Boxoffice-March.1988

"
I
EASTERN NEWS
Washington, D.C.
Cineplex ( )(leon announced Dec. 15 thai it
had reached an agreement to acquire the
DC -based 80-screen Circle Theatres chain
for $-»5 million Acquisition of the 30-vear-old
circuit brings Cineplexs area screen count to
42 In 28 locations It also ups Cineplexs total
North American holdings to 1,647 screens in
493 locations.
New York City
Holiday decisions on the part of Cineplex
Odeon and Loews Theatres to raise the
admission price of all their Manhattan outlets
to S7 were greeted by the protests of angry
New Yorkers well into the new year Upset at
having to pay the highest ticket price in America
to catch seasonal fare, numerous Manhattan
community organizations, including the
Northwest Central Park Multi-Block Assn and
students from nearby Columbia and Fordham
universities (among many others), called for
extended protests and boycotts against the
two offending chains
New York City councilperson and consumer
affairs committee chairperson Carol Creitzer
announced plans to launch hearings Ian 29
to look into Manhattan theatre operations
"It's bad enough that admissions have increased
40 percent in the last two years to
"
S7, said Creitzer, "without moviegoers having
to put up with the discomforts and Inconvenience
that are part of the moviegoing
experience in New York City
But the most conspicuous cries of outrage
emanated from New York mayor and moonlighting
movie critic Ed Koch, who urged a
tjoycott of theatres charging $7 admissions,
then admitted that he himself had paid $7 to
see "Ironweed Dec. 26 Explained Koch, " I
told you, I'm not starting the boycott until
get an army I'm saying, let's flex our muscles
Write me a letter at City Hall. We can
bring the movie moguls to their knees, to
their knees
"That's a disappointing statement for him
"
to make, replied Robert Sunshine, director
of New York's Metropolitan Theatre Owners
Association Many theatre owners needed
the price increase to pay for renovations and
higher costs, said Sunshine "It's not just an
arbitrary thing when they say let's rip off the
public"
New Milford, Conn.
Rocky and Irish Barry, owners ol the Bank
Street two-plex in New Milford, hosted a
screening of "Cinderella " to benefit the
Washington Monlessori School Building
Fund
Hartford, Conn.
\ilress Catherine Hicks appeared at the
local Redstone/Showcase multiplex to participate
in a benefit showing of "Star Trek IV "
Proceeds from the event go to the Cetacean
Society International
Oaklyn, N.J.
The Ritz Theatre, originally built in 1927,
capped a year-long celebration of its 60th
anniversary during the pre-holiday weeks by
offering free admission to everyone who was
born or married in the year of its opening
Be sure
to stop by
Booth 188
ShoWest:
Boston
General Cinema, the Boston-based exhibition
and tK>ttling concern, doubled its stake in
Cadbury Schweppes PLC to 18 percent by
buying $230 million worth of Slock in late
1987 GC purchased an 8 5 percent slake in
the Bntish beverage and candy company in
Ian 1987 for $136 6 million Cadbury's chairman.
Sir Adrian Cadbury. said any further
investment in his firm would be unwelcome
Cadbury was not notified of the purchase
until after the fact "This is an investment. "
said GC spokesperson Janine Dusossolt
have not asked them lor a board seat"
"We
Patrons of the Brattle Theatre got a free gift
this Christmas two days of free screenings
Dec 22 and 23 Brattle co-director Marianne
Lampke explained that business is slow
around the holidays anyway
The Quiet Door
by Openings, makers
of the TOTAL-DOOR
System featuring:
Quiet Operation
All Fire Labels
On-time Delivery
Single Responsibility
rml
^
New Haven, Conn.
National Amusements announced Dec _'
that It IS building two new luxury theatre complexes
in New Haven County Ground was
broken that day for National's Showcase Cinemas
Milford five-plex at 230 Cherry Street
(on the site of the former Milford Drive-ln)
and construction was already underway to
complete the Showcase Cinemas North Haven
eight-plex at 550 Universal Dr The two
new multiplexes will bring to 58 the number
of National-operaterl screens in Connecticut
The Massachusetts-based chain currently
owns and operates over 400 screens
throughout the East and Midwest