Was there anything particularly unique about the design of this theater? I have only one memory of seeing anything there — “The Black Hole” in January 1980 (confirmed in the Miami News ads) — and in my mind’s eye there was something appealing about the interior…don’t ask me what…maybe nothing more than nice curtains or a particular color scheme.
In browsing the community guidelines link below, I don’t see anything about limitations to the size of a post as long as it’s relevant to the theater…and what you propose is EXACTLY what people value reading here. Please post it. If by some chance you do run up against some limit on size, just continue in another post.
Just uploaded a scan of the little foldout program (not the deluxe souvenir book) handed out on the night of the world premiere and presumably during the roadshow engagement of “Ben-Hur”.
I’d love to learn anything that anyone could tell us about the “Ben-Hur Bar and Cocktail Lounge”, such as what the setup actually consisted of, and whether it operated throughout the long roadshow engagement or just for a limited time.
Hadn’t revisited this in a while, but I’ve done some digging through the Miami News ads available through Google Newspapers, and have found that my memories were correct re the above two blockbusters playing at the Warnor as opposed to the Florida. “King of Kings” was there in March 1962, and “West Side Story” in March 1963.
I’d always known the latter had a long roadshow engagement beforehand, but was surprised at how long it took “King of Kings” to make the rounds; likewise, some other films from my early days in Fort Lauderdale. It sure wasn’t like it is now, with films opening everywhere at once. I may not have been aware of that then, but it appears we were waiting quite a long while for many films to get to local theaters.
Haven’t found the above-mentioned “Premature Burial” yet, but I’m making a load of other happy discoveries browsing those ads.
As for the Warnor’s closing date, I’ve found listings as late as June 1, 1963, with nothing by July 1, 1963.
Checking the new photos a couple times a day is so rewarding.
My contributions are a pittance in comparison to the REAL uploaders here, but I’ll have more coming as I scan more of my old snapshots and slides. It’s such a pleasure to be able to upload these, rediscovering along the way some of the stuff I’d forgotten I had, most of which I can appreciate more than ever before.
Talk about a win-win situation.
Is that Whole Foods a complete rebuild or did they use the original structure? I hope someone will come up with a picture of the theater back in the day. I saw a few films there in the late 1970s (“Fedora”, “Airplane”) but I’m totally blank on the way it looked.
I would doubt it too, and I don’t remember what this one looked like, but that one building looks like it might have started as a theater.
(I could be wrong about that. But at least I’m in the right place for the address. The Google map pin on this page is completely wrong. It’s the 3rd or 4th such error I’ve spotted in the past few days, and I’m not even looking for them.)
(Thanks also for your mention of the Loews Cedar-Center, the name of which I’d totally forgotten and I was having trouble finding any reference to it.)
The Palace was the one equipped for Cinerama, so I guess I’ve found where I saw “2001” in its roadshow engagement two or three times in the summer of 1968. I wish I could remember more from back then about the theater itself.
On the page for the Warnor Theatre down the street, someone said the Colony remained open till 1964, as did the Florida. Any further information at all on three three theaters will be greatly appreciated.
I hope I’ve positioned the street view accurately. Don’t have any photos yet. The theaters were just to the south of the (then) South Bay Galleria Mall, which is what I remember it being called in the 1980s.
The map shows this in the wrong location. It’s located farther south toward North Eastham, a little south of Gill Road and across the highway from Village Lane.
The Wellfleet is a fabulous drive-in…in fact, a complete drive-in and cinema complex to die for. I’ll post more later, including pictures.
Saw this location pinned on the map and it triggered a memory. In 1972 or 1973 I saw “Gaslight” and “North by Northwest” as a double feature at the Fine Arts in Beverly Hills. Soon thereafter I saw an ad for the same pairing of these films in Hollywood, at a theater I wasn’t familiar with. It turned out to be a storefront type of thing with 16mm projection, just a little west of the Chinese. Could that be this place?
I’ll be there for at least some of this. Looking forward to it, as always.
Folks, if you haven’t yet experienced the Lafayette… GO.
Was there anything particularly unique about the design of this theater? I have only one memory of seeing anything there — “The Black Hole” in January 1980 (confirmed in the Miami News ads) — and in my mind’s eye there was something appealing about the interior…don’t ask me what…maybe nothing more than nice curtains or a particular color scheme.
David, we look forward to reading your memories about “Ben-Hur” whenever and wherever you post them. Thanks!
