I think the aspect ratio at the Casino was always 1.66. Yes you never saw the screen raised in the music hall. If you remember the music hall also had no masking which considering all the curtains they had was strange. In the later years the Casino used the navy blue curtain instead of the masking. This seemed to be the case with Hamid’s theaters. The Virginia the main roadshow theater had no masking or curtains and neither did the Shore. The Hollywood, Center and Roxy did. Why the Roxy was not the roadshow house is beyond me. It was double the size of the Virginia and had a balcony.
Yeah the original screen in the Casino was great. It fit the whole length of the stage. It was interesting that the 1.85 aspect ratio films on that screen were very square almost like a 16 mm print.
Bobby S the AMC/Carmike merger went through. They started in Florida first and last month NC. My local theater officially became an AMC theater March 30. Carmike was the worst chain ever.
The Midway was the Tony Grant Theater. When they demolished the music hall they changed the name of the Casino to the music hall. Yes, the one time I went in 77 the screen that fit the size of the stage was gone. They had a small screen that they hung in the wall so they could use the stage for the show. If I remember correctly they built the stage out a little too.
The Midway was literally half way between the marine Ballroom and the Music Hall. I never remember it as the Ocean theater. It was a decent size theater with a nice stage and curtains that said Tony Grant Stars of Tomorrow. The whole demolition of the center of the pier was so stupid. They put international thrill rides there and the first summer it was open a hurricane came through and destroyed them and the back of the pier. The Music Hall had side balconies. The screen they put in the Casino when they changed it to the Music Hall was horrible. It literally was a screen about the size of a screen you would use at home for home movies. I went to the pier once and never went back after the demolition.
The Marine Ballroom had a small balcony. The main floor was standing room only.I also spent summers in ACT and at the pier from 67-78. When George Hamid sold the pier to the owners of Million Dollar Pier they ruined it especially destroying the Music Hall and Midway theaters. The Casino did not cut it for movies and stage shows. The Marine Ballroom was destroyed by fire in the early 70 and replaced with the Golden Dome Ballroom. The music hall had lots of curtains but no masking. The screen in the 60 was moved from the Virginia Theater across the boardwalk to the music hall. The screen was pulled up for the vaudeville shows and you could see Virginia Theater on the bottom metal of the screen. The Casino had both masking and curtains and eventually the main curtain was used for the masking.
Mark P.
I was living in Phila and spent summers in Atlantic City and got the NY Times once or twice a week because all the NYC movie theaters were so exciting to me. I also remember that summer was the last time the Palace showed films before the Neederlanders reopened it as a legit house with Lauren Bacall in Applause. I remember being upset not knowing what happened to the State. I knew the Palace was going legit by the theater directory. I moved to NYC in 76 and went to the State many times both upstairs and down. We had many grand movie palaces like that in Phila which like most places are now demolished.
On the Imax of Beauty and The Beast, was the film shown on the full screen? I went to Regal RPX and like Sully it was not it had the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen just like any scope film. Other then the sound being 7.0 two of the other theaters screens are much bigger. It’s a total waste of money to pay for a movie in THE RPX theater here. Is RPX different then Imax? BATB was film in large screen format so to me the full RPX screen should have been utilized.
The closing was later then 1993. I moved to Tamarac in 1996 and it was at that time a United Artist theater. It was in operation under and independent operator after that and changed to a $ house. I think it was open at least until the late 90’s or early 2000.
Please update the information in the intro. It was run by William Goldman Theaters then in 1967 it was taken over by Ellis Theaters. The longtime manager went to work at The Regency in center city. Ellis Theaters briefly closed the theater and put in new curtains and a new screen.
This theater was originally being built by Cobb theaters. Regal purchased the South Florida Cobb chain during the construction so it has always been a Regal theater. Interesting that years later the Cobb chain reappeared in Miami.
I thought this theater closed in the early 60’s which was why they built the 61St drive in. I know it closed because I 95 ran right through it. Can anyone confirm this?
Scoot
Funscape at Las Olas Riverfront was to the left of the escalators on the main level. I can not figure out why that theater never made it especially with all the condo’s downtown. It went from 23 to 15 after Sunrise cinema’s took it over then to 11 after Frank theaters took it over.
Went to this theater last night. AMC can’t fully get in there soon enough which is supposed to be late March early April. They have started some of the conversion like putting in the coke free standing soda machines. This theater is 21 years old and never been renovated except for adding digital projection long before anyone else did. The theater has holes in the walls, overflowing trash cans and dirty bathrooms. The Carmike chain didn’t give a damn at least at this theater about anything but making a profit. Even last night the box office was closed and tickets were sold at the concession stand. It eventually opened at 7pm. The manager said she could already see the difference in how AMC seems to be much more employee and patron oriented then Carmike ever was. Good riddance to a bad movie chain. Bring on AMC and big renovations.
I think the aspect ratio at the Casino was always 1.66. Yes you never saw the screen raised in the music hall. If you remember the music hall also had no masking which considering all the curtains they had was strange. In the later years the Casino used the navy blue curtain instead of the masking. This seemed to be the case with Hamid’s theaters. The Virginia the main roadshow theater had no masking or curtains and neither did the Shore. The Hollywood, Center and Roxy did. Why the Roxy was not the roadshow house is beyond me. It was double the size of the Virginia and had a balcony.
