Cameo Theater
169 Central Avenue,
St. Petersburg,
FL
33701
169 Central Avenue,
St. Petersburg,
FL
33701
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Located in downtown St. Petersburg, the Rex Theater was operating by 1911. By 1941, it had been renamed Cameo Theater and was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary E.J. Sparks. It was still open in 1950. Now long gone.
Contributed by
Andy
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The Cameo was open in 1928. After E.J. Sparks it was operated by Florida State Theatres. The theatre was raided by police on 8, Feb. 1973 for showing “Deep Throat” shortly thereafter it closed.
According to various back editions of the St. Pete Times, the Cameo was originally known as the Rex Theatre, which was operating as far back as 1911.
Aaah yes! The Cameo. In 1969 I drove over from Tampa to see “I Am Curious (Yellow)” and I recall quite a number of senior citizens in the audience. This boring b&w film was pretty controversial for it’s time with some full frontal nudity…about the only reason it played for months and months in many markets.
The entrance into the Cameo’s audiorium was unique for a movie theatre. You walked up an incline right into the center of the auditorim. There were a few rows of seating from the entrance towards the front, and on either side of the entrance on up to the rear wall. Similiar to entering a stadium but without stadium seating.
When the theatre closed it was used for stage performances for some time although I can’t remember if it was still called the Cameo. Towards the late 1980s I saw a live performance of the hilarious “El Grande De Coca Cola.” It was strange seeing the auditorium without the screen. It looked somewhat smaller than I had remembered from about 20 years before.
Thanks Nick,Surprized “YELLOW” wasn’t banned there.