Theaters of Jacksonville, Florida USA

Note: this post is part of the photo series Vintage Movie Theaters across the USA

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last December my friend and I embarked on a road trip, from Tallahassee to Savannah, then down to Jacksonville Florida! 

 After crossing the Georgia-Florida line heading south on I-95 we took a ride on A1A to see Amelia Island. There's some interesting history there, and I may do blog post on Amelia Island in the future. A "Pippi Longstocking" movie was filmed there in the 1980s, but I've never seen it. 

We then continued on A1A and got to see as much as the coast as we could get to in one afternoon. 

 We then headed west on US Route 90 into Jacksonville. 

Our first stop was to check out a lovely theater in the San Marco neighborhood of Jacksonville, located on the east side of the St. John's River.  

The street it's on reminds me of a downtown of a small town, not a street in a big city!

San Marco Theatre

1996 San Marco Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32207

"Opened in 1938, the beautifully maintained San Marco Theatre remains immune to the travails of time and the Art Deco style movie palace is still showing movies after 63 years. Featured on the back cover of Davis Cone’s book, Popcorn Palaces, the San Marco Theatre is one of the most elegant and opulent cinemas in the city, designed by architect Roy Benjamin." - Cinema Treasures

We then had to cross the Main Street Bridge in order to cross the river to get the downtown part of Jacksonville. It is a neat bridge, built in 1941.

Our next destination was the Florida Theater.  Elvis Presley made one of his first concert appearances there. 

Here's the view of it coming off the ramp.

Florida Theatre

128 East Forsyth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202

"This theater, located on Forsyth Street in downtown Jacksonville, is beautiful. It opened in 1927 and was designed to look like a Moorish courtyard at night inside, complete with dark blue sky with glowing stars, lit balconies and fountains. The theatre was designed with central heating and air conditioning." - Cinema Treasures

BELOW: I love this old fashioned ticket booth.

I wish we had more time to go inside. I'm sure it's stunning inside!

BELOW: Sign says "Welcome to Downtown Jacksonville"

Next up on the agenda is another urban movie theater of a bygone era, the Murray Hill Theater, now a concert venue in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Jacksonville (932 S. Edgewood Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32205). My friend worked on a construction project nearby.  

"This theater is listed at open in 1950. It showed many B movies and was very popular. In the 2000’s, it was in use as a nightclub. By 2008 it was hosting concerts". - Cinema Treasures

There was only time for a couple of snapshots. But imagine coming to see a 3D monster movie here in the 1950s!

The Mark (1961) starring Stuart Whitman

The subject of an Oscar-nominated film this year (2013's The Hunt) has to do with a male teacher falsely accused of molesting a child. I haven't yet seen The Hunt, but it might make for an interesting double feature with 1961's The Mark, a compelling film that also tackles the subject of pedophilia, gossip, and prejudice. Stuart Whitman convincingly portrays a man trying to make a new life for himself in England after serving time for kidnapping. Whitman lands a new job in a nice office building and is promised a bright future. His boss is played by Donald Wolfit; he's the kind of boss you'd wish for after being out of work for a long time - someone willing to give an employee a chance despite any past blemishes. As Whitman adjusts to civilian life and makes new friends, flashbacks show us the rest of his story,  such as how he went to prison and met his trusted psychologist, played by Rod Steiger, who never lets him give up. Whitman then develops a romance with a co-worker (Maria Schell, excellent), and  I wanted nothing but the best for this man. When he's faced with a terrible accusation and his past comes back to haunt him -  what will he do? Will he stay and make a life for himself in the city, or will he movie away? The film had me hooked. The entire cast is excellent.

Ivan from Thrilling Days of Yesteryear reviewed this movie recently on his blog. Read the post here.

One more item to mention. One of the supporting players in this film is a great British actor by the name of Paul Rogers (IMDB entry). In The Mark he plays Whitman's jealous co-worker seeking a promotion. Though Paul Rogers' stage career outshone his film work (he was a Tony winner), he nonetheless delivered exceptional performances in Our Man in Havana, Billy Budd, The Wild and the Willing, and of course, The Mark. 

Paul Rogers passed away last October. October 2013. He was 96. NY Times obituary |  Theater Mania  |  Boston Globe

Unfortunately, Paul Rogers was not included in Oscars' so-called "In Memoriam" segment. And - heartbreakingly -  he was nowhere to be found in the recent "TCM Remembers" video clip.

But to those who knew of his brilliant career and enjoyed his work, he will always be remembered.

Stuart Whitman passed away in 2020 - read a tribute by Just a Cineaste here

Read another review of this movie from The Magnificent 60s