The Martin Theater - Landmark in Panama City, Florida
This Landmark was built in 1936 and opened its doors as the "RITZ". It has been visited by rich and famous such as Clark Gable, Constance Bennett, Michael O'Shea, William Boyd and cowboy great Bill Elliot. In the early 50s the "RITZ" chain was bought and renovated by the Martin Family. The original marque was replaced with the one now gracing the façade of the building and the cinema operated as the Martin Theater until 1978. Left vacant and deteriorating, the theater was used for a short time as a shooting gallery. In 1987, the Panama City Downtown Improvement Board bought the vacant building and, with funding from the State of Florida, renovated it in 2020.