Park Mall Theatres 1,2,3, 4
5860 E. Broadway Boulevard,
Tucson,
AZ
85711
5860 E. Broadway Boulevard,
Tucson,
AZ
85711
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I found an article dated 6/19/1975 from the Tucson Daily Citizen that explains “The projectors will start rolling after noon with "The Wind and the Lion” (PG) being shown in theaters 1 and 2, “Jaws” in 3 and the return of “Benji” in 4.
Looking at the opening day schedule, it strikes me that one of the four auditoriums simply might not have been ready for use yet. Back in single-screen days if there was a construction or equipment-related delay, the theater’s opening would have to be postponed, but with this quad the grand opening could have been done on schedule with three screens while the workers finished up whatever had to be done in the fourth auditorium.
dallasmovietheaters,StanMalone,rivest266,Scott Neff,Coate…Has no one noticed that the grand opening ad shows 4 screens and 3 pictures with Benji showing 7 times, Jaws 6 but Wind and the Lion only 3 times and not before 705? That means a second screen is unaccounted for an additional 7 hours, at least on opening day.
Scott… “Benji” had a running time of only 80-something minutes, so the published showtimes in the ad you mentioned seem plausible for a one-screen booking. (It’s not posted here, but in checking the archived issues of the Tucson newspaper for the time frame in question one will find Mann’s display ad for the Park Mall with “The Wind and the Lion” taking up two slots in the layout. And in the text-based theater listings it has “The Wind and the Lion” listed on two screens. So, again, I’m curious how others have concluded it was “Jaws” on two screens.)
rivest266 (and dallasmovietheaters)…. How did you determine “Jaws” was playing on two screens at the Park Mall 4-plex during the week of June 27-July 3 (1975)? I’ve re-researched the matter since I realize I misspoke when I stated earlier four movies were there that week. Anyway, my point stays the same that I don’t see any evidence that “Jaws” was on two screens then. For the week being discussed I found the newspaper advertisements indicated “The Wind and the Lion” was on two screens and “Jaws” and “Benji” were on one screen each.
The frequency of showtimes in the grand opening ad would suggest Benji was actually on two screens.
June 27th, 1975 Only 3 movies were running at this cinema. The same print of Jaws were used in two screens.
I’m still curious about dallasmovietheaters' source for the “Jaws” playing on two screens claim. The newspaper advertising during the film’s second week, contrary to his claim, indicated four different movies were playing.
I don’t see any evidence “Jaws” played here on two screens at any point during the first couple of months of its release. What’s your source that it did, dallasmovietheaters?
The Mann Park Mall Theatres 1•2•3•4 was always a four screen theater as you can see from the opening diagram. (Never known as the Mann Park Mall 2.) Its opening day had “The Wind and the Lion” ready on two screens and “Jaws” and “Benji.” Mann paid a massive $65,000 for the Jaws clearance. Jaws might have been the better feature on two screens which is what would happen in week 2. That would pay out as Jaws runs nearly a year and paid for much of the theater’s construction costs.
Here’s the grand opening ad:http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:IS8_s7MLzwwJ:newspaperarchive.com/us/arizona/tucson/tucson-daily-citizen/1975/06-19/page-55+&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&lr=lang_en
The building, or at least the site was originally occupied by a Stuarts (a regional chain of clothing, & houseware retailers).