I’m not sure on the number either, but the corporate office was adjacent to the Chestnut Hill Cinemas 5. Later on another office was rented across the street for operations, real estate, bookings and legal. When they constructed the Framingham Cinema they moved booking and operations to the second floor of the cinema. Many times I walked thru the offices to get to a projection room.
GCCDan,
I just ordered that book online. I haven’t read it but I have to agree in part to your statement about GCC. First, the bottling rights to Pepsi products was a huge cash cow for them (which they sold), but unlike Sumner Redstone, Richard Smith forgot his roots (cinemas) and deversified by taking theater profits and not reinvesting into his locations. GCC would build top notch facilities, but at a slow pace. One year we worked on six new Showcase Cinemas while only installing two GCC theatres in the greater Chicago area. Sadly, I believe that the R. Smith abandoned the business which gave him his wealth.
Back in those days Redstone Theaters (currently National Amusements), and United Artist had captured Long Island and both groups had great relationships with the local projectionist union. GCC never constructed a cinema without years of research and corporate intervention. Many great opportunties for GCC were lost because of their tartiness on key projects. Other competitors would build quickly before GCC. I have fond memories working here in Boston of GCC and their corporate office.
Great news for those Crown Theatres and especially for Joe. Great showmen are hard to find and Bow Tie is a first class organization. They even brag about NOT running advertisements on the screen.
GCC Shoppers' World Theater (single screen at 1,432 seats) opened on October 4, 1951 but actually was used more for “summer stock” then movies.
Tommy,
I’m not sure on the number either, but the corporate office was adjacent to the Chestnut Hill Cinemas 5. Later on another office was rented across the street for operations, real estate, bookings and legal. When they constructed the Framingham Cinema they moved booking and operations to the second floor of the cinema. Many times I walked thru the offices to get to a projection room.
GCCDan,
I just ordered that book online. I haven’t read it but I have to agree in part to your statement about GCC. First, the bottling rights to Pepsi products was a huge cash cow for them (which they sold), but unlike Sumner Redstone, Richard Smith forgot his roots (cinemas) and deversified by taking theater profits and not reinvesting into his locations. GCC would build top notch facilities, but at a slow pace. One year we worked on six new Showcase Cinemas while only installing two GCC theatres in the greater Chicago area. Sadly, I believe that the R. Smith abandoned the business which gave him his wealth.
Back in those days Redstone Theaters (currently National Amusements), and United Artist had captured Long Island and both groups had great relationships with the local projectionist union. GCC never constructed a cinema without years of research and corporate intervention. Many great opportunties for GCC were lost because of their tartiness on key projects. Other competitors would build quickly before GCC. I have fond memories working here in Boston of GCC and their corporate office.
Great news for those Crown Theatres and especially for Joe. Great showmen are hard to find and Bow Tie is a first class organization. They even brag about NOT running advertisements on the screen.