79th Street Twin II Cinema

137 NE 79th Street,
Miami, FL 33138

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Showing 1 - 25 of 26 comments

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on October 15, 2022 at 9:39 am

The venue ceased operations at the expiry of a 30-year leasing period on February 8, 1984.

David_Schneider
David_Schneider on August 26, 2022 at 12:59 pm

All Google Street View images for this address show a vacant lot that looks to have been empty for years. I believe the building that contained the 79th Street Twin II Cinema was demolished perhaps decades ago.

The Star Twin discussed in the comments on this page has its own page on Cinema Treasures.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on April 27, 2021 at 6:52 pm

Boxoffice, Feb. 1, 1960: “The Brandt circuit, which leased the old Bard, former vaudeville house in Little River, completely remodeled the house and reopened it January 21 as the 79th Street Theatre. The 700-seater is running double features at budget prices for the family, 25 and 50 cents for adults and 15 for children. Tom Kiernan, longtime theatre operator at Los Angeles, is the manager.”

rivest266
rivest266 on February 8, 2020 at 2:21 pm

This opened as Little River on January 18th, 1949 and closed in 1954. Can someone confirm is this the same building? Ad posted.

rivest266
rivest266 on January 27, 2020 at 7:46 pm

This reopened as the 79th St. Art Theatre on January 28th, 1961 with “Love and Jealousy” and “Mademoiselle Striptease”. Grand opening ad uploaded.

rivest266
rivest266 on January 26, 2020 at 4:24 pm

The Bard theatre opened on April 20th, 1955 with “Underwater” and on stage, Freddie Martell and Buddy Walker. Grand opening ad posted.

The_Inventor
The_Inventor on February 23, 2012 at 6:23 pm

What was unusual about the Little River Theater was the balcony. The projection booth was in the center and on either side were two soundproof glassed in viewing rooms. One was for smokers and the other for people with small children so that their crying and/or talking wouldn’t disturb people – a great idea.

When it became an “adult” theater it showed those horribly filmed movies of the 30’s and 40’s that were so bad they made “Reefer Madness” look like high art. Supposedly no one under 21 was allowed, but we were in our mid-teens and were never challenged. The live show would have some strippers who couldn’t get work anywhere else. We were sure they were all someone’s grandmothers. Even so, we felt like hot shots for getting in.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on July 2, 2010 at 4:05 pm

Jeff, are you thinking of the United (7829 NE Second Avenue)?

jeffsfonts
jeffsfonts on March 23, 2010 at 11:27 pm

I used to go to my friend’s record store The Reord Gallery in the early 1970’s, which was located directly across the “hall” from the Star Cinema in the Woolco mall. Afetr a number of friendly chats with the manager, I used to go in there and kill some time watching the films… Ah! The indiscretions of youth!

Don Boyd is a buddy of mine and has a great site… so check it out!

As for the 79th Street Twin II, It WAS originally the Bard, then the Little River, then the 79th Street Art Theater. Right around the corner from it (on NE 2nd Avenue) was the King, formerly the Rex… originally the Rosetta.

There was another theater on NE 2nd Avenue South of 79th Street which became a split location for two businesses… Newgay Table Tennis and a company that did yearbook photos – I think it was called Nationwide Studios.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 7, 2009 at 11:13 pm

Here are photos from 1985 and 1989, respectively:
http://tinyurl.com/c27pyq
http://tinyurl.com/c9mvbk

Louis of Pompano
Louis of Pompano on March 22, 2009 at 2:40 am

I think the Star theatre was located close to where Woolco opened a store back in the late 60s or early 70s. This was west of the Northside Shopping Center, very close to the Peoples Commerce Bank, which amazingly enough is still there. I remember that there was a small mall type shopping center built there, but I don’t think it did very well. The Frank & Bun was more towards the corner of 79th Street & 27th Avenue. I don’t remember the Frank & Bun, however I have seen it’s location on Don’s website. At the time Woolco was there, the Frank & Bun was not. An amusement park, Funland Park was on that corner too, kind of like behind the Royal Castle, which is still there.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on July 27, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Here is a Star Twin ad. I have not added the theatre since I cannot find an actual address.

View link

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on July 23, 2008 at 3:21 pm

This was also the location for the Bard theatre which ran movies as well as live burlesque in the late fifties.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on July 23, 2008 at 1:43 pm

This location one housed the Little River theatre. I am unsure if it is the same building.

OldMiamiMemories
OldMiamiMemories on June 22, 2008 at 12:17 pm

Thanks for your comments Louis. I found this site looking for information on another old movie theatre (Palm Springs) and it has some good information, links and comments that I can use on my site. I’m glad you enjoy the old photos like I do.

Don

Louis of Pompano
Louis of Pompano on June 22, 2008 at 10:36 am

Don great to see you on this board! I am sure you will bring a wealth of information here. I enjoy your website very much, there is not a week that goes by that I don’t go in and reminisce!

OldMiamiMemories
OldMiamiMemories on June 21, 2008 at 2:36 pm

Yeah, that’s what I thought – it was way west of the 79th Street Art Theatre/Twin II Cinema. I went by there yesterday because the expressways were clogged in heavy rain – it’s all a giant flea market now.

Frank ‘n Bun was a very popular drive-in on the southwest corner of 27th Avenue and 79th Street in the 50’s. There is an aerial photo of Northside and Frank 'n Bun at: http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/85074956

Harvey
Harvey on June 20, 2008 at 5:07 pm

Got an address on the Star Twin. 79th Street and 30th Ave in the Woolco Shopping Center. Google maps lists this intersection as NW.

Harvey
Harvey on June 20, 2008 at 2:58 pm

Don,

I honestly do not know. My dad remembers the same mall on 27th Ave you speak of. He specifically remembers eating at a drive-in restaurant across from that mall on 79th. He thinks it was a Frank and Bun.

Harvey

Harvey
Harvey on June 14, 2008 at 3:08 am

Ad for the 79th Street Art

View link

OldMiamiMemories
OldMiamiMemories on June 13, 2008 at 10:56 pm

You’re correct, it was the porn of the time (1960’s) but when you say porno most people today think of the raw explicit raunchy stuff leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination and that just wasn’t the stuff being shown at the 79th Street Art Theatre in the 1960’s. I’m just clarifying the word “porno” so people don’t think it was the porno of today and past few decades.

Harvey, I’m certain that it had nothing to do with the Star II if the Star II was at the 79th Street Mall. Was that west of Northside Shopping Center on 27th Avenue?

Harvey
Harvey on June 13, 2008 at 8:38 pm

This had nothing to with the Star II, which as I understand was located in the 79th Street Mall, correct?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on June 13, 2008 at 8:28 pm

They were “soft core” sex films, the porn of the time. It opened with such films and was never mainstream. The gay screen started when they twinned it in the seventies.

OldMiamiMemories
OldMiamiMemories on June 13, 2008 at 6:39 pm

I wouldn’t say it was always porno. My buddies and I went there in the mid 1960’s and porno movies weren’t shown anywhere because they weren’t legal at the time. Back then it was the 79th Street Art Theatre, not a twin at the time, and it showed sexy B movies and nudist flicks. There was no gay side to it or we wouldn’t have gone there.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on July 16, 2006 at 4:05 am

Louis, it was always porno, gay on one screen, straight on the other.