Gables Triple
Coral Way & SW 33rd Avenue,
Miami,
FL
33145
Coral Way & SW 33rd Avenue,
Miami,
FL
33145
2 people
favorited this theater
Opened with much fanfare in March 1970 by Larry King, the luxurious Twin Gables was actually located in Miami and named after the more prestigious nearby community of Coral Gables. Originally planned to be called the University Twin, a change of heart was prompted by the fact that the University of Miami was also nowhere near it.
A huge success from day one, the Twin Gables had two large plush rocking chair screens with 900+ and 700+ seats and “high fidelity” sound. The large parking lot (oceans of space) and prime location made the land more valuable than the theatres in due course and caused it’s innevitable closing. The larger twin was eventually sloppily split for the third screen. Opening features were “Jenny” and Zabriskie Point". The Twin Gables lived up to all the hype.
Contributed by
Al Alvarez
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Recent comments (view all 27 comments)
I knew Al well.
I got hold of a Plitt Memo from Charlotte naming Al Panetz naming him one of the top five sellers of Reduced Admission Ticket seller selling $5,400 for May 1983.
I think this was the theater where my folks would take me to see the various Disney re-releases such as “Lady and the Tramp” and “Song of the South” when we lived in Miami for a year from 1971 – 1972. One of the two apartments we lived in during that time was on Coral Way somewhere, and I know we attended films at the Coral Theatre as well as the Tropicaire, Dixie and Coral Way drive-ins. Been pillaging the google online editions of the old Miami News from around that time to pinpoint some of the titles and theaters we went to. Great fun, but can really suck all the time out of your day! Thanks to AlAlvarez for leading me to that great resource!
In 1983, I was hired by Mr. Panetz as a concession attendant and then I became an usher. Most people may remember Robbie the doorman and Mark the camera operator. There was also an assistant manager named Carlos Borges. I was also responsible for changing the letters on the marquee. In my opinion it was a very prestigious theatre for its time and would definately draw in huge crowds during top rated movies. I recall the opening of Return of the Jedi. The tickets line went around the building and it was played on both theaters. As an usher, I would enjoy catching guests opening the back doors to bring in their friends. I would also enjoy catching guests jumping from one auditorium to another. Since the roof provided access from one auditorium to another, I recall standing outside an auditorium analyzing guests trying to sneak in the auditorium across from where I stood. As soon as I would go in to the auditorium, I would run across the roof and end up at the other auditorium. Thinking I was inside the auditorium, the sneaky guests would walk in to what they thought was the unprotected auditorium, and I would be standing there with my trusty flash light; that would really freak them out. Those were good days. I recall the Grand Union next door, McDonald’s across the street (still there), and the famous Carjul Records. I recall swapping entries with friends that worked at the Miracle Theatre along Miracle Mile. I truly miss those days.
I guess catching people is fun.
I seem to remember where the Twin Gables used to be in 1962, there was first a Stevens and an Eckerds, then a Publix and an Office Depot and a Citgo service station on the corner, now a Winn-Dixie Marketplace and a Staples and the service station on the corner is Mobil. If somebody remembers it more accurately, please let me know.
Guarina, it opened in 1969 and is now a Winn Dixie location.
OK, I was off by several blocks. I would have sworn that Sears was next door, but I’m obviously wrong.
Well, seeing that one of the opening films was “Jenny” with Marlo Thomas, I looked it up, and watched it on YouTube. Not terribly significant, but very much of its time period. It was produced by ABC, and “That Girl” was on the network at the time. Not a coincidence, I’m sure.
I found a way of posting the opening day ad in the photo section although now I can’t figure out how I did it. Hmmm.