Beach Theatre

Original comment should read "western". My apologies. It is easy to forget that Florida has two coasts.

For years, the Beach Theater was pretty much an oasis in a multiplex desert. A nice small theater that for the longest time was one of the few (let's not forget the Tampa Theater) venues in this area to show independent and foreign films. Today, some multiplex's in the area are actually showing films that at one time would only have been available for showing at the Beach Theater. While this is a good thing, let's remember we still need to support small independent theaters like the Beach, otherwise they will totally disappear.

For sale for $875,000 http://listing.loopnet.com/14961860

This is a 2008 photo of the Beach Theater.

IS THIS STILL FOR SALE???

I don't see this theater listed on LoopNet anymore. Here is a 2007 article about the Beach Theater. The article mentions that this theater has a new owner.

A July 2008 photo can be seen here.

This is an August 2008 photo.

Lost Memory, the Beach opened on March 3rd, 1946 and an ad can be found at
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z9UKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pk4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7233%2C5072960

the beach website has an opening date of January 15th, 1940
http://www.beachtheatre.com/history.html but no ad appered in the newspapers until 1946. The movie page for January 15th, 1940 can be found at http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i7sKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Sk0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7046%2C3347553

Maybe the theater website is wrong about the opening date.

Here is another article about the opening. The architect is noted as M. Winfield Lott.
http://tinyurl.com/6nw7uh

So the correct opening year is 1940 and not 1946.

Here is a 2004 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/6m35du

"This photo may only be saved by friends" Are you a friend?

I am indeed. Quaker education, in fact.

Okay. I'll save a copy too.

This is a nice 2009 photo.

Could anyone help me solve a mystery? I have a distinct memory of going to St. Petersburg Beach with my family in 1970 when I was about 16. I walked about a half hour from our hotel on the beach to a movie theatre to see a re-release of Ben-Hur. Perhaps it was this one, but it looks a bit far from where I think we stayed. Was there another movie theatre near the beach in those days? Thanks!

We visited here yesterday and this is the kind of independent local theater we need to support. Paid $5.00 matinee admission ("up In the Air" and $4.00 concession - now that's refreshing - for popcorn and soda. I spoke with one of the employees who told me that 3 folks worked there and the two I met were very cordial - also refreshing. Among the on-screen ads were a 1940 photo of the theater and the opening Window Card from "Dust Be My Destiny". Screenwriter and local native Michael France ("Fantastic Four", "Hulk"...) purchased the theater in 2007. They do a free Saturday morning screening (yesterday was a Japanese sci-fi flic) and a troupe accompanies "The Rocky Horror Picture SHow' on Saturday evenings. Check it out when you are in the area.

Photos of the Beach Theatre courtesy ferret1111.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferret111/3687719051/sizes/l/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferret111/3687719047/sizes/l/in/photostream/