Polk Theatre

I am very unhappy that the Polk Theater in Lakland, FL is not showing Fahrenheit 911. This film won at the Cannes Film Festival. I could not find a theater nearby showing this film.

I went to the Polk as a child during the 50's and 60's. On Saturday mornings you could get free admission if you brought in 6 RC bottlecaps (Royal Crown cola). There would also be drawings for door prizes at intermission.

Movie,
"Fahrenheit 9/11" IS playing in your area by now. You may already know this, but here is a link to all the U.S. theatres Moore's op-ed filmic masterpiece is now showing.
http://www.f911tix.com/
Then click on the image of Florida. Florida, hmmmmmmm! Make sure your vote is counted this time!

Could it be that the manager of the Polk has a sense of proportion and refuses to exhibit a highly aggressive political rant by a self consumed monster ego. Now I'm not saying that Bush doesn't deserve every kick in the butt we can give him(and Kerry too!) but to make what you call a documentary so biased, shrill, and distorted(anything perceived as slightly anti American automatically wins the palme d'or at Cannes, it's a slam dunk) seems to me your gunning for the Leni Reifenstal prize in cinematic misrepresentation.
Bravo for the Polk.

Vincent, it IS biased because it is slanted toward a a point of view. So what? It is not a documentary (that's why I referred to it as op-ed). It presents the truth about Bush and his slimy Machiavellian cohorts from the point of view of antipathy. Viva antipathy! The facts are researched and no-one has successfully refuted them. You call it shrill. I call it Swiftian. It is not anti-American; it is anti-Bush (unless you equate the two as do the orgasmic wacko fundamentlists of the religious right.) The jury at Cannes had only one Frenchman. Four members, I believe, were American. Leni Riefenstahl prize? She EXTOLLED a monster in "Triumph of the Will"; Moore's film EXCORIATES a dangerous and failed leader. Hardly the same. Moore does the world and America a noble service. Incidentally, while I do not shy away from friendly arguments, this will be my last word here...having gone on already, probably ad nauseam, on another part of "Cinema Treasures" in regard to the Iowa cinema chain. There are plenty of places to see the movie. And it comes out on DVD around the time of the Republican convention. I'd like to be in the rafters of Madison Square Garden then, dropping down DVD's of F 9/11 like manna from Democratic heaven into the Valley of the Republicans. Of course I jest. (Gotta be careful of the Patriot Act!)
Finito, basta.

Gerald, thank you for correcting the spelling of Riefenstahl.
However the film is being sold and labeled in papers and magazines as a documentary. And as many people have pointed out Moore's harangue is the flip side of Mel's catholic fundamentalist gay(Caravaggio anyone?) S and M fantasy. Moore just as much as Mel wants this to be a black and white world and my concerns relate to the chords which they are striking in millions of people in this ever more frightened world.
Hussein and his family were monters and our Democratic Kerry voted for the war. He his also being funded by his wife's Republican millions.
I am no Bush advocate by any stretch of the imagination. I just wish our filmmakers had more imagination and were able to create popular films which would reach a wide audience that could encompass all these staggering contradictions in a dramatic and entertaining way.
Above I said "perceived" as anti-American. And let's face it many of the quote, unquote filmmaking and Hollywood liberals are just as high handed, elitest, and arrogant(read this as anti-American) as the staunchest Rebulicans. This is what so many Americans understand and this is why Bush will win again. It is called the spite vote and God help us all.
Basta cosi.

A fun Polk Theater fact - in an upstaris dressing room there is an autograph by Elvis Presley. Appartently he and his band played there in the 50s, right after he became popular on KWKH's "Louisiana Hay Ride" and right before he broke big internationally. It is my understanding it was Elvis' first nation-wide tour. The Polk Theater folks have placed plexi-glass over the signature and rarely let people go into the dressing. Those that are lucky enough to get a tour of the facility catch a quick glimpse of the autograph.

Modern photo (enlarging will show pixels):

http://community.webshots.com/photo/3549128jpSHcyOaOR

Here is the website for the Polk Theatre and a history of the theatres.
http://www.polktheatre.org/polk_history.asp

Elvis was at the Polk Theater around 1955-1957..I remember my parents wouldn't let me go with my friends. I was really disappointed but I did see him at the Lakeland Center in the 70's, not long before he died. Some pictures of the 50's show are on display at the downtown Crisper's. I love the Polk Theater and went there as a kid and then on dates in high school. I wish they would show some 50's and 60's era movies maybe once a month. That would be fun and and I bet they would draw a large audience.

This is 1990's photo of the Polk Theater in Lakeland.

The Polk now has a Robert Morton 3/12 organ up and playing.Each time I visit it's more refined. Hats off to you guys!!!

This is a recent photo of the Polk theater and here is a closeup view.

