▁as ▁by ▁ticket ▁and ▁con cess ions ▁sales . ▁It ▁has ▁often ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁back drop ▁for ▁mov ies , ▁music ▁videos ▁and ▁local ▁programming . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁T ampa ▁Theatre ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁commercial ▁building ▁in ▁T ampa ▁to ▁offer ▁air ▁condition ing , ▁which ▁provided ▁appeal ▁during ▁Florida ' s ▁sw elter ing ▁summer ▁months . ▁Inside ▁the ▁T ampa , ▁aud ien ces ▁are ▁transport ed ▁to ▁a ▁lav ish , ▁rom antic ▁Mediter rane an ▁cour ty ard ▁re ple te ▁with ▁old ▁world ▁stat u ary , ▁flowers , ▁and ▁g argo yles . ▁Over ▁it ▁all ▁is ▁a ▁night time ▁sky ▁with ▁tw ink ling ▁stars ▁and ▁floating ▁clouds . ▁ ▁A ▁movie ▁palace ▁it ▁features ▁an ▁op ul ent ▁interior ▁and ▁employed ▁uniform ed ▁pl ato ons ▁of ▁us h ers ▁and ▁attend ants . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁more ▁than ▁ 9 0 ▁million ▁Americans ▁were ▁going ▁to ▁the ▁mov ies ▁every ▁week . ▁For ▁several ▁dec ades , ▁the ▁theatre ▁remained ▁a ▁j ew el ▁and ▁the ▁center pie ce ▁of ▁T ampa ' s ▁cultural ▁landscape . ▁People ▁grew ▁up , ▁st ole ▁their ▁first ▁kiss es ▁in ▁the ▁bal con y , ▁followed ▁the ▁week ly ▁news re els , ▁and ▁celebrated ▁life ▁week ▁after ▁week ▁by ▁coming ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁T ampa . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 7 0 s , ▁times ▁had