Central Park Fox
6602 Blanco Road,
San Antonio,
TX
78213
6602 Blanco Road,
San Antonio,
TX
78213
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On March 19, 1992, an evening screening of “Kuffs” turned into a disaster when a 19-year-old Aaron Scott Wallander was shot dead at the theater parking lot. A San Antonio Police sergeant named Tom Secraw was inside watching the film with his girlfriend when an argument began with three men, including Wallander, sitting behind them. At the time of the argument, the theater’s air conditioning system had an issue at the time. Secraw did not know what the argument was about, but the three men, including Wallander, left the theater about halfway through and were followed outside by the three. The argument continued at the lobby. One of the men shouted, “Let’s go outside and finish this!”
Wallander walked outside followed by his girlfriend and the three men. The man’s unknown-modeled (listed as late-model compact) was parked off the theater sidewalk on the west side. The girlfriend stayed at the top of the steps leading to the parking lot while Wallander tried to get to his car. The three men caught up to Wallander and fatally shot him in the head, neck, chest, and arm, five times with a ,25-caliber semi-automatic pistol, before Wallander fell less than 15 feet from his car that had a bumper sticker on the rear of his car reading “Skateboarding is not a crime”. He was pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby hospital.
Actual closing date is July 11, 1996.
Closed 1996.
6602 Blanco Road would be the proper address. It was on Rector and Blanco. Rector was absorbed into the big box center, once Central Park Mall was demolished.
I worked there for Larry Elmer as his Assistant Manager. It was 1971 and I was just out of college. When we had a blockbuster it was very busy. Cabaret played there exclusively in 1972.
Reopened on December 20th, 1974 as a 3-plex with Rhoda Fleming attending. Grand opening ad posted
The Fox Twin theatre was opened by National General Cinemas on December 18th, 1969 with “Viva Max”. the other cinema opened the next week. Grand opening ad posted.
A May 12, 1969, Boxoffice item about the groundbreaking for the Central Park Fox said that the twin was designed by the Los Angeles architectural firm of Pearson, Wuesthoff & Skinner. Johnson & Dempsey of San Antonio were the local associate architects.
Rhonda Fleming was married to Ted Mann.
The January 13, 1975, issue of Boxoffice Magazine said that the former Fox Twin in San Antonio had reopened as a triplex on December 20, 1974. Actress Rhonda Fleming made a personal appearance at the opening. She had attended the opening of another Mann Theatre the previous day, at Lubbock.
Mann Theatres had plans to add three more screens to the Fox Central Park 3 at a future date, but it looks like they never got around to it.
Here is an item from the San Antonio Express dated 12/18/69:
Larry Benson, previously manager of the Fox Theater in Amarillo, now is managing National General Corporation’s new 1,500-seat Fox Twin Central Park Theaters in San Antonio. Benson, 28, started his theater career as a marquee and posterboy in Benson years ago while attending high school and worked his way up to doorman and then assistant manager.
He continued working for Fox theaters when he attended the University of Montana and upon graduation, was promoted from assistant manager of the Fox Theater in Missoula, Montana to manager of the Kiva Theater in Durango, Colo., in 1967. He held the Durango post until his transfer to Amarillo last year.