Beach Theatre
315 Corey Avenue,
St. Pete Beach,
FL
33706
315 Corey Avenue,
St. Pete Beach,
FL
33706
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 37 comments
Trolleyguy’s link above includes the official website and Facebook page for the Beach Theatre, which can be added to this page.
https://www.thebeachtheatre.org/?fbclid=IwAR0k0UHaZ21-wB6AYBXLZD5PoK7h9L5Regs3O8qOC7Sr8e2jnKxp5ZgrMWM_aem_Af0RGGu4iywb7ChhrcvU_5aUW5gamKO3I6Rbju-2F3ZbQ4dSDKUv61BkHkXguAa7_TosomDhx3SMZgHyxF5NoK6F
https://www.facebook.com/spbeachtheatre/
Here’s the latest news
On March 1, 2024, the Beach Theatre has sold again and will reopen back as a movie house later this year.
Great little theater
Has been purchased and the new owners are contemplating future use. https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2021/09/04/whats-next-for-the-beach-theatre-new-owner-wants-your-input/?fbclid=IwAR3G0yD_U3iqsnfFAAt0pk15GkMUVF3xbwLNa9ZHP1fWIk1yWuQGA7Zjp-M
For Sale as of July 29,2021. Listing below with 15 photos including interior.
https://www.watsonrealtycorp.com/p/315-Corey-Avenue-Saint-Pete-Beach-FL-33706/dmgid_147935896
Paramount subsidiary Florida State Theatres controlled the Beach Theatre under a lease from 1941 until 1950, according to an item in the March 4, 1950 issue of Boxoffice. The Item said that FST had just cancelled the 10-year lease and that operation of the house would be taken over by the building’s owner, Stephen S. Girard.
This article about the Beach Theatre says that the house was only active intermittently during the 1940s, so it seems likely that FST leased the place primarily in order to prevent a competitor from getting control of it.
The BEACH THEATRE was not a metal “Quanset” hut construction. I was the projectionist there when it was operated by Bill Eisenhart. This was during the time we ran every Marx Bros. film available. We also ran Laurel and Hardy films and played to a sold out house every Friday and Saturday. The booth had Super Simplex projection heads with RCA sound heads. It had Strong Mogul arc lamps and Kneisley tungar bulb rectifiers. It was a lovely theatre and could be re-opened again. ps: The concession stand had a MANLEY popcorn machine that looked like a juke box.
Circa 1985 photo added courtesy of John Brack.
I am interested…what do you have in mind?
Message for MovieMad52: Hey, I noticed that you have a desire to reopen the Beach Theater (from your comments spanning 2 years). If you would like to discuss a possible business venture that would satisfy your dream, please contact me at . I have some ideas about a “new” st. pete bch theater. I’ll tell you more if you reply!! -J R
I would love to reopen this theatre with the family if interested. Shame that this theatre is closed.
Would love to reopen this classic theatre.
When I lived in St Pete Florida back in 1971 I went here a lot and if I remember they used to run Marx Brother movies
I remember over the years several owners breathing life into the location….with competition from drive-ins and AMC nearby. If I am not mistaken the building is a qounset metal hut construction behind the facade.
Condolences to the family.
Sad to report that screenwriter Michael France, the owner of the Beach Theatre, passed away on April 12, 2013. I wonder what will happen now to this great and nostalgic venue.
The website listed above was set up about 2 years ago when the owner announced the intent to switch to a non-profit. The transition hadn’t happened, yet, by the time of the theatre’s closing in the middle of last November. There are some legal issues preventing the reopening, but hopefully, once settled, it’ll reopen. I haven’t spoken to the owner recently, but I worked on their website and Facebook page for years until last May.
The owner has established this website for those who would like to help reopen the theater as a not-for-profit.
I would love to help get this theatre reopened with the owner. I have 43 years of theatre and restaurant experience. Would be fun.
An article about the closing can be found here.
What a shame this was a great single screen neighborhood theater. :(
The Beach just announced its closed for business. Sad. They tried to make a run of it.
this theater is open for business? your website is not updated for weeks like that facebook page
Hello all, I work for the Beach Theatre (on their website) and just found this website and entry for the theatre. In reading the earlier comments, there seems to be some confusion about the original opening date for the theatre. Those who’ve said we opened on 1/15/1940 are correct. We still have a grand opening Playbill framed in our theatre from that event that anyone can see as they enter the lobby. I don’t know why there isn’t an ad in the paper on that day. I looked at the March 1946 newspaper “opening” ad and that must refer to the RE-opening of the theatre. As it states on our history page, during WWII a German U-boat was spotted off the coast of FL, so a blackout was ordered of all businesses along the coast that lasted 18 months. 1946 was after the war ended, so it seems that we’d reopen around that time.