Right after Eric and Ervin Steiner purchased the theater which led to a brief closure in 1983, they divided the Esquire into four small auditoriums in 1984, and first-run films returned to the theater.
On April 24, 1988, the Regency Cinemas went into a serious dark path, when the theater itself turned into a murder scene after a man wearing blue gang colors was shot to death by a man wearing the red colors of a rival gang while waiting outside the Regency Cinemas building to watch the movie “Colors”, marking it the first reported killing associated with the movie itself and became national headlines.
The victim, his girlfriend, sister, and brother-in-law were standing in line when the suspect driving in a maroon 1988 Chrysler (either a New Yorker or a Fifth Avenue) arrived at the parking lot and stopped. He got out and asked to the male victim, “Are you a ricket?” The word “ricket” is a derogatory term used for the Crips Gang whose members wear blue, while red is worn by Blood Gang members. The two scuffled, and the man in red pulled a pistol, shooting the man in blue in the head. The victim’s sister was also struck by gunfire while waiting in line but survived. The suspect, whom police declined to identify, then got into his Chrysler that was rented in Los Angeles before the shooting, and left the scene, fleeing through the nearby Hammer Ranch Center. The man in blue was pronounced dead after arriving at St. Joseph’s Medical Center.
On June 20, 1961, a 16-year-old boy who worked as an usher at the time was killed in a freak accident while changing letters on its marquee. That morning, the boy was preparing to advertise the upcoming showings of “On The Double” and “The Savage Innocents”. As he changed the letters, its staging fell, pinning him to the sidewalk by the neck and shoulders. A Pittsfield ambulance took the 16-year-old to Pittsfield General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
A police report later confirmed that a 53-year-old man named James O. Brown was standing on a scaffold when it also fell, and the man was thrown into the street. He was taken to the same hospital with an ankle injury.
Edited from my February 15, 2022 (8:03 AM) comment:
Exactly more than five years after the Grove 16’s opening, the Grove 16 went into a serious dark path. The Grove 16 became national headlines following the self-defense shooting death of Chad Oulson, a retired American Gulf War veteran, by former Tampa Police Captain Curtain Reeves on January 13, 2014.
That day, Oulson and his wife Nicole were preparing to watch “Lone Survivor” in one of the auditoriums, while Curtis Reeves and his wife were watching from the row behind the Oulsons. It happened during the final set of intermission, as trailers were rolling on the screen. During one trailer, Reeves became so distracted after Oulson was using his phone during the trailers, texting to his son. Reeves then exited the theater to complain to theater personnel, then returned to his seat. Oulson threw the popcorn bucket at Reeves, who then drew a .380 caliber handgun and fired, shooting Nicole in the finger and fatally wounding Chad. He was taken to a nearby hospital by Tampa Fire Rescue where he was pronounced dead.
According to witness Alan Hamilton, an off-duty Tampa police officer, Reeves’s wife said, “that was no cause to shoot anyone”, to which Reeves scolded her with his finger and said, “you shut your f***ing mouth and don’t say another word”. Reeves insisted that he killed Oulson because he felt threatened by the younger, more physically fit individual. In 2017, a judge ruled that Reeves could not take shelter under the Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, a decision that would later be overturned on appeal, leaving the determination of self-defense to the jury. Tampa defense attorney Richard Escobar referred to the case as “the largest self-defense case ever in Florida”.
During the trial, Reeves stated that the confrontation made him more afraid than anything else in his life, including his SWAT experience, and entire law enforcement career, but prosecutors disputed that statement. Eight years after the murder in February 2022, Reeves was acquitted of second-degree murder and aggravated battery, and freed, ruling the incident as self-defense.
Correction: The Thunderbird Twin Drive-In actually closed on October 2, 1980. Screen 1 closed with “When A Stranger Calls” and “Night Wing”, while Screen 2 closed with “Borderline” and “Love In Bullets”.
On April 10, 1985, the Warren Cinema City became a scene of a murder of a man and the wounding of another man after an argument involving two groups among youths waiting in line outside the theater broke out. Patrons who were waiting in line to see “Beverly Hills Cop”, “Porky’s Revenge”, or “Friday The 13th Part V” among others on “Dollar Night” also witnessed the fight in horror.
This last operated with three screens, and was last known as Gulf-Way 3 Drive-In. The third screen was added in 1979, and lasted until its closure on September 5, 1983 because of Alicia.
Both screens were named “East” and “West”, and the theater closed on September 7, 1981. Screen East closed with “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Alien” while Screen West closed with “Revenge Of The Bushico Blade”, “Lady Street Fighter”, and “Tiger’s Revenge”.
The Elkton actually closed on February 28, 1985 with “A Nightmare On Elm Street” because of expansion of a neighboring cabinetry business. It never reopened afterward.
Actual closing date is October 31, 1986.
Originally operated by Babcock Brothers Theatres, and closed on March 21, 2004. It was demolished the following year.
Later operated by JJ Parker Theatres.
A 1984 aerial view shows both screens still standing, but the traces on one screen was transformed into a parking lot.
Closed in 1961. The auditorium was demolished in 1984.
Right after Eric and Ervin Steiner purchased the theater which led to a brief closure in 1983, they divided the Esquire into four small auditoriums in 1984, and first-run films returned to the theater.
