Boxoffice-September.04.1978

"
Opera Season Could Keep Denver's
Paramount Theatre Out of Hock
DENVER—So they've all gone lo the
suburbs, where th.; parking is easy, and
left you with a 2.200 seal de luxe theatre?
That's the prcd'canient in which John
Sinims. president of Wolfberg Theatres
here, finds himself.
"We've been losing over $100,000 a year
on the big Paramount in downtown Denver,
with 50 years still to go on the lease!" he
moaned.
"A garden mall on 16lh Street in front
of the theatre has been financed by merchants
and is on the drawing boards, but
that's two years away." he said. "Will it
help business'.' Wc can't wait that long to
find out, so we have developed a program
of rentals along with showing of movies.
For example we will book films around the
Denver Opera Company, which will take
over the theatre for its 1978-79 season."
Simms staled.
The company will open Oclobcr 27 with
"Madame Butterfly." according to founder
and musical director Nicholas Laurienti.
who says the production will run indefinitely.
The Paramount, built by Publix and
opened in 1926. is in remarkably good
condition, the result of good housekeeping
over the years. The acoustics have been
tested by the opera company singers and
declared ideal. The stage is not deep, but
the screen has been balanced and hung for
quick
removal. Two powerful Wurlitzer organs,
one on each side of the stage, are
available and are still in good working condition,
thanks to a local organ club and
its devotion to music. While there is a
large orchestra space, two rows of scats
will be taken out to assure freedom of
movcmenl.
r!)envcr. whijj in Iheors rich in perform-
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ing arts facilities, actually is lacking in useable
space. At the time that a new center
for performing arts was being discussed,
there were several local groups who urged a
feasibility study on buying either the Denver
Theatre or the Paramount and converting
it to a theatre-opera-orchcstra facility.
Nothing came of the idea. The Paramount
today is one of three motion picture houses
left in downtown Denver. Much of the
Paramount's original Art Deco is still intact.
The Paramount has been the setting for
many events since its opening, everything
from cooking schools to telecasts of world
championship heavyweight fights, but the
opera booking is one of the few attempts
at bona fide cultural presentation.
Present plans call for a production of the
opera "Merry Wives of Windsor." set to
open March 23 of next year. If "Butterfly"
and "Windsor" are successful, "Tosca" will
be given in June.
It is possible the Denver Opera Company
has found a permanent home and that John
Simms has made a brilliant move toward
solving his dilemma.
For most of its early \cars. the Paramount
was owned and operated by Fox
Intermountain Theatres which had taken it
over from Publix. Harris Wolfberg, Simm's
grandfather, took Fox to court on an antitrust
action. Part of the results of that suit
brought the Paramount into the Wolfberg
fold.
The feeling that the obtaining of the
Paramount was of major importance and
should be pursued at any cost resulted in
an "iron-clad lease" that today creates problems
in working out the theatre's tuiiire.
according to the Barrett story.
Ihe Wolfbergs own five of the seven lots
on which the Paramount stands. They were
purchased in the middle 197()s. Joseph
(think back. .
.)
WHEN WAS
THE LAST TIME
YOU DID SOMETHING
TO IMPROVE
YOUR THEATRE?
Ciould. a Denver ard Eos Angeles real estate
investor, owns the other two lots. The
building is owned by a New York firm
and is leased to Wolfberg Theatres and
Gould. The lease has some .*>() years to go.
The massive hand-painted side panels of
the majestic Paramount hold fond memories
for John Simms, who was an usher
and a janitor at the theatre. He recalls
lowering the giant chandelier by a handlevered
winch for cleaning and polishing.
Simms has been talking to hotels about
their using the facilities for small meetings
(up to
2.200) and conventions not appropriate
for Currigan Hall (with a capacity of
7.000). He is alerting other businesses and
groups to possible uses for his theatre. While
the Paramount is still in good condition.
Simms does plan on recarpeting the floor.
John Simms sees the rebirth of interest
in inner-city areas throughout the country
as healthy, but he doesn't see the movement
being particularly helpful for motion piclure
as
theatres in the immediate future.
He
does think that beautiful theatres such as
the Paramount can have useful lives with
such attractions as the Denver Opera's season.
Image Transform Computer
Part of 'Sgt. Pepper'
NOR 111 llol 1 > WOOD — Computers
behind the scenes helped create the startling
effect of Alice Cooper cavorting with a
giant computer on screen in 'Sgt. Pepper's
Lonely Hearts Club Band," according to
the firm, which worked with the electronically-generated
graphics.
Pete Comandini, operations vice-president
of Image Transform here, said his
firm's exclusive computer-controlled transfer
process allowed the computer-generated
material to be exhibited on the large screen
without distortion. "Ron Hays did his magic
on a graphics computer," Comandini said,
"and after the transfer from videotape to
35mm film. Universal integrated our material
with the original production footage.
Comandini added that sequences contained
material which could not be achieved by
normal motion picture sf)ccial effects techniques,
and required electronic synthesis.
Special effects work transferred by Image
Transform is being used increasingly by
studios looking for especially effective
scenes, Comandini added, citing his firm's
work on such recent motion pictures as
"Heaven Can Wail," "Star Wars." "Tht
Greatest" and "The Demon .Seed "
"Sgt. Peppers lonely Hearts Club Band
is a Robert Sligwood production for Universal
Studios starring Peter Frampton and
the Bee Ciees.
The Filbert Company provides services to
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plans, multiple auditoiium concepts, complete
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Ihe Filbert Company offers consulting advice
siui can take with assurancel
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