Miami Shores and El Portal were separate cities, at least back when I lived there.
What you call Morningside I used to know as the Puerto Rican section of Overtown. I always though the Mercury effort was part of that Design Destrict “chic” party crowd.
I am not sure Maria but it would make sense with all the competition in the area.
I think the Hernandez who owns this may be the same guy behind National Cinemas who ran a number theatres in Miami in the eighties and nineties including the Ambassador, Atlas, America, Garden, Movies of Kendall and Regency.
Currently operated by Ocean Cinemas, (Le Jeune Cinemas 6), this was a Regal Theatre from 1995-1999.
When it originally opened it was a Muvico novelty building featuring a recently crashed rocketship sticking out of the lobby roof, complete with smoke coming from it. It was impossible to drive by and not stare.
I wondered about dates myself since I went to Ada Merritt Junior High in the late sixties. I suspect the KKK left when the neighborhood became Little Havana, but they were suspects in the JFK assassination in 1963 and may have left soon after.
I do remember the battle for “Fitzcarraldo” and the hanging screen which made it possible for the Rocky Horror cast to perform below it. I think the Grove Movie was smaller than this one as that may have had the projector inside the auditorium, if I recall correctly. This was located next to a post office so I am not sure if they shared the space.
The Dadeland was badly hurt by the opening of Bakery Centre, Movies at the Falls, and Kendall Town & Country. At the time, even those malls looked better than the dog-eared Dadeland, which was later refurbished.
I was not there for any live shows as I was manager during the ABC Florida State Theatres and Plitt days. I did see Julio Iglesias movies at the Tivoli and am well aware of Alvarez Guedes albums and his movie, “A Mi Que Me Importa Que Explote Miami?”
The Cine Twin opened in 1971. Due to their success with x-rated films they were eventually taken over by the South Florida version of the Pussycat chain (Leroy Griffith) and operated a the Pussycat until at least 1996 and maybe later.
Hi MariaMaria. I have been collecting this info since I was a kid and I have started going through it recently along with old Miami Herald Movie Time Clocks and Film Daily Yearbooks. I was a theatre manager and movie ad placement paste-up “artist” in the Miami area in the late seventies and early eighties. I worked in Hialeah briefly at the Village (Atlas), but not at the Circle.
Miami Shores and El Portal were separate cities, at least back when I lived there.
What you call Morningside I used to know as the Puerto Rican section of Overtown. I always though the Mercury effort was part of that Design Destrict “chic” party crowd.
I am not sure Maria but it would make sense with all the competition in the area.
I think the Hernandez who owns this may be the same guy behind National Cinemas who ran a number theatres in Miami in the eighties and nineties including the Ambassador, Atlas, America, Garden, Movies of Kendall and Regency.
I just submitted the Le Jeune tonight, LM.
By the way, the city is North Miami and the zip code is 33179.
Currently operated by Ocean Cinemas, (Le Jeune Cinemas 6), this was a Regal Theatre from 1995-1999.
When it originally opened it was a Muvico novelty building featuring a recently crashed rocketship sticking out of the lobby roof, complete with smoke coming from it. It was impossible to drive by and not stare.
This was owned by Holiday Theatres in the seventies.
This opened in 1998.
The South Beach opened in 1999.
I wondered about dates myself since I went to Ada Merritt Junior High in the late sixties. I suspect the KKK left when the neighborhood became Little Havana, but they were suspects in the JFK assassination in 1963 and may have left soon after.
Fred, it is listed as Gusman; /theaters/77/
If a site still has some use as a theatre of any kind it is listed under its current name.
Thank you again, Fred, for your contribution.
Miami needs guys like you to fill in the pieces. This city moves too fast. Please keep the memories coming.
Thanks for those great memories, Fred.
Two questions that you may recall or know the answer to:
1) Did the Miami downtown ever have a separate “negro” box office and entrance?
2) Was the Sunset Theatre off U.S 1 in South Miami ever knwonwas the South Miami Theatre?
Great post, S Porridge!
I do remember the battle for “Fitzcarraldo” and the hanging screen which made it possible for the Rocky Horror cast to perform below it. I think the Grove Movie was smaller than this one as that may have had the projector inside the auditorium, if I recall correctly. This was located next to a post office so I am not sure if they shared the space.
The Dadeland was badly hurt by the opening of Bakery Centre, Movies at the Falls, and Kendall Town & Country. At the time, even those malls looked better than the dog-eared Dadeland, which was later refurbished.
I was not there for any live shows as I was manager during the ABC Florida State Theatres and Plitt days. I did see Julio Iglesias movies at the Tivoli and am well aware of Alvarez Guedes albums and his movie, “A Mi Que Me Importa Que Explote Miami?”
Does that one ring a bell?
Ken, that has to be it.
The Cine Twin opened in 1971. Due to their success with x-rated films they were eventually taken over by the South Florida version of the Pussycat chain (Leroy Griffith) and operated a the Pussycat until at least 1996 and maybe later.
Hi MariaMaria. I have been collecting this info since I was a kid and I have started going through it recently along with old Miami Herald Movie Time Clocks and Film Daily Yearbooks. I was a theatre manager and movie ad placement paste-up “artist” in the Miami area in the late seventies and early eighties. I worked in Hialeah briefly at the Village (Atlas), but not at the Circle.
The Towne opened in 1970, was twinned in 1974 and closed for good in 1989.
The address was 2116 N.E. 162nd street.
My Film Yearbook shows room for 850 cars.
The Circle was already open by 1949. In 1984 it was twinned and in 1989 it closed.
This theatre opened in 1958. After closing in 1993, the 170th Street was briefly re-opened in 1994 as the Sunny Isles Beach twin.
The Alliance operated from 1991 to 2000.
Yes, I mean Manhattan actually, although it may be the longest running in the whole city. This dates as far back as 1921, perhaps earlier.
I believe this is now officially the longest running, still existing, movie theatre in New York.