On January 15, 1940, the independently owned Beach Theatre opened with the best version of a Hollywood premiere a fledgling shore town could muster. The swank Art Deco movie house, which seated 528 – and had air-conditioning – was a prime addition to St. Pete Beach’s Corey Avenue, which also boasted a small food store, a neighborhood bar, a doctor’s office and a gas station charging 18 cents a gallon.
Instead of showing the blockbuster "Gone With the Wind," released the previous month, the Beach Theatre screened "Dust Be My Destiny," which somewhat ironically ended up in the dustbin of cinematic history. When Mike France, the Hollywood screenwriter who bought the theater in 2007, wanted to show the obscure film for a 70th anniversary celebration, he couldn’t find a copy in any format.
Except for 18 months during World War II, when an evening curfew was imposed on the community after a German U-boat was sighted offshore, the Beach Theatre has operated continuously for the past seven decades. For many years, the cinema showed second-run movies (some say it also had a short stint as an adult theater) and later featured art house titles.
Under France’s management, the single-screen movie house, now with 245 seats, shows one or two films a day, often alternating a first-run mainstream title with cult movies or indie fare. (“The Beach” was ahead of the pack in showing "Away From Her," for which Julie Christie received an Oscar nomination.) The theater also offers theme nights (regular Big Lebowski parties, with White Russians served at the concession stand, are a big hit), the occasional concert and free kids’ matinees on weekends.
The linchpin of its specialty programming is a weekly showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (Saturdays at midnight), which features a “shadowcast” performance by the local troupe Interchangeable Parts. The costumed cast acts, pantomimes and sings as the film is playing, changing their show weekly.
“ 'Rocky Horror' used to be about buying a bag full of groceries and making a big mess, and I was worried about the theater getting trashed every Saturday night,” France says. “But when I saw it, I was blown away. For these [actors], it’s an art form.”
France, who frequented “The Beach” as a kid, went on to co-write "GoldenEye," "Cliffhanger," "Fantastic Four" and others. When he saw that the theater was for sale, he quickly moved to buy it because, for starters, he’d always wanted to own a movie house … plus it was a short bicycle ride from his home. “Also, I didn’t want to see someone else buy it and maybe turn it into an Applebee’s,” he says.
Although France has made upgrades – most significantly a new sound system – these days the Beach Theatre is showing signs of its age, with a lobby that’s a bit worn, and theater seats that can be, well, a bit saggy. For many movie-goers, however, that’s all part of the charm. The well-lit, vintage marquee is as inviting as ever, beckoning to visitors who need a cool break from the sun and sand.
St. Pete Beach, just a short walk away, garnered rave reviews recently when it was voted TripAdvisor's No. 1 Beach in the U.S. and No. 5 in the world for 2012, based on millions of reviews and opinions from travelers around the world.
If You Go:
The Beach Theatre is located at 315 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-6697. General admission is $7 ($5 for seniors, military, students, children and for screenings before 5 p.m.).
