Hollywood’s golden age will be coming to South Florida when the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County rolls out the red carpet for a film series at the now-shuttered Lake Theatre in Lake Worth Beach.
The Council is lighting up the silver screen with the Lake Theatre Revival Series celebrating the movie theatre’s 85th anniversary.
The theater, set in an Art Deco building designed by celebrated Florida architect Roy A. Benjamin, opened in 1940 and once seated up to a 1,000 guests, making it one of South Florida’s largest cinemas of its time.
The venue closed in 1974. The Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. Building was repurposed and has lived many lives since, said Nick Murray, the curator and programmer of the series. It currently serves as headquarters of the Council.
“ It became a dine-in theater called the Pasta Palace and two different discothèque in the seventies, late seventies and eighties,” Murray told WLRN. “And then was home to three different art museums.”
Organizers are using a 100-inch OLED screen to show the films, which is comparable in size to the projector that was once used in that building.
Murray said the programming is also a way to tap into local talent by hosting local performances and creatives.
“And I think that this is just another way for us to communicate creatively and communicate the arts with everyone here in Palm Beach County,” Murray said.
The series runs through spring as part of a local creative partnership with Subtropic Film Festival and FLAVAR, an arts and culture collective.
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The film series kicks off at the Lake Theatre with a nostalgic screening of the 1940 classic comedy His Girl Friday on October 24, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.
The show is followed by a post-film discussion with Palm Beach County resident Scott Eyman, a film historian and New York Times bestselling author who wrote Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise.
The Subtropic Film Festival will showcase award-winning short films on December 12; in February, FLAVAR presents Sidney Lumet’s 1978 musical classic The Wiz. And in April, the series concludes with a screening of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, at the nearby Lake Worth Playhouse.
Telegrams from Hollywood stars
The theater opened on February 29, 1940, with fanfare that included telegrams from Hollywood stars such as Clark Gable and Shirley Temple and an inaugural showing of Little Old New York. It eventually closed in June 1974 following a final screening of Disney’s Robin Hood.
Continued efforts to revive the Lake Theatre is also helping community artists foster connection.
Dave Lawrence, the Council’s president & CEO, said the series “reflects our commitment to celebrating Palm Beach County’s rich history.”
“We invite the public to join us as we revisit classic films and view works in the place where it all began: the historic Lake Theatre,” he said.
IF YOU GO
What: Lake Theatre Revival Series
When: Runs from October 25th to April 5th, 2026.
Where: Cultural Council of Palm Beach County: 601 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth Beach, Fla., 33460
Learn more details here
