The Gem Theatre’s leftover marquee for
the filming of Kermit’s Swamp Years, 2002
theatre (250 seats) was
closed in 1948—only
an eight-year run.
Occasionally, it was
booked by traveling
evangelistic groups, and
the Episcopal Church
of the Messiah met in
it during its beginning
years, but mostly
the Gem sat forlorn,
ab andoned and dark
for a long time. About
1953, the Gem Super
Market remodeled the
space and operated for
several years in this
location. The Gem
Theatre’s marquee is
still very visible on
South Main Street.
The Annex Arrives
When the Gem closed, Biggers began construction of
the Annex Theatre at 830 Klondike Street. Opening in
1949, it was intended for African American audiences
only. This theatre was a barebones operation, shaped like
a Quonset hut. It was staffed by only two people—the
ticket seller and the projectionist. In the booth were the
former Gem Theatre projectors, moved after the Gem
was shuttered. Today, the Annex’s building is occupied
by Orange County’s Maxey Community Center.
Maxey Community Center, formally
known as The Annex Theatre
Lordy, Lordy, We’ve Got a Drive-In Now!
Approximating a mini building boom in 1949, the StarLite
Drive-In Theatre was constructed in 1949 at the intersection
of East Plant Street and West Crown Point Road. Collie
Biggers was still in charge, and the theatre opened in
September of that year with spaces for about 200 cars.
Locals remarked that the guy who invented the Studebaker
automobile design must have designed the screen tower of
the StarLite. Very Art Deco in its architecture, the theatre
was well received by the community and was a popular
landmark on the east side of town for years. In 1954
The Star-Lite, 1954
more rows of
speakers were
added. It is
rumored that
some folks
actually went
to the StarLite
to see a movie!
Floyd Theatres
Steps Up
In 1955, this
The Star-Lite, 1987
one caught the
town by surprise. Carl Floyd Theatres, a mid-sized Florida
chain based in Haines City, announced via a two-page
spread in The Winter Garden Times that it had leased the
local theatres from Biggers. No time was wasted, and all
of the local houses were improved under Harold Spears,
a young and enthusiastic city manager, who grew up
in a movie theatre family. The Winter Garden Theatre
became the Garden Theatre, with additions of a new
marquee, fresh paint, a wide screen, stage curtains and
improvements to the sound system. At the StarLite,
everything was freshened up, most notably by an extension
continued on pg. 53
NOVEMBER 2017
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WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
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