Paramount Theatre
257 E. Flagler Street,
Miami,
FL
33131
257 E. Flagler Street,
Miami,
FL
33131
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 54 comments
This theatre was still open in 1972. There is a photo below in the gallery from that year, with “Sitting Target” starring Oliver Reed on the marquee.
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7874/photos/191331
This theatre was still open in 1972. There is a photo in the gallery from that year, with “Sitting Target” starring Oliver Reed on the marquee.
The Fairfax theater opened on January 27th, 1922 with a stage play. Grand opening ad posted.
Circa 1931 photo added credit R.E. Simpson, courtesy Alvin Lederer. 1934 photo added, source unknown.
I think it is now the Marshall’s
I believe the Hippodrome was on the corner of the Florida Theater. The Fotosho became the Paramount. I think the Hippdrome became the Florida.
OK, I stand corrected. Since Dadeland was in Kendall, I didn’t think of it much, but the Twin Gables I passed often. — I worked for Wometco for 13 months.
The Sunny Isles and Dadeland opened before the Twin Gables.
The first twin in Miami was the Twin Gables, actually on S.W. 22nd Street, not in Gables.
It was probably a Royal Castle next to the Paramount, plantladie12.
The Olympia was never a twin. There were no twins downtown.
I have wonderful memories of Paramount theater. I am 73, my first job was at candy counter and i gt chewewed out for adding too much butter to pop corn. Later I worked at a twin theater and wondering if that was the olmpia. Paramount was next to a famous hamburger pl and my boyfribned, Johnny, usher, wld go there after work. I am so mad that I cannot remember the name, I know it like it was my own.It was not white castle, on that order. wonderful memories
This was renamed Paramount on December 10th, 1931. Ad uploaded in the photo section.
Nice slideshow AlAlvarez.
The new Paramount Hotel and theatre post card.
View link
The Cigar Store appears to have located near at the entrance of the theatre next to a Hippodrome Bar also located there or in the lobby.
I noticed several different phone books in the library during that period so that Coral Gables and Miami Beach theatres were not all listed in the Miami book but had their own directory. There were also listings under “Motion Picture Theatre”.
I guess the rest of them were too cheap to spring for a phone book listing.(G)
There is a listing for a “Hippodrome Cigar Store” located at “7 NE 2nd Ave.” Does that sound like the Hippodrome Theater’s location?
miamiguy, I have found at least 17 movie theatres operating in the area around 1927.
RIVIERA (Homestead)
COCONUT GROVE
CORAL GABLES (Gables)
COMMUNITY
BISCAYNE PLAZA
CAPITOL
FLAGLER
PARAMOUNT
OLYMPIA
HIPPODROME
FAIRFAX
FOTOSHO
7th AVENUE (Strand)
TIVOLI
TOWER
ROSETTA
RIALTO (79th St)
I have seen some mention of the Miami Beach Auditorium (1949-50) but I don’t know what that was either.
I got my hands on a copy of the 1927-28 Miami-Miami Beach phone book hoping to find a wealth of theater information in it, but it turned out to be pretty boring. The entire section only included 7 true theaters. (I’m not sure exactly what the “Miami Beach Auditorium” was.)
I also checked under “Arcades” and “Nickelodeons,” but nothing was listed. I guess by 1927 everything had been converted to full movie houses.
There’s only a few minor differences in addresses between this phone book and what is listed here on Cinema Treasures for the Tivoli and Fairfax theaters —probably due to Flagler being re-numbered several times over the years.
Fairfax interior view:
View photo
The first Paramount opened in 1916 and ran until at least 1928 at 26 East First Street.
The Fairfax was opened in 1922 by the Leach family and Publix Theates and was renamed Paramount in 1931 when Publix gained major interest in the theatre due to the depression woes of the Leach family. At this time the Sparks chain was created and named after Publix' Florida General Manager Edward Sparks.
It was given a major Art Deco treatment in 1938. By 1940 when the courts forced the Paramount-Publix Monopoly to split up, regional company Florida State Theatres was formed.
The Leach family, major local owner/partners of the Fairfax prior to 1931 also had interests in the Airdome and Strand and half-interest in the Fotosho.
Yes, Chesty Morgan was a regular, but she must have been quite an old burlesque performer. It seems she was the main attraction for a very long time. I remember she was still on the billboard after the theatre was closed.
LOL.
I have been trying to find a review of the show to see if any critics saw it but they not around, nor are any notices of a cancellation. I think Chesty Morgan was the Gayety regular.
Al, Yes it boggles! I don’t know of too many “orchestras” native to Miami. I would dare venture to say that the orchestra was the one that also played at the Gayety Burlesque on Miami Beach. They had some asian guy, Lee Sohn who sang there at one time. I remember seeing that in the newspaper, again, I was too young to have gone into the Gayety. I think the Gayety show with the orchestra came after the short lived Linda Lovelace extravaganza.
A few years here in Broward we had our own little version of Linda Lovelace, but her name was Kathy Willits. She did not have the benefit of the orchestra!!
The mind boggles as to where the Paramount Theatre Orchestra may have come from.
Al that show was up on the marquee for a while. I remember seeing it for quite some time. Back in those days time seemed to drag by, so who knows it may have been 2 weeks!