Lake Theatre

The original Lake Theatre closed for the final time on June 15, 1974 with Walt Disney’s “Robin Hood” and “Napoleon And Samantha”. It was originally supposed to be converted into a mini mall but a restaurant named Pasta Palace was in-place instead.

The Lake Theatre originally had a 160-seat balcony but that part of the theater was shuttered for the remainder of its history for unknown reasons, with the walls being dark with tobacco stains. The theater’s management once got into trouble in 1964 after a woman who contended the theater broke her ankle after tripping over an empty popcorn box and later file a suit against them after.

The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, a combination art gallery, performance space, educational center, gift shop and tourist information kiosk that is currently housed in the former Lake Theatre is visited starting at 11:50 in this Lake Worth episode of the PBS tv program “On the Town in the Palm Beaches” on Youtube:

https://youtu.be/-61xIcKfLV0?t=710

Nice contemporary exterior shots at 12:30 and 13:00, but also a historic depiction back at 2:41 and 4:03 even though that part of the program is discussing the Lake Worth Playhouse.

Circa 1940’s photo added courtesy of Alvin Lederer.

This building is now home to the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. Great place to view works by local artists, shop locally handmade gifts, find out about cultural events & organizations, etc. It’s free and open to the public Tues-Sat from 10am to 5pm.

http://www.palmbeachculture.com/contactus

As for movies nowadays on Lake Avenue, I can report the nearby Lake Worth Playhouse’s Stonzek Theatre (a 48-seat black box space) is alive and thriving with art house fare. Even with limited space, they’ve proven worthwhile successors to the still much-missed Carefree.

http://www.lakeworthplayhouse.org/indie_films.html

A forgotten interlude in the Lake Theatre’s career: mid-70s incarnation as the Pasta Palace, where diners could watch classic movies as they ate:

View link

First the Lake Theatre is changed and then the Paramount in Palm Beach. Such a shame.

I love viewing the vintage post card of the art moderne Lake Theatre posted on Sept. 23, 2004. I wonder if the lobby was changed much after the renovations were made though I would certainly understand the auditorium floor being ‘flattened’ to create the museum space. Again, such a shame.

The Lake Theater building is currently closed. When Palm Beach CC could no longer operate the museum, philanthropist Robert Montgomery bought it and re-opened it as the Palm Beach Institute of Contemporary Art. When it became a financial burden to continue its operation, and when no other supporters could be found, he closed the museum. A few years ago, the slope of the auditorium floor was flattened to create the museum space.

After clicking on the name, Roy Benjamin I see that 19 theatres in GA, FL and one in MS were connected with him and many are being restored and remaining as theatres.

Tom: Yes, the importance of this building escaping demolition and the fate of other downtown structures is the best news despite the changes over the years to the former theatre on Lucerne Avenue. I hope that a tenant(s) can be found to occupy this downtown site.

IMO, if you compare the theatre and its vintage postcard appearance to how it was changed I can’t imagine the planning board agreeing to that present day look.

Tom: Thanks for the info and link! The vintage postcard of the Lake was wonderful to see…only wish it still looked that way as downtown Lake Worth along Lucerne is a quaint community near the ocean and would benefit with an original theatre in its midst!