Roxy Theater
A former Miami Beach movie theater that became the adult nightclub Club Madonna in 1994.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Roxy Theater was a movie theater at 1527 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida. It opened on July 21, 1967, presenting itself as a modern and comfortable neighborhood cinema with seating for approximately 400 people. Its opening program was The Way West, a Western starring Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, and Richard Widmark. The venue was associated with Leroy Griffith, a theater and nightclub proprietor who had also worked as a Broadway theater producer. Griffith envisioned the site as more than a conventional cinema and discussed the possibility of adding live vaudeville-style entertainment. The theater later became known for adult film programming. In 1967, Griffith attracted local publicity by inviting municipal officials to a screening of Man and Wife, a film advertised as depicting numerous sexual techniques. Contemporary accounts described the officials as unimpressed rather than shocked, but the episode helped establish the venue's association with adult entertainment. The Roxy therefore occupied an unusual position in Miami Beach's entertainment landscape: it began as a mainstream cinema, but its programming and ownership gradually moved it toward adult-oriented nightlife. In early 1994, Griffith converted the former theater into an all-nude strip club and renamed it Club Madonna. The name led to a dispute with attorneys representing the pop singer Madonna, who argued that the club could create an unauthorized association with her and infringe her rights under U.S. trademark law. Griffith's representatives rejected the objection and defended the use of Madonna as a long-established public name. The available reference account does not establish a court judgment or settlement, but the club retained the name after the confrontation. The venue has continued operating as Club Madonna rather than returning to film exhibition. Its later cultural profile includes a filming connection to the 1995 movie South Beach Academy, which used interior scenes from the club. In 2018, adult-film performer Stormy Daniels appeared there for two nights during her “Make America Horny Again” tour. Today, the Roxy Theater is chiefly notable as a repurposed historic entertainment venue: the former cinema identity remains important to Miami Beach's local theater history, while Club Madonna represents its continuing adult-nightlife use.
History
The Roxy Theater opened in Miami Beach on Friday, July 21, 1967. It was promoted as a new and notably comfortable theater, with room for about 400 patrons. Its inaugural film was The Way West, featuring Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, and Richard Widmark. Leroy Griffith, the proprietor associated with the venue, also discussed the possibility of adding vaudeville or other live entertainment, suggesting an ambition broader than routine film exhibition. The venue's identity changed quickly. Griffith used the theater to attract publicity for adult-oriented programming, including a 1967 screening of Man and Wife. The film was advertised around sexual education and technique, and Griffith invited municipal officials to attend. Press reports indicated that the officials did not regard the screening as especially shocking, but the incident connected the theater with adult cinema and helped distinguish it from ordinary Miami Beach movie houses. By early 1994, the Roxy had ceased functioning primarily as a conventional cinema. Griffith converted it into an all-nude strip club and renamed it Club Madonna. The new name produced a publicized conflict with representatives of the pop singer Madonna. Her lawyers reportedly argued that the name could make the public believe that she endorsed the club and that its use violated her trademark rights. Griffith's lawyer responded that Madonna was a name with a long history of public use, and Griffith indicated that the club would keep the name while legally permitted. The available account does not document a final judicial ruling, but the establishment continued under the Club Madonna name. The repurposed venue became part of Miami Beach's adult-nightlife and popular-culture history. The 1995 film South Beach Academy used the interior of Club Madonna for scenes. In 2018, adult-film performer Stormy Daniels appeared for two nights as part of her “Make America Horny Again” tour. The site remains an adult nightclub, making the Roxy a notable example of an entertainment property whose original cinema function was replaced by adult nightlife while its physical location and historical identity persisted.
- 2018
Stormy Daniels appearance
[1]Stormy Daniels performed at Club Madonna for two nights during her “Make America Horny Again” tour.
- 1995
South Beach Academy filming
[1]Interior scenes for South Beach Academy were filmed at Club Madonna.
- 1994
Conversion to Club Madonna
[1]The former theater was converted into an all-nude strip club and adopted the Club Madonna name.
- 1994
Name dispute with Madonna's representatives
[1]Lawyers for the singer Madonna objected to the club's name, but the venue continued using it according to the available account.
- 1967
Roxy Theater opens
[1]The Miami Beach theater opened on July 21 with The Way West as its inaugural presentation and approximately 400 seats.
- 1967
Adult-film screening attracts publicity
[1]Leroy Griffith invited city officials to a screening of Man and Wife, reinforcing the venue's emerging association with adult cinema.
Products and positioning
A Miami Beach entertainment venue that transitioned from a mainstream cinema to adult-film programming and ultimately to an adult nightclub.
Cinema · 1967
Roxy Theater film exhibition
The venue originally operated as a Miami Beach movie theater with roughly 400 seats. It opened in 1967 with The Way West and was initially positioned as a comfortable, modern cinema. Its programming later included adult films, marking a transition away from conventional theatrical exhibition.
Adult nightclub · 1994
Club Madonna
Since its 1994 conversion, the property has operated as Club Madonna, an all-nude strip club and adult entertainment venue. The club occupies the former Roxy Theater site on Washington Avenue in Miami Beach and has hosted adult performers and appeared as a filming location.
Controversies
1994
Madonna trademark and association dispute
Representatives of the singer Madonna objected to the Club Madonna name, saying it could imply her endorsement of the establishment and violate her rights. The club's attorney disputed the claim, and the available source does not establish a final court outcome.
Brand decisions
1994
Convert the theater into an adult nightclubStrategyBackground
The venue had developed an association with adult-film programming and was no longer operating solely as a mainstream cinema.
Action taken
Leroy Griffith converted the former movie theater into an all-nude strip club and renamed it Club Madonna.
Aftermath
The property continued as an adult nightclub and became involved in a public dispute over its name with Madonna's representatives.
Sources2 sources
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