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secret<br />
weapon<br />
Karen Killingsworth<br />
Position General Manager, Arlington Theatre<br />
Location Santa Barbara, Calif.<br />
Roles and responsibilities Overseeing<br />
the operations and maintaining the historical<br />
grandeur of the 2,000-seat Arlington Theatre<br />
Meet Karen Killingsworth,<br />
Metropolitan Theatres’<br />
do-it-all manager<br />
by Inkoo Kang<br />
What got you into the movie/<br />
theater industry?<br />
I needed a part-time job in college. Working<br />
in a movie theater seemed like it would be fun<br />
and allow a flexible schedule to continue my<br />
education. I started working in the concession<br />
stand at a popular local drive-in, where there<br />
was a playground to entertain the kids and parents<br />
could buy chicken dinners for the family.<br />
What’s an average day for you?<br />
Long. Being a multiuse facility, the type of<br />
function dictates my role for any given day. We<br />
host many types of activities, including movies<br />
and midnight premieres, satellite feeds of special<br />
events, silent movies accompanied by our<br />
1,800-rank Morton Wonder Organ, musical<br />
concerts of all genres, major speakers, and film<br />
festivals.<br />
What was your proudest moment<br />
in the 40 years you’ve been<br />
with Metropolitan?<br />
My proudest moment was being asked to be<br />
the manager at the Arlington Theatre, the flagship<br />
of Metropolitan Theatres. The Arlington is<br />
a single-screen movie palace built in 1930 and<br />
listed on the city’s historical registry. Another<br />
proud moment involved a special Star Wars<br />
promotional event. They needed to bring<br />
their sons to see the new Star Wars movie, The<br />
Phantom Menace, at the same theater where<br />
they viewed the original Star Wars movies as<br />
children. Some traveled as much as 100 miles<br />
to do that. This filled me with a great deal of<br />
pride because it was such a special moment for<br />
them.<br />
The<br />
versatile<br />
veteran<br />
Who was a key mentor for you<br />
and why?<br />
Bruce Corwin, the current chairman of the<br />
board of Metropolitan Theatres. He was a<br />
warm, personable, caring, down-to-earth,<br />
knowledgeable, supportive, and approachable<br />
inspiration during his tenure as president of<br />
Metropolitan Theatres.<br />
How would you describe your<br />
management philosophy?<br />
My philosophy is one of authenticity. I believe<br />
credibility lies in being oneself. I strive to make<br />
corrections where they are needed and to reward<br />
good performance. I am a strong believer<br />
in cross-training. The more people know about<br />
all functions of our operation, the better we are<br />
able to perform.<br />
(continued on page 32)<br />
30 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies may <strong>2013</strong>
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