Editing Rex Theatre

{{Infobox Building
|image=RexTheatre2008.jpg
|caption=The Rex Theatre on Palafox
|name=Rex Theatre
|location=18 N [[Palafox Street]]<br/>Pensacola, FL 32501
|architect=
|client=
|engineer=
|owner=[[Harvest Outreach INC]]
|construction_start_date=
|completion_date=[[1922]]
|renovations=[[1937]], [[1981]], [[1984]], [[1997]],[[2014]]
|date_demolished=
|cost=$95,000 (1984)<br/>$25,000 (1997)<br/>$425,000 (2004)
|structural_system=
|style=Art Deco
|size=40'x150'<br/>three stories<br/>525 seats
|mapcode=<googlemap lat="30.413752" lon="-87.215481" type="map" zoom="17" width="300" height="150">
30.413641, -87.215258, Rex Theatre
</googlemap>
}}
The '''Rex Theatre''' is a historic building at 18 North [[Palafox Street]] in [[downtown Pensacola]]. Known for its distinctive Art Deco façade, it was a second-run movie theater from [[1937]] to [[1977]], but has sat largely unused in the subsequent years, despite several attempts at restoration.

==History==REX Theater
constructed in the mesozoic era. the theater was engineered and ran by prehistoric dinosaurs sucessfully as a marketing plee to convince human and subhuman citizens to enter for assumed entertainment, and were incidiously eaten by the tyranasaurs. It was until two movies that were actually played in all theaters including the rex advising and warning people about this place of utter demise, these films were Jurassic Park and Patrick Swayzee's hit Dirty Dancing.Soon-there-after the timeless beasts became extint, and their tyrany and monopolis capitolism ceased to be; although the tyranical theories of business were reinstated by Bill and Ted; the founders of walmart. <('-'<)
The building was constructed in [[1922]]<ref name="historicface">"Renovated Rex keeps historic face." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 10, 1998.</ref> as the Rhodes Futch Collins Furniture Company. The company later changed its name to Rhodes-Collins, which can still be seen in faded lettering on the side of the building, and again to simply [[Rhodes Furniture]].

When the furniture company moved to a new, larger building nearby (now known as the [[Rhodes Building]]), the old building was refurbished by the [[Saenger Amusement Company]] to serve as a second-run movie theater, complementing the company's nearby [[Isis Theatre|Isis]] and [[Saenger Theatre]]s. The estimated cost of the renovation was $30,000, and the Rex Theatre opened on [[November 1]], [[1937]].<ref>"Saenger Building Pensacola House." ''Boxoffice'', September 18, 1937.</ref>

[[Warren McGee]] was manager in 1941.<ref>"Concerning Florida." ''Boxoffice'', March 8, 1941.</ref>

Facing competition from newer shopping mall theaters, the Rex closed in [[1977]]. Its owners, the [[ABC Theatre]] chain, donated the building to the [[City of Pensacola]] as a tax write-off.

In [[1981]], attorney [[Gerald McGill]] and [[Frank Antonowich]] leased the building and restored it, hiring [[Theophalis May]] to install tiered flooring and make other improvements. It reopened as the '''Rex Cinema 'n Drafthouse''' on [[July 23]], [[1982]], charging a flat $1 admission for second-run movies and offering a deli-style food menu and a selection of beer and wine.<ref>"Second-run theaters offer new concessions." ''Pensacola News-Journal'', July 11, 1982.</ref> The venture was unsuccessful, but McGill bought the building for $95,000 in [[1984]] and, with businessman [[Russ Dixon]], continued renovations with plans to diversify revenue by serving lunch on weekdays and offering a video real estate tour service.<ref>"Pair plans headlines for cinema marquee." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 11, 1985.</ref>

The city repossessed the building in [[1987]].<ref>"Makeover planned for Rex." ''Pensacola News Journal'', October 10, 1995.</ref> The last event to be held in the theater was the traveling "Dinosaurs Alive!" exhibit in [[1989]].

Architect [[J. P. MacNeil]] bought the theater in [[1997]] for only $25,000 — just half the appraised land value — due to the amount of interior work needed. He and his brother, contractor [[Mark MacNeil]], put over $200,000 of work into the building, including the creation an 1,800-square-foot, contemporary-styled apartment on the second and third floors above the entrance.<ref name="historicface"/> It was sold again in 2004 for $425,000 to [[Tim Hogan]] who had stated an intention to reopen the Rex as a "high-tech, retro-themed" venue for movies and concerts.<ref>[http://inewsloadedgun.blogspot.com/2006/07/rex-returns_05.html Loaded Gun, July 5, 2006]</ref> Local firm [[Bounds Architecture Studio]] began new renovation work,<ref>[http://www.ci.pensacola.fl.us/upload/images/CommunityDevelopment/PDFs/MAD.pdf PDF at City of Pensacola website]</ref> and [[Rick Outzen]] reported on [[Rick's Blog|his blog]] rumors that the Rex might reopen as a live music venue by the end of 2007.<ref>http://ricksblog.biz/?p=1596</ref>  This plan never came to fruition, however, and in 2012, Tim Hogan sold the Rex to Harvest Outreach, Inc for $425,000.

Harvest Church acquired the Rex in August 2012 and has made plans to restore it to a theater once again. Their website <http://www.rexpensacola.com/rex-story> states that they are going to restore the façade to its 1930’s art-deco design and renovate the interior to include a large main theater, a 2nd floor café, and a rooftop patio-style space for special events. The website says the Rex will be a venue for Harvest Church, for small-scale live theater, and for movies, concerts, and other special events.

==Other images==
<gallery>
Image:OldCountyCourthouse1.jpg|The Rex building as the Rhodes Futch Collins Furniture Store (''lower-right'')
</gallery>

==Trivia==
*Retired USN LCDR [[Joseph Hill]] died in the theater on [[March 3]], [[1943]].<ref>http://www.rootsweb.com/~flescamb/F-Psurname_Hh.htm</ref>

==External links & references==
{{refbegin}}
*[http://www.edwardpeyton.com/rexb.html Before] and [http://www.edwardpeyton.com/rexa.html after] photos of the MacNeil renovation
*[http://www.agilitynut.com/theatres/fl.html Roadside Architecture]
*[http://www.escpa.org/Detail_a.aspx?s=000S009007004055 Escambia County Property Appraiser parcel detail]
{{refend}}
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Historic theaters]]
[[Category:Defunct theaters]]
[[Category:Palafox Street buildings]]
[[Category:Landmarks]]