Carib Theatre, Clearwater, FL - 1954

The Carib Theatre was one of the last “Dream Palace” theaters built in Florida. It was located at 1148 Cleveland St. in Clearwater, FL. It must have held 1000 people. The Caribbean facade on this theater is spectacular — even as a kid I was fascinated with it. The coral stucco on the front wall sets it off perfectly. It reminds me of those pictoral maps you see in 1950s guide books.

I recall going to many films here in the late 60s/early 70s — there was a giant red velvet curtain that opened revealing a Panavision screen. For the Panavision releases, there was two projectors running at the same time, each projecting 1/2 of the picture; left and right. They would spend some time at the beginning of the film lining them up. The motif on the very high walls were of Egyptians, involved in daily activities. There was also balcony seating. And in 1954 - it cost all of ¢.40 for the late show.


Well this slide has it all! A pair of Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars float along on clouds of floral vinyl accompanied by red lightning bolts. The Air-Force wings logo bring up the rear as southern Belles and enlisted men wave to the crowd. Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan would be proud! Pepsi-Cola must have partnered with the Air Force Reserve and sponsored this amazing Parade float which was in this 1954 Fun ’n Sun Parade. It somehow fits in with the Carib's Marquee.

Another view facing west down Cleveland St. The ROTC band girls look so serious. Wouldn't it be fun to drive that train around late on a Saturday night and freak out all the drunks driving home from the clubs? Cattle Queen of Montana is the movie playing today. The tagline: She strips off her petticoats . . . and straps on her guns !

Carib Theatre in Miami. Note the similar facade depicting the Caribbean basin.


An ad from the Clearwater Sun from November 21, 1963. The movie shown is in Technicolor® Panavision®! It was probably originally a Wometco theater; it was bought by Floyd Theaters, broken up into two smaller rooms, and eventually became a budget theater. It played its last picture in 1983, being unprofitable, probably due to the multiplexes in the malls east of town. I don't know what happened to the great sign when it was demolished, but I hope it survived. The one in Miami didn’t. (This paper was saved because Jack Kennedy was in Tampa the day before, and on the 22nd was fatally shot in Dallas.)

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The Florida Shell Shop

I just read a good article about shells (“Mad About Shells”) in the August Smithsonian Magazine; it rekindled memories about my days growing up on the West Coast Florida beaches. I always enjoyed the shell shops, especially in Tarpon Springs. It was a place where a local kid could be a tourist and buy all the shells you could just never find on the beach (although even at the age of 10, it felt like cheating).

I recently took my little boy down Gulf Blvd. as far as St. Pete Beach, and was glad to see the Florida Shell Shop in Treasure Island alive & well. It's a great old roadside Florida shop; not a florescent-lit neon T-shirt shop. They have a web site. We had a great time here and at the Suncoast Surf Shop just down the street. Suncoast Surf opened in 1966, making it one of the oldest and longest running surf shops in Florida! I need to do a more intensive trip here in the near future.


Here's a partially obscured slide from the late 40s of the entrance to the iconic Shell Factory. I'm assuming Ft. Myers Beach, because the neighboring slides were of Hialeah and Miami, but it doesn't look 100% like the building here. There's something so honest & intriguing about these display windows, offset with turquoise and peach tiles. Most photos I've seen of this shell institution is of the huge sign & conch shell on US 41.


Well, here I am breaking a promise I made myself: to never post old postcards. But what a card to fall off the wagon with: Priestly's Shells & Gifts, 222 North Federal Highway, Dania — postmarked Feb 1954. The interior just glows with promise, the huge plate glass windows allowing it all to be taken in. You can almost smell the cypress and salt inside!

The wonders of the neon and retro roadside are tempered, however, by the huge piles of Queen conch shells out front selling for 10¢ each. No takes of these shells are allowed in the United States or Virgin Islands anymore, and populations are rebounding around Stock Island and Key West.

Have fun at the beach this month, hope you find a treasure — and remember to throw the live ones back!

San Francisco Slides, 1953

Here's an nice view down Taylor St. from Jefferson with pier 45 in the background. Not much has changed over the years, here. Alioto's and Fishermans Grotto are still going strong, and the wharf remains a vital part of San Francisco. Prices on the menu may have changed a bit...

