It's retro-cool Art Deco facade is among Jacksonville's most recognized sights. Built in 1938 by famed architect Roy Benjamin, the San Marco Theatre has not only treated multiple generations of moviegoers to a good show, but has itself been the star of the show on multiple occasions. USA Today lists it among the nation's 10 best classic cinemas and it's prominently featured in the book Popcorn Palaces: The Art Deco Movie Theatre Paintings of Davis Cone.
San Marco Theatre Opens with 30-Cent Seating
Jacksonville's San Marco Theatre opened with much fanfare and a double feature. Patrons paid 30 cents a seat to see Hopalong Cassidy Rides Again, a Western romance in which the hero Hoppy and friends bust the plans of a dynamite-blasting cattle rustler disguised as a professor searching for the evolutionary link; and A Slight Case of Murder, featuring a Prohibition beer baron with a late mortgage, a cop for a son-in-law, four dead gangsters in his house and half a million in loot - just the amount he needs to get the house out of hock, but tough to explain without getting sent to the Big House.
The theatre still houses it's original projector, which now decorates the lobby and invariably draws attention from local history buffs, out-of-town visitors and curious young folk accustomed to seeing movies on their laptop computers. A decade before designing the San Marco Theatre, architect Benjamin had built the ornate Florida Theatre, featuring the Mediterranean Revival and Moorish look characteristic of Florida's 1920s building boom. By the time the San Marco Theatre and Jacksonville's 5 Points Theatre (originally called the Riverside Theatre) came along, Art Deco was all the rage and Benjamin quickly adapted to keep up with the fashion of the times.
"Roy Benjamin was one of the most prolific movie theatre designers in the South," says historian Wayne Wood, author of Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage. "Jacksonville's San Marco Theatre is one of the best remaining local examples of Art Deco."
Not Your Average Movie Snacks
One feature of the San Marco Theatre Jacksonville residents love is the stepped-up menu that offers much more than your standard popcorn-and-soda fare. Instead, patrons can enjoy a freshly baked pizza and a glass of Pinot Grigio while they take in a film. There's even something for the health-conscious - the veggie quesadilla is a favorite. Small tables between pairs of chairs make the San Marco Theatre a little more date-friendly than the average movie theater. Wine is sold by the glass, half carafe or bottle, and beer goes by the mug, pint or pitcher.
Jacksonville's San Marco Theatre plays first-run films one at a time. The historic theater also is the area's smallest with just one screen. But when the house is dark, it's available for rent for private screenings, parties and business meetings. Old-school capabilities allow the San Marco Theatre to play 35mm and 16mm film, DVDs, even VHS tapes and Power Point presentations.
Oh, the Stories they Tell
San Marco Theatre owners David and Sue Blue continuously collect oral histories of the San Marco Theatre's history for inclusion in future projects honoring the theatre's history. If you're a longtime local or visitor with your own recollections of the San Marco Theatre's earlier days, be sure to contact the Blues at davidblue@sanmarcotheatre.com.
Devan Stuart - Devan Stuart is a longtime journalist and five-time Florida Press Association Award winner.
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