As of today, the Municipality of Bayamón has the structure up for sale or rent as posted on its website (http://bred.bayamonpr.org/gis2.asp?r=2013030101&nr=KNNSERTJSB). The posting includes photographs.
darkpitch07 and bohique: I was doing a search on Google Maps based on your information. As of February 2016, the Texaco gas station had become a Puma, and then I noticed there was a Banco de Santander close by. Was the Martí located where Santander was (I believe this branch has closed since) or at the building right next to it?
w_figueroa: Doing a search on Google Maps of the Santa Juanita neighborhood based on your information, I believe I found the exact site of Teatro Santa Juanita, which is now Santa Juanita Apartments on Calle 38 between Calle 45 and Calle 33 Este.
I believe I found the right location after a careful search of the area on Google Maps. The Azteca was indeed located in Puerto Nuevo, specifically where Córdova and Constitución streets form a fork. The building currently houses the Puerto Rico Electricians Licensing Board, with the address 708 Calle Córdova, although the theater’s marquee and entrance were on the other side on Calle Constitución.
A Chinese restaurant called Mandarin also operated at the site until it was destroyed in a fire sometime in the mid/late 1970s. The owner, who lived on the premises, was killed.
JJ: The drive-in in Carolina was called the 65th Infantry Drive-In, since it was located on 65 de Infanteria Avenue. It was owned by Wometco Commonwealth.
Eric: You might be referring to the Virgilio Davila housing project on Highway 2, a short driving distance from the site.
I remember Cinema Centro very well as that was the theater where I saw “Star Wars” when it premiered. It was a large, comfortable venue, with one screen at the time.
I also saw “101 Dalmatians” (1972 re-release) and “Dragonslayer” there. At one time, there was a Pizza Inn on the first floor.
My best estimate of the location is Robles Street between Ponce de Leon Avenue and Brumbaugh Street. I saw the 1980 feature-film version of “Flash Gordon” there.
[Reposting] I don’t recall the Lux ever being listed among the Wometco Commonwealth theaters, and I have no clue if it was owned by Llamas. This one venue’s history might remain an obscure one.
I’m under the impression the Lux burned down and the remaining structure was afterwards demolished.
Bob: The best location I can describe is Ponce de Leon Avenue, between Robles and Arzuaga streets, in Rio Piedras. If you drove southbound on Ponce de Leon, the theater was on your left.
[Reposting] AGR: Teatro President (not Presidente) was located on De Diego Street in Rio Piedras, not far from Plaza del Mercado. After it closed, a clothing store opened in its place.
I went to the Oller a few times and watched “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, a European animated feature titled “Once Upon a Time”, “The Ten Commandments” one Holy Week, and “The Deep”.
The first time I saw a cartoon short at a movie theater was at the Astor. I remember it was a Walter Lantz production but don’t recall which character(s) it featured.
The Astor was originally called the Kresto-Denia and was located close to the intersection with Jesus T. Pinero (a.k.a. Central) Avenue. I remember watching a “Grease” and “Thank God It’s Friday” double feature one Sunday morning.
One Spanish-language film the New San Juan played in the 1960s was the spy spoof “Agente ‘0’ en New York” starring the late Puerto Rican comedian Adalberto Rodriguez (better known by his show-business name “Machuchal”).
As of today, the Municipality of Bayamón has the structure up for sale or rent as posted on its website (http://bred.bayamonpr.org/gis2.asp?r=2013030101&nr=KNNSERTJSB). The posting includes photographs.
darkpitch07 and bohique: I was doing a search on Google Maps based on your information. As of February 2016, the Texaco gas station had become a Puma, and then I noticed there was a Banco de Santander close by. Was the Martí located where Santander was (I believe this branch has closed since) or at the building right next to it?
w_figueroa: Doing a search on Google Maps of the Santa Juanita neighborhood based on your information, I believe I found the exact site of Teatro Santa Juanita, which is now Santa Juanita Apartments on Calle 38 between Calle 45 and Calle 33 Este.
