Candlelight Theater
Avenida Juan Ponce de Leon 1492,
San Juan
00923
Avenida Juan Ponce de Leon 1492,
San Juan
00923
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Additional Info
Previous Names: New Broadway
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Built in the 1940’s by Ciruito Teatral Llamas, a local chain of movie theaters. It was a prestigious theater showing first run films.
During the 1960’s and early-1970’s it was the place that exclusively showed all of Columbia Pictures' movies. From "Lawrence of Arabia" to "Oliver!" to "Casino Royale", if you wanted to see a Columbia release on its first run, you had to go to the New Broadway.
In the early-1980’s, it stopped being a showcase for Columbia Pictures and the quality of movies varied a lot. New World Pictures fare such as "Big Bad Mama" started to be commonly shown.
In the mid-1980’s The New Broadway stopped showing movies and it became the Candlelight Theater, showing plays and night club acts. It was pretty succesful, but the building was torn down to build the Centro Europa. When it was being torn down, a gas line erupted and a fire ocurred during the razing process. It was a very sad sight and a truly unfitting ending to the history of one of San Juan’s best movie theaters.
Contributed by
Jose Mendez
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
In the 50s it played Spanish pictures. When Cobian leased the Circuito Llamas, it was remodeled and New was added to Broadway. The Llamas family took over his circuit in the early 60s. Columbia Pictures leased it in the mid or late 60s. Lawrence must have been a reissue as it premiered at the Metropolitan.
It wasn’t destroyed because of the highway tunnel, but it was located very close to it. It operated for some years after that tunnel’s began operation (mostly as the Candlelight Theatre). The construction of Centro Europa was the reason for it’s demolition.
Thats funny, because I remember it as adjacent to the ‘Puerto Rico’ theatre, exactly where the tunnel’s south entrance is now. Im pretty sure it was gone when the tunnel opened; the site of Centro Europa was the old ‘Ferretería Europa’ which remained standing for many years after the tunnel was finished c. 1979
Ferretería Europa occupied just one corner (northeast) of the Centro Europa’s site. The Broadway was at the other corner, where the entrance to the parking garage and the a former Denny’s are located. In between, there were some buildings and a parking lot. It was, driving towards San Juan: Broadway, Minillas Tunnel, the access ramp to PR-22, Lloverás St. then Puerto Rico Theater.