Cameo Theatre
1445 Washington Avenue,
Miami Beach,
FL
33139
1445 Washington Avenue,
Miami Beach,
FL
33139
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 31 comments
The Cameo theatre opened on November 4th, 1938 with “To the Victor” and “The Lie of Nina Petrovna”. Grand opening ad posted.
When Richard Shelter moved his shows from the Ocean 71 hotel on Collins Avenue and 71st (nee Flynn’s), he switched to the Cameo as his primary venue in the mid 1980s. While Shelter would move on to LA, his brief one year stint promoting the venue as a punk and alternative music scene would ultimately take hold and end its run as a movie house by the latter part of the 1980s. But prior to this, the Cameo in the 70s and early 80s was known for surf movies, B-movie fare and 99 cent triple bill Kung Fu extravaganzas.
I think all the Crobars are closed now. Nature of the business I suppose. Clubs always need to be new.
I don’t know how this has not already been linked, as the article was published on September 9, 1999, but Cameo Role, from the Miami New Times, gives a history of the theater from its opening through the halcyon days when it was one of the region’s leading live music venues in the 1980s and 1990s. Unfortunately, the 9-photo slide show (click on the image at the top of the article) consists mostly of small pictures from the Cameo’s 1980s punk rock era, with only four shots with the theater itself, and those only showing the marquee.
The July 5, 1938, issue of The Film Daily ran this item about the proposed theater at Washington Avenue and Española Way:
3 Miami Herald photographs from February 1985 article here. Includes photo of projection booth.
This very deceptive ad, that promotes “THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK” as light comedy, was the Cameo’s only Roadshow attraction. According to Variety, it was also one of the few successful runs for “Anne Frank” outside of new York.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lF1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Nz8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=3256%2C4366891
Is this a strip club now. It certainly isn’t CroBar. I saw a sign advertising lapdances outside. Very sad.
A recent photo of the Cameo Theater.
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Here is another night photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yyqh8hp
Here are some photos from April 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/3xjg8e
http://tinyurl.com/37xy4d
http://tinyurl.com/2pqbsw
Hey LilBouncerGirl, the building directly behind the Cameo was the Warsaw Ballroom, unfortunately it is no longer a venue for a nightclub,it is now a deli!
Wow Disco Inferno ther eis a name I have not heard or thought of in ages, but wow did I ever have a blast there, every Sunday we all went, me and the rest of us from our Club, as we were also Promoters at the time from another one nighter, well actually two nighters by then, but we had a blast, and so enjoyed it. Sometimes I even worked the door At the Cameo during that time and even on your days, smiles I was looking for some pics of the theatre and found this site and was shocked to see a post from an old fellow promoter, as I have long been out of the business, and away from SB. But I think of it often, I was looking for some info, a friend had asked if I knew what happened to the building behind the Cameo and I had no clue , can someone tell me what it is now? It would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for any information on this mater.
Wow thinking of the other post about the shows, There were some AMAZING shows back int he day, I have an entire two photo albums filled with ticket stubs, and I know there is a few that got lost during the moves over the years, but man some of the shows I have seen can not be compared to anything I have sen since.
And the pits, Do I remember the pits. smile
Well off to do things I hope all have a great time and enjoy the memories. of this wonderful place, I know it will stay with me forever.
Ken, the Madonna is the Roxy and is listed here, somewhere.
Sorry to read about the Lincoln being closed. Anything announced as coming up there?
While we’re on the subject, is there a alternate listing for a Madonna Theater in Miami Beach? It’s now a strip club, but it appears to be an old theater.
Catfish Henry, you’re incorrect about “Disco 2000” at the Cameo, the night was on Sunday’s and it was called “Disco Inferno”.
I should know, I was the promoter of the night which ran a little over 6 years!.
http://www.305Disco.com
A Strand once stood in North Miami Avenue and 1st street,does that seem about more or less the area you were in?
Does anybody know anything about a former Strand Theatre in Miami?
One morning while communting from my home in Hollywood down to my job in Coral Gables, I decided to avoid the terrible traffic on I-95 and find some avenue that ran parallel to the interstate. And somewhere between NW 29th Street and NW 14th Street along NW 7th Avenue I found a small theatre with a marquee and classic double doors. It was labeled the STRAND with the S having fallen off some time ago. It currently seems to be a small church/prayer home now. I will try to take some pictures of it. Can anybody here identify what part of town/neighborhood we would call this area? It’s definitely industrial and very poor. Perhaps that might help with some research (where I’m finding NO luck).
A 2005 exterior photograph:
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i love this building, heres a couple of evening shots of the fantastic exterior
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Charles: Great photo! Thanks!
Cameo was great in the early 90’s for Punk/Rock/Rap shows. I saw a great Beastie Boys concert there in May of 92 that is heavily bootlegged on VHS and is called “Ali Babba & The 40 Theives”.
On Saturday nights and then Sunday nights they had Disco 2000 there. There was a huge back to 70’s vibe in the 90’s and this was before the club Polyesters was around and people would dress up and play the part, it was awesome.
I love the way the Cameo looks on the outside , it’s a landmark in my eyes and my heart!
This is featured on page 75 in Popcorn Palaces and is Davis Cone’s favorite art deco popcorn palace in Miami Beach FL.
I saw many a double feature at the Cameo in the 70’s. For 35 cents you got some great second run movies. It was also a place where the elderly Jewish neighbors would come in and sleep to get out of the heat. We’d buy candy next door at the McCrory’s and sneak it in the theatre to save money. chaplinfan
The Cameo was a dollar house in the 1970’s. It had a small second lobby before one entered the balcony. I remember back then the second lobby still had its 1930’s era ashtrays and armchairs. The smoking area was the balcony.