Ultravision Theatre
747 S. Federal Highway,
Deerfield Beach,
FL
33441
747 S. Federal Highway,
Deerfield Beach,
FL
33441
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: ABC Florida State Theatres
Firms: Brookbank, Murphy & Shields
Nearby Theaters
Opened in 1971, beautifully designed for acoustics, the Ultravision had round auditoria and 750 large rocking chair seats in the Ultravision auditorium. There were no center aisles so sight lines were unobstructed. There were 500-seats in the smaller auditorium.
The two circular screens met with a circular lobby that made the place look like a cinema of the future. It became home to a multi-denominational church. It was demolished in February 2013.
Contributed by
Al Alvarez
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 26 comments)
Was he an older Cuban gentleman? Rafael Bellestre?
Hi Al, it has been a while, it’s Ron, I hope all is well. Marvin and I were trying to remember his name, the first name was Raul. He was the one that everyone would ask you to translate what he was saying and you replied he speaks the same way in spanish.
How are things going for you, still in New York?
Al, while you are at it, what was the old doorman’s name at the shores that also typed up the reports?
The prototype UltraVison Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina, was developed by ABC-Paramount affiliate Wilby-Kincy and designed by architect William Bringhurst McGehee of the firm Six Associates. The Deerfield Beach UltraVision was based on McGehee’s original plans, as was Florida State Theatres first UltraVision house, the single screen Springs Theatre in Ocala, Florida, which was completed only a few months before the Deerfield Beach project.
A Boxoffice article about the Ocala project said that McGehee’s plans were adapted for Florida State Theatres by an architect named Bill Murphy, so it sems likely that he was also involved in the Deerfield Beach project. I haven’t been able to positively identify Murphy, but it’s possible that he was Bill Jackson Murphy, a founder of BMS Associates, a Columbus, Georgia, firm that, according to Murphy’s obituary designed numerous theaters for “…Martin Theaters, Fuqua, United Artists, Carmike Cinema and Southern Theaters….” in the southeast and Texas.
Raul Trellis, go figure, Marvin Got it.
Hi Ron! Marvin is correct. Raul Trellis had a stroke or something that impeded his speech so he was hard to understand, even in Spanish. Gino typed at the Shores. He claimed to have been the former speaker of the Cuban congress under Batista. Both were great men. All is good here.
I never knew Raul Trellis by name, but I think I remember him: Tall gentleman?
Around 10 years after the Ultra-Vision closed, went on a weekend art film trek to Coral Gables, when the Miracle had occasional subtitled fare. If it’s the same man I’m thinking of, my ticket was torn by Raul, and he recognized me immediately.
Meantime, the former Ultra-Vision property now hosts Aldi, Chipotle, and Panera Bread.
Used to Drive all the way to the Deerfield UltraVision Theaters after they opened and Loved the Continental Seating 1/3 Sized Curved Screens, the Comfortable Seats and the Color Decor if i’m correct the South Screen was ( Red ) and the North Screen was ( Gold ) Aw I Miss this Style Theater it was very Unique !
(Replacing a couple long-ago comments that had now-defunct links)
Almost simultaneous with Deerfield’s grand opening, ABC Florida State also brought the Ultravision concept to a new build not far away in Palm Beach County, the single-screen Dolphin in Palm Springs:
/theaters/31804/
Like the Ultravision Deerfield, the Dolphin was shuttered by the mid 80s, becoming one of the first local locations of Home Depot. Nowadays, can’t look in the pizza section at Aldi without thinking the Rocky Horror Shadowcast once frolicked not far away…
Opened February 12th, 1971