170th Street Cinema

Excellent site. Back in the late 70's, I remember my Aunt took my sister and I to see Paul McCartney concert film "Wings Across America" in 70mm Dolby Sound at this theatre. Never will forget it.

The 170th Street Cinema was originally constructed and operated by Loews Theatres. This theater was built across the street from the ocean in an almost Hollywood setting. Unfortunately the construction was done as if this theatre was being constructed in a northern location.
Instead of building the theatre up with the auditorium going down to ground level it was built at ground level with the auditorium being dug down. This caused many problems in the Miami Beach location. The water table was higher than the depth of the auditorium. To prevent flooding during the time the water table was at normal or high levels a sump pump system had to be built into the final faze of construction.
This theatre was later purchased by General Cinema Corporation as it purchased all of the Loews theatres in the Florida area. Only one Loews theatre failed to transfer to General Cinema Corporation that being the Loews 163rd Street Theatre.
At the time of the sale multiplex cinemas were fast becoming the only way to stay in business. General Cinema made plans to convert this theatre into a multiplex theatre to be able to continue selling tickets and showing movies at this location. This theatre closed its doors as a single auditorium operation at its end of the run of JAWS. This movie had such an impact the hotels across the street were advertising “Shark Free Pools”
Approximately two months later this theatre reopened as a “twin” operation. One of the two movies was “Rooster Cogburn” staring John Wayne. The process of creating two auditoriums did change the look of the auditoriums but did allow the company to operate as a money making operation for many more years. With the twinning of this theatre it allowed many more opportunities to enjoy great movies at this unique theatre.

One slight correction to the excellent post above. The General Cinema take over of Loews did not include the 167th Street Twin nor Bay Harbor, as those leases had a partner. The 163rd Street was a Wometco house at the time.

The LOEWS 170th Street Theatre marquee.

http://preview.aalvarez733.photosite.com/album2/scan0006.html

Here is another link to that marquee photo. Notice the apostrophe version of "LOEW'S".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25725093@N07/2419127596/

This theatre opened in 1958. After closing in 1993, the 170th Street was briefly re-opened in 1994 as the Sunny Isles Beach twin.

1985 photo of the 170th Street here.

Tying into a comment I made on the Palm Aire Plaza page, the Sunny Isles Beach may have been the theatre that caught fire on reopening weekend, never to recover. It may have been refitted with four or even five screens. I'll have to sit down with the Miami Herald microfilm at the library sometime and try to find details...

Based on a Google address match, the former theatre space is now Miami Beach Fitness:

http://www.miamibeachfitness.com/

The Herald timeclock in 1994 listed it as the Sunvista Sunny Isles Beach Cinema, closed due to fire.

That was in late December, 1994.

This theatre is now located in the city of Sunny Isles Beach, no longer part of Miami Beach.