Cortez Plaza Twin I & II
3633 Cortez Road,
Bradenton,
FL
34205
3633 Cortez Road,
Bradenton,
FL
34205
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Jerry Lewis Cinemas
Functions: Retail
Previous Names: Jerry Lewis Cortez Plaza Twin Cinema
Nearby Theaters
The Jerry Lewis Plaza Twin Cinema was located at the far end of the old Woolco (later Wal-Mart) shopping center on Cortez Road across from DeSoto Square Mall. It was opened by Jerry Lewis Cinemas on December 23, 1971. On March 17, 1973 it was renamed Cortz Plaza Twin I & II. I went on my first "date" (age seven) there to see "Pete’s Dragon" in 1977. By the late-1980’s/early-1990’s it was showing second run movies and closed on June 30, 1993. It was reopened and finally closed on April 17, 1997. The building was left vacant. was left vacant and is now in retail use.
Contributed by
Tim Fankell
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
Tim,“Pete’s Dragon” was a Disney Christmas release in 1977.
Cinematour shows the address as 4425 14th St W
PLEASE ADD ADDREESS:
4425 14TH STREET WEST
AKA
JERRY LEWIS CINEMA
Open 1971-1997?
Owners:
1973-1978 Suncoast Cinemas?
1978-1980 Cobb?
1980-1988 Plitt Theaters?
1990 Floyd Theaters of Haines City, Fla.? In 1967 Carl Floyd was President and had 40 theaters all in Florida.
Anyone have more info or photos?
The address Cinematour gives is not accurate. That address is indeed for PetSmart, but that’s not where the theater used to be. PetSmart is in the Cortez Plaza, an entirely different shopping center. The correct address for the Cortez Twin is 3633 Cortez Rd.
That right, In the Cortez Plaza EAST. It opened as Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema on Christmas day, 1971 and renamed in 1973 when the Jerry Lewis franchise fell apart.
The Jerry Lewis Cortez Plaza Twin Cinema launched on December 23, 1971 with “Peter Rabbit” and “Tales of Beatrix Potter” on Screen 1 and “An Elephant Called Slowly” and “Darling Lili” on Screen 2 next to Woolworth’s big box Woolco store. Suncoast Cinemas Inc. rebranded the venue as the Cortez Plaza Twin I & II on March 17, 1973. Florida West Amusements took on the venue. It sold it to Cobb Theatres on July 15, 1976. Plitt Theatres took on the venue followed by at least two other operators including Floyd Theatres.
It closed as the Cortez Twin Theatres at the end of lease 20 years later on June 30, 1993 with “Sidekicks” and “Fire in the Sky” on Screen 1 and “Cop and a Half” and “Forever Young” on Screen 2.
An article in the April 12, 1997 edition of the Bradenton Herald reported that the final night of business would be the 17th. The article cited the address as 701 Cortez Rd. The final filmes were Star Wars and Fargo.