I believe I found the right location after a careful search of the area on Google Maps. The Azteca was indeed located in Puerto Nuevo, specifically where Córdova and Constitución streets form a fork. The building currently houses the Puerto Rico Electricians Licensing Board, with the address 708 Calle Córdova, although the theater’s marquee and entrance were on the other side on Calle Constitución.
Back in the 1970s, the Paradise showed “The Black Windmill”, “Star Wars”, and Chinese martial-arts films.
I remember the Isaresa featured a children’s matinee on Saturdays.
A Chinese restaurant called Mandarin also operated at the site until it was destroyed in a fire sometime in the mid/late 1970s. The owner, who lived on the premises, was killed.
Cinema 4 was also rented out for graduation ceremonies, such as the one for one of my sisters in 1975.
On its Facebook page, the Puerto Rico Historic Building Drawings Society has a great photo gallery of the Matienzo’s (now Arriví’s) interior.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.292940967444982.70664.145605908845156&type=1
[Reposting] Based on my own memories of Old San Juan as well as my mother’s (she grew up in the city), these were the area theaters:
Royal – San Justo Street, close to the corner with San Francisco Street.
Rialto – corner of San Francisco and Tanca Streets. Ended up as an X-rated theater before closing down and reopening as a Burger King.
Cine Luna – Luna Street (of course).
Roxy – Cruz Street, close to the old Gonzalez Padin department store. It was replaced by a Chinese restaurant that later burned down.
Tres Banderas – Recinto Sur Street, across (I think) from the “Dona Fela” parking garage. Demolished.
JJ: The drive-in in Carolina was called the 65th Infantry Drive-In, since it was located on 65 de Infanteria Avenue. It was owned by Wometco Commonwealth.
I remember two films that played at Bayamon Oeste: “Clash of the Titans” (original 1981 version) and “Coma”.
Eric: You might be referring to the Virgilio Davila housing project on Highway 2, a short driving distance from the site.
I remember Cinema Centro very well as that was the theater where I saw “Star Wars” when it premiered. It was a large, comfortable venue, with one screen at the time.
I also saw “101 Dalmatians” (1972 re-release) and “Dragonslayer” there. At one time, there was a Pizza Inn on the first floor.
There are two films I remember watching at the Renault: “A Man Called Flintstone” and Cantinflas' “El bombero atomico”.
My best estimate of the location is Robles Street between Ponce de Leon Avenue and Brumbaugh Street. I saw the 1980 feature-film version of “Flash Gordon” there.
[Reposting] I don’t recall the Lux ever being listed among the Wometco Commonwealth theaters, and I have no clue if it was owned by Llamas. This one venue’s history might remain an obscure one.
I’m under the impression the Lux burned down and the remaining structure was afterwards demolished.
Bob: The best location I can describe is Ponce de Leon Avenue, between Robles and Arzuaga streets, in Rio Piedras. If you drove southbound on Ponce de Leon, the theater was on your left.
[Reposting] AGR: Teatro President (not Presidente) was located on De Diego Street in Rio Piedras, not far from Plaza del Mercado. After it closed, a clothing store opened in its place.
I went to the Oller a few times and watched “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, a European animated feature titled “Once Upon a Time”, “The Ten Commandments” one Holy Week, and “The Deep”.
The first time I saw a cartoon short at a movie theater was at the Astor. I remember it was a Walter Lantz production but don’t recall which character(s) it featured.
The Astor was originally called the Kresto-Denia and was located close to the intersection with Jesus T. Pinero (a.k.a. Central) Avenue. I remember watching a “Grease” and “Thank God It’s Friday” double feature one Sunday morning.
One Spanish-language film the New San Juan played in the 1960s was the spy spoof “Agente ‘0’ en New York” starring the late Puerto Rican comedian Adalberto Rodriguez (better known by his show-business name “Machuchal”).
Norarte Shopping Center is located on Highway 167 across from Robert Junghanns Park in Bayamon. It also had a Kinney shoe store.
[Reposting] AGR: You are referring to the New San Juan which was also on Fernandez Juncos Avenue. That was the site of the F and the Vigoreaux studio.
The Cine Carmen location on Highway 2 was close to the intersection with Hiram Gonzalez (a.k.a. Comerio) Street.