Riverside Theatre
1028 Park Street,
Jacksonville,
FL
32204
1028 Park Street,
Jacksonville,
FL
32204
1 person
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The Riverside Theatre opened in 1927. Seating was located on one floor, orchestra level.
It became a nightclub and was then restored in 2005 and became a venue for special events.
Contributed by
KenRoe
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
This theatre was modernized and re-opened as the 5 Points Theatre in the 1950s. The building still exists, and to my knowledge, is currently a nightclub.
The Riverside Theatre was a deluxe neighborhood house and boasted a Wurlitzer pipe organ, Opus 1554, a Model “E” (divided), installed shipped January 13, 1927. The organ was repossesed and was moved to St. Paul’s Church, Daytona Beach, FL, in 1931.
An auditorium shot can be viewed in the book, “American Theatres of Today”, and if one looks closely there is a female organist playing the Wurlitzer. Many of the interior design details of the Riverside appeared in Benjamin’s Albany Theatre, Albany, Georgia, which opened in 1927.
It was the first theatre in Jacksonville to show talkies beginning with the JAZZ SINGER. Later in the early 50’s it became the 5 Points and you could smoke in the loge. I remember the advertising saying it had a RCA Synchro screen which turned out to be with white masking not white and curved somewhat. Showed mostly Universal and Warner Bros. Later converted to Cinerama, then a disco, a live theatre and now it has been remodeled and is opened as some kind of theatre. the marquee (as the 5 Points) has been completely restored and looks great.
The theatre and adjacent office building were completely restored in 2005. Since then, the theatre has operated as an event venue. There is currnetly consideration being given to reopening as a movie with food and bar servece.
This article gives a build date of 1927.
This is a photo of the Riverside.
Here is a website for the 5 Points Theater.
The 5 Points circa 1949:
[%20[graphic]&IMGTITLE=RF01098]http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/displayphoto.cfm?IMGURL=http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/rfisher/RF01098.jpg&IMGTEXT=[Close-up%20view%20of%20the%205%20Points%20Theatre%20sign%20:%20Jacksonville,%20Florida]%20[graphic]&IMGTITLE=RF01098](http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/displayphoto.cfm?IMGURL=http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/rfisher/RF01098.jpg&IMGTEXT=[Close-up%20view%20of%20the%205%20Points%20Theatre%20sign%20:%20Jacksonville,%20Florida)
Would love to get some updated info for this theatre going! My name is Shana, my husband Tim and I have taken over the Riverside Theatre as of November 1, 2011, embarked on some renovations and upgrades, and will reopen as a cinema within a couple of weeks. Jack Coursey came by and took the photo that’s at the top now, but for more information on what we’re up to visit our blog:
sunraycinema.wordpress.com