The last time I drove by, the building was there, but the theatre has been closed, since the sixties. This was a theater attended by African-Americans, until segregation ended.
I think all of the theatres which should show as having been in Palm Beach, are listed here as West Palm Beach. There are no theatres in Palm Beach now, sadly, but The Paramount, Colony, Park and Beau Arts were all in Palm Beach, when they existed.
In my life time, I have seen : Palm Beach; The Paramount (Movie Palace!), The Park and The Colony—– all demolished. In West Palm Beach, The Carefree, destroyed by Hurricane Wilma, The Kettler/Palms-razed, The Surf— razed, The Coral—razed, The Arcade—remodeled into offices, and The Florida—now a legit theatre, with no screen or projector. There were others, like The Bijou which were torn down before I was born. Saddly, there are no theatres in Palm Beach or in Downtown West Palm Beach, except the one mentioned above, at City Place. No more big screens though. Most importantly, all of our “Palaces” have been torn down. PROTECT YOURS if you have one.
The Surf, opened on December 23, 1948. Atlantic National Bank bought it, around 1962, to expand their drive-through. The Surf was the first of our local theaters to screen in Cinemascope, with The Robe. That carpet wes a gray background, with red flowers and green leaves. Beautiful, but not a “Movie Palace”.
Saw so many of the Roy & Dale movies there. Serials, cartoons and Fox News Reels there. Cost 7 cents to get in. This was in 1948 to the early 1950’s. We moved back to Florida in 1949, but we would go back to the Fox on visits. Fond memories all.
And by-the-way, it was not uncommon, at that time, for road shows to play 4 shows a day. I went after school, and it was still daylight when we met him at the stage door after the show. He most likely had at least two more shows after the one we saw. In Vaudville, the performers did eight shows a day.
I remember The Palms well, and yes, Elvis did play there, saw him there. The new theatre across the street on the corner of Clematis and Narcissus, was The Florida. The Coral was up Clematis Street, next to,or near Burdines. The Surf was over on Datura, in the 300 block.
The Florida became The Stage Company, a concert house and was then remodeled (several million) into The Burt Reynolds Theatre. That went under, and Bob Cuillo purchased it, and ran it for about ten years as The Cuillo Theatre. Recently, the City of West Palm Beach bought it for the new home for a theatre, “Dramaworks”. That will open on 11-11-11, as a legitimate theatre. The City of West Palm Beach no lomger has any movie theatre(s) in the immediate downtown area. There is one with many tiny screens in City Place. Palm Beach has no movie theatre either. They destroyed the last movie palace in Palm Beach County when they destroyed The Paramount. Once they are gone, they will never be built again, and all of ours are gone in Palm Beach County. PROTECT YOURS if you are lucky enough to still have one.
I love this photo!!!
Thank you so much for posting it.
I am going to drive by tomorrow, and see what is left.
It was, along with the Dixie. I think they both closed sometime in the sixties or early senenties.
The last time I drove by, the building was there, but the theatre has been closed, since the sixties. This was a theater attended by African-Americans, until segregation ended.
I think all of the theatres which should show as having been in Palm Beach, are listed here as West Palm Beach. There are no theatres in Palm Beach now, sadly, but The Paramount, Colony, Park and Beau Arts were all in Palm Beach, when they existed.
In my life time, I have seen : Palm Beach; The Paramount (Movie Palace!), The Park and The Colony—– all demolished. In West Palm Beach, The Carefree, destroyed by Hurricane Wilma, The Kettler/Palms-razed, The Surf— razed, The Coral—razed, The Arcade—remodeled into offices, and The Florida—now a legit theatre, with no screen or projector. There were others, like The Bijou which were torn down before I was born. Saddly, there are no theatres in Palm Beach or in Downtown West Palm Beach, except the one mentioned above, at City Place. No more big screens though. Most importantly, all of our “Palaces” have been torn down. PROTECT YOURS if you have one.
The Surf, opened on December 23, 1948. Atlantic National Bank bought it, around 1962, to expand their drive-through. The Surf was the first of our local theaters to screen in Cinemascope, with The Robe. That carpet wes a gray background, with red flowers and green leaves. Beautiful, but not a “Movie Palace”.
Saw so many of the Roy & Dale movies there. Serials, cartoons and Fox News Reels there. Cost 7 cents to get in. This was in 1948 to the early 1950’s. We moved back to Florida in 1949, but we would go back to the Fox on visits. Fond memories all.
And by-the-way, it was not uncommon, at that time, for road shows to play 4 shows a day. I went after school, and it was still daylight when we met him at the stage door after the show. He most likely had at least two more shows after the one we saw. In Vaudville, the performers did eight shows a day.
I remember The Palms well, and yes, Elvis did play there, saw him there. The new theatre across the street on the corner of Clematis and Narcissus, was The Florida. The Coral was up Clematis Street, next to,or near Burdines. The Surf was over on Datura, in the 300 block.
The Florida became The Stage Company, a concert house and was then remodeled (several million) into The Burt Reynolds Theatre. That went under, and Bob Cuillo purchased it, and ran it for about ten years as The Cuillo Theatre. Recently, the City of West Palm Beach bought it for the new home for a theatre, “Dramaworks”. That will open on 11-11-11, as a legitimate theatre. The City of West Palm Beach no lomger has any movie theatre(s) in the immediate downtown area. There is one with many tiny screens in City Place. Palm Beach has no movie theatre either. They destroyed the last movie palace in Palm Beach County when they destroyed The Paramount. Once they are gone, they will never be built again, and all of ours are gone in Palm Beach County. PROTECT YOURS if you are lucky enough to still have one.