Yeah the original screen in the Casino was great. It fit the whole length of the stage. It was interesting that the 1.85 aspect ratio films on that screen were very square almost like a 16 mm print.
Bobby S the AMC/Carmike merger went through. They started in Florida first and last month NC. My local theater officially became an AMC theater March 30. Carmike was the worst chain ever.
The Midway was the Tony Grant Theater. When they demolished the music hall they changed the name of the Casino to the music hall. Yes, the one time I went in 77 the screen that fit the size of the stage was gone. They had a small screen that they hung in the wall so they could use the stage for the show. If I remember correctly they built the stage out a little too.
The Midway was literally half way between the marine Ballroom and the Music Hall. I never remember it as the Ocean theater. It was a decent size theater with a nice stage and curtains that said Tony Grant Stars of Tomorrow. The whole demolition of the center of the pier was so stupid. They put international thrill rides there and the first summer it was open a hurricane came through and destroyed them and the back of the pier. The Music Hall had side balconies. The screen they put in the Casino when they changed it to the Music Hall was horrible. It literally was a screen about the size of a screen you would use at home for home movies. I went to the pier once and never went back after the demolition.
The Marine Ballroom had a small balcony. The main floor was standing room only.I also spent summers in ACT and at the pier from 67-78. When George Hamid sold the pier to the owners of Million Dollar Pier they ruined it especially destroying the Music Hall and Midway theaters. The Casino did not cut it for movies and stage shows. The Marine Ballroom was destroyed by fire in the early 70 and replaced with the Golden Dome Ballroom. The music hall had lots of curtains but no masking. The screen in the 60 was moved from the Virginia Theater across the boardwalk to the music hall. The screen was pulled up for the vaudeville shows and you could see Virginia Theater on the bottom metal of the screen. The Casino had both masking and curtains and eventually the main curtain was used for the masking.
I can tell you that in the mid to late 80’s it was a discount house. I think it was only on Tuesday but it may have been the whole week.
Mark P. I was living in Phila and spent summers in Atlantic City and got the NY Times once or twice a week because all the NYC movie theaters were so exciting to me. I also remember that summer was the last time the Palace showed films before the Neederlanders reopened it as a legit house with Lauren Bacall in Applause. I remember being upset not knowing what happened to the State. I knew the Palace was going legit by the theater directory. I moved to NYC in 76 and went to the State many times both upstairs and down. We had many grand movie palaces like that in Phila which like most places are now demolished.
Mark P Doctor Dolittle was the last film to play there as a single screen theater.
Thanks Matt.
Thanks mhvbear. The aspect ratio in the RPX was 2.35
On the Imax of Beauty and The Beast, was the film shown on the full screen? I went to Regal RPX and like Sully it was not it had the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen just like any scope film. Other then the sound being 7.0 two of the other theaters screens are much bigger. It’s a total waste of money to pay for a movie in THE RPX theater here. Is RPX different then Imax? BATB was film in large screen format so to me the full RPX screen should have been utilized.
It has always been 18 screens
The closing was later then 1993. I moved to Tamarac in 1996 and it was at that time a United Artist theater. It was in operation under and independent operator after that and changed to a $ house. I think it was open at least until the late 90’s or early 2000.
Per AMC web page and e mail update the change over to AMC has been moved to this month. It can’t happen soon enough.
AMC Classic River Hills 10
Coming March 2017
Please update the information in the intro. It was run by William Goldman Theaters then in 1967 it was taken over by Ellis Theaters. The longtime manager went to work at The Regency in center city. Ellis Theaters briefly closed the theater and put in new curtains and a new screen.
Me I saw it there opening week. I lived in NYC from 76-83.
This theater was originally being built by Cobb theaters. Regal purchased the South Florida Cobb chain during the construction so it has always been a Regal theater. Interesting that years later the Cobb chain reappeared in Miami.
Thanks for all the replies. Gee the good old drive in days. I miss them.
I thought this theater closed in the early 60’s which was why they built the 61St drive in. I know it closed because I 95 ran right through it. Can anyone confirm this?
It wasn’t this drive in doowopcharlie. Must have been the Airport drive in
Coate, it also played at the Embassy on Broadway at the same time
Scoot Funscape at Las Olas Riverfront was to the left of the escalators on the main level. I can not figure out why that theater never made it especially with all the condo’s downtown. It went from 23 to 15 after Sunrise cinema’s took it over then to 11 after Frank theaters took it over.
They tried it at the Las Olas 23 and it didn’t work there either.
Went to this theater last night. AMC can’t fully get in there soon enough which is supposed to be late March early April. They have started some of the conversion like putting in the coke free standing soda machines. This theater is 21 years old and never been renovated except for adding digital projection long before anyone else did. The theater has holes in the walls, overflowing trash cans and dirty bathrooms. The Carmike chain didn’t give a damn at least at this theater about anything but making a profit. Even last night the box office was closed and tickets were sold at the concession stand. It eventually opened at 7pm. The manager said she could already see the difference in how AMC seems to be much more employee and patron oriented then Carmike ever was. Good riddance to a bad movie chain. Bring on AMC and big renovations.