Florida Theatre
118 N. Monroe Street,
Tallahassee,
FL
32301
118 N. Monroe Street,
Tallahassee,
FL
32301
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 15 comments
The Florida Theatre once sat abandoned for four years after closing on April 19, 1979 with “Richard Pryor In Concert”. On August 21, 1983, the Florida Theatre reopened as the Cinema N' Drafthouse with Burt Reynolds in “Stroker Ace”. It was renamed “The Movie Pub” in November 1987 and closed the following month.
Comparing current Google satellite view and historic aerial photos, going back to 1967 during the theater’s second period, the Current building occupies the same footprint as the historic structure, but it is now three stories tall. This was its original height, but after the 1960 fire it was rebuilt with only two stories. While the current top floor of the building was never part of the theater, I’m sure the shell of the old building is still there, however greatly altered by its conversion for office space.
Might as well list this as demolished. The shape of the building is completely different. Maybe some of the side wall still exists with windows knocked into it?
Was showing Made in Heaven, December 9th, 1987 and calling itself The Movie Pub. That’s the last listing I can find.
The newspaper page rivest266 linked to features a courtesy ad placed by architect Roy A. Benjamin, which indicates that he designed this house for E. J. Sparks.
This opened on November 20th, 1940. Grand opening ad in the photo section and
Found on Newspapers.com
Interior, 1963, after reconstruction: View link
I’ve been unable to identify the original architect of the Florida Theatre, but the architect for the rebuilding after the 1960 fire was Theodore C. Poulos. It is listed among his works in his biographical entry in the 1962 AIA Architects Directory.
thanks for the pictures,guys.July 20,1950 has A Double Feature,“TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE GIRL” and “SEALED CARGO”.During those years Double Features were showned almost every day.
Here is a picture of the former Florida Theatre that I took in October 2010.
From Boxoffice magazine, April 1960:
TALLAHASSEE-The first-run, downtown Florida Theater, valued at $500,000, was completely gutted by a fire after closing the night of Friday, March 25. The cause of the blaze was not determined.
The Florida had been the favorite entertainment center for generations of lawmakers, their families and students and facult members of Florida State University in the state’s capital city. Managed for many years by Tommy Hyde, who indicated that rebuilding plans may soon be set in motion, the Florida was the flagship of Kent Theaters, owned by Fred Kent of Jacksonville.
The last feature to play the Florida before the 1960 fire was, appropriately, THE LAST VOYAGE.
I saw and took one slide photo of the Florida in 1981. It was closed at the time, and indeed on the marquee where in the 1940s and 60s photos it says “Theatre” in neon, it said “Circus,” which at the time baffled me.
The exterior of the theatre was pale yellow, with some other colored accents on the vertical and marquee, like red and green.
Actually, the building the Florida Theatre was in still stands. The Florida Education Association converted the theatre to an office building at least a decade or more ago. For a brief period, it was also the Florida “Circus”, utilizing acts from FSU’s circus, and it later also had a stint as a second run movie house.
Historic photos here:
http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/general/n043419.jpg
3/26/60 fire:
http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/general/n043244.jpg
12/19/60 after fire:
http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/general/n043418.jpg