La Placita Cinema 3

One of the more unsuccessful theaters in the history of Tuscon was La Placita Cinema 3. But don’t blame architect Michael S. Harris and the firm Architecture One Ltd. The theater won a design award. It launched by Syufy Enterprises of San Francisco as a luxury cinema and housed in La Placita Village. You could reach the theaters via winding staircase or glass elevator. Old images from classic Hollywood adorned the high-ceiling lobby.

The 750 seat triplex opened April 3, 1974 with “McQ,” “Serpico,” and “Cinderella Liberty.” News came in March of 1976 that the theater’s graphic arts design had won an award from Print, a trade press magazine. It was the only theater winner in the group of 18 honorees. The massive displays of Butch Cassiday and the Marx Brothers worked at that time. But the euphoria of the design award was short-lived. Just three weeks later, the theater closed April 6, 1976 by Syufy Enterprises citing parking issues, lack of clientele, and inability to renegotiate a sublease situation. It closed with “Man of the East” and “Moonrunners.” The good news was that movies could be seen in 2015 at La Placita as Cinema La Placita — an outdoor classic film series shown weekly on Thursday nights was available for $3 in downtown Tuscon.