Meyerland Plaza 8

I was the manager during the time when the large auditorium was twinned. It originally seated 954. The smaller auditorium only seated 525.

Interesting side note. The opening movie for the newly twinned theater was the World Premier of Up In Smoke. It was such a huge success, we had to run it on both new screens. We also had Cheech and Chong there for the premier. Cheech was wild and was climbibg over seats during the screening, but Chong sat in the office and talked about Dallas Cowboy football.

The original manager there was Fred Riley who was transferred from Tampa Florida by the District Manager, Billy Wilson. Frwed remained there for many years until his retirement from General Cinema. He now resides in Wisconsin.

The GCC 8-plex was NOT a retrofit of the 3-plex. It was a completely new building that offered two THX approved auditoriums.

This theatre closed as a GCC (although I dont remember if this happened before or after AMC bought them out) for a few months but re-opened as "Nova Cinemas".

It has since been torn down and is now... a Circuit City.

I remember the opening of the meyerland general cinema twin auditoriums. the date was march 15,1965. the two films that were shown that day was walt disneys mary poppings with julie andrews and dick van dyke the other film was by unitied artist release called mister moses with robert mitchium and carroll baker. Inside one of the auditoriums the screen had four sides and there was a soft light blue color shown on the screen. before the film was to begain a symbol of a projector reel would appear and under the reel would be the letters saying general cinema corporation and when the projector reels would move in a circular motion then the letters coming attractions would appear the previews would start. after that they would show a loney toons cartoon with bugs bunny. I also saw the first planet of the apes movie in 1968 with my favorite actor charlton heston. the admissions were 60 cents for children and $1.25 for adults. small cokes were 75 cents and small popcorn was 75 cents and candy 35 cents.

I came across an old ad for the grand opening in 1963 for a general cinema in the mt prospect area in chicago. the website is http://movie-theatre.org/grandopening/chicagomtprospectcinema.jpg

If you want to view 12 photos from aug 3,1994 of the original MEYERLAND GENERAL CINEMA that opened in 1965 go to website-www.flickr.com then search for photos by billburge48 then click on 12 photos.

If you want to view 12 photos from aug 3,1994 of the original MEYERLAND GENERAL CINEMA that opened in 1965 go to website http://www.flickr.com then search for photos by billburge48 then click on 12 photos.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/82035755@N00/show/ click on this link to view slide show of meyerland general cinema- opened 1965 closed 1995

sorry about the last two comments to go to www.flickr.com I corrected the link to view the MEYERLAND GENERAL CINEMA you will love this great slideshow thanks for your patience

HERE IS A AD FROM DECEMBER 1968 WHEN I SAW PLANET OF THE APES AT MEYERLAND GENERAL CINEMA . GO TO HTTP://STATIC.FLICKR.COM/85/231139265_2B86bb3448.JPG

This is the wrong link go to http://static.flickr.com/85/231139265_2b86bb3448.jpg

Here is another photo of the new meyerland general cinema 8 plex that opened in 1997 and closed on dec 31,2003 as nova theaters to view photo go to
http://www.cinematour.com/picview.php?db=us&id=21353

If you want to see the general cinema corporation trailer go to http://tulsatvmemories.com/realaud/gcc.mov

Here is the General Cinema candy band trailer go to http://www.youtube.com/w/?v=3AYatvM-A48

Here is a photo from general cinema gulfgate dated july 1968 to view go to http://static.flickr.com/93/246983408_dd00504b9b.jpg

According to this article, the Meyerland Plaza 8 closed in October of 2000.

"General Cinema to Close Its Last Houston Movie Theater.

Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Publication Date: 10/17/2000

Author: Parks, Louis B.


Oct. 17--After 35 years of popcorn and matinees in southwest Houston, the Meyerland Plaza movie theater will close after its final show Thursday.

With it will go the last Houston presence for General Cinema, once one of the area's most prominent theater chains. General Cinema's numerous locations included a high-profile complex inside the Galleria.

General Cinema, based in Newton, Mass., filed for bankruptcy reorganization last week, blaming a market oversaturated with multiscreen megaplexes.

"With the boom in megaplexes, it's a tough time for the industry," said General Cinema spokesman Brian Callaghan. Megaplexes are theaters with 20 or more screens.

There will be no final curtain to bring down. Meyerland was one of the first "modern" Houston theaters built without curtains.

The Meyerland I & II, along with its sister theaters Northline I & II and Gulfgate I & II, were Houston's first theaters with more than one screen when they opened in April 1965. It was then a revolutionary idea to offer two screens in the same theater. The three facilities opened on the same day with Mister Moses on both screens and the next day added Mary Poppins.

The original Meyerland cinema later expanded to three screens. In March 1995, the original building was torn down and replaced by an eight-screen complex.

Callaghan said he did not know what would be done with the Meyerland building, which is in the shopping center's southwest corner.

General Cinema has closed 36 theaters recently, including its location in Webster. Callaghan said the final number of General Cinema theaters would be 77, down from 133 before reorganization.

Several other chains also have filed for bankruptcy this year, including United Artists Theater Co., Edwards Cinemas and Carmike Cinemas".

I work at the Meyerland Cinema staring in May 1970 with the opening of M*A*S*H. It was one of the best jobs even though it did pay much. I startes out at $1.00/hr. I worked as usher, doorman, cashier and concessions.It was a great place to meet people.

We had a World Premier of Catlow.You Brenner came and was a great guy

The concession prices were

Cokes Small .25 Medium .35 Large .50
Popcorn Smallbox .25 Cup .50 Bucket 1.00

The Meyerland Cinema has since been torned down and replaced with a strip center

The AMC 14 in Meyer Park, the nearest competitor - about 5 minutes drive from Meyerland Plaza, closed in 2007.

The Meyerland Cinema I and II was being designed by Boston architects William Riseman & Associates, with local architect Thompson McCleary associated, according to a Boxoffice Magazine item of July 20, 1964.

William Riseman designed many multi-screen theaters for General Cinema and other companies during this period. It's likely that all the "butterfly" style twins GC built at the time were Riseman's work.