Tropicana Cinemas
3330 E. Tropicana Avenue,
Las Vegas,
NV
89121
3330 E. Tropicana Avenue,
Las Vegas,
NV
89121
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 17 comments
TROPICANA CINEMAS SET TO BE CLOSED FOLLOWING TONIGHT’S LAST MOVIE STARTS. THE LAST FILMS TO BE SCREENED ARE #1 VENOM: THE LAST 4,7 | #2 SMILE 3:30, 7:15 | #3 TERRIFIER 3 3:50, 7:10 | # 4 BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE 3,5:20,7:40.ONLY USING 4 OF THE 6 SCREENS, AS USUAL. I WAS TOLD THIS OVER THE WEEKEND, STILL GETTING NO REEL ANSWERS TO CONFIRM OR DENY THE CLOSING. HOWEVER I WAS CALLED AT 12 NOON EASTERN TIME AND WAS TOLD THE THEATRE WAS CLOSING TONIGHT, BUT THIS WAS AN INSIDER WHO DID NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED. THIS IS THE SECOND INSIDER TO TELL ME THE THEATRE IS CLOSING, THE FIRST WAS ON FRIDAY 11/1/2024 AND NOW TODAY ON 11/07/2024.
This theatre is owned by the Recency chain and continues to survive although it is struggling. Tropicana Cinemas and the Regenct chain never fully recovered from the Covid lockdown. Tropicana Cinemas sat silent much longer than most theatres did nationwide as Recency tried to figure out their next move was. Tropicana Cinemas like several other Recency locations was a discount theatre (sub-run). The sub-run industry died during the pandemic. The studios and the big theatre chains saw the shift in customer viewing. The movie industry nearly collapsed. Thus the grips on distribution was lightened by the studios and theatre chains. Theatres nationwide that survived were able to go first run. Theatres that had been sub-run for decades, some even built as sub-run theatres were now able to play day and day with the large chains.And finally when Tropicana Cinemas did reopen it did was now a first run theatre. However when Tropicana Cinemas which has always been a six screen cinema (in a sort of horseshoe shape design with theatre #1 starting on the left behind the concession stand going around to theatre # 6 in the front of the concession stand) would now only use 4 of the auditoriums.
And the theatre operates at at a super reduced schedule. Hours of operation typically are : Monday - Friday on 4pm and 7pm set. The weekends are a 1pm, 4pm and 7pm set.
There is nothing after the 7pm other than The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Unlike traditional RHPS showings whick start at midnight. When RHPS plays at Tropicana Cinemas it is at 9pm not midnight. The local RHPS cast had to revamp the time to fit in to the new Tropicana Cinemas schedule. There have been extremely rare occasions that if a movie is suppose to be a big blockbuster during opening weekend Tropicana Cinemas will run a 9pm of that movie on Saturday night if it is during a weekend that RHPS plays.
And even on those nights not all 4 auditoriums are in use, the other 2 auditoriums remain dark.
Tropicana Cinemas is about 2 - 3 run theatre. On even the biggest box office hits pulling patrons in at Tropicana Cinemas after the second week is a tough task, so usually it will be dropped on week 3.
Closed in 2000 and reopened as Tropicana Cinemas on April 23rd, 2004. Another grand opening ad posted.
This opened on November 8th, 1985. Grand opening ad posted.
Function should be: Movies (second-run)
I was one of the assistant managers at this theater back in 1988 / 89. Remember when the movie “Colors” came out, all the thugs came to see that movie, wild crowd but no fights, gangs were really the new thing back then.
It was a fairly nice theater back in those days, with first run movies playing, not a discount theater. I was working the day the plant blew up in Henderson (believe it was producing rocket fuel). The explosion didn’t break the door class but it blew the doors open, that was an experience.
When many of the bigger Vegas Theatres were loaded with Summer Blockbusters, My family and I saw a few oddball flicks here, including “UHF” and “Bingo” (from 1991). Glad to see it’s still open. There was this amazing promotion back in February of 1995. The first interactive movie, “Mr. Payback,” had a brief run here. Won the tickets on KLUC 98.5, and the theater was fitted with a built-in remote that let you vote on various outcomes while watching the 30 minute (or maybe 45 minute) film. It was a disaster, to say the least. But, I did have fun picking Robert Englund to appear on screen, instead of the “Riddler” from TV’s “Batman.” Time Warp, indeed.
when i was younger i’d go here an actually see movies that weren’t discounted. now they have $1 movies.
While I did visit this theater location in the 80s and 90s, I don’t recall what I may have seen.
I do know I saw Scary Movie at this theater, then drove to the Walmart up the street and bought it. I also saw Marmaduke and one other film. And you can find me, every first Saturday of the month, doing the Rocky Horror thing! Let’s do the Time Warp again!
Most of our theatres are in casinos now, but there are still quite a few that are not. UA Rainbow Promenade, UA Showcase, Regal Colonnade, Regal Village Square and Rave Town Square are all standalone theatres.
You are probably correct about Tropicana Cinemas being the oldest theatre left in Vegas, aside from the drive-in of course.
This theater originally opened in 1985 as the Paradise 6 (presumably because of its proximity to Paradise Park) and was a first run cinema. I remember seeing odd movies such as “The Ninth Configuration” and “Dr. Caligari” there as well as awesome events like the 1988 restored “Lawrence of Arabia”. Also, I saw “Aliens”, “RoboCop” and “Prince of Darkness” there among many, many others. Later it became a second run. As recently as 2007 I saw “Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny”. It is, as far as I know, the ONLY movie theater left in Vegas not connected to a casino (excepting the Drive-In) and the last theater left (again with the exception of the drive-in) from before the 90’s.
Photo here:
http://tinyurl.com/cpwrtv
I saw Yes Man there last weekend. It’s open, but seems to be under renovation. From what I saw, it’s going to be greatly improved. New seats and the place was actually clean. Also, the movie wasn’t in horrible shape like before. There was only one girl working though. She ran both the ticket and refeshment booths. Heck, she might have even been the one that started the movie. The food was priced about the same as a regular theater. But they have to make money somehow and I’d rather the food be expensive than the tickets. Overall a good experience. I really hope they survive.
Regency has a history of “soft openings”. I’m sure there will be proper signage, advertising, etc. shortly. In Southern California, the chain is well known for succeeding with theatres that others have given up on.
The Tropicana Cinemas in Las Vegas have reopened as of November 28, 2008. They said they have done no local advertising and have no sign on the building. Movie information is available by calling 702-438-3456 or at their website www.regencymovies.com They are still a discount movie house with a $3.00 admission. They now seem to be a part of a small chain of theaters out of California.
The theatre has apparently,once again,closed down.
There are no showtimes posted on the website.
Movies, bah. No time for that when I am in Vegas.