Mission Bell Square Theatre
12799 North Dale Mabry Highway,
Tampa,
FL
33618
12799 North Dale Mabry Highway,
Tampa,
FL
33618
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“The Phantom” was presented at the UA Mission Bell Theatre beginning on Friday June 7, 1996 (the film’s US nationwide release date).
The Showbiz Pizza Place that was sitting next door operated until September 1986 when it was sold during an absolute auction.
Remember the soothing light projection on screen through slowly merging globs of oil that would accompany every screening? I’m trying to find a name for that process. There was nothing else like it around.
I worked as an usher at Mission Bell in 1990 during my Senior year of high school. I remember Orin, the theatre’s manager saying they were getting a film in about “1001 Arabian Nights”. He was referring to Lawrence of Arabia. I saw many, many films at this theatre in the 80s.
Show Biz Pizza family entertainment place was right next door to this theatre. Great way to go have dinner, play games, get prizes, enjoy Pizza and then a movie night!
I came down from NYC to visit my family in Tampa in December 1982 for the holidays and it was my first time to this theatre and I saw Airplane 2-the Sequel.
Update: last week my son wanted to go to a video game store in Tampa. We live in Spring Hill now but drove down in the pouring rain. Guess where it was? Sight of the old Mission Bell! I wanted to Cry when I saw an Asian joint and video game store where “The Bell” once stood!
It was a nice theatre, really liked it. I remember watching “the Phantom”, “the Arrival”, and a re-release of “the Empire Strikes BacK”. gOOD TIMES :)
This theater was the “hot spot” back in the day, mid-80’s when I was in high school! It was THE place to see and be seen and everyone cruised around the parking lot over and over. Back when gas was 80 cents a gallon! Ahh! I remember I saw a film here in 1985 and the ac was broken! I was sad when I came back to Tampa and it was torn down!
I loved this theater back in the day and I miss it. I had a lot of fun there.