Sound came in around 1927 but I am not sure when it came to Miami. My 1934 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures does not list a Miami nor a Town Theatre.
The Roadshow houses in South Florida were mostly in Miami Beach. The Sheridan, Beach, Lincoln, Colony, Carib, and Roosevelt all ran consistent roadshows. The Florida downtown ran Cinerama for a limited time along with the Roosevelt and the Sheridan.
In later years the Bay Harbor, Coral, Sunny Isles Twin, Gateway, Sunrise Twin, Byron and Dadeland Twin all ran some roadshow films.
The Lincoln, Colony, Roosevelt, and Gateway survive in varying forms.
Kitty alluded to a third Miami theatre on Bird Road. That was a short lived converted space called the Miami Twin showing films with spanish subtitles.
The Wometco Miami opened in 1947 but I also was unaware of the Town having ever been the previous location of the old Miami. That map also shows NW 3rd street just east of the Town, which I do not recall.
I have a postcard of an old silent Miami Theatre on East Flagler and 2nd Avenue that I could not previously place. It looks like an older, taller building on the site. (I will post it when I get my photos back on line as my photos site shut down.)
I postcards of the State I have all appear to start at the marquee on the East so I cannot tell if it was on a corner, but Kress is indeed across the street.
The Hippodrome News was also a theatre which I had previously read was on the Olympia site. This map shows it co-existed next to the Rex instead. The Rex was a Publix (Sparks) Theatre on 205 East Flagler Street. It was there in 1933.
In New York the distributors have always paid for the newspaper display ads since media rates are high due to the international reach of papers like the New York Times. In the Times, only the specialty houses run directories and a free movie time clock runs once a week on Fridays.
Today’s NYT (Easter Sunday) has five pages of movie ads where five years ago it ran twelve pages. It has one single full page ad (“Stop-Loss”). There are no pre-opening ads at all for “21” or “Superhero Movie”, both due next Friday. This is further proof that the studios are finding newspapers increasingly insignificant to today’s moviegoers.
Bruce, I was an assistant manager at the Omni, Kendall Town & Country and South Dade in 1985 so our paths may have crossed. I ended up as GM at the Omni 4.
I just saw the “The Diving Bell and Butterfly” here recently in an effort to avoid the more conveniently located but awfully noisy Lincoln Plaza crowd.
There was an odd glare on the screen and fresh popped corn oil made it hard to breath, but the crown was so silent during the film you could hear a pin drop.
So Walter Reade blamed the union overhead for their inability to keep it open all year round. Cineplex Odeon blamed the Fishers for not letting them twin it and now we blame Clearview for operating it lean and mean to try and make it work.
It is just bad information delivered with a bad attitude.
“Gentleman’s Agreement†opened on November 11 for a regular run, not just qualification as that deadline was still two months away and most major markets were showing it by then.
Based a best seller, the film was an immediate hit in major markets, a fact that delayed the neighborhood runs for several months at a time when hits were nurtured for long runs at top prices.
When the film finally won the Oscar nominations in March of 1948 it had already won most major awards and made most of its money with the Oscar creating a slight boost. Even after it won the Oscar, Fox kept the run limited. The wide release into small markets in the summer of 1948 was as expected, weak, and even the New York neighborhood run was a quick one week event at RKO with a second feature.
I have never heard of any exhibitor booking a film due to good reviews. In 1947 exhibitors booked them based on star power, box office potential and distributor affiliation. Exhibitors have always been businessmen first.
I think Clearview was ready to shut it down altogether but IFC took it as a much needed outlet for their smaller films. There was some talk of that whole corner coming down at one point.
Since Cablevision saved my beloved Waverly, albeit in a new mutation, I have some respect for them. Clearview started out with many older theatres they thought they could salvage as specialty houses. Unfortunately, that audience has embraced DVDs even more than others.
It is possible that Clearview, failing to find a buyer for the chain, is willing to drop individual sites no matter how strategic. Although I never expect any new building to last 99 years (or many theatres to survive rent reviews under current prices), I did think Chelsea 9 had a few more profitable years left.
Don’t be so sure, Luis. The Cineplex Odeon lease was for something like 99 years so the lot may sell but the cinema operation will probably stay as long as Clearview (or whoever eventually buys Clearview) finds it profitable.
In its heyday during the late sixties, the Sunrise Twin was considered a classy house and one of the top theatres in South Florida, boasting Ft. Lauderdale exclusive showings.
The real test of the money wasted on newspaper listings these days comes when they run the wrong show times by mistake and nobody notices. I have seen major films open in New York without a newspaper ad. Times are indeed changing.
I would recommend Regal run small generic ads for a while so people don’t think they closed.
“The Fairfax was renamed the Paramount”
Miamiguy, I am having second thoughts about this comment since my 1924 Film Year Book list both.
Sound came in around 1927 but I am not sure when it came to Miami. My 1934 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures does not list a Miami nor a Town Theatre.
It does list the Rex with 1000 seats.
The Miami opening gala was on April 18, 1947 with the film “Carnival In Costa Rica”.
