Flower Theatre
8725 Flower Avenue,
Silver Spring,
MD
20901
8725 Flower Avenue,
Silver Spring,
MD
20901
3 people favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 34 comments
Big plans to restore the facade to attract tenants. facade
2017 photo as Jesus Vida Igelsia Pentecostal Church added, credit John L. Vogel.
Driving by the theater the other day, I noticed that a Spanish language Pentecostal church is renting out the place as of now. The second pair of glass doors is painted over with Spanish words, while the right pair is open. Maybe one day, I’ll take some pictures if I can see deep inside. :)
February 14th, 1950 grand opening ad in photo section
According to Friday’s, 8/3/12 edition of the Washington Post, there is a community meeting Sat, 8/4, to discuss the future of the theater and possible uses.
I’m thinking if it ever were to show movies again, aside from the necessary upgrades and ADA compliance, you’d have to have more then one screen here. Perhaps 3. The configuration could maybe support the main auditorium restored but capacity reduced from the original 800 to say, maybe 500. The crying rooms upstairs could be converted to the two additional screening rooms if they can be expanded to accomodate comfortable seating and larger screens.
The Boxoffice Magazine cover with the photo of the Flower Theatre’s auditorium that I linked to in an earlier comment has been moved. See it at this link.
I remember in high school going with friends to see the horror movie witchboard summer 1987 and i also remember going to see Prince concert movie sign of the times. LOL
What a dump this was. Went there mostly when it was a cheapie theater… rats running around… the screen in one theater was literally cut in half by expanding to 4 screens. One theater was the size of a bathroom. At least the movies were cheap and I remember the food to be inexpensive.
I never knew the theater was that large in its original state. I only visited the venue as a twin as posted above. I notice the ‘flower’ design on the wall, hence the name! Looking back in that picture, there was at least one crying room. Interesting! Thanks for the picture link, Joe.
A glimpse of the auditorium of the Flower Theatre on the cover of Boxoffice, October 7, 1950.
Just FYI. The immediate area has a Hispanic population. Further up Flower Ave going towards Silver Spring are more family oriented single-family folk. On the other end you have singles, couples and small families in rental units; apartments, duplexes, etc until you run into Columbia Union College, a Seventh-day Adventist run institution, with of course, college aged more conservative leaning, but are generally, an open minded group and then the SDA church, itself.
As you know, the AFI is in the next town over. While their programming is decent, they seem to run the same ‘classics’ every year. More 70mm would be nice, but I suspect the catalog availability would be scarce and would probably require the the theater restoration to that of a single screen, unless you twin the upstairs to a smaller screening-type room.
Good luck with your plans, as I hope they come to fruition. It would be nice to have more variety programming in films than Hollywood fare and the AFI.
Thanks, I just called and left a message. We’ll see how that goes. We’re looking for a cinema in a neighborhood that would support films that are done with the festival circuit and some diverse programming. I’m open to suggestions!
301-656-3030. Thats the leasing company listed on the front. See if that works. What are your intentions to restoring it to show movies, again? Twin? Single?
Does anyone know who to contact about this cinema? I’d like to look into leasing it but I’m not local…
Having driven by this place and, for the fact that the sign says for “lease”, its not “for sale.” Unless I’m missing something. Since my memories are only of its twinned operation, its hard for me to imagine it was ever larger than the Uptown in its original configuration. The ceiling seems too low for one, unless during the chopping process, portions of the useable area were quartered off some how. If its ever to come back, I suspect those unused spaces could become useable again. Maybe an upstairs exhibition auditorium or two? Vertically, I think it could be done..especially if there were crying rooms up there at one time.
View link
Dang! Let’s try it again: 1, 2
Jack, your last link takes one back to this page.
Here and here are February 2008 photos of the Flower.
Though it is nice to dream of this place reopening to its original glory and capacity of some 900 seats, I can’t help wonder about the parking problem that would exist. Anyone who has driven by this place will know that the shopping center is usually full of cars on any given time. Probably the only sensible place to park would be around the corner where the Giant supermarket is to accommodate everyone.
The church ahs closed and the Flower is available for lease as of January 2008.
Hmmmmm….
“Juno” won’t look better in digital projection than it does in 35mm at the AFI Silver. Projection is perfect at the Silver.
Tonight, I sent in a theater page for the Majestic. It will probably be added in a day or two. Do feel free to comment! I found the overall seat count, but didn’t find how big the largest auditoriums are.
As to the Flower, all of architect Zink’s theaters (including DC Uptown and Balt. Senator) are great so I’m sure it was. I was only suggesting there are probably enough screens now in Silver Spring.
I went to the Majestic when it first opened and was not impressed. It was nice to be greeted as you entered but that’s about it. Yes, its a megaplex and there are some huge auditoriums but the two movies that I saw there were disappointing presentation wise and have never went back.
As for Juno, I want to check it out at the new Landmark in Balto. Supposedly, they’re running it in digital projection…maybe with the often talked about 4k projectors.
But back to the Flower, it is fondly remembered as I’ve said above.
JodarMovieFan, on Friday, when I saw “Juno” at AFI Silver, I also walked into the lobby of the Majestic, also in downtown Silver Spring (as I’m sure you know). The Majestic has 20 screens for mainstream movies!
I drove by the theater today and there’s a big FOR LEASE sign on the marquee. Perhaps someone with an interest may want to resurrect this place to at least a twin, if not single house movie theater again.