Collision leaves hole in city's movie theater

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Ever heard a deep rumble and wondered whether it was the sound of a nearby truck or distant thunder?

On Tuesday, two ladies at The Movies 3 had different options: ice falling off the roof or the theater wall falling in.

In this case, a three-by-six foot section of the theater’s cinderblock wall came crashing in after a truck hit the building, perhaps just as the three stars of Mad Money came crashing out of the Federal Reserve on screen. It happened during the early evening matinee at which the two women made up the entire audience — of both the film and the accident.

“They said they were startled,” Rose Kain, owner of The Movies 3 said. “They didn’t know whether to finish the movie or get up and tell us.” The ladies stayed to watch, though they could see the light of day through the wall. They were presumably unable to resist watching Katie Holmes, Queen Latifah and Diane Keaton work together to smuggle money from the Federal Reserve. “They said it didn’t bother them,” Kain said. She gave them movie vouchers anyway.

The Movies 3 had permitted the company Basic Energy to park one of its trucks in the parking lot. The driver attempted to move his vehicle, which was attached to a trailer towing a heavy bulldozer, to make room for more cars in the lot. It was then he hit the building not once, but twice.

Kain said the first bump left only a mark. The second hit knocked out a hole the size of the driver’s end load.

“It’s funny, but not funny,” Kain said. “Every time I look at that hole, I start laughing. It couldn’t have happened on purpose.” She said her insurance is working with Basic Energy’s insurance to cover the damages. The theater is still functional after being patched with insulation on the interior and boards on the exterior.