, 2009 at 8:38 am

This may have opened as the Palms theatre in 1963.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Seminole Cultural Arts Theatre on Mar 15, 2009 at 2:39 pm

As the Premier, this location was open by 1964 and was closed by 1976. The address a that time was 22 N. Krome Avenue.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Empire 25 on Mar 13, 2009 at 3:18 pm

I suspect that since these 42nd street businesses all share exits and in some cases some are inside others, they may a share a main postal office.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Empire 25 on Mar 12, 2009 at 10:47 am

Oddly enough Modell’s next door and the old Liberty Theatre are both also 234 West 42nd Street.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Capitol Theater on Mar 11, 2009 at 8:34 am

This was operating as the SKYDOME in 1931.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Paramount Theatre on Mar 11, 2009 at 7:02 am

The first Paramount opened in 1916 and ran until at least 1928 at 26 East First Street.

The Fairfax was opened in 1922 by the Leach family and Publix Theates and was renamed Paramount in 1931 when Publix gained major interest in the theatre due to the depression woes of the Leach family. At this time the Sparks chain was created and named after Publix' Florida General Manager Edward Sparks.

It was given a major Art Deco treatment in 1938. By 1940 when the courts forced the Paramount-Publix Monopoly to split up, regional company Florida State Theatres was formed.

The Leach family, major local owner/partners of the Fairfax prior to 1931 also had interests in the Airdome and Strand and half-interest in the Fotosho.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Strand Theatre on Mar 10, 2009 at 6:46 pm

I did some research on old Miami Heralds and found out the Strand opened at this address in 1918. It changed name to the SEVENTH AVENUE in 1926 and back to STRAND in 1938 after being taken over by Wometco.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Sunset Theatre on Mar 10, 2009 at 5:59 pm

The Sunset address was 5970 S. Dixie Highway.

Also known as the SUNSET ART, this location may have opened as the SOUTH MIAMI in 1946 and then changed names to the HIWAY in 1950. It became the SUNSET in 1952 and was taken over by Wometco shortly after.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Roxy Theatre on Mar 10, 2009 at 5:45 pm

The Roxy opened in 1932 and closed in 1943. It was a Sparks/Paramount theatre.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ritz Theatre on Mar 10, 2009 at 5:39 pm

The Ritz was opened as a “negro house” servicing the mixed nationality black residents of Overtown, once known as Coloredtown.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Paradigm Cinemas-Gateway Fort Lauderdale on Mar 10, 2009 at 3:39 pm

The architect was Roy F. France who also helped designed the Miami Beach Carib.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about St. Johns Theatre on Mar 10, 2009 at 3:27 pm

The architect was Robert E. Collins.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rio Theatre on Mar 10, 2009 at 3:26 pm

The Dixie opened in 1948 and the architect was Robert E. Collins.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Radio City Music Hall on Mar 9, 2009 at 4:55 pm

Good to have you back, Denpiano!

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Baronet and Coronet Theatre on Mar 6, 2009 at 3:36 pm

This issue of Boxoffice flagged by HowardBHaas on the Beekman page features a rare shot of the Arcadia just before it became the Baronet. Go to page 160.

View link

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Radio City Music Hall on Mar 6, 2009 at 11:09 am

A good guess would be 5,963.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Terrace Theater Charleston wins Best Movie Theater! on Mar 6, 2009 at 8:24 am

Congratulations Mike! Well done.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Will the recession change movies? on Mar 6, 2009 at 5:40 am

Kirk, if you think “DOUBT” was about bad priests then you either badly misunderstood the film or never saw it. “FROST/NIXON” is fascinating piece of American history and as close as we will get to an American president going on trial. Old politician “MILK” is the Martin Luther King of the Gay Rights movement and “CHE” may be the most misunderstood politician in recent history and even this latest film fails to show many aspects of him after four and half hours. “VALKYRIE” was about Hitler’s henchmen trying to do away with him. I cannot recall a single previous film on that subject.

I think you will find most movies are about “old subjects”, I mean that JONAS BROTHERS concert SO already happened. As for that great movie, “ENCHANTED”, it was released in 2007 but I have my DOUBTS it was a true story.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Audio watermarking technique could locate movie pirates on Mar 5, 2009 at 5:54 am

VHS saved a dieing industry by providing a new audience for ailing franchises and allowing for sequel after sequel of hit movies and discovery of new stars by older home viewers. It may have created an artistic vacuum but it allowed for the economic windfall which increased the product flow that also allowed multiplexes to blossom.

There are even some indications that piracy may help sequels such as when modest VHS hit “FIRST BLOOD” lead to blockbuster world wide openings for its sequel “RAMBO”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Audio watermarking technique could locate movie pirates on Mar 4, 2009 at 8:57 am

Since this technology has been in place for over three years now, it will have little effect.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Warnor Theatre on Mar 4, 2009 at 5:20 am

I show it still advertised in the Miami Herald in 1962, but not beyond that.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Riviera Theatre on Mar 3, 2009 at 7:18 pm

This is now the Teatro Area Stage en el Riviera Theatre featuring Spanish language live theatre.

http://www.teatroareastage.com/

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 3-D Revolution at movie theaters on Feb 16, 2009 at 7:39 pm

Unfortunately, if you adjust for inflation on that same site you will find HOUSE OF WAX is still as good as it gets.