Teatro Ambassador
1114 Avenida Juan Ponce de Leon,
Miramar,
San Juan
00907
1114 Avenida Juan Ponce de Leon,
Miramar,
San Juan
00907
3 people
favorited this theater
Located in the Miramar district. The 500-seat Teatro Ambassador specialized in B-movies and opened on October 1, 1948 with Vivien Leigh in “Anna Karenina. It was operated by Cobian Theatres. During its early years, it was the place where kids went to see "Abbott and Costello" movies.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s it changed to exploitation fare and was re-named Teatro Ambassador. It was the place to see women in prison films, AIP and Hammer horror flicks and even the infamous "Ilsa" movies.
For a teenager growing up in the 1970’s, the Teatro Ambassador was the place to see the "R" rated movies they wouldn’t allow us to see in other theaters.
Ocassionally the Teatro Ambassador would show more mainstream movies, but this was not generally the case.
The Teatro Ambassador closed down in the early-1980’s and it became a venue for local theater plays as the Teatro Venus. But this only lasted a couple of years and the theater finally closed down for good.
During the late-1980’s, the marquee was blown away by Hurricane Hugo. Today, the Teatro Ambassador has been renovated by the government in the hopes of restoring a “theatre row” along Avenida Juan Ponce de Leon. You can see the ticket stand, and the candy counter is still there along with memories of many wonderful Saturday afternoons. Seating is now provided for 200 in the orchestra and 75 in the balcony. It presents Concerts and Live Performances.
By January 2025 it had closed and the building was boarded up.
Contributed by
Jose Mendez
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
The Ambassador actually holds 500 people, 300 in its first level and another 200 in the second level. “¿Quién mató a Héctor Lavoe?” (Who killed Hector Lavoe?), a play about the assasination of the legendary Puerto Rican Salsero, will be the first to play in the newly restored Ambassador.
pic… View link
enjoy
I was in San Juan in October and saw the Ambassador from the outside and it looked great. The marquee was announcimg the salsa star Gilberto Santa Rosa. Has anyone of the above contributors been inside? In the earlyit 60’s Cobian/Commonwealth renpvated it and opened as the “New” Ambassador with a George Chakiris movie == The Empire of the Sun or something like that == with I believe, Yul Brynner and Christopher Plummer co-starring. Happy New Year, Andres.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davsot/4230234104/
Renewing link.
I saw Benji, Carrie, Freaky Friday at this theatre. I have such beautiful memories of it and the times spent there. That was when life felt like it could go on FOREVER!
Renewing link
Does anyone have any old pictures of the ambassador?
Latest street view reveals that the theatre is now boarded-up and the marquee is partly removed.
Opened on October 1st, 1948, by Cobian theatres. Grand opening ad posted.