Boxoffice-July.1997

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40 BOXOFFICE ' Exhibition Profile THE ITALIAN CONNECTION Cecclii Gori Finds Success On U.S. Soil With Beverly Hills' Fine Arts Theatre by Pat Kramer Even as European exhibitors continue to joint-venture or compete with American circuits looking to expand overseas, one Continental company is contentedly selling movie tickets in Beverly Hills, Calif. Six years ago, Italy's Cecchi Gori Group bought and completely renovated the Fine Arts Theatre, a historic single-screen moviehouse built in 1936. Since the 1991 purchase (originally via PentAmerica, the now dissolved American venture between the Cecchi Gori Group and Berlusconi Communications), programming plans have been modified; the intent had been to provide a showcase for European films—especially, if not exclusively, Italian-language fare—for American audiences. "Because [company owner Vittorio] Cecchi Gori owns the largest theatre circuit in Italy, he wanted to have a presence in [U.S.] exhibition, and the hope was to primarily show European films," says Cecch Gori vice president of production Anna Gross, who is based in West Los Angeles. "Unfortunately, especially being a supplier of European films, we know that market seems to be shrinking. We make less than 30 movies a year in Italy." The Fine Arts does provide extended runs for Cecchi Gori productions; for example, the company's Academy Awardnominated "II Postino," distributed by Miramax, ran for 1 7 weeks there. But, as under previous operator Laemmle Theauxjs. programming covers the entire art-house genre, both foreign and domestic. That's not surpri.sing, given that Miramax provides a substantial amount of the theatre's bookings. The first-run theatre is one of only two moviehouses remaining in Beverly Hills. (The THE ITALIANS ARE COMING: A refurbished Fine Arts opened in December 1993 with "Shadowiands. grams specialized fare.) The Fine Arts additionally serves as a screening facility for the entertainment industry thanks to its state-ofthe-art projection and sound equipment, all of other, Laemmle's nearby Music HaU, was recently converted into a triplex and also prowhich was installed during an eight-month renovation project in 1 993 that restored the site to its art-deco glory. For the Italian media magnate, owning a historic theatre—one of the Hollywood community's last single screens—îsjustanotherfeatherin his cap. Although the son of legendary Italian producer Mario Cecchi Gori doesn't plan further stateside expansion, Vittorio is one of Italy's most prominent businessmen. The Senator of Florence and owner of the Fiorentina soccer team, he also runs the continuously expanding Cecchi Gori exhibition circuit, two TV networks, a record label, ;i host ofcommunications-related industries, and the largest production/distribution company in his homeland. In addition to "II Postino," his production credits in I he 1990s include such notable iiles as Gabriele Salvatore's Oscar-winning "Mediterraneo," Gianni Amelio's "Lamerica," ,ina WertmuUer's "Ciao Pro- I'essore!." Guiseppe Tomatore's "The Star Maker" and Roberto Benigni's "Johnny Stecchino." o: ver the theatre's lifetime (its doors first opened in 937), it has passed fiiom Fox Theatres to Mann Theatres to I ^lemmle, with each organization adding its own touch to the site's look. Designed by renowned theatre architect B. Marcus Pritica (who also designed Hollywood's Pantages Theatre), the moviehoase—then called the Regina—was initially a Fox property. During the 1940s, Fox gave it its first and most pronounced facelift, overseen by designer Charles P. Skouras; it was he who
; greets — Iiilv 1007 ±\ provided the theatre with an art deco flair by installing hammered-metal wall sconces, three omamental chandeliers, quilted walls with brass buttons, etched metal doors, and a polished-metal concessions stand. With Skouras' work completed. Fox renamed the theatre the Fine Arts and ran it until 1973, when Mann moved in. In the early '80s, Laemmle took over the theatre, programming specialized films. When Cecchi Gori came on the scene, the theatre was closed for its most recent renovation, which was completed in time for a December 29, 1993 opening with Savoy's "Shadowlands." Gross, who directed the renovation process, used the theatre's glory days as her polestar. To aid her quest, she hired designer Joe Musil, whose refurbishment efforts for Pacific Theatres at the NOW circuit's El