Starnet Cinemas
904-731-9616 Jacksonville FL Sara Homer
Strictly a family style operation, Bill & Sara took over Kent Theatres a few years back.

Eastern Federal
704-377-3495 Charlotte NC
Eastern Fed used to run dollar houses on a shoestring years ago, but I'm sure there have been many changes.

Consolidated Theatres
704-554-1695 Charlotte, NC
Which reminds me, Herman Stone was interviewed on NPR this week about the shakeout in the industry. I imagine his interview is probably available on the NPR website if you are interested.

ONeil Theatres
504-641-4720 Slidell LA (near New Orleans)
They got hit in the recent crunch, IIRC?

Muvico Theatres
954-564-6550 Ft. Lauderdale FL
The company that is bringing glamour back to theatres in the U.S. Scruffies need not apply. AMC management style training. Knock-em-dead style theatres. One of the few circuits that understands heavy staffing can be good.

That's quite a range of styles.

If you move to Charlotte be prepared for the strangest drivers on the planet. If there is a six lane highway with six cars on it, those cars will be lined up abreast of each other, driving at 25 mph. I think everyone is afraid to pass a neighbor for fear that it is rude.

I did not O Neil got hit in the crunch. Are they going to be able to stay afloat oor are they going to sell out their screens?

For reference, University 4 opened Friday, June 17, 1977. Consolidated also operated the Trans-Lux Twin here in Huntsville briefly before Cobb took it over.

I'd like to know more about Consolidated Theatres. Did they build all of their theatres with the "pod" style auditoriums?

Here is my University 6 description file.

Accordings to the city directories, Bascom Lassiter was the manager of the theatre from 1979-1989, and possibly earlier.

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Info Site

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Drivers in Charlotte, not near as bad as Winston-Salem or Greensboro, I used to look forward to driving in Charlotte. Still not as bad as Florida in the winter!!

Greg Borr
Ready Theatre Systems

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Aaron Siesmore works for Cinema West so he can fill you in on them.

I think O'Neil already shed their loser theatres. They should be OK.

Evans, you can also tell Consolodated construction of that period by the hose bibb in the back of the auditoriums and drain at the front. 1977 sounds a little early for an opening date, but it could be right. IIRC there was a gentlemen's agreement that Cobb wouldn't go into Consolodated towns and Consolodated wouldn't go into Cobb towns. That agreement was breached by Consolodated tagging Centerpoint and Hoover, surrounding B'ham. R.C. retaliated with the theatre you loved to hate in Huntsville, plus Centerpoint Six and Hoover Square Six. Herman Stone is largely responsible for the improvement of Cobb Theatres in B'ham. Prior to those theatres, the B'ham locations were chopped up old barns and twins. R.C. had to build new or die. As it was, the Consolodated locations generally grossed a little higher, perhaps because the customers that Cobb had made suffer for so long were determined to support competition. The Cobb theatre in Huntsville was wildly successful, perhaps for similar reasons.

The design of the free standing auditoriums cut down on crosstalk, but had other problems. Passing motorcyclists and traffic could be apparent and there was substantially more heating and cooling load. Kids could always find a corner to sneak around, and there was a lot of wall space for graffiti. As soundproofing techniques improved, adjoining theatres became more practical. Sound bleed-thru at
Centerpoint Six was minimal. The greatest sound problem was from auditorium doors opening and admitting lobby noise.

Aaron Sisemore
Chief Technician
Cinema West Theatres

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