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EXHIBITION<br />
BRIEFINGS<br />
LEAD STORY: MANN ALIVE<br />
WF Cinema Holdings (formerly known as<br />
Cinamerica Theatres), an affiliated partnership<br />
between entertainment giants Viacom<br />
Inc. and Warner Bros., has announced its<br />
official acquisition of assets to Mann<br />
Theatres parent company WestStar Cinemas.<br />
Encino, Calif.-based WestStar, which recently<br />
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (see<br />
Exhibition Briefings, November 1999), originally<br />
purchased the 357-screen Mann<br />
Theatres circuit in late 1997 from<br />
itself Cinamerica, a joint venture between<br />
Warner Bros, and Paramount Pictures. A<br />
Delaware bankruptcy court gave rival bidders<br />
until<br />
last January 4 to submit an offer of<br />
at least $95 million for Mann. However, as<br />
expected, no bids higher than WF Cinema<br />
Holdings $91 million were submitted.<br />
A RISING CINEMASTAR<br />
San Diego,<br />
Calif.-based<br />
CinemaStar<br />
Luxury Theaters<br />
has added<br />
another multiplex<br />
to its<br />
eight-strong<br />
arsenal of cinemas<br />
located<br />
throughout<br />
Southern<br />
California and<br />
Mexico. The<br />
CinemaStar<br />
20-plex in San<br />
Bernadino,<br />
Cal iforn ia,<br />
CinemaStar co-CEO Paul Hobby, wh ich features<br />
stadium<br />
seating and LucasFilm THX stereo surround<br />
in all auditoriums, bowed last December.<br />
In addition to the opening of its latest<br />
build, the circuit has also announced the<br />
appointment of Paul W. Hobby to the company's<br />
board of directors. Hobby, who<br />
presently serves as CEO and chairman of<br />
venture fund company Hobby Media<br />
Services, has also been designated co-chief<br />
executive officer of CinemaStar. He, along<br />
with company CEO Jack Crosby, will head<br />
the circuit.<br />
GOODRICH GOES TO OXFORD<br />
Grand Rapids, Mich. -based Goodrich<br />
Quality Theaters has announced the opening<br />
of its latest venue in Oxford, Michigan.<br />
Renovated from a three-plex to a sevenscreener,<br />
the cinema will provide stadiumstyle<br />
seating to more than 900 patrons with<br />
DTS 6-Track digital and Dolby digital stereo<br />
surround sound available in all auditoriums.<br />
The new theatre plans to run special promotions,<br />
including the circuit-wide standard of<br />
free drink refills and 25 cents popcorn refills<br />
as well as complimentary matinees during<br />
NATO REGIONAL NEWS<br />
GENEVA CONVENTION CONFIRMED AS AN ANNUAL EVENT<br />
NATO of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan has announced that the organization's Geneva<br />
Convention is going to become an annual event. "We were extremely pleased with the<br />
attendance and comments about the first convention, so it was decided to make the<br />
Geneva Convention an annual event," Bruce J. Olson and Larry Hanson, co-chairs of<br />
the event said.<br />
An overwhelming success, the first annual NATO Geneva Convention held at the Grand<br />
Geneva Resort and Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on September 28, 29 and 30, 1999<br />
attracted over 500 attendees from across the country. In 2000, the Geneva Convention<br />
will again be held at the Grand Geneva on September 26, 27 and 28. For 2001, the<br />
dates will be September 11 , 12 and 13. "Events at the 2000 convention will include a<br />
golf tournament to raise funds for Variety Club Children's Charities, screenings of major<br />
new Hollywood releases, a trade show with more than 100 vendors, many interesting<br />
and informative seminars as well as some exciting surprises," Hanson and Olson said.<br />
For further information, contact NATO of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan at (262) 532-<br />
0017 or write to: NATO Geneva Convention, P.O. Box 146, Sussex, Wl 53089.<br />
—Contributed by Paul I. Rogers, president, NATO of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan<br />
CATO'S PHILANTHROPY<br />