Interesting item in the photo above is the poster frame heading of “HOY” (or “TODAY”) in Spanish, predating the Cuban influx.
The Roadshow houses in South Florida were mostly in Miami Beach. The Sheridan, Beach, Lincoln, Colony, Carib, and Roosevelt all ran consistent roadshows. The Florida downtown ran Cinerama for a limited time along with the Roosevelt and the Sheridan.
In later years the Bay Harbor, Coral, Sunny Isles Twin, Gateway, Sunrise Twin, Byron and Dadeland Twin all ran some roadshow films.
The Lincoln, Colony, Roosevelt, and Gateway survive in varying forms.
Kitty alluded to a third Miami theatre on Bird Road. That was a short lived converted space called the Miami Twin showing films with spanish subtitles.
The Wometco Miami opened in 1947 but I also was unaware of the Town having ever been the previous location of the old Miami. That map also shows NW 3rd street just east of the Town, which I do not recall.
I have a postcard of an old silent Miami Theatre on East Flagler and 2nd Avenue that I could not previously place. It looks like an older, taller building on the site. (I will post it when I get my photos back on line as my photos site shut down.)
I postcards of the State I have all appear to start at the marquee on the East so I cannot tell if it was on a corner, but Kress is indeed across the street.
The Hippodrome News was also a theatre which I had previously read was on the Olympia site. This map shows it co-existed next to the Rex instead. The Rex was a Publix (Sparks) Theatre on 205 East Flagler Street. It was there in 1933.
Search no more, Saps. I believe your molester is on this site and has manifested his proclivities into correcting punctuation.
In New York the distributors have always paid for the newspaper display ads since media rates are high due to the international reach of papers like the New York Times. In the Times, only the specialty houses run directories and a free movie time clock runs once a week on Fridays.
Today’s NYT (Easter Sunday) has five pages of movie ads where five years ago it ran twelve pages. It has one single full page ad (“Stop-Loss”). There are no pre-opening ads at all for “21” or “Superhero Movie”, both due next Friday. This is further proof that the studios are finding newspapers increasingly insignificant to today’s moviegoers.
Operating as Cinema Giglio in 1963.
Bruce, I was an assistant manager at the Omni, Kendall Town & Country and South Dade in 1985 so our paths may have crossed. I ended up as GM at the Omni 4.
No. I meant you, your Highness.
I just saw the “The Diving Bell and Butterfly” here recently in an effort to avoid the more conveniently located but awfully noisy Lincoln Plaza crowd.
There was an odd glare on the screen and fresh popped corn oil made it hard to breath, but the crown was so silent during the film you could hear a pin drop.
Does anyone know if the Liberty can still be operated? Even if the entrance would be on 41st Street?
LuisV, do you know who is in control of the Liberty?
So Walter Reade blamed the union overhead for their inability to keep it open all year round. Cineplex Odeon blamed the Fishers for not letting them twin it and now we blame Clearview for operating it lean and mean to try and make it work.
I walked by last week as saw no apparent activity.
The intro should Live theater and cinema as screens two and three are showing films.
It is just bad information delivered with a bad attitude.
“Gentleman’s Agreement†opened on November 11 for a regular run, not just qualification as that deadline was still two months away and most major markets were showing it by then.
Based a best seller, the film was an immediate hit in major markets, a fact that delayed the neighborhood runs for several months at a time when hits were nurtured for long runs at top prices.
When the film finally won the Oscar nominations in March of 1948 it had already won most major awards and made most of its money with the Oscar creating a slight boost. Even after it won the Oscar, Fox kept the run limited. The wide release into small markets in the summer of 1948 was as expected, weak, and even the New York neighborhood run was a quick one week event at RKO with a second feature.
I have never heard of any exhibitor booking a film due to good reviews. In 1947 exhibitors booked them based on star power, box office potential and distributor affiliation. Exhibitors have always been businessmen first.
I think Clearview was ready to shut it down altogether but IFC took it as a much needed outlet for their smaller films. There was some talk of that whole corner coming down at one point.
Since Cablevision saved my beloved Waverly, albeit in a new mutation, I have some respect for them. Clearview started out with many older theatres they thought they could salvage as specialty houses. Unfortunately, that audience has embraced DVDs even more than others.
That is worrisome.
It is possible that Clearview, failing to find a buyer for the chain, is willing to drop individual sites no matter how strategic. Although I never expect any new building to last 99 years (or many theatres to survive rent reviews under current prices), I did think Chelsea 9 had a few more profitable years left.
Don’t be so sure, Luis. The Cineplex Odeon lease was for something like 99 years so the lot may sell but the cinema operation will probably stay as long as Clearview (or whoever eventually buys Clearview) finds it profitable.
In its heyday during the late sixties, the Sunrise Twin was considered a classy house and one of the top theatres in South Florida, boasting Ft. Lauderdale exclusive showings.
The real test of the money wasted on newspaper listings these days comes when they run the wrong show times by mistake and nobody notices. I have seen major films open in New York without a newspaper ad. Times are indeed changing.
I would recommend Regal run small generic ads for a while so people don’t think they closed.
I do remember this operating as the Rex Art.