Capitan carries Theatre in Hollywood and its Crest Theatre in Westwood Village both of them singlescreen halls— had gained well-deserved acclaim. Musil was able to salvage many of the Fine Arts' most intriguing features: He recast the hammeredmetal wall sconces and restored the quilted wall coverings and the proscenium, which now displays Skouras' signature 1940s look with swags and tassels. The brass buttons were removed and made gleaming again; new carpeting was installed; and walls were painted to depict the post-World War n period. The restrooms and the concessions stand were modernized with an art deco motif, the original vintage seats were restored (the theatre now has several fewer rows, allowing for greater legroom throughout the auditorium), armrest cupholders were installed and the marquee was relit to beckon in passersby. letting them know that the "grand old lady" had returned. As at Musil's redone El Capitan and Crest, a glorious new feature of the vintage look is the Fine Arts' gUttering velvet curtain, which audiences in a dramatic way. Says Gross. "When people round that bend, they 1 gasp because you don't see theatres like that Lanymore." All told, the renovations ran into the f says. long with upgrading its look, Cecchi Gori wanted his theatre to provide out- LStanding capabilities in sight and sound. "As a production executive, I know how hard you work on a film. I know what you go through—ând then it goes into a theatre and you don't even recognize your own film," says AND THEN: The Fine Arts concessions stand now items favored by American art-house audiences. Gross, who made sure that the vision here was attained. To revitaUze the technical systems at the Fine Arts, Gross hired Tony Francis of Los Angeles-based Theatre Products International. Francis designed a version of the THX sound system, building a wall directly behind the screen and instaUing loudspeakers in it, and he created a bi-ampUfied sound system with JBL speakers. The end resuh is a sound system that is almost identical to what some consider Hollywood's premier screening room, the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Says Francis, "It's a terrific sounding theatre. When Turner Entertainment came out with its restored 'Dr. Zhivago,' it screened at the Fine Arts." Although the original sound installed was analog, the system has since been \vpgraded with SDDS digital soimd. The projection system is designed to accommodate both commercial films and screenings of dailies for the studios. To allow for flexibiUty, Francis installed two projectors—one for 70mm films, the other for 35mm — plus a platter system. "The platter worics both ways," Francis says, "so that they can use either projector and the platter, or they can do a changeover where they could use both projectors as 35mm." To accommodate the showing of dailies, for which the soundtrack isn't always on the film, a dual dubber (a magnetic sound reproducer) was installed to handle separate picture and track. Both projectors can be interlocked to the dubber to maximize the sound. With the renovation well underway. Gross began looking for a company to manage the Fine Arts. As part of her dehberations, she traveled to a number of L.A.-area theatres to inspect them for cleanliness as well as to judge the staff's courtesy and knowledgeability. Based on a belief that its management philosophy was similar to hers. Gross chose AMC, which has found great success with its nearby Century City AMC 14 and its sevenscreener in Santa Monica. She had evidence her belief was correct barely a month after the theatre's reopening— specifically, on the morning of January 17, 1994—when a phone call arrived from the Fine Arts manager 40 minutes after the predawn Northridge earthquake. "She had come in the dark during the aftershocks to make sure the theatre was okay," Gross recalls. 'That's when I knew we had great management." Although the temblor did inflict a certain amount of damage—some cracking along the roofline and some broken mirrors inside—the theatre was able to re-reopen three weeks later Dashwood, AMC's vice president Nora ofoperations ofthe West Division, says the Fine Arts has given AMC the opportunity to display its abilities in a new area. The Fine Arts is one of two single-screeners (the other is in San Jose) that AMC manages, an interesting sideUne for the company commonly credited with giving birth to the con-
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