! caused 1 I i ^rToiluwood IKeport Mi y M Carney to Star in Univ.'s "House Calls' With Jackson, Matthau \n Carnej joins Glenda Jackson and Waltei Matthau in Universal's "House Calls," which begins filming al Universal Studios Monday (27). In the Jennings Lang production, directed b> Howard Zieff, Carney will portray the chief of surgery at a large hospital. The screenplay for the contemporary comedy is by Max Shulman and Julius J. Epstein. Comics Cheech
— Columbus, Ohio Mid States Theotres 976 THEATRE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TOTAL 298 tost of 786 Screens Set at $151384,000; 242 Units Open; Focus Still on Shopping Centers KANSAS CITY — Construction of mo- >n picture theatres in the U.S. and Canada ring 1976 continued brisk despite the connt upward spiral of material, real estate d labor costs. While considerably below e record-breaking levels reached five ars ago ($188,270,000 for 540 theatres 1971), the total number of building projts launched last year—298—was slightly her than the 285 units reported during 75, when a short-lived recessionary peri- I caused some depression in the overall omy. According to reports in Boxoffice and formation received from circuits as well independent exhibitors, the estimated tal cost of hardtop and drive-in construcn in 1976 was $151,384,000. While this ure amply reflects the inflationary influice prevalent in the building trades, the celeratcd expansion program accounted ;>r the eventual addition of 786 motion cture screens, indicating an optimistic atde in exhibition regardless of oft-repeati laments concerning a "shortage of topality. playable, first-run product." The 285 construction projects recorded > 1975 accounted for 801 screens, just a d more than the number started last year, nd the overall price tag on theatres lunched in 1975 was pegged at $128,250,- 00. 238 Indoor Theatres Opened With multi-auditorium theatres counted s one unit, the Boxofficf survey showed 38 hardtops opened in 1976. compared to 12 in 1975, and four drive-ins, compared o 16 ozoners in 1975. The decline in outloor theatre construction generally has >een attributed to skyrocketing land costs n suburban areas and, with national metro- 'olitan expansion reaching unprecedented evels. an unincorporated area is becoming i rarity. A total of 640 new indoor and outdoor screens became operational in 1976. Of the hardtops. approximately 226 units were in shopping centers, continuing an established trend, with the multitheatre breakdown tabulated as follows: single screen. 11; twin, 65; triplex, 68; fourplex, 59; fiveplex, 5; sixplex. 15; sevenplex. 1. and eightplex, 2. Drive-ins unveiled included one singlescreen facility, three twins and one threescreen underskyer. Conversion Method Popular Apparent discrepancies are created by the rise in the popularity of "conversion" changing an existing one-screen theatre to a twin, triplex or quad. In fact, because of certain economies available through this construction route (both for indoor and outdoor theatres), sixplexes have become eightplexes during 1976. Such multi-auditorium theatres are included in this report as new facilities. Not all expansions, of course, have been accomplished through this type remodeling. In many situations, as many as three or four screens have been added to multitheatres by constructing adjacent auditoriums or splittting single drive-in properties. It has been noted that during the past year 46 hardtops were enlarged through the conversion approach, as were five drive-ins. Less Remodeling Reported Remodeling of indoor theatres in 1976 lagged far behind similar projects completed in 1975. possibly because of increased costs—and certainly higher general operating expenses have been a determining factor in discouraging updating by the SO-oalled "small theatre" owner. During '76. indoor theatres remodeled numbered 48, representing 58 screens, as compared to 87 units withl()6 screens in 1975. Drive-in remodeling, however, held steady. In 1976. 14 ozoners were modernized, representing 15 screens. I he previous year, l l drive-ins with 13 screens were remodeled I he state-by-state report on 1976 construction follows. Those theatres marked with an asterisk (*) were opened during the reporting period: INDOOR THEATRES Gadsden—Gadsden ALABAMA Twin cinemas, 800 seats, Georgia Co.* Mobile—Bel Air Village IV. 250 seats, converted to quad from triplex.* Mobile—Springdale 6, 1.562 seats, American Multi Cinema.* Mobile—Village IV theatres, converted to quad from triplex, Giddens
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