ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti ˈeɪt, ðə θˈiəɾɚ wʌz tɹænsfˈɔːɹmd wˈʌns ɐɡˈɛn ˌɪntʊ ɐ spˈænɪʃlˈæŋɡwɪdʒ sˈɪnəmə, stˈɪl ˌʌndɚ ðə nˈeɪm ˌɛl sˈɪn plˈɑːzə, ænd kəntˈɪnjuːd ʃˈoʊɪŋ lætˈiːnoʊ fˈɪlmz ʌntˈɪl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈoːɹ, wˌɛn ɐ bˈɔɪlɚɹ ɛksplˈoʊʒən dˈɛvᵻstˌeɪɾᵻd ðə θˈiəɾɚ, kəlˈæpsɪŋ ðə stˈeɪdʒ ænd ɹɪzˈʌltɪŋ ɪnðə θˈiəɾɚz kɑːndɛmnˈeɪʃən.
In 1978, the theater was transformed once again into a Spanish-language cinema, still under the name El Cine Plaza, and continued showing Latino films until 1984, when a boiler explosion devastated the theater, collapsing the stage and resulting in the theater's condemnation.