On April 24, 1988, the Regency Cinemas went into a serious dark path, when the theater itself turned into a murder scene after a man wearing blue gang colors was shot to death by a man wearing the red colors of a rival gang while waiting outside the Regency Cinemas building to watch the movie “Colors”, marking it the first reported killing associated with the movie itself and became national headlines.
The victim, his girlfriend, sister, and brother-in-law were standing in line when the suspect driving in a maroon 1988 Chrysler (either a New Yorker or a Fifth Avenue) arrived at the parking lot and stopped. He got out and asked to the male victim, “Are you a ricket?” The word “ricket” is a derogatory term used for the Crips Gang whose members wear blue, while red is worn by Blood Gang members. The two scuffled, and the man in red pulled a pistol, shooting the man in blue in the head. The victim’s sister was also struck by gunfire while waiting in line but survived. The suspect, whom police declined to identify, then got into his Chrysler that was rented in Los Angeles before the shooting, and left the scene, fleeing through the nearby Hammer Ranch Center. The man in blue was pronounced dead after arriving at St. Joseph’s Medical Center.
On June 20, 1961, a 16-year-old boy who worked as an usher at the time was killed in a freak accident while changing letters on its marquee. That morning, the boy was preparing to advertise the upcoming showings of “On The Double” and “The Savage Innocents”. As he changed the letters, its staging fell, pinning him to the sidewalk by the neck and shoulders. A Pittsfield ambulance took the 16-year-old to Pittsfield General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
A police report later confirmed that a 53-year-old man named James O. Brown was standing on a scaffold when it also fell, and the man was thrown into the street. He was taken to the same hospital with an ankle injury.
Edited from my February 15, 2022 (8:03 AM) comment:
Exactly more than five years after the Grove 16’s opening, the Grove 16 went into a serious dark path. The Grove 16 became national headlines following the self-defense shooting death of Chad Oulson, a retired American Gulf War veteran, by former Tampa Police Captain Curtain Reeves on January 13, 2014.
That day, Oulson and his wife Nicole were preparing to watch “Lone Survivor” in one of the auditoriums, while Curtis Reeves and his wife were watching from the row behind the Oulsons. It happened during the final set of intermission, as trailers were rolling on the screen. During one trailer, Reeves became so distracted after Oulson was using his phone during the trailers, texting to his son. Reeves then exited the theater to complain to theater personnel, then returned to his seat. Oulson threw the popcorn bucket at Reeves, who then drew a .380 caliber handgun and fired, shooting Nicole in the finger and fatally wounding Chad. He was taken to a nearby hospital by Tampa Fire Rescue where he was pronounced dead.
According to witness Alan Hamilton, an off-duty Tampa police officer, Reeves’s wife said, “that was no cause to shoot anyone”, to which Reeves scolded her with his finger and said, “you shut your f***ing mouth and don’t say another word”. Reeves insisted that he killed Oulson because he felt threatened by the younger, more physically fit individual. In 2017, a judge ruled that Reeves could not take shelter under the Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, a decision that would later be overturned on appeal, leaving the determination of self-defense to the jury. Tampa defense attorney Richard Escobar referred to the case as “the largest self-defense case ever in Florida”.
During the trial, Reeves stated that the confrontation made him more afraid than anything else in his life, including his SWAT experience, and entire law enforcement career, but prosecutors disputed that statement. Eight years after the murder in February 2022, Reeves was acquitted of second-degree murder and aggravated battery, and freed, ruling the incident as self-defense.
Correction: The Thunderbird Twin Drive-In actually closed on October 2, 1980. Screen 1 closed with “When A Stranger Calls” and “Night Wing”, while Screen 2 closed with “Borderline” and “Love In Bullets”.
General Cinema operated the theater until March 17, 1983. CinemaCal was its later operator.
Closed in 1983, demolished that same year.
On April 10, 1985, the Warren Cinema City became a scene of a murder of a man and the wounding of another man after an argument involving two groups among youths waiting in line outside the theater broke out. Patrons who were waiting in line to see “Beverly Hills Cop”, “Porky’s Revenge”, or “Friday The 13th Part V” among others on “Dollar Night” also witnessed the fight in horror.
Actual opening date is October 5, 1990 by UA. During its later days with Phoenix, it was once known as “Phoenix Theatres at West River Centre”.
Once known as “Phoenix Theatres at Big Aire Centre”.
Originally opened by AMC, but taken over by Phoenix Theatres during its last years.
Once operated by Phoenix Theatres for a few years.
Actual closing date is September 16, 1984.
Closed on September 19, 1980 with “The Exterminator”.
Closed on November 26, 1981 with “Paternity”.
Still open in 1966, but closed shortly afterward.
Once known as UA Movies At Trexler Mall.
This last operated with three screens, and was last known as Gulf-Way 3 Drive-In. The third screen was added in 1979, and lasted until its closure on September 5, 1983 because of Alicia.
Both screens were named “East” and “West”, and the theater closed on September 7, 1981. Screen East closed with “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Alien” while Screen West closed with “Revenge Of The Bushico Blade”, “Lady Street Fighter”, and “Tiger’s Revenge”.
The Elkton actually closed on February 28, 1985 with “A Nightmare On Elm Street” because of expansion of a neighboring cabinetry business. It never reopened afterward.