History of The Beach Theatre!

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HISTORY OF THE BEACH THEATRE

1939 - NOW

The St. Pete Beach Theatre is a historic landmark along the west coast of Florida. Boston financier Stephen Girard built the theatre in 1939 for about $50,000. It was said to be the very first theater ever erected with sound equipment on the coast and originally had 528 seats, although currently, there are 246. The Theatre was the first building on Corey Avenue, which was a fairly busy road in those days because the causeway was the only route on and off St.Pete Beach.
On opening day, Monday, January 15th, 1940, the Beach Theatre showed Dust Be My Destiny, starring Precilla Lane, and topped off the evening with a comedy and the latest Fox Movietone News, which covered World War II news happening every day in Europe at that time.

When German U-boats were spotted off the coast of Florida, a blackout was ordered that forced the theater to suspend operation for about 18 months. Except for that period, the theater has operated continuously under a succession of owners up until 2007, when screenwriter Michael France bought the theater.

In the theater's lobby, behind the ticket counter, you can see the framed playbill from the theater's 1940 debut. The poster's corners are torn and the print is faded, but the admission catches the eye. The original owners must have been optimistic about inflation because the poster proclaims the price as "10–25 cents, ALWAYS."

Beach Theatre key dates:
2007: Mike France buys the theatre
1975: Bill & Amy Eisenhardt buy the theatre
1940: The Beach Theatre opens on January 15th
1939: Construction begins on the theatre