Totally agree!
Looking forward to that, raysson!
In browsing the community guidelines link below, I don’t see anything about limitations to the size of a post as long as it’s relevant to the theater…and what you propose is EXACTLY what people value reading here. Please post it. If by some chance you do run up against some limit on size, just continue in another post.
Please do it!
Just uploaded a scan of the little foldout program (not the deluxe souvenir book) handed out on the night of the world premiere and presumably during the roadshow engagement of “Ben-Hur”.
I’d love to learn anything that anyone could tell us about the “Ben-Hur Bar and Cocktail Lounge”, such as what the setup actually consisted of, and whether it operated throughout the long roadshow engagement or just for a limited time.
And of course pictures would be most welcome!
Hadn’t revisited this in a while, but I’ve done some digging through the Miami News ads available through Google Newspapers, and have found that my memories were correct re the above two blockbusters playing at the Warnor as opposed to the Florida. “King of Kings” was there in March 1962, and “West Side Story” in March 1963.
I’d always known the latter had a long roadshow engagement beforehand, but was surprised at how long it took “King of Kings” to make the rounds; likewise, some other films from my early days in Fort Lauderdale. It sure wasn’t like it is now, with films opening everywhere at once. I may not have been aware of that then, but it appears we were waiting quite a long while for many films to get to local theaters.
Haven’t found the above-mentioned “Premature Burial” yet, but I’m making a load of other happy discoveries browsing those ads.
As for the Warnor’s closing date, I’ve found listings as late as June 1, 1963, with nothing by July 1, 1963.
Checking the new photos a couple times a day is so rewarding.
My contributions are a pittance in comparison to the REAL uploaders here, but I’ll have more coming as I scan more of my old snapshots and slides. It’s such a pleasure to be able to upload these, rediscovering along the way some of the stuff I’d forgotten I had, most of which I can appreciate more than ever before. Talk about a win-win situation.
Keep up the beautiful work, everyone!
Beautiful! That’s where I first saw “Poltergeist”. Thanks, once again!
A nice article about a true haven for the movie lover. Congrats, and best wishes for continued success. We 35mm film lovers all need it!
Well deserved, of course. Congrats!
Your help is always appreciated. Thank you!
I’d love to know which roadshow films were run at this theater during the 1960s.
Is that Whole Foods a complete rebuild or did they use the original structure? I hope someone will come up with a picture of the theater back in the day. I saw a few films there in the late 1970s (“Fedora”, “Airplane”) but I’m totally blank on the way it looked.
I would doubt it too, and I don’t remember what this one looked like, but that one building looks like it might have started as a theater.
(I could be wrong about that. But at least I’m in the right place for the address. The Google map pin on this page is completely wrong. It’s the 3rd or 4th such error I’ve spotted in the past few days, and I’m not even looking for them.)
Thank you!
(Thanks also for your mention of the Loews Cedar-Center, the name of which I’d totally forgotten and I was having trouble finding any reference to it.)
The Palace was the one equipped for Cinerama, so I guess I’ve found where I saw “2001” in its roadshow engagement two or three times in the summer of 1968. I wish I could remember more from back then about the theater itself.
I wonder if the Plantation is where I saw “Thunderball” on Christmas Day 1965 (it had just opened that week).
Search on the above address in Bing Maps or Google and see what looks like a theater on the west side of the road. Is that the original building?
On the page for the Warnor Theatre down the street, someone said the Colony remained open till 1964, as did the Florida. Any further information at all on three three theaters will be greatly appreciated.
I hope I’ve positioned the street view accurately. Don’t have any photos yet. The theaters were just to the south of the (then) South Bay Galleria Mall, which is what I remember it being called in the 1980s.
The map shows this in the wrong location. It’s located farther south toward North Eastham, a little south of Gill Road and across the highway from Village Lane.
The Wellfleet is a fabulous drive-in…in fact, a complete drive-in and cinema complex to die for. I’ll post more later, including pictures.
Saw this location pinned on the map and it triggered a memory. In 1972 or 1973 I saw “Gaslight” and “North by Northwest” as a double feature at the Fine Arts in Beverly Hills. Soon thereafter I saw an ad for the same pairing of these films in Hollywood, at a theater I wasn’t familiar with. It turned out to be a storefront type of thing with 16mm projection, just a little west of the Chinese. Could that be this place?
“a corporation think outside the box…” ?
Oh damn, I just woke up.