Art Towne Twin
6959 W. Broward Boulevard,
Plantation,
FL
33317
6959 W. Broward Boulevard,
Plantation,
FL
33317
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Towne Theatre
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The Art Towne Twin was a small theater that was located in the Plantation Towne Mall. It opened as the Towne Theatre February 18, 1970 and showed mostly art and foreign films. It was twinned in 1974 and was closed in 1989.
In 1996 the mall burned down and was later demolished.
Contributed by
Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 18 comments)
It’s an aquarium pet shop.
http://www.reefzonecorals.com/
Thanks Al, I thought it may be something like that.
Google Map also lists a Publix Super Market at that address.
I also found it open from 1970-1989.
What ever happened to Lost Memory?
Anyone have more info or photos?
IIRC, Publix has been there from the day the shopping center opened, upgraded several times over the decades.
Although “the theater was gutted and expanded into a much larger two-story addition for offices and added roughly another 30 feet to the east end of the mall” by the time the fire took place, this page gives an idea of the former Towne’s surroundings:
View link
If you should take a closer look at the floor plan illustration, the Towne previously occupied the space behind Rite Aid (east end).
Although it showed many remarkable films, there wasn’t anything noteworthy about the Towne’s architecture or decor: plain late 60s suburban concrete.
S Porridge, I read that entire article, to me, that was really interesting, thanks.
Forgot to mention the ghastly, industrial gray walls within the Towne Twin (true, the only wall that really mattered was the one with the screen). Seems every theater along or adjoining Broward Boulevard (Plantation, Towne, Broward Mall 4, Fountains 8, Movies at Plantation) was doomed to short shelf lives.
It is important to remember that the Thursday Night film discussion series held at the Manor Art Cinema and also at the Art Towne Cinema in Plantation, FL (also owned by the same owner, Carlos Cyrulnik) was presented in conjunction with the Art/Alternative/Foreign films and mini-film festivals offerings shown there circa 1982-1985 was called “The Film Forum: An Examination of the Film Experience.”
The “Film Forum” was the creation of host, director, scholar Arch Angelus Sturaitis, an artist/writer originally from Canada who moderated a weekly discussion with headliner directors, actors, producers, movie critics and a wide range of experts expounding on the featured films being screened at the theatres.
South Florida premieres of “Say Amen Somebody”, “Siberiade”, “Gabriela”, “Heart Like a Wheel”, “Land of Look Behind”, “Berlin Alexanerplatz”, “Gaijin” “Entre Nous” among many, many other memorable Foreign/International films attracted unprecedented full house audiences of more than 300 patrons.
The Film Forum explored cinematographic, social and aesthetic issues inspired by themes of “Women in Film”, “Gay/Lesbian Cinema”, “Movies as a Medium of Social Conformity or Societal Dissent”, “New Wave Cinema from Germany, Israel, Poland, Italy, France, Hungary, Brazil”, “Representations of Race and Ethnicity”, “Sex, Violence and Changing Social Mores”, “Idealized History: Period Piece Dramas and Epic Films”. Some of these themes became stand-alone enrichment Film/Communications courses taught by Arch Angelus Sturaitis at Broward Community College, Florida Atlantic University and by popular demand as special guest lectures at Nova Southeastern University and University of Miami.
The Film Forum with Arch Angelus Sturaitis was widely covered by the Press: Candice Russell of the Fort Lauderdale News and Sun Sentinel; Bill Cosford of the Miami Herald; Skip Sheffield of the Boca Raton News; Jack Sturdy of the TWN, among others. Many radio and TV personalities also joined with these critics in the annual Oscar Gala Discussion at the Manor, a very popular program for the film crowd.
The Art Towne, Manor Art featuring the Film Forum attracted a most interesting arts/culture intelligentsia of the time under one roof. Anybody who was anybody in the local South Florida arts scene could be found in the audience. In addition, many came from all walks of life to actively participate in the programs. Including a regular contingent that arrived from area retirement complexes chartering tour buses to come to the receptions as part of their regularly scheduled activity roster. They mingled and interacted with college kids who were there earning extra credit doing reports on the films they were instructed by their professors to view.
This opened on February 18th, 1970 with one screen. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
2/17/85 photo added credit F Dennis Schrader. Appears to have had a 3rd screen by then.
Thanks. I added it to the Manor page and will delete it here.