There are some recent photos of the Polk Theater at this link. Click each photo to expand it.

Here is another photo of the Polk Theater.

In 1999 InterAmerica Stage, Inc. was contracted to provide a comprehensive inspection of the existing stage equipment, stage tower roof structure and analysis of the theatre’s production program. The study revealed a need for structural enhancements and replacement of the existing spot line/sandbag “hemp house” style rigging. Additional head steel and roof framing steel was installed to accommodate a full counterweight fly system. Our president, Mark Black says “The theatre is like a museum. There are artifacts of stage and film equipment throughout the building. The theatre board of directors are dedicated to preserving these items."

http://iastage.com/historical_renovations

This is a vintage photo of the Polk Theater. Date given for photo is 1939.

Visited the Polk today. They show art or classic films on Friday & Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon. The theater is beautiful. They did a great job restoring it and the cloud projectors actually work! The organ program was disappointing. The organist hit a lot of bad notes and the choice of registration was not very sophisticated the tuned percussion was overused. I felt bad for the people in the audience who had never heard a theater organ before. As an example of theater organ style, it was lacking. The organists are apparently volunteers and at least it is in the theater and playing.

Polk Theatre website

This is a very well done July 2008 photo of the Polk Theater.

Here is a September 2008 photo.

Thank you Lost Memory for the compliment on the July 2008 photo of the Polk Theater. I've noticed that this site has referenced a few of my theater pictures (Flickr allows you to see where referrals come from). Because of you, I have been taking theater pictures in hopes that you will find them on my flickr!!

Unfortunately, I'm done with most of my traveling this year, as I am back in school, but hopefully I will be doing much more next year!

-Bob

Your welcome Bob. It is a great shot of the Polk Theater. Now that your a member of Cinema Treasures, feel free to post any other theater photos that you might have taken.

Will do! :-)

Another photo of the Polk Theater can be seen here.

This is a nice photo of the Polk Theater.

Lost: Very nice theatre photos and one that I hope to visit in late March along with the Garden in Winter Garden and the Marion in Ocala.

And amazing to read that Elvis performed at this theatre in the 50's and that the theatre has an organ!

Any interior photos of this atmospheric?

So far, I haven't found any interior photos. The Polk Theater website might have a small interior photo. Enjoy your trip to Florida. If the weather doesn't warm up here soon, I might join you. LOL

Unfortunately, the website doesn't seem to be working left by CT member, "Chuck 1231". If memory serves me right, I think he was the retired pilot who lived part of the year in Hawaii.

That was Chuck. Try this link:

http://www.polktheatre.org/

Lost: The ones you posted on Oct. 11, 2006 are still available, but none of the photos show the atmospheric aspect.

Here is a shot from the stage.

Lost: That link worked! Thanks....again!!! It is an atmospheric!

Lost: That "shot from the stage" is unbelievable! I may have to now include this theatre while in Florida!

Lost: If by chance you run across a photo showing the stage area from the back of the auditorium, let me know. I'd like to see an original photo perhaps showing the original organ....Robert Morton 3/12 organ. I wonder if this was the original or a replacement organ?

Lost: On the polktheatre.org site there was an Elvis/history of the theatre link with more photos, but none of the organ nor information about it.

Patsy....Information about the Robert Morton theater organ can be found here. Photos included.

Lost: Well, you continue to amaze me with your finds on my behalf so many times.

There are two photos on that site that give you a peek at the auditorium.

Yes, I noticed the wonderful interior photos and the following quote:

"The beautiful Polk Theatre in downtown Lakeland, Florida is one of only two original atmospheric theatres left in the state."

My March trip to FL will not only include the Marion in Ocala, but the Garden in Winter Garden and the Polk in Lakeland.

Another photo of the Polk Theatre.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lakelanddave/3373184894/sizes/o/

This is another photo of the Polk Theater.

1988 Photo

Another 1988 photo of the Polk Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c9%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=2&catpagesize=25&ProductID=25545

2009 Photo

WUSF's Florida Matters broadcast on Historic Preservation includes a feature on the Polk Theatre. Here's the link:
http://www.wusf.usf.edu/Florida_Matters/2009/FLM_090703_Defending_Freedom.cfm

After viewing an 1988 exterior photo this theatre has come a long way! Congratulations.

Patsy, I really have to agree with you on your comment, it is a restored beauty of the past. Very impressive.

Complete restoration was completed in 1999.

spectrum: Music to my ears when reading "complete restoration was completed". Congratulations!!!

The new marquees etc. are just fantastic compared to how this theatre's exterior looked in 1988. Complete transformation!

In fact, the entire building was transformed with the lovely addition of awnings, etc. I wish more downtowns made use of storefront awnings rather than see them turned into a rusty place for bird's nests.