Wednesday, June 4, 2008

The Grove Cinema

In the mid-eighties, my friends I spent spent just about every Saturday night(and sometimes Fridays, too)in Coconut Grove at the Grove Cinema. We went to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". OMG, the times we had there! I remember the ticket seller was a South Miami PD dispatcher during the day. I always thought that was funny since those nights in the Grove were usually not too law-abiding!

I can't believe they tore down that old theater. It was classic. They woudl show the odder movies there, like "Das Boot" that none of the other theater wanted to show. How many theaters would actually let you squirt water guns, throw toast and toilet paper and act out the movie right up there in front of the screen? Only the Grove Cinema!

Since it'e demise, I have yet to find another place in Dade County that shows that movie. Sad because we really did have some fun times there. At Halloween, we'd dress up as our favorite character from the movie. I was Magenta, my friend Eva was Columbia and Amy was Janet. I went all out on my costume, buying the right shoes, an actual maid's costume (Thanks Mom for altering it for me!) and even a wig that I dyed red and frizzed out. It was great...

Does anybody else remember that?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember that old quirky theatre!! I grew up in the grove in the eighties. I live in Seattle now, but when I get down to Miami I miss the old Miami. Its gotten to be too flashy.

jojo said...

noo... recently? or am i confusing the theatre with the Playhouse?

I just left Miami. Still miss it sometimes. Well, left 6 years ago. :)

Anonymous said...

Yup, Jojo, I think you're confusing the 2...there was the Grove Cinema and there's the Coconut Grove Playhouse. The Playhouse is still there, but is in dire need of funding.

Anonymous said...

I think I watched a movie called "The Gods Must Be Crazy" in that theatre back in 1984? That movie was pretty funny. I also remember a Hagen Daz ice cream store that was around back then. I do not know if it is still there or not? I never spent a lot of time in the Grove cause I did not like all the crowds there. I did spend a lot of time at Key Biscayne. When did the Holsum Bakery and Robert's Western Wear leave South Miami? I actually worked at the Depot restaurant back in 1983 to 1985. It is now Asahi or some similiar named Japanese Sushi restaurant. The MacDonald's dry cleaner is still across the street from the former Depot restaurant. That dry cleaner has been there over 24 years. I went to Palmetto Junior high but it is now called Palmetto Middle School I think? I also went to Killian High School. I even went to Miami Dade Community College. I left Miami in 1986 and moved to Fort Lauderdale. I would only go to Dade County to go to the Everglades for camping. I have not been to the Glades since 1998. I heard that there are big pythons running around the Glades because some idiots had them as pets and they got too big so they let them loose in the glades. Very dumb thing to do. Anyway... this is a cool website.

Paula said...

We had some awesome times there!!!

Unknown said...

does that mean thats gone too?
do I know you? I worked at the sword
My nanes Martha I worked the lower bar. blonde, blue eyes, not that you could see the color of much in the dark!

Anonymous said...

Great times.. Wish they would have another place like that... I miss it alot... :(

SwampAngel65 said...

I miss it, too.

Unknown said...

I too grew up in Miami; In fact I live directly behind the Coconut Grove Cinema in 1979. I mean their back wall was on our back property line. I rented an old house with a couple friends while attending UM. I recall them playing the Rocky Horror Picture Show almost every night at midnight back then. Oh the things I saw on the street in front of that cinema.

Pcoladeb said...

I went to see Rocky Horror there starting in 1978 until 1980. What a blast! I stopped counting how many times I saw that movie there after 20. It had already been playing there a couple of years before I started going and you had to buy your ticket a few days in advance or they would sell out. Everyone danced, sang, many dressed up, we did all the props, and passed around doobies.
Now I am 51 with grown children but one of them loves Rocky Horror as I do and we go to our local theatre to see the play whenever they put it on.

Anonymous said...

Flipers in hollywood did it for a long time they just stoped like 3 4 years agow

Unknown said...

I loved that theater and have many fond memories of hanging out at the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It would have been around 1979-1981. I remember a gentleman by the name of Larry that used to work there.

Anonymous said...

I know these comments are from years back, just came across it, I lived in the Grove from 1980 - 86 (Matilda St.),saw RHPC at the cinema at least 50 times. Thanks for the memories!