Suniland Triple
11941 S. Dixie Highway,
Pinecrest,
FL
33156
11941 S. Dixie Highway,
Pinecrest,
FL
33156
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: ABC Florida State Theatres, Plitt Theatres
Architects: Robert E. Collins
Previous Names: Suniland Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Suniland Theatre was a single screen house which opened on June 25, 1964 with Jack Lemmon in “Good Neighbor Sam”. Later a completely new second screen, lobby and concession stand added. On June 6, 1980 a third screen was later carved out of the main theatre. It showed mostly Warner Brothers, United Artists and Disney product for most of its existence as ABC Florida State Theatres were prone to do in South Florida.
John Huddy, then movie critic for The Miami Herald, had a personal vendetta against the place and often trashed it while reviewing movies. The Suniland Triple was closed on June 11, 1987 and was soon demolished.
Contributed by
Al Alvarez
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Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
The original single-screen Suniland Theatre was designed by architect Robert E. Collins, according to an item in the September 30, 1963, issue of Boxoffice Magazine which announced that construction had begun on the project.
The Suniland opens:
View link
Rick Comer was manager June 3 1983.
Yes I was at the Suniland in June of 1983. I actually started there in August of 1982. The theatre was playing AC/DC Let There Be Rock with the enhanced sound system, ET and we opened Fast Times At Ridgemont High my first week. We also were running “Shock Treatment” as a Miami area exclusive late show, what a dog. We were contracted to play it 12 weeks and by the third week we had maybe 10 people each night attend. Mike, do we know each other?
I have no memory of this theater when I was a kid. I just Google mapped it, and see a strip center. I wonder if the shell is part of any of the buildings?
What was the Suniland Triple is now a Best Buy.
A post from November 9th, 2007 on a “Remembering Old Miami” blog says “You grew up in Miami if you remember” followed by a list that includes “Sunniland (sic) Theater where the Oriental Rug place is now”.
If you look at the Best Buy from the 11941 South Dixie Highway angle on Google Street View on the Google Maps website then change the image to Nov 2007, an Azhar’s Oriental Rugs is where the Best Buy will later be.
Also what I remember back in the early 1990’s as being a blank marquee at the entrance to the parking lot by South Dixie Highway is the rug store’s sign on the left of the 2007 Street View image, then the Best Buy sign today.
I’ve seen a photo from the theater’s early days where it is a stand alone building with that marquee out by the highway, so the shopping center must have later been built on either side of it.
The theater’s address is correct based on old phone books but the address of the Best Buy is 11905 so the buildings may have been renumbered as businesses came and went.
The shopping center that the former theater was in is now on the western border of the Village of Pinecrest, which incorporated in 1996. This area was never part of the City of South Miami, which ends at SW 88th Street (Kendall Drive).
Thank you for updating the city and Street View image.
Just for the record the theater’s original address was 11975 South Dixie Highway. The Best Buy that is now in the theater’s space is addressed at 11905.
The Suniland theatre was opened by Florida State Theatres on June 25th, 1964 with “Good Neighbor Sam”. Grand opening ad re-uploaded.
Three screens opening on June 6th, 1980. small ad uploaded.
It closed on June 11, 1987, and it was soon demolished. The expansion of the shopping center such as Best Buy and Pet Supermarket is where the Suniland Triple once stood.