County Theaters Expect No Trouble for ‘Colors’

“Colors,” Dennis Hopper’s movie about street gangs that has stirred fears of violence in Los Angeles, is expected to open today as scheduled at 13 theaters in Orange County. Spokesmen for four theater chains that have booked the movie here said they expect no problems.

Edwards Theatres, which will show “Colors” at eight movie houses, has agreed to post a security guard in each of them. “That’s at the request of the distributor (Orion Pictures),” Jim Edwards, president of the chain, said Thursday. “But we really don’t anticipate trouble.”

Other chains that are showing “Colors” at five county theaters--United Artists, AMC and Mann theaters--are taking no special security measures for the movie’s debut.

Meanwhile, trouble did erupt Wednesday evening where it was least expected--at a showing of “The Last Emperor” in Costa Mesa. Forty theatergoers demanded refunds at the Edwards South Coast Plaza after projection problems delayed the start of the Academy Award-winning movie for 40 minutes.

Judy Rosener of Newport Beach, who was at the 7 p.m. screening, said some patrons were so irate as they streamed out of the theater that they even demanded refunds for the popcorn they had eaten. The theater staff accommodated them immediately, she said, doling out cash on the spot. “I was very impressed with the way those kids handled a very difficult situation,” Rosener said. “One guy had gotten particularly ugly and loud.”

Edwards said 140 people stayed for the movie, despite the delay. The policy of the Edwards chain, he said, is to give a refund or a readmission ticket “if a customer is unhappy about anything.”

Nevertheless, a request for refunds on popcorn “is kind of unique,” he said.