AMC Braintree 10

it’s how there competing with Alamo Drafthouse and Movie Tavern that there AMC Dine-in locations directly clone. the new remodels include Mcguffins Bars in both AMC and AMC Dine-in theaters. the AMC near me that had it put in never had any issues with the bar and drunk guests mainly due to the fact that it’s a bar they will not give you a drink if you look drunk like any other bar.

AMC applied to the town for a license to sell beer and wine, but it has just been denied. The plan was to sell drinks from a bar in the foyer, then patrons would take their drinks into the auditorium. That did not go over! Apparently it would be OK if the consumption of alcholic drinks was limited to the bar itself. AMC plans to return in 2 months with a new plan. AMC reps told the Braintree board that cinemnas no longer cater to just teenage kids; that 75% of movie patrons today are over 21, and teen patronage has fallen off in recent years.

I recently came upon this website and just had to comment. I have very special memories of the original South Shore Plaza Cinema. It not only was my very first job while in high school, but I helped open the theater as a member of the first team of ushers in the fall of 1966! I can remember following the theater’s assistant manager (Gerald Mahaney?) out to his car where he had all the paperwork I needed to complete. The inside of the theater wasn’t even completed yet. As I recall, the manager’s name was Larry Gleason. I also worked for Izzy Strier during his tenure as the manager there in 1967. I can remember him letting me use his 1965 or 66 Mustang fastback to run an errand to another cinema for him. Now that was trust, letting a 17 year old kid drive your car! I still have fond memories of the odor of the freshly made popcorn we made there. Of course, I had to “test” it to ensure it was just right. I want to thank a previous poster, Bob Schlapowitz, for the photo of the lobby. Wow, does that bring back some great memories! It’s like finding the Holy Grail of my youth. I now wish I saved my original uniform: Orange suit jacket, black tuxedo pants, white shirt, and black bow tie. Thanks for the opportunity to contribute, and for the wonderful memories!

An article in the print edition of the Quincy Patriot Ledger, January 9 2013, states that the Braintree License Board has given permission to the AMC Braintree 10 to present midnight screenings on Thursdays, Fridays and Sats. But the shows must end by 230AM, otherwise additional permit will be needed. The article states that the cinema has been undergoing renovations which will reduce the total seating capacity from over 2,000 to 974 seats. Expensive leather seats are being installed which can be reclined, so if the movie is boring, you can sleep. Sound and projection systems are also being updated. The work is being performed with the cinema open.

Great photo Bob! I’m posting one of the front of the theatre from 1988.

I enjoyed my times at GCC.they worked the crap out of managers and that salary certainly never covered the long hours,but i think most of us never did it for the money.

They still have the Vic 8 there for 70mm but if I remember correctly the 70mm parts have been mostly stripped off and it is used exclusively for 35mm.

Braintree also recently installed their Sony 4K SXRD projector in Cinema 2. They can no longer show 35mm in that house. Currently they’re showing Avatar in 3D in that particular house.

Can anyone tell me the screen size of the largest auditorium? And does the said auditorium still have a 35/70 projector? I’m curious.

I never met him, because Fred Tomeo was the Manager at the Drive In when I managed the Cinema. The name is familiar though, and I believe his daughter was an Assistant Manager at the Natick Drive In.

In the early and mid-90’s I remember driving extra lengths to go to this theatre. They were one of the few theatres in the area to have those special strobe lights installed for the Twister and Lost World trailers. When they went off I had no idea what was happening— boy was it effective! They also sold taco bell at the concession stand which was extra awesome back then. Sad to hear that it’s gotten worse…

Braintree’s finest manager passed away this week, Izzy Strier, who managed the theatre in the South Shore Plaza from 1966 until 1975 was a legend in the town. Here are my comments regarding his career:
Izzy was a legend, admired by everyone, including every theatre manager who worked for GCC. Over the years, whenever a manager came to Boston for a meeting, and whenever managers traveled to other cities, everyone wanted to meet “Izzy”. He began his career working for Ben Sack at several Boston theatres, including the Music Hall during their busiest years, with films like Goldfinger selling thousands of tickets a day. He helped open the Cheri, then was lured over to GCC by Mel Wintman and Richard Smith to help them open their newest theatre, the Northshore Peabody Cinema in 1963. In 1966, General Cinema wanted their best to open the Cinema being planned for the South Shore Plaza in Braintree. Izzy went, and became a legend. When he left Braintree in 1976, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts declared the day “Izzy Strier Day” and a grand dinner was held in his honor at the Jordan Marsh Restaurant in the South Shore Plaza. Many will remember his promotions, and relationships with Town Clerk Bob Brunell, as well as many merchants and government officials. When General Cinema wanted their best manager to open the new Home Office Theatre at Chestnut Hill in 1975, they picked Izzy. He managed that one until 1986, when they wanted him to handle one of their top ten theatres in Framingham. From being their top salesman in VIP tickets, to number one Concessions Manager, to Manager of the Year, Izzy was the manager that everyone wanted to be like. But nobody ever came close.
Hundreds, maybe thousands of kids grew up working for Izzy at those theatres, and will never forget what was usually their first job. Izzy would say “please do me a BIG favor” and everyone wanted to help him do whatever it took. And he made everyone who worked for him, proud of their theatre.

dwodeyla: No, not related to John Norton. We became friends when I called the Home Office in Chestnut Hill with a technical question about Dolby. He must have talked to me for twenty minutes with all sorts of information. We’d chat from time to time, and had lunch at Legal Seafood nearby. Through him, I became a theater checker. I might have been the checker during your last year at the Braintree GC at the original Plaza site. Anyway, they changed the checker program, and I was dropped. Later, I got bogged down with family matters and lost touch with John. He was very knowledgable, and I truly enjoyed learning technical aspects of cinema with him. He chose HPS-4000 speaker systems for several auditoriums in the GC chain. They have superb clarity, particularly in the mid-range. I think the current AMC Braintree Cinema still has them in one auditorium (at least they looked like the same configuration—cinema 3 on the left in the SE corner). When I asked the current AMC manager, he didn’t know. The THX designations for the two, big auditoriums are gone, as well as the Kodak image quality designations. John Norton had the highest professional standards. I’m sure he was the key reason why GC had such high presentation quality. I wish him all the best in his current endeavors. tn