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The latest movie theater news and updates
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April 30, 2007
Madrid Theatre - For Sale!
KANSAS CITY, MO — The beautiful, historic Madrid Theatre is for sale. Please call Greenleaf Properties, Inc. for information at 913-402-9222 or or
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Film company exhibition tracks
How does the track system begin and change over time with movie theaters?
Does a theater chain sign a contract with a distributor to play its product at a specific list of movie theaters? How does this change over time? Was looking at microfilm ads and noticed one former Century theater ( New Rochelle, NY) had switched from running steady United Artists and MGM films to Universal and 20th Century Fox in the early 1970’s.
Aside from Jason Squires book “The Movie Business” are there any others that were written about distribution and exhibition patterns, etc??
Thanks much
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April 27, 2007
Another article about sequels
Each year around now, a slew of summer movie pieces pop up in magazines and newspapers. We’re suddenly bombarded with talk of what’s going to be this year’s indie breakout hit and whether the counter-programming of releasing romantic comedies the same weekend as blockbusters will work this year. While these and others certainly frequent the headlines, no subject is more superfluous than sequels.
We’re constantly reminded that this year, guess what, there’s a whole lotta sequels coming, as if the past year were any different. A collective groan is heard around the world as we realize that like other areas of commerce, the decision makers are banking on selling you the consumer the same thing, over and over again.
Wouldn’t it be great though if the studios really looked into what makes a movie successful? From my perspective, there are two key elements that the common moviegoer might enjoy in a film, the characters or the story. If the characters were great, then sure, it might work. Get a talented writer to throw them into a new situation and believe it or not, the sequel could be good. If the story is great however, how much are you really going to be invested in a different story with the same characters? Countless horrendous drama sequels certainly tell this tale.
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Majestic Crest Theatre Building for sale
Just to clarify, I spoke with Robert Bucksbaum at the Westwood Crest Theatre and the theatre is not for sale. Instead, this post is meant more to see what offers he could get for the building that contains the theatre. A condition of the deal if the building were sold is that the theatre portion would be leased back to him so he can continue operating it.
If interested, please call Jon (310)492-8412
The Crest was first constructed in 1941 by Frances Seymour Fonda, the second wife of Henry Fonda and mother of Peter and Jane Fonda. Originally intended as a showcase for live theater, the onset of World War II brought with it the need for a venue where local residents could watch newsreels about the battles happening overseas. Soon after it adopted the UCLAN Theatre moniker in reference to the nearby university, and then eventually settled on the Crest.
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Movies 4x sharper than High-Def?
A new digital projector could persuade theater operators to switch over due to the large gap in clarity.
Sony is rolling out a new digital cinema projector that can display theatrical movies at a resolution four times clearer than High-Definition TV.
For more, go to TV Predictions.
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Garden Theatre restoration receives high score
WINTER GARDEN, FL – The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation announced a landmark achievement Tuesday, April 10th when the Garden Theatre was awarded the highest grant score ever given to an arts organization and $250,000 in funds by Orange County. WGHF received a 98.7 out of a possible 100 points, beating their previous top score which earned them $500,000 for the Garden Theatre Restoration Project in March of 2006.
To date the Garden Theatre Restoration Project has been granted the largest amount of funding awarded to any one organization by Orange County for a total commitment of $750,000.
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April 26, 2007
Theatre Historical Society offers special CT discount on summer theatre tour!
The Theatre Historical Society of America is, for the first time, offering a special discount to Cinema Treasures members for its annual Conclave/Theatre Tour this summer.
The five-day tour is in a different part of the country each year and visits two dozen historic theatres. This year, it will be in Milwaukee and Minneapolis June 19-24. Among the theatres to be visited are the Pabst, Riverside, Warner, Oriental, Zenith, Avalon, Modjeska, Warner and Paradise in Milwaukee; the Fitzgerald, Heights, Shubert, Orpheum, State and Pantages in Minneapolis; and the Capitol, Manitowoc; Meyer, Green Bay; Grand Opera House, Oshkosh. A highlight will be the 1915 Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo WI, regarded as the first true movie palace.
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Will pay top money for old theater sound equipment
I am paying top money for old altec, jbl, ampex, simplex, western electric, rca, operadio, jewel, and others. All big speakers and old amplifies, with the power supply working or not. Even if they have missing parts or transformers. I will come to pick them up and pay cash for them. Please call me at 773-339-9035 or .
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Children’s matinee recollections
My name is Daniel Griffith. I am an independent filmmaker operating out of Chattanooga, TN. I am currently in production on a feature-length documentary, entitled “The Wonder World of K. Gordon Murray”, which follows the life of Kenneth Gordon Murray, from is youth in Bloomington, Illinois, to his young adult life as a promoter for various circuses. In 1951, following a chance meeting with Cecil B. Demille, his dreams transformed from a humble carnival owner… to a motion picture distributor and producer. But K. Gordon Murray never stopped being a showman. He used the same techniques employed by fellow exploiter, Kroger Babb, to release films into movie houses and drive-in’s across the U.S. from 1956 till his untimely death in 1979.
From 1960, through the mid-1970’s, K. Gordon Murray became famous for releasing his own re-dubbed versions of Mexican fairy tale films in theaters using the gimmick of a “weekends only/matinee only” show time. He gained most of his notoriety by releasing the 1959 Mexican import, “Santa Claus”, in theaters during the 1960 holiday season. Its success spawned the “kiddie” matinee phenomena that lasted into the 1980’s, when conflicts with the major Hollywood studios, along with the birth of the VHS market, muscled the independent producers out of business. But during its zenith, Murray toured these films with accompanying magic shows, costumed characters from the fairy tale films, and an impressive ad campaign. His efforts in the childrens film genre earned him the title, “King of the Kiddie Matinee”.
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April 25, 2007
Last Remaining Seats update
LOS ANGELES, CA – As mentioned in my column the other week, the Last Remaining Seats film series is coming back to Los Angeles starting next month. As usual, sales have been quite brisk. If you want tickets, especially for the first two evenings(N by NW and Roman Holiday) I would buy them immediately because they will sell out.
More information is available at the Los Angeles Conservancy Website.
(Photo courtesy of Berger/Conser Photography)