Carver Theatre

As a child growing up in South Florida during the 1950s, I frequented The Center Theater. It was right around the corner from where my grandparents lived. On weekends, when we’d go over to see them in the morning, by the afternoon, we might managed to go over to The Center and see a movie. Usually, most of the films were B-Movies. The bulk of films shown were low budget. Occasionally, a major film only made it to the theater out on general release. On Saturday mornings, the theater offered the usual “Kiddies Matinee” that consisted mostly of Looney tunes and then some old comedy film, like “Abbott & Costello” or a “Three Stooges” marathon. My older cousins always went to The Center to see the horror and Sci-Fi films. The three most popular ever shown at the theater over an extended period of repeated showings were “The Blob,” “House on Haunted Hill” and the most popular repeat of them all, “Attack of The 50 Foot Woman.” If anything might be said about the old Center Theater was that it introduced me to some of the best in what is now considered cult films. Some of which scared the heck out of me. One I’ll always remember going to see with my cousins was “The Return of Dracula.” What got me so hyped up was all the screaming and excitement created by the audience. I was only seven years old at the time and I guess at that age you’re very impressionable. Perhaps the strangest of all things to remember about the little Center Theater was that the building was painted a stark bright pink!

There were also a series of major films, out on general release that I would see a second time at The Center Theater. Most notable was the Bob Hope comedy “That Certain Feeling,” that I had previously seen at The Miami Theater on Flagler street in widescreen. Then, another I remember well was the historic drama, “Far Horizons.” But, perhaps my fondest of all memories of going to see movies at The Center was when there was a tremendous “double bill” of the two big war films, “Run Silent, Run Deep” and “The Enemy Below.” This was the first time I ever saw the theater packed to the hilt. Then, adding even more intrigue to the situation was when the two films were over, we got outside to see a line of new patrons already formed all the way around the building, standing out there in the heat waiting to see the next showing! The theater manager had to ask people to please leave and not sit through a second showing. After all these years, I’ve come to understand that what made the little theater so special was that it was the only one severing the community of “Edison” and the vicinity of where “Shell’s Super Store” was located on 7th Avenue. After a movie, we would then walk several blocks down to a “Dairy Queen” and have some ice cream. Aside from the little Center Theater, I managed over the years to experience just about every indoor theater of Dade County, including the lavish theaters of Miami Beach and every single drive in theater! It’s an accomplishment I’m very proud of having done during the time of my growing up in South Florida! Of course, in those days there was a magic to going to the movies. Not like today, where you just show up and pretty much can predict what’s going to happen.

This opened on March 9th, 1940. Its ad posted here.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/2018/05/08/city-of-miami-may-buy-renovate-former-theater/

Nothing sad about it Al. Your guesstimate of what I am including and not including is not true. I am trying cast as full a net as I can. Statistically there’s less documentation on these spacees and of coverage and info on BLACKS ONLY cinemas was less than adequate. Read your notes. You aren’t very friendly.