I don’t know the exact size of the Plaza but it was over 2000 seats. In the photo the street going to the right is central ave, while the one going to the left is fifth street. I believe the theater was entered through the arcade on central ave. The central ave part of the theater ( arcade) is now a parking lot and where the auditorium was is the current location of the Holocast museum. The auditorium was located across the theater from the Florida theater.
Until the 1960’s it was not uncommon in the south to have “colored balconies”, especially in small towns that only had one or two theaters
It was larger and more beautiful than the Tampa theater. At the time, all any one thought about was how great the new Bayfront center was. No one was interested in saving old theaters.
I would very much like to get a copy of the picture you have of the Ritz and contact information for the current manager. I beleive my grandfather Charles Richelieu was the one who converted it. He may have had a busines partner named or Thompson. I think Mr
Thompson bought out his portion of the theater in 1934.
I believe he orginally bought a theater on Locust street called the Lyric while he converted the Ritz. My mother said the orginal ceiling had lights in ceiling like many onthers of the time, and that there were white columns on the side to make it look like a “Roman Garden”
The theater building is still there. It is located at 3150 5th ave n in St. Petersburg. It currently houses the King of Peace Metropolitan Communty Church. The shopping center complex was Central Plaza. At the time it contained A Publix grocery store, a Wards dept store, A Grants Department store and a William Henry Dept store. Not much remains now. The Pubix and William Henry have been torn down. The new YMCA is located there. The Grants building is still there; but I don’t know what is in there. The Wards is a auto supply warehouse.
I attended premire ofthe theater with my grandparents. The movie shown was “Our Man Flint” with James Colburn. I also remember seeing the new version of “Gone with the Wind” in either late 1969 or early 1970.
I moved from St Petersburg in 1970 and do not remember how long it remained a movie theater.
I don’t know the exact size of the Plaza but it was over 2000 seats. In the photo the street going to the right is central ave, while the one going to the left is fifth street. I believe the theater was entered through the arcade on central ave. The central ave part of the theater ( arcade) is now a parking lot and where the auditorium was is the current location of the Holocast museum. The auditorium was located across the theater from the Florida theater.
Until the 1960’s it was not uncommon in the south to have “colored balconies”, especially in small towns that only had one or two theaters
It was larger and more beautiful than the Tampa theater. At the time, all any one thought about was how great the new Bayfront center was. No one was interested in saving old theaters.
I would very much like to get a copy of the picture you have of the Ritz and contact information for the current manager. I beleive my grandfather Charles Richelieu was the one who converted it. He may have had a busines partner named or Thompson. I think Mr
Thompson bought out his portion of the theater in 1934.
I believe he orginally bought a theater on Locust street called the Lyric while he converted the Ritz. My mother said the orginal ceiling had lights in ceiling like many onthers of the time, and that there were white columns on the side to make it look like a “Roman Garden”
The theater building is still there. It is located at 3150 5th ave n in St. Petersburg. It currently houses the King of Peace Metropolitan Communty Church. The shopping center complex was Central Plaza. At the time it contained A Publix grocery store, a Wards dept store, A Grants Department store and a William Henry Dept store. Not much remains now. The Pubix and William Henry have been torn down. The new YMCA is located there. The Grants building is still there; but I don’t know what is in there. The Wards is a auto supply warehouse.
I attended premire ofthe theater with my grandparents. The movie shown was “Our Man Flint” with James Colburn. I also remember seeing the new version of “Gone with the Wind” in either late 1969 or early 1970.
I moved from St Petersburg in 1970 and do not remember how long it remained a movie theater.