Boxoffice-October.02.1978

Radiologist Leaves Career Behind
To Pursue Hypnotic Lure of Films
From Southeastern Edition
CHARLOTTE—On a December night in
1968. a Burlington. N. C radiologist named
Dr. H. Bennett decided to get in the film
business as an exhibitor, believing the allure
of the movies was hypnotic.
He bought a piece of property in Greensboro.
N. C. and commissioned a San Francisco
architect to design an intimate twin
theatre/ restaurant complex, and booked two
films for opening night: a Swedish film, the
lush, delicately-paced "Elvira Madigan" and
"Yellow Submarine." an animated fantasy
based on the Beatles song.
The competition was stiff. He was competing
against the Carolina's 1,000 seats
with a pair of 214-seaters and with almost
no experience with the intricacies of the
business.
"We had a pretty tough time of it these
first few years," he says. "Right from the
start, when I was trying to finance the
first Janus twin theatre. I ran into difficulty
getting credit from the banks. Doctors
he has built, the Penthouse Screening
Room, one of the few theatres in the country
where viewers can drink beer or wine
(served in the "Espresso Lounge") while the
silver screen flickers before them.
"I'd been interested in film—and many
aspects of art—for a
long time." he recalls.
"It was back in the 'GOs, while I was still
practicing medicine in Burlington, I helped
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organize the Cinema Guild." The group
rented the Star Theatre ("It was a familyfare
grind movie house in those days") and
set up a subscription series which became
part of the Greensboro United Arts Council.
They showed sophisticated films like
Renoir's "Grand Illusion" and the series
sold out.
Bennett has imported art shows for exhibition
in the Janus lobby, including a collection
of Andy Warhol originals, and has
done things like bringing in a group of
actors who had performed with Buster
Keaton in "The General" during a weeklong
Keaton Festival. He has traveled Europe
extensively, always keeping his eyes
peeled for art and curios.
He believes blind bidding has some
good aspects. Through this format he has
already bid on and secured all of his Christmas
films, many of them still in production.
How does he make these precarious and
expensive decisions, with only a written
description of an unfinished film to bet on?
"I lead the trade papers—Boxoffice. Va-
don't have a good track record in business
dinator will help film companies with such
ventures, much less one as chancy as opening
a moviehouse, and especially with no riety, Hollywood Reporter," he says. "In the
problems as border crossing of equipment
or in dealing with local officials.
experience."
case of 'Star Wars.' I saw some early set
McCarthy said that within the next six
But 10 years have passed; the Carohna designs at 20th Century-Fox and they were
months the film coordinator will have assisted
major companies with films whose
has converted its screen into a stage and most impressive. Usually I keep in touch
Bennett (who stopped practicing radiology with people in Washington and New York,
budcets total $35 million.
two years ago) sits talking to a visitor several
hundred feet from the seventh theatre Steve Smith of Independent Theatres
and of course th; astute buyer and booker
Booking
Service, who has access to virtually all
the current films on the market plus the
advantage of attending screenings at Carmel.
Dr. Bennett stated that although he paid
an exhorbitant bid on "Star Wars." he recouped
his cost in a week and a half, and
from then on everything was gravy. "We do
not feel the shortage of films as other more
commercial theatres do." Bennett says. "We
have more flexibility in using product, more
variety because we use fewer commercial
films as well. That's what I want this theatre
to be."
Out in the parking lot beside the marquee-covered
building where Bennett and a
visitor sat talking, a painted sign bearing a
picture of the little god Janus is swinging
in the wind. Those two bearded faces, which
legend has it are peering into the past and
future at once, must chuckle sometimes at
the uncertanity of the movie business, which
is the secret life of a nation played out in
dreams. Life is uncertain, he must know,
and those who make their livelihood on
dreams deserve its risks and rewards.
BC Won't Invest in Film
Business, Says Secretary
From Canadian Edition
VICTORIA—The provincial government
has no intention of investing in the film
business. Provincial Secretary Grace Mc-
Carthy said Thursday.
But she said the province is doing what
it can to facilitate use of B.C. locations by
majoi- film companies.
McCarthy was commenting on speculation
the province might be thinking of investing
in a film involving actor Donald
Sutherland.
"Our philosophy is that we will create
the climate but the investments will have
to come from the private sector," she said.
McCarthy said the province's film coor-
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Victory Theatre Ass'n
Seeks Restoration Bids
DAYTON. OHIO—Victory Theatre
Ass'n. a nonprofit group which is restoring
the historic downtown Victory Theatre, a
former movie palace, has sought bids for
the restoring of the auditorium, the repairing
of the walls and for the building and
equipping of a concessions facility.
Tri-State Adds 31 Screens
CINCINNATI— Phil Borack's Tri-State
Theatre Service has signed a deal to represent
31 screens in Indiana for United Artists
Theatres, including Indianapolis, Lafayette
and Terre Haute.
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BOXOFFICE :; October 2. 1978