Riviera Drive-In

For a very short time Stock Island, Florida, was the home of two outdoor theatres. The Islander Drive-In which had opened on February 28, 1953, was joined next door by the new Riviera Drive-In which opened on March 14, 1957, screening the 1956 comedy/drama “Teahouse of the August Moon” with Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford, Machiko Kyo and Eddie Albert. It was opened by Guy Hevia, who was president and general manager of the new drive-in. Before coming to Key West, he was working as the city manager of the Walter Reade Circuit in Asbury Park, NJ. He also was a publicity agent for a number of Hollywood celebrities and appeared in several motion pictures. The drive-in had a 1,000-car capacity with in-a-car speakers. The curved CinemaScope screen was 72ft. x 124ft. and it was advertised that it stands seven stories tall. It also featured a one acre playground for children, with swings, slides and kiddie rides.

Something happened with Hevia operating the Riviera Drive-In. In the 1960 IMPA it has the drive-in listed as Joe Sirugo operating the Islander Drive-In and the Riviera Drive-In. Looking at a theatre advertisement from July 1, 1960, it was operated by K. Gordon Murray and Joseph Fink (dba Murray and Fink Theatres) from Dania, FL. along with the Islander Drive-In. The Riviera Drive-In closed for good in March of 1961. The drive-in was demolished and fill material was used to make the property bigger. It is now modular homes, trailers and houses….so what happened? The Riviera Drive-In should never have been built. Both drive-in’s were at a total capacity of 1,630 cars. This proved to be way too big for the Key West area. I could not find an answer. When Hevia left the Riviera Drive-In after it closed, he owned the Samoa restaurant in Cocoa Beach, FL. and he owned and operated a chain of adult theatres around Tampa, FL. Hevia died in August of 1997 in Tampa, FL.

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