Navy Point Theatre

MichaelKilgore on January 23, 2023 at 2:20 am

Boxoffice magazine ran artist’s renderings of the Navy Point’s exterior and auditorium in its Nov. 9, 1946 issue. The caption: “…the principal recreation center of a new residential and shopping distric for officers and personnel of the huge naval training base at Navy Point. The new theatre was opened about mid-year.”

More Boxoffice notes…

Oct. 30, 1961: “The Lyceum Theatre Corp., headed by J. G. Broggi, has taken over operation of the Navy Point Theatre in Warrington, Fla. Broggi handled the buying and booking for the theatre for many years.”

June 11, 1962: “The Navy Point, Warrington, Fla., is closed indefinitely. For the past several years it was operated by the late J. G. Broggi.”

July 9, 1962: “Gulf States has acquired the Navy Point Theatre at Warrington, Fla., from the estate of the late J. G. Broggi”

July 29, 1963: “Shows at the Navy Point in Warrington, Fla., have been reduced to Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays”

Jan. 13, 1964: “Gulf States Theatres closed the Navy Point Theatre in Warrington, Fla. indefinitely effective January 1.”

Feb. 24, 1964: “Clinton Vucovich, former Florida exhibitor, is back in the theatre business after an absence of some ten years. Recently, he acquired the Navy Point Theatre at Warrington, Fla. Ed Ortte of the Sands and Gulf theatres in Gulfport, Miss., will do the buying and booking. Vucovich and Ortte formerly operated theatres in Pensacola, including the Skychief, Pen and Belmont”

Aug. 16, 1966: “Young Mike Kimberl, at 15, probably ranks as the state’s youngest official theatre manager, a position he has held since April. He got his start in the theatre business with thtree years behind the concession stand of the Navy Point Theatre here. In April, when new owners Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Rushing took over the house, Kimberl asked to stay on as manager.” (The original story, with photo, was in the July 31 Pensacola News Journal.)

July 13, 1970: “D. L. Rushing announced he had closed the Navy Point Theatre at Warrington, Fla. as of June 27”