The Matanzas Theatre is the backdrop for many cherished memories for St. Augustinians. Date nights in the dark auditorium, watching cartoons in the cool AC on a hot summer weekend, days collecting RC bottle caps around town to go see a Saturday matinee with pals; they all revolve around the Matanzas Theatre on Cathedral Place. Although the ticket area and entrance still stands (it exists as the Tripp Harrison Gallery these days), the auditorium was demolished for parking spaces after the Exchange Bank purchased the property in 1967.
BY THE NUMBERS
At first glance, this vintage downtown hangout looks quaint. What you don’t see? The history behind ticket sales, seating and the patrons who enjoyed the theatre every day.
888 seats in the auditorium section.
231 in the balcony section.
26” – height of the neon letters on the iconic marquee along Cathedral Street
Construction began in 1938
The theater was (mostly) demolished in 1968. The ticket area and foyer were left standing, but the auditorium was razed.
Cost: Tickets for a movie cost $0.25, although a Saturday Matinee would only set you back $0.10 or 6 RC Cola Bottle Caps.
December 22, 1951 – The Matanzas hosted the world premier of the film Distant Drums, a “Florida Western” film set in the Everglades during the second Seminole War, but many scenes were filmed in St. Augustine, and some locals (including a young Sidney Capo) served as extras in the film. Two stars of the movie (Richard Webb and Mari Aldon) attended the premier event.
10 of 28 theaters for which Roy A. Benjamin was the architect still stand. He was a notable architect in Jacksonville, who moved to the city after the 1901 fire to take part in the rebuilding. You may have visited one of his theaters in Jacksonville – He was the architect for the Florida Theatre, the Riverside Theatre (although this has been substantially remodeled), and the San Marco Theatre. The San Marco opened the same year construction on the Matanzas started, and still operates asa movie theater – probably the closest you will get to visiting the Matanzas Theatre these days.
July 22, 1965 – An attempt by 21 black youths to integrate the auditorium seating area ended in confrontation and arrests. Black patrons were restricted to seats in the balcony section of the theater.
Photos provided by State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, UFSHA Government House Research Collection and St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library
