Westchester Cinema I & II
8549 Coral Way,
Miami,
FL
33155
8549 Coral Way,
Miami,
FL
33155
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 20 comments
This venue opened as Loew’s Westchester Theatre with Manager Peter Graybill and an opening ceremony followed Peter O'Toole in “Night of the Generals” on February 17, 1967. Graybill would move on to open the Loews Lauderhill in June of 1967 with Butch Payack taking over the Westchester.
On May 30, 1972, Loews sold all of its theatres in Florida to General Cinema Corp. (GCC) effective June 15, 1972. The venue became the GCC Westchester Cinema. On October 9th, 1974, the venue was twinned becoming the Westchester Cinema I & II. But by the 1980s, GCC was eschewing old twins in favor of multiplexes.
The theater was subtly retitled briefly as the GCC Westchester 2 used for the venue’s final stretch when it was downgraded to a discount, sub-run house with all seats and all times for $1.50. It closed on March 19, 1989 with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “Tequila Sunrise” coinciding with the 10-screen Miracle Center that had just opened that weekend. The venue was quickly boarded up and the outside attractor covered. The building has since been razed.
This theatre and the Riveria reopened as twin cinemas on October 9th, 1974. Grand opening ad posted.
The Loew’s Westchester opened on February 17th, 1967 with “The Night of the Generals”.
This closed in 1989.
The Address was 8549 CORAL WAY, 33155
The theater was originally one screen. It later was later comverted into two screens. 1 big and one small. It was the end of an era when it was torn down. I was raised in Westchester and remember it being built. The location now has two retail stores in it’s place
Too bad Sam I used to work for LOEWS too in Nashville,Tennessee in the late 70,s early 80,s.Marcus Loew had it going on!
No, sorry!
Any phots???
I worked there from the summer of 1969 thru the end of 1971 as an usher/doorman. Our Manager was Homer “Butch” Payack. We showed Easy Rider for about 5 months, had a chopper in the lobby. For Paint your Wagon, a covered wagon in the circle. Planet of the Apes we wore ape masks. The killer was Love Story, drove me insane. Notables coming in while I worked the door where Larry King, Burl Ives, and Bob Griese.
I was at this location just this week. The theatre building is now an Office Depot.
This theatre is now a bunch of stores. I am surprised that it closed. Westchester is a pretty busy area. We moved there in 1973. As a teen in high school we went to that theatre many times. The Westchester and the old Coral Way Drive In were hangouts, of course after the movies, we all went to Lums! I graduated from Coral Park back in 76. This was the time when this theatre was at it’s prime, it was a Loews.
After 1980 a lot of things changed in Miami, so I am not surprised that the theatre is now a store. Most of the theatres in Miami are now stores. All the great ones are gone, which is a total shame.
I believe the actual original space is now split up over several stores in the strip mall. Two of the managers I worked with during my time at Cinema 10 at Miracle Center in the late 80s/early 90s had started out as ushers at this theater in the early-to-mid 80s.
This theatre was located on Coral Way and Galloway Road.
My brother tells me this location is now retail space.
The Loew’s 167th Street was also aquired by GCC and was known as the Cinema 167th Street.
Was it demolished? If not, what now occupies this building?
This closed as a General Cinema house when Loews sold many of its Florida locations to GCC. GCC did a hasty and sloppy twin job that made for two long and awkward auditoriums. The seats were adjusted so some did not totally face the screen. The site drew crowds mainly from Coral Gables and the University of Miami, hence the possible confusion. For years it was booked day and date with the Loews 167th St. Twin in North Miami Beach. It hosted an exclusive long run of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. THE GODFATHER, THE GREAT GATSBY, THE WAT WE WERE, and THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE all played here.
Westchester is in Miami, not Coral Gables and the latter isn’t far away.
I saw ‘The Out Of Towners’ here in the summer of 1970 on vacation.
Here’s a link to Loew’s 1966 annual report. See pages 6 and 7.
Both the 1966 and 1967 reports include a list of all Loew’s theatres that are open or under construction. The 1966 report says that Loew’s Westcheter is in Coral Gables, but the 1967 report says it’s in Miami. I don’t know which is correct.
I also do not know whether this theatre is still operating. Any further information would be appreciated.