OPENING OF CINEMA TWO IT AND CINEMA ONE COMMON LOBBY, NOTE THE RED JACKETS STYLE FOR USHER, NICK LAVIDOR STANDS WITH GLASSES, FOUTH IN HE WAS CINEMA AS A SINGEL FIRST MANGER, LATER DIVISION MANAGER, THEN V.P. ADVERTISING, ON RIGHT THIRD TO LEFT IS GENERAL MANAGER OF OPERATIONS HOWARD SPIESS
OPENING DAY RIBBON CUTTING,, TO LEFT IS PHIL SMITH FOUNDER, AT THIS TIME NAME OF FIRM SMITH MANAGEMENT, LATER WOULD BE CHANGE TWICE, FIRST GENERAL DRIVE IN THEATERS, LATER TO GENERAL CINEMA CORP. TO RIGHT IS SON RICHARD SMITH WHO IN LATE 1990’S WOULD CLOSE OR SELL ALL OF THE THEATERS FOR OTHER INTEREST
AT LEFT IS MAIN EXITS FROM AUDITORIUM, STAIRS TO BALCONY, TO RIGHT JUST BEFORE AUDITORIUM LONG BLACK FORICA CONCESSION ONLY DRINKS AT STAND WAS FROM A JET SPRAY ORANGE, CORN WAS PRE POPED END OF LOBBY RESTROOMS TO LEFT OF STAIRS WAS A PATIO SMOKING AREA, THE LOBBY HAD TWO VENDING MACH. ONE ICE CREAM BARS, OTHER FOR DRINKS ‘COKE" NO DRINKS WERE ALOWED IN AUDITORIUM AT THAT TIME, USHER WERE IN TUX PANTS AND A BURT ORANGE BLAZER, FEMALES SMOCKS
GENERAL CINEMA OPEN THIS THEATER LONG BEFORE ITS TIME BUT IT IS STILL OPEN TO THIS DAY, IN A SPLIT CENTER VERY NICE AREA LATER MANN THEATER TOOK IT OVER THEN MOVIE ONE AND ELVIS THEY DID FINE JOB KEEP IT OR DECORATING UP TO DATE.
SEATING, CIELA VISTA IN THE MALL, I,2,3, WAS 475, 425. 250 G.C.C. HAD A CINEMA IN THE PARKING LOT CINEMA 4,5,6, 150, 150, 300, LATER MORE WERE ADDED TO THE FREE STANDING CINEMA 4,5,6, ANOTHER FOUR WITH SEATING OF 300, 300, 250
G.C.C. Built in parking lot, CINEM three more with seating 150, 150, 300, then later still G.C.C. added to these in the parking lot three more seating of 300, 250, 200, both mall and parking lot G.C.C. theaters are gone, there is a new CIMEMART there now
SEATING CINEMA one 424, two 425, three 250 these theater were inside of the mall, in parking lot later was built by G.C.C. theater 4,5,6, seating four 150, five 150, six, 300, then later G.C.C. added three more to the parking lot, seven 300, eight 250, nine 200, all G.C.C. theater now gone replace by new theater of CINEMARK
My guess is after reading some on this unit open as a twin, later was spit then feel GENERAL CINEMA left at one point another chain took it maybe spit it again the the building came down, feel another theater was built at this mall was in theaters over forty years just read the police report on the sad hold up here that by far the worst hold up at a theater I ever heard of pray never read of another as sad
I retired here in ABQ. after forty years in theaters, mostly GENERAL CINEMA AND MANN THEATERS, THE SAN MATEO IS NOW GONE BUT AFTER G.C.C. LEFT JIM SHEEHAM AN OLD FRIEND THEN WORKING FOR MADSTONE HE OVER LOOKED THE RE MODELING OF THIS THEATER SEATS, CARPET COLORS A WELL DONE JOB BY THE LOOK OF THE PHOTOS ALL PHOTOS AFTER MADSTONE RE DO
I was the division manager of this fine theater well run did very well at box-office one of the best grosser in the DENVER division, which was, CO. N.M. AZ. AND NOTH TX, very well at midnight shows all around an excellent house.
