Cinema Triple

AKA CORRECTION:

MORGAN CINEMA 3 NOT MORGAN(A)

Heck of a way to open a theatre with “THE GODFATHER”!

Interstate Circuit’s venerable Arcadia Theatre burned down in downtown Harlingen on June 2, 1970. On September 28, 1970, Interstate Circuit joined its sister chain, Texas Consolidated - both part of the mothership ABC network - which combined to form ABC Interstate Theatres, Inc. And ABC Interstate announced the replacement to the Arcadia in 1971 with groundbreaking taking place on November 11, 1971. It would be the first hardtop venue built in the Rio Grande Valley in some 25 years. Its design called for a large tilt-up one piece wall brought in on a crane. (And 55 years later, that element was still in place and looking identical to its original installation.)

The ABC Cinema 1 & 2 continued Interstate’s suburban luxury business plan that constructed theaters built away from central business districts. This new breed of theaters featured large parking lots offering patrons free parking, wider aisle seating and wide format projection. This ABC duplex cost around $500,000 with 944-seats - a 398 seat auditorium and a larger 546 seat auditorium. The venue launched on May 24, 1972 with “The Godfather” and “The Groundstar Conspiracy.” The same interior plans were used to create the ABC Cinema 1 & 2 in Brownsville opening the next year, according to its developer, Fausto Yturria Jr. The building’s exterior was supposedly a tip of the hat to the Spanish Colonial architecture common in the Valley but, to most eyes, comes off as a more commonly used roughcast pebbledash not quit sticking the SC landing.

To celebrate the venue’s fifth anniversary in May of 1977, the second auditorium was split into two theaters creating the ABC Cinema Triple. In November of 1978, Plitt Southern took over the ABC Interstate operations rebranding here as the Plitt Cinema Triple. In 1979, Plitt would add a triplex at the new Sunrise Mall in Brownsville. Plitt also took over United Artists’ Harlingen and Brownsville locations effective October 5, 1985 to get a stronghold in the Valley. Just two months later, Cineplex Odeon took over the Plitt Southern operations in December of 1985 with the Valley-area venues all still marketed under the Plitt nameplate.

Cinemark took on the Plitt Southern locations in 1987 including the Morgan Plaza Triple. Cinemark opened its Cinema 10 megaplex theatre as a first run house on September 18, 1992. Cinemark announced its new–build Cinemark 16 screen theatre to open in the fourth quarter of 1999. That plan would lead to the downgrading of Movies 10 to discount sub-run. Cinemark continued to operate here as the first run Cinemark Cinema Triple all the way November 30, 1999 with the Cinemark 16 closed behind, launching on December 17, 1999.