Melbourne Outdoor Theatre
1400 W. New Haven Avenue,
West Melbourne,
FL
32904
1400 W. New Haven Avenue,
West Melbourne,
FL
32904
4 people
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Opened with “Mutiny” and “Phantom from space”.
It actually opened on 3/8/55 and closed in February 1976. At least that’s when the ads stopped. I visited the site the other day, on 2/2/2020, and it’s behind the Autozone on Highway 192, just east of the Mall. Take the side road that runs north by the autoparts store, and you’ll find…condos! What else? Nothing remains that I could see.
That is the correct address for it. Don’t go by the little Google map. Click on it and go to the Google map page itself.
The map that you have for this theater is incorrect. If you expand the map, the correct location is where the “ME” of Melbourne Court is, to the east of the mall. I should know; I lived there for 20 years. I previously posted as raceday6, but could not login.
I found reference of a Gem Theatre that was opened on New Haven Avenue in 1914 by J.B. Johnston, and was sold in 1916 to former first Melbourne Mayor Charles John Frazier Campbell. It was still in existence in 1924, the date of a photo I saved from the Melbourne & Melhi Memories-Melbourne Florida Facebook page. I’m looking for confirmation that it ever showed films, before I add a page for it to CT. Please respond back here if anyone finds anything further.
1965 print ad added, courtesy of the Melbourne & Melhi Memories-Melbourne Florida Facebook page.
projectionist1, dying??? Its dead. I am a projectionist in New Jersey of 37 years. My deceased father was also a projectionist for over 55 years. Although our work was mostly indoor theatres, I have many fond memories too. Today I work in the last 6 plex still running 35mm until later this year when it goes all digital. Then I will only get work once a month or so in theatres doing film festivals and such. My main work these days is as a stagehand. The union up here tries to keep me busy. Its very sad how our profession has been destroyed over the years.
I was a projectionist at this theatre from 1970 to 1972. I maintained the projection equipment and repaired the field speakers as well. I also worked many years as projectionist at the Brevard drive in, Palms theatre and Satellite theatre. My boss at the Satellite lived behind the Melbourne Outdoor theatre in a trailer. I remember going to the Melbourne outdoor back in the 50’s when my dad was projectionist. I miss the projectionist profession and am sorry to see that it is dying.
I remember it had a little playground back by the concession stand! It was all dirt parking areas. There were huge pine trees in front of the place. It was just west of Evans Road on 192! Your map pin is way off!
Yes, Ken, I visited your family several times when you lived behind the drive-in. It was probably a location not conducive to making friends when you were a kid. Right?
I used to actually live in this drive-in. My father was a manager for Kent Theaters (Van Croix and Satellite). We lived in a trailer behind the concession stand. The drive-in closed in ‘78 when they were widening 192.
Drive-ins.com indicates this drive-in was on US 192. Also, the address in the heading maps to the location of the Brevard Drive-In in Eau Gallie, which is not in West Melbourne.
My suggestion is to use “U.S. 192, West Melbourne, FL” as an address, until a more specific address is found.