Miami Beach, Fla. — Herman Weingarten, of New York, has announced a program which will include the building of a circuit of 12 theaters in this area, at an investment of $1,250,000. Weingarten began con- struction several weeks ago of the first theater, the Cameo, in the pro- posed string, a $100,000 structure at Washington Ave. and Espanola Way. The second will be on Collins Ave. and is to be known as the Surf Theater.
During the past 25 years Weingarten has constructed some 40 theaters and continues to operate some of them in Brooklyn and Long Island.
Associated with Weingarten in his building activities is his daughter Miss Henrietta Weingarten.
It ceased being a playhouse about a year or two back. O Cinemas took over last year and it is now a single screen venue. Sometime in the early 70s, it was split into three screens and then in 1986-1987 it became the Byron Carlyle 7. Does anyone have a photo of the marquee in the 70s or 80s? The “new” nautical marquee installed sometime in the 90s leaves something to be desired.
Bill Brewer married the other manager (Mrs Macintosh) who managed the Surf. Macintosh went on to manage another theater possibly in North Miami Beach. They were married for many years and Bill passed away several years back. Bob Northrop (or Northrup) took over from both Macintosh and Brewer for both theaters (Surf/Normandy) in the latter half of the 1980s until Wometco ultimately shuttered both theaters in the late 1980s. The property was purchased by Ranaan Katz (hence the RK logo)
The characteristic W logo that appeared under the old facade did not stand for Wometco but for Weingarten. This same W can be seen on the Cameo marquee in South Beach.
This needs to be moved to the demolished category. In the last few weeks, the building has been completely razed. Although Wometco closed the doors in ‘75. Leroy Griffith took over operations for at least another year or two until at least 1977. The plans are tentatively in place for a Ross store to open in May 2016.
A shot of the Normandy toward the end in 1987.
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From the 1938 Film Daily:
WEINGARTEN TO BUILD
12 FLORIDA THEATERS
Miami Beach, Fla. — Herman Weingarten, of New York, has announced a program which will include the building of a circuit of 12 theaters in this area, at an investment of $1,250,000. Weingarten began con- struction several weeks ago of the first theater, the Cameo, in the pro- posed string, a $100,000 structure at Washington Ave. and Espanola Way. The second will be on Collins Ave. and is to be known as the Surf Theater.
During the past 25 years Weingarten has constructed some 40 theaters and continues to operate some of them in Brooklyn and Long Island.
Associated with Weingarten in his
building activities is his daughter
Miss Henrietta Weingarten.
It ceased being a playhouse about a year or two back. O Cinemas took over last year and it is now a single screen venue. Sometime in the early 70s, it was split into three screens and then in 1986-1987 it became the Byron Carlyle 7. Does anyone have a photo of the marquee in the 70s or 80s? The “new” nautical marquee installed sometime in the 90s leaves something to be desired.
Bill Brewer married the other manager (Mrs Macintosh) who managed the Surf. Macintosh went on to manage another theater possibly in North Miami Beach. They were married for many years and Bill passed away several years back. Bob Northrop (or Northrup) took over from both Macintosh and Brewer for both theaters (Surf/Normandy) in the latter half of the 1980s until Wometco ultimately shuttered both theaters in the late 1980s. The property was purchased by Ranaan Katz (hence the RK logo)
The characteristic W logo that appeared under the old facade did not stand for Wometco but for Weingarten. This same W can be seen on the Cameo marquee in South Beach.
This needs to be moved to the demolished category. In the last few weeks, the building has been completely razed. Although Wometco closed the doors in ‘75. Leroy Griffith took over operations for at least another year or two until at least 1977. The plans are tentatively in place for a Ross store to open in May 2016.