I visited this great American roadhouse in 2000 and was able to enjoy the strange mechanical amusement arcade museum and camera obscura on the bottom floor. (The Mechanical Museum is now at Pier 45!) The red brick and California redwood were gone, but we enjoyed a drink in the restaurant and I gotta say the view was mesmerizing. I didn't see the cool Totem pole, or the pronto pups...

This mid-century structure (Whitney's) was remodeled in an $18-million effort in 2003 resulting in a version similar to the 1909 structure.

Here is the 1896 Victorian Structure Alfed Sutro built that burned in 1906. The baths next door were the largest in the world. More pictures and info here.

Our photographer and west coast explorer stayed here, parking his 1954 Buick Century on the street. Looks like a cozy house!

And his car can go up hills!

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Pike's Peak Avenue, 1952

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The Antlers Hotel sit in front of Pike's Peak in the middle of a beautiful day. No less than 3 theaters are visible, all with great graphics and neon. The Ute advertises Pat and Mike with Spencer Tracy (1952). Across the street, the Peak is showing Retreat, Hell! (1952) with Frank Lovejoy.

The Antlers Hotel, named for an extensive antler collection that adorned its walls, was the premier hotel in the area in its day. The original, built in 1890, burned down in 1898. The second one (seen here) was demolished in 1969 to make way for the Antler Plaza hotel (below) which has some modern appeal to it, I guess.



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Escondido Bowl and a Red Ford Galaxie - 1966

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A fire-engine red 1962 Ford Galaxie rinses off at a Chevron under a googie-riffic sign in Escondido, California. It's Rock-a-billy bowling too, if Johnny Preston is in town! I don't think I've ever seen live music at a bowling alley, but I love the idea. Preston scored a number 1 hit with "Running Bear," a song about two hormone-driven native Americans who loved each other from afar across a raging river that eventually killed them (although they did get one kiss out of the deal).

The red, white and blue Chevron pumps make for a patriotic Americana scene, don't they? And at 26¢ a gallon, who wouldn't want to drive that Galaxie 500 up and down the strip?

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Stardust Casino & Aku Aku Tiki, Las Vegas, 1962

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A man in a brown suit watches the meter maid as they go about their business in the mid-day sun in Las Vegas. Of course they are in front of the fabulous Stardust Hotel & Casino, and the Aku Aku Polynesian Restaurant and Tiki Bar. The cool "Saturn" neon sign out front was updated in the 70s with another sign, but I like this one.

Hard to believe it now, but Arthur Godfrey was one of America's top entertainers. He was instrumental in America's love affair with the ukulele, and was a standard on TV entertainment shows from the 40s through the 60s.

The other entertainer, Goldie, is probably Goldie Hawn, who got her start as a dancer, then performed at the Stardust, then broke out on "Laugh-In." Kong Ling was a singer from Hong Kong.

The Aku Aku was active from 1960 to 1980 and is one of those "Lost Tiki Bars of the Ages". The iconic moai statues in front were carved by Eli Hedley; one of them can be seen today at Sunset Park in Las Vegas. Happy Neon!

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Route 66 — Welcome to Arizona, 1956

This vacation slide features the artistic welcome you get entering Arizona on Route 66, the famous road that once connected Chicago with Los Angeles before the interstates. Are welcome signs still this cool anywhere? The saguaro cactus and pines are stylized just right, as is the landscape. Wonder why the Grand Canyon didn't make the graphic cut?
And speaking of... this is slide is labeled "Fireplace on balcony of Desert View Watchtower." They say you can't photograph the grandeur of the Canyon, but this one kind of gave me vertigo as I was previewing it. I think the woman in this Kodachrome may also feel it — it looks like the gentleman is helping her away from the edge.
Forty-eight stars fly on Old Glory as we enter The Painted Desert Inn. Built in 1924 of petrified wood and other native stone, it operated privately for 12 years. It became part of the Petrified Forest National Monument in 1935, supplying Route 66 travelers with meals, souvenirs, and lodging. Although remodeled and stabilized over the years it fell into disrepair, and when facing the wrecking ball, a concerned public prevented its demolition in 1975. It is now a visitor's center and National Historic Landmark — not to mention pure Americana of the highest order. Way to go preservationists!

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