America Cinemas Pasadena
2233 Southmore Avenue,
Pasadena,
TX
77502
2233 Southmore Avenue,
Pasadena,
TX
77502
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Jimmy O. Duncan’s Cineplex (Texas) opened the 1,100-seat Southmore Cinema 4 on December 19, 1975. On June 17, 1977, it was the Southmore 6 with seat count remaining consistent. But during the recession in Houston, Cineplex filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October of 1986. In December, Plano-based Cinemark took on the entire Cineplex portfolio including the Southmore.
Cinemark operated eventually running it as a discount, sub-run venue until August 31 1997 closing at the expiry of its 20-year lease. Dollar Cinema Inc. would take it on beginning November 7, 1997 finding few shekels closing in March of 1998. On July 3, 1998, Premiere Cinemas was next which ran it under the Southmore Dollar Cinema 6 nameplate into 2000.
The venue took time off and became Cinema Latino - a 6-screen, 1,100 seat venue back to first run product with Spanish language films on June 10, 2005. The Cinema Latino - Pasadena was closed on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sonora Entertainment Group had been set to rebrand the venue as a Sonora Cinema location as it had with Sonora Cinemas Phoenix (formerly Cinema Latino de Phoenix) and the Sonora Cinemas Aurora, Colorado (formerly Cinema Latino). But the Pasadena rebranding work - announced for a March 13, 2020 start - wouldn’t happen first due to COVID and followed by Sonora Entertainment filing for voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy dissolution on August 6, 2020.
America Cinemas, which took over the Sharpstown cinema location in 2017, then also opted to reopen here on July 30, 2021. By the mid-2020s, if one wanted the look and feel of a mid-1970s shopping center multiplex in the Houston area, this was about as authentic an experience as you could have asked for outside of its digital projection.
When Cineplex Odeon entered Texas, they kept the Plitt branding until 1988.
Don’t have the seating for this theatre, they don’t offer reserve seating.
Opened on December 19th, 1975. Grand opening ad posted.
Glad to see it’s open. I wish America Cinemas would take over the Sonora Cinema here in Phoenix and open it too. It’s been too long.
America Cinemas has reopened this theatre.
Could be this a Cineplex of Texas theatre?
came across this:
Houston Chronicle - October 6, 1986
Cineplex Corp. files for Chapter 11 Cineplex Corp., a Houston theater operator, has filed for reorganization protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, attributing its financial problems to the local recession.The 14 Houston area movie theaters that Cineplex owns, operates and manages will remain open during the reorganization. The theaters have 75 screens, rivaling American Multi-Cinema Corp. for top spot among local theater operators.Despite its large number of screens, Cineplex is having…
Purchase Complete Article, of 138 words 3.Houston Chronicle - February 13, 1987
Cineplex assets purchased Cinemark Corp. of Dallas has purchased the assets of Cineplex Corp. of Houston, which last fall filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code. Cinemark, a shell company formed by two Dallas theater operators for the sole purpose of acquiring Cineplex, had been operating the theaters since December on behalf of the bankruptcy court trustee.Besides purchasing Cineplex’s leases, Cinemark also acquired theater equipment, furniture, fixtures and a 2.6-acre tract of…