LOBBY AFTER ADD ON OF CINEMA TWO
SECOND CONCESSION WEEKENDS
CINEMA UPPER RIGHT
CINEMA AS A SINGLE THE SIGN LITE UP PINK
OPENING OF CINEMA TWO IT AND CINEMA ONE COMMON LOBBY, NOTE THE RED JACKETS STYLE FOR USHER, NICK LAVIDOR STANDS WITH GLASSES, FOUTH IN HE WAS CINEMA AS A SINGEL FIRST MANGER, LATER DIVISION MANAGER, THEN V.P. ADVERTISING, ON RIGHT THIRD TO LEFT IS GENERAL MANAGER OF OPERATIONS HOWARD SPIESS
OPENING DAY RIBBON CUTTING,, TO LEFT IS PHIL SMITH FOUNDER, AT THIS TIME NAME OF FIRM SMITH MANAGEMENT, LATER WOULD BE CHANGE TWICE, FIRST GENERAL DRIVE IN THEATERS, LATER TO GENERAL CINEMA CORP. TO RIGHT IS SON RICHARD SMITH WHO IN LATE 1990’S WOULD CLOSE OR SELL ALL OF THE THEATERS FOR OTHER INTEREST
STAIRS TO BALCOMY AND DIVISION OFFICE, ART WAS FROM LOCAL ARTSIT CHANGED MONTHLY, LEFT OF STAIRS A PATIO SMOKING AREA
AT LEFT IS MAIN EXITS FROM AUDITORIUM, STAIRS TO BALCONY, TO RIGHT JUST BEFORE AUDITORIUM LONG BLACK FORICA CONCESSION ONLY DRINKS AT STAND WAS FROM A JET SPRAY ORANGE, CORN WAS PRE POPED END OF LOBBY RESTROOMS TO LEFT OF STAIRS WAS A PATIO SMOKING AREA, THE LOBBY HAD TWO VENDING MACH. ONE ICE CREAM BARS, OTHER FOR DRINKS ‘COKE" NO DRINKS WERE ALOWED IN AUDITORIUM AT THAT TIME, USHER WERE IN TUX PANTS AND A BURT ORANGE BLAZER, FEMALES SMOCKS
1954
GENERAL CINEMA OPEN THIS THEATER LONG BEFORE ITS TIME BUT IT IS STILL OPEN TO THIS DAY, IN A SPLIT CENTER VERY NICE AREA LATER MANN THEATER TOOK IT OVER THEN MOVIE ONE AND ELVIS THEY DID FINE JOB KEEP IT OR DECORATING UP TO DATE.
SEATING, CIELA VISTA IN THE MALL, I,2,3, WAS 475, 425. 250 G.C.C. HAD A CINEMA IN THE PARKING LOT CINEMA 4,5,6, 150, 150, 300, LATER MORE WERE ADDED TO THE FREE STANDING CINEMA 4,5,6, ANOTHER FOUR WITH SEATING OF 300, 300, 250
Early days at G.C.C. all are building had a number of signs and most had two large marques or road signs
This split was not to bad since there was 1000 seats as a single
Floor at front is long area of tile just a giant of a lobby
AS A GENERAL CINEMA THEATER WHEN IT OPENED WE HAD 1200 SEATS
DAVID WODEYLA MANAGER RIGHT STANDING
THEATER OPEN AS A TWIN, LATER WAS SPIT TOO FOUR AUDITORIUMS
CURRY ATKINS
HEAD USHER JIMMY FRANCES REAL SWEET BOY AND MANAGER DENNIS MAHANEY
G.C.C. Built in parking lot, CINEM three more with seating 150, 150, 300, then later still G.C.C. added to these in the parking lot three more seating of 300, 250, 200, both mall and parking lot G.C.C. theaters are gone, there is a new CIMEMART there now
SEATING CINEMA one 424, two 425, three 250 these theater were inside of the mall, in parking lot later was built by G.C.C. theater 4,5,6, seating four 150, five 150, six, 300, then later G.C.C. added three more to the parking lot, seven 300, eight 250, nine 200, all G.C.C. theater now gone replace by new theater of CINEMARK
My guess is after reading some on this unit open as a twin, later was spit then feel GENERAL CINEMA left at one point another chain took it maybe spit it again the the building came down, feel another theater was built at this mall was in theaters over forty years just read the police report on the sad hold up here that by far the worst hold up at a theater I ever heard of pray never read of another as sad
I retired here in ABQ. after forty years in theaters, mostly GENERAL CINEMA AND MANN THEATERS, THE SAN MATEO IS NOW GONE BUT AFTER G.C.C. LEFT JIM SHEEHAM AN OLD FRIEND THEN WORKING FOR MADSTONE HE OVER LOOKED THE RE MODELING OF THIS THEATER SEATS, CARPET COLORS A WELL DONE JOB BY THE LOOK OF THE PHOTOS ALL PHOTOS AFTER MADSTONE RE DO
OPENING AD SADLY NO OTHER PHOTOS EXSIST OF THIS BEAUTIFUL THEATER
I was the division manager of this fine theater well run did very well at box-office one of the best grosser in the DENVER division, which was, CO. N.M. AZ. AND NOTH TX, very well at midnight shows all around an excellent house.