The Connecticut Association of Theatre Owners will provide $250,000 over the next 10<br />
years for the care of children being treated in regional pediatric specialty clinics jointly<br />
operated by the Department of Pediatrics at the Yale University School of Medicine and<br />
Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital.<br />
Movie theatre owners will raise the funds through special showings and premieres of films,<br />
a "wishing well" program and other activities at participating theatres throughout<br />
Connecticut.<br />
"CATO has made a long-term commitment to help the children of Connecticut through its<br />
support of these pediatric specialty clinics," said Milt Daly, president of CATO and senior<br />
executive VP and CEO of South Norwalk, Conn.-based Crown Theatres. "This is an<br />
enhancement of one of our committed goals of increasing CATO's philanthropy."<br />
The pilot activity for the efforts was the recent limited showing of "Star Wars—Episode I:<br />
The Phantom Menace," which raised $20,000. The blockbuster "Star Wars" film was<br />
returned to theatres early in December by LucasFilm and 20th Century Fox specifically for<br />
the purpose of helping to raise funds for children's programs throughout the country.<br />
— Contributed by Steve Could, Connecticut Association of Theatre Owners<br />
Regional NATO offices, send your news clips to:<br />
BOXOFFICE, 155 S. El Molino Ave., Suite 100<br />
Pasadena, CA 91101<br />
Attn: Regional News<br />
the spring and fall for a total of 1 8 weekends<br />
over the year. Goodrich's Matthew Johnson<br />
notes that the free screenings are the circuit's<br />
way of saying "'thank you' to the communities<br />
in which we operate."<br />
SECOND QUARTER AT MARCUS<br />
Milwaukee, Wise-based Marcus Corporation,<br />
parent company of Marcus<br />
Theatres, reports that total revenue for the<br />
second quarter of fiscal 2000 was up two<br />
percent to $80.2 million in comparison with<br />
last year's figure. In addition, operating<br />
income before depreciation and amortization<br />
was recorded at $19.7 million, down<br />
from second quarter 1998's $21.1 million,<br />
while net earnings tumbled slightly from last<br />
year's $5.9 million, or 20 cents per diluted<br />
share, to this year's $5.6 million, or 1<br />
9 cents<br />
per diluted share.<br />
During the 13-week period, Marcus<br />
Theatres announced plans to add 77 additional<br />
screens to bring its<br />
end of 2000.<br />
total to 500 by the<br />
LOEWS AND BEHOLD<br />
Also unveiling its fiscal results is New<br />
York City-based Loews Cineplex<br />
Entertainment, which has reported its<br />
results<br />
for the quarter ending last November 30.<br />
Revenue for the company fell slightly fron<br />
last year's $211.4 million to $209.3 million<br />
Earnings before taxes, depreciation anc<br />
amortization was $26.2 million, comparer,<br />
to $30.7 million a year ago, while net los!<br />
totaled $23.8 million, or 41<br />
cents per share<br />
in comparison to $12.1 million, or 21 cent;<br />
per share, in 1 998. According to Loews pres<br />
ident and CEO Lawrence Ruisi, the compa<br />
ny's less-than-stellar quarter is<br />
attributable tc<br />
"a decrease in attendance at our older the<br />
atres and an unfavorable allocation in ou<br />
theatres in Canada, which may occur fron<br />
time-to-time based on historical exhib<br />
itor/distributor relationships."<br />
OBITUARY<br />
Jack Grossman, president of Holida<br />
Theaters Inc., died January 4 at his home<br />
Encino, California. His career in motion pic<br />
ture exhibition began in the 1940s at tb<br />
Sherman Theatre in Sherman Oaks<br />
California. Throughout his career, Grossma:<br />
established himself as one of Souther<br />
California's premiere independent exhifc<br />
itors, with theatre locations in Burbank, Va<br />
Nuys, Canoga Park, Thousand Oaks an*<br />
Lancaster. He is survived by his wife Ester<br />
well as his daughter, grandchildren an<br />
grandchildren.<br />
42 BOXOFFICE
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