Palace Theatre

Jacksonville, FL

32 E. Forsyth Street

, Jacksonville, FL, United States

(map)

Status:	Closed/Demolished
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Unknown

Function:	Unknown
Seats:	1878
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Roy A. Benjamin
Firm:	Unknown

Opened in 1919, the Palace was an early theater design by local architect, Roy A. Benjamin, who also designed the Imperial down Forsyth Street (Benjamin earlier designed Jacksonville's Arcade Theatre, later renamed the Center, as well as the opulent Florida Theatre some years later, also on Forsyth.) The Palace, which sat nearly 1900, was built for S.A. Lynch of Asheville, North Carolina and was originally part of the Keith vaudeville circuit. Around the time it opened, it was called "The Theater Beautiful" and "Equal of any and peer of many in the East".

During the 20s, with vaudeville on the wane, the Palace became a movie house, though after the larger and much more ornate Florida opened in 1927, the Palace's days as the premier movie house on Forsyth Street were coming to an end. The theater survived until 1956, when it was demolished along with the nearby Imperial. A parking garage is now on the site.

Contributed by Bryan

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A postcard view of the Palace from around the time it opened (1919) can be seen here. The Imperial is just to the right of the Palace.

posted by Bryan Krefft on Sep 23, 2004 at 4:41pm

The street address for the Palace Theatre was 32 East Forsyth Street. It had a seating capacity of 1,878

posted by KenRoe on Nov 2, 2004 at 10:21am

I was an usher at the Palace Theater from 1946-1948. It was one of the many theaters iin jacksonville that was owned by Paramount theaters, Inc. Paramount owned all the downtown Jax theaters except the St John (WB) and the Casino (ind). The palace was remodeled in the early 1940's. The second balcony was blocked off with a drop ceiling. Air conditioning was added and the theater took on an art-deco/modernist theme. Periodic stage shows (Eddy Arnold, Blackstone the Magcian and others) continued until I left in Oct. 1948, EDDY66

posted by EDDY66 on Feb 21, 2005 at 5:52pm

I saw the first 3-D film here --"Bwana Devil" and the theatre was packed. I also saw "The THING"
which to me (at eleven) was so scary. To advertise the film I rmember they had a coffin outside the theatre with a voice coming from inside with screams saying the thing is coming.

posted by StanleyNorton on Jul 16, 2007 at 11:44am

Link to Palace pictures here (sorry for bad repro):

http://seriousjacksonvilletheatresdrive-ins.blogspot.com/2008/06/palace.html

posted by Harvey on Jun 24, 2008 at 11:35pm

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