Venue was renamed the Vicente Fernandez Theatre in the late ‘80s. Chicagopedia group on Facebook has ads from 1988 (Stand and Deliver in Spanish) and '89 (Leonard-Duran III bout on closed-circuit) billing it as such.
Current redevelopment plans: seven-screen dine-in cinema, small bowling alley, restaurant and events space, with a 2023 target date. Block Club Chicago story here.
Abandoned Southeast has a feature on this theater. According to this site, the first Carolina Theatre was destroyed in a 1939 fire and rebuilt on the same site, with the new theater opening April 1, 1940. The Carolina showed movies into the 1970s, then hosted a church into the 1980s, then was abandoned. Eventually the City of Florence acquired the building and is said to be renovating it into an events space, with a target opening date of Spring 2022.
Theater building was listed for sale, touting redevelopment potential (read: getting rid of the theater). Theater operator says: Not so fast. CBC story here. The web page for the listing appears to have been deleted.
Last night of operation was March 21, 1972, with the X-rated “The School Girls” on the screen. Demolition was announced shortly thereafter and began in April. Theater was replaced by a savings and loan parking lot.
The ballroom did not survive the pandemic. New occupant of the space is an art gallery called PATRON, opening Saturday 4/24. Block Club Chicago story here.
Last ad for the Boynton in the Palm Beach Post looks like March 30, 1963, with “Barabbas” and “Shark River” on the screen. For the next few days the paper’s theater directory said that the Boynton had not provided listing information. Classified ads in the Post on April 29 and 30 stated that the theater was to be demolished and that concession equipment, office furniture, etc. would be offered for sale on the 30th.
Probably Wednesday, January 12, 1966. Inquirer ad has “War Lord” and “The Big TNT Show” starting that day; “Cincinnati Kid” had played for the previous week, but the ads have “Dr. Goldfoot & the Bikini Machine” replacing “Requiem for a Gunfighter” as the co-feature starting on Sunday the 9th.
This is a little off-topic, but does anyone know why “The Wind Cannot Read” has apparently never been shown on television in the USA? It started showing up on Canadian TV around 1965, has been on British and Australian TV with some regularity, but I find no evidence of US airings. Even if it wasn’t a hit, you’d think a film that played a major theater like this would have at least been stuck into some kind of Late Late Show syndication package to squeeze a few dollars out of it.
6700 North Broad Street’s later chronology through Inquirer ads: the Lane’s adult operation as late as March 1975; a single mention of “The Church of the Beloved Community,” holding a funeral in 1977; auto dealers (Datsun/Nissan overlapping with a Dodge franchise) from 1982 to 1991; Pilgrim Wesleyan Church shows up 1993-2019, mostly in lists of polling places.
Venue was renamed the Vicente Fernandez Theatre in the late ‘80s. Chicagopedia group on Facebook has ads from 1988 (Stand and Deliver in Spanish) and '89 (Leonard-Duran III bout on closed-circuit) billing it as such.
Video about how the Music Box coped with the pandemic.
Current redevelopment plans: seven-screen dine-in cinema, small bowling alley, restaurant and events space, with a 2023 target date. Block Club Chicago story here.
Abandoned Southeast has a feature on this theater. According to this site, the first Carolina Theatre was destroyed in a 1939 fire and rebuilt on the same site, with the new theater opening April 1, 1940. The Carolina showed movies into the 1970s, then hosted a church into the 1980s, then was abandoned. Eventually the City of Florence acquired the building and is said to be renovating it into an events space, with a target opening date of Spring 2022.
Building could be demolished and replaced with a Wawa store. Inquirer story has only a passing mention of the theater, but here it is anyway.
Block Club Chicago story on the theater and its manager.
Theater building was listed for sale, touting redevelopment potential (read: getting rid of the theater). Theater operator says: Not so fast. CBC story here. The web page for the listing appears to have been deleted.
Last night of operation was March 21, 1972, with the X-rated “The School Girls” on the screen. Demolition was announced shortly thereafter and began in April. Theater was replaced by a savings and loan parking lot.
Photo taken April 11, 1972, published April 12.
A theater that supposedly burned down in 1957 showing a 1963 movie?
Longish inquirer.com story with several pictures.
For anyone who might find it useful, here is the page that explains how to make clickable links on Cinema Treasures.
Current occupant looks like a caterer called Heirloom LA.
The ballroom did not survive the pandemic. New occupant of the space is an art gallery called PATRON, opening Saturday 4/24. Block Club Chicago story here.
At least they spelled it right in the newspaper ads. October 20-26, 1971.
Perhaps not so permanently: money found for a fresh start for the Mercury. Block Club Chicago story here.
Last ad for the Boynton in the Palm Beach Post looks like March 30, 1963, with “Barabbas” and “Shark River” on the screen. For the next few days the paper’s theater directory said that the Boynton had not provided listing information. Classified ads in the Post on April 29 and 30 stated that the theater was to be demolished and that concession equipment, office furniture, etc. would be offered for sale on the 30th.
Last day of operation looks like December 1, 1962, with “Blood of the Vampire,” “Night of the Blood Beast” and “Bucket of Blood.”
Probably Wednesday, January 12, 1966. Inquirer ad has “War Lord” and “The Big TNT Show” starting that day; “Cincinnati Kid” had played for the previous week, but the ads have “Dr. Goldfoot & the Bikini Machine” replacing “Requiem for a Gunfighter” as the co-feature starting on Sunday the 9th.
Last day of advertising for the Pearl looks like March 18, 1971, with a program of “3 in the Cellar,” “The Swappers” and the Frazier-Ali fight film.
Found elsewhere with a date of October 10, 1952.
Really tired of watching movies on your laptop? Rent a screen at the 400.
Last Inquirer listing for the Hollywood looks like March 11, 1950, with “Tokyo Joe” on the screen.
This is a little off-topic, but does anyone know why “The Wind Cannot Read” has apparently never been shown on television in the USA? It started showing up on Canadian TV around 1965, has been on British and Australian TV with some regularity, but I find no evidence of US airings. Even if it wasn’t a hit, you’d think a film that played a major theater like this would have at least been stuck into some kind of Late Late Show syndication package to squeeze a few dollars out of it.
6700 North Broad Street’s later chronology through Inquirer ads: the Lane’s adult operation as late as March 1975; a single mention of “The Church of the Beloved Community,” holding a funeral in 1977; auto dealers (Datsun/Nissan overlapping with a Dodge franchise) from 1982 to 1991; Pilgrim Wesleyan Church shows up 1993-2019, mostly in lists of polling places.