Showcase Cinemas Eastgate
4701 Eastgate Boulevard,
Cincinnati,
OH
45245
4701 Eastgate Boulevard,
Cincinnati,
OH
45245
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 7 comments
Aerial photo posted.
ad:
December 5th, 1980 grand opening ad in photo section.
My pleasure.
Thanks, THolloway, for clarifying everything and for posting the vintage images.
Very good questions! I could certainly be wrong about the World Premiere aspect of Flash Gordon. I was wrong about when the screening actually took place: It was December 4, 1980. It was the only film that played that night at Showcase Cinemas Eastgate. The next day, December 5th, was the official opening of the complex for the general public. The IMDb shows the general release date of Flash Gordon as December 5, 1980. I have added a scan of the Invitation to the event which describes is as a preview. Ornella Muti arrived (late) in a stretch limousine accompanied by her entourage and several people from the Boston office of Redstone Management. Film footage of the event was shown on a nationally syndicated TV program, which I saw the following evening. I was the Managing Director of the complex and greeted her upon arrival. I was also on hand as the complex was being built. The person standing in the open door of the office trailer is me. Thanks for your input Coate. Cinema Treasures is a great site.
…or a Grand Opening event? In which case, the opening probably would’ve been in December, rather than November, since that’s when Flash Gordon opened.
From the overview… “The complex opened in November of 1980 with the world premiere of “Flash Gordon”. Italian actress Ornella Muti who played Princess Aura, attended the screening. It was covered by local and national news.”
The world premiere? Why would the world premiere of Flash Gordon have been held in Cincinnati? What was the connection? Is it possible the screening in question was actually just a regional premiere, or a sneak preview, a test or exhibitor screening or some other pre-release type of screening?