Comments from ras1968

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ras1968
ras1968 commented about Eastern Hills Cinema I-II-III on Feb 19, 2008 at 6:09 pm

I remember this theatre well having been part of the management for GCC in 1989. A very small space in which to open the first ‘Batman’. The biggest house had (and still has) what we called the “shadowbox”, a fixture in 70’s GCC large screens, that is like a large, beveled picture frame surronding the screen and looks great with a scope film. The booth was a trip to learn in; all Century projectors with two reel to reels in the largest house and the twinned opposite sides had a five tier Christie Autowind platter slapped between the two projectors. The managers shared time with the union which was a big deal back then. Dipson has put new seats in which are actually quite comfortable – I can’t imagine where you’d find parts for all metal Griggs pushbacks now but I’m sure someone reading this knows.

ras1968
ras1968 commented about Summit Park Mall Cinema I & II on Feb 10, 2008 at 8:56 pm

Actually, there was a twin inside the mall and a Cambridge style GCC 6 plex was added in 1986, closed in October 2000 with GCC’s demise. I was the last fulltime GM of the twin in 1991, typical 70’s GCC with the dark wood paneling through the storefront length entrance, red checked wool carpeting, white laminate stand and Griggs pushback seats in the aud with the grey metal “curtains” on the walls. Reel to reel Centurys in the booth with the Cinemation Mark IV automation (fun to run). A busy Saturday was 100 people all night…closed at the end of 1991.
The six had Cinemacannicas in the booth (I always hated threading those things) with the Christie Autowind platters as I recall – the standard fare for GCC in the 80s. Point being, the six and the twin were two separate theatres. The six, 900 seats over six theatres that all leaked and boasting a cow pasture in the backyard, was razed in 2005 after failed minimal fanfare by Entertainment Film Works to open a Cinemapub never materialized. The bones of the twin are probably still walled up inside the mall which is basically a ghost town – the potential promise of the area never seeing fruition.