Town 'N' Country Theatre
7575 West Hillsborough Avenue,
Tampa,
FL
33615
7575 West Hillsborough Avenue,
Tampa,
FL
33615
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This opened on August 14th, 1968. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
Wow, this is incredible I love this site. My father owned the Town n Country Theater back in the 70’s i remember as a child running up and down the halls and performing for the audience on the stage just because I could lol. Beautiful thank you for this site. And the building was demolished and became an Ace Hardware ;(
Rivest266: Great nice size photos of this rare theatre! I had posted a link above showing these same shots but they were much smaller. I couldn’t enlarge them without losing a good deal of the focus. Thanx for posting. Not a bad set-up for a 16mm theatre.
I uploaded a photo of it here.
I’ve updated the street view although it’s still not the best angle. Unfortunately the site is a fair distance from the road, and trying to zero-in any closer or from another angle only blurred the image.
The theatre was located in the very center of photo. It was the last building at the left end of the plaza strip of stores all trimed in pink. It was demolished and replaced by an Ace Hardware Store.
WHY wouldn’t it open as a 35mm theatre like everything else.Good pictures Nick.
Here’s a photo of the building and auditorium when theatre opened as the Trans-Lux Inflight Cine. Not bad for a 16mm setup. Sorry photos are so small but attempting to enlarge them blurred the image.
View link
Andy, Sorry for my delay in responding as I just now saw your comment. This is very strange. The property appraiser has to be incorrect as I saw the theatre being demolished and an Ace Hardware store being built on the site. Do they refer to the property as 7575 W. Hillsborough Ave? This is the address of the Town ‘N Country Shopping Center where the theatre was located. I believe Ace Hardware is probably the only building within the main complex to be built when the theatre was demolished. Although the property appraiser is somewhat correct in saying the main complex itself hasn’t changed since 1967 (with the exception of various stores that have come and gone) you’d think the appraiser would be aware that a new and larger building selling hardware supplies has replaced a smaller building formerly housing a movie theatre!
Nick, I think this theater is still standing. The property appraiser states that the complex was built in 1967 and shows no modifications to the main complex except for the construction of various outlots at the edge of the parking lot.
You would think that a theatre chain would do something to solve that problem.You have to sell snacks.All three of ABC THEATRES here in Augusta had plenty of room at the concession.GCC was tight at both locations I worked in Athens and Augusta,but they were tucked into a MALL.
Speaking of concessions, the concessions stand at the LOEWS CRESCENT was about 15 feet wide, the only problem was the LOBBY was so small we had no room for a concessions line and admiting and letting folks out of the theatre,when we were were very busy and it happened a lot we did Bad concession numbers because a lot of people would skip it due to timing of exits and the next showtime.
I think the concessions at the Trans-Lux Inflight was the same more or less…about 6 feet. If you blinked you about missed it. I never did buy any refreshments at this theatre so I can’t say how long the wait time was for large crowds, or whether there was more than one employee behind the counter.
Nick, how big was the concession. The ART THEATRE concession was about six feet wide. Granted the ART held about 100 folks. Heck, when I worked for Plitt towards the end my butt was in Box office,we had one concession stand girl and our City Manager tore tickets.They we looking at the bottom dollar even then in the late 70’s, but it is business,not a place ,well i won’t go there.
<<< booked by Harry Brant of New York City >>>
I believe “Brandt” is the correct spelling.
That’s unreal. With only one employee for concessions can you imagine having to stand in line when theatre was at capacity with 350 people? I would think in that situation the manager would have to assist or possibly a temp was on call when needed.
AKA:
TRANS-LUX CINE.
I THINK it was owned by Trans-Lux and booked by Harry Brant of New York City.
It was designed to be run by only 2 employees, one manager-projectionist and one cashier-concession employee.
Nick. unless i missed it with my eyes,you have never commented on my Hilltop Drive-in site.I am sure you wrote the intro.
Alot of X-rated houses did 16mm. I knew a man that ran X -rated in Jacksonville,Fla.In fact he had several reels he took.He use to be a member of our stagehand union. Nick, it is funny i have been able to recall movies at Daniel Village Theatre and post them on CT.
Thanks for the link Joe! That’s absolutely amazing you found this informative article on the Trans-Lux in Boxoffice. CT people are the best! I’m surprised my wild guess on the screen width was right on the mark. They certainly fell way short of their goal of 50 theatres by the end of 1969. Although it’s highly doubtful, I wonder if any of these 16mm theatres are still in existence today.
An article announcing the partnership between Trans-Lux and Inflight appeared in Boxoffice, November 13, 1967 Upper left.) The company planned to have at least fifty Trans-Lux Inflight Cines in operation by the end of 1969. All were to have screens twenty feet wide, and would seat about 350 patrons. The architect for all of these projects was John McNamara.
A May 6, 1968, Boxoffice item said that the first Trans-Lux Inflight Cine would be opened soon in Bartow, Florida, and that the second would open at Tampa that summer. The company totally missed its goal of opening fifty theaters by the end of 1969. Boxoffice of April 17, 1972, reported that the Trans-Lux Inflight Cine, a twin theater, had opened at Daytona, and was the 18th house in the chain. The theaters were still being designed by John McNamara, though.
Never saw a 16 mm film at a real theatre.
Mike, I don’t think I ever mentioned seeing 2001 in 16mm because I had forgotten about it until researching the Trans-Lux. I was trying to remember the 16mm films I had seen here when 2001
came to mind. It really didn’t look bad, just a little smaller than a big screen theatre. One thing
I do remember…there were very few people at the showing I attended.
Nick, did YOU ever tell me you saw 2001 in 16mm and looked good. we played Viva Knievel at Columbia 1.Don’t recall it setting any records.Had “Bridge Too Far” also at Columbia 1.