163rd Street & Patio Theatre

1245 NE 163rd Street,
North Miami Beach, FL 33162

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Wometco Theatres

Architects: A. Herbert Mathes

Previous Names: 163rd Street Theatre

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News About This Theater

 Wometco's 163 rd Street and Patio Theatres in 1980. Christmas Attractions.

The twin-screen, 1,200 seat, 163rd Street Theatre was opened on September 28, 1960 with Bing Crosby in “High Time”. It was run in conjunction with the 163rd Street Shopping Center. For years it was a busy first run house with a terrazzo lobby in a serpentine pattern, translucent fiberglass walls in the lobby with colored lights behind. It was part of the Wometco (Wolfson Meyers Theatre Company) from it’s inception.

In 1970 a seperate third screen was added (seating capacity unknown), named the Patio Theatre.

As the suburban neighborhood changed from well heeled Jewish retirees to working class West Indian, attendance dropped off and it was closed in April 1994. It was soon demolished. I was an usher there in the 1970’s and my brother before me in the 1960’s.

Contributed by Roy Bower

Recent comments (view all 33 comments)

elric300
elric300 on May 25, 2013 at 12:22 am

The 163rd St. was a single screen until it twinned around 1983. Yes, The Patio screen was completely separate. It had 850 seats. both sides had 70mm capability. In fact, during the end of RETURN OF THE JEDI’s run, an attempt was made to run the 70mm print in one of the now 300 seat sides, since the projector had been left upstairs during the twinning. It…did not go well. We would often get 70mm exclusives before the other theaters.

dblatt01
dblatt01 on June 21, 2014 at 4:35 pm

I Just posted a Photo of Wometco’s 163 rd Street and Patio Theatres. I Did This Marquee in 1980 for their Holiday Attractions.

MSC77
MSC77 on December 22, 2017 at 4:17 pm

“The Graduate” opened here fifty years ago today. The film went on to play a successful four months while playing concurrent in a few other area venues. And to commemorate the classic film’s golden anniversary, here’s a new retrospective article which includes some exhibition history (and other) details.

Ripshin
Ripshin on December 25, 2017 at 12:04 pm

So, Linda Gray actually did the poster?

rivest266
rivest266 on January 27, 2020 at 6:40 pm

Opened September 28th, 1960

rivest266
rivest266 on February 15, 2020 at 6:37 pm

This theatre was split into two screens and the Patio theatre became cinema no. 3 on July 3rd, 1981. Grand opening ad posted.

rivest266
rivest266 on March 18, 2020 at 4:33 pm

Closed at the end of April 1994.

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