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Topic: RIP Edwards Theatres

David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 03-31-2002 01:07 PM

Another obituary, though I don't know how long this link will work:
be clickin' here

Marcella Sheldon is standing in front of the Edwards "Big Newport" flagship theatres. I have many very fond memories of that particular location.

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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 03-31-2002 01:11 PM

Thanks Dave, It's nice to see loyalty on a grand scale.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 03-31-2002 01:24 PM

70 years working for the same company & family owners! It's mind boggling.

I was cleaning out a closet and found a letter from James Edwards Sr. along with a newspaper clipping of an ad Edwards ran when they installed CDS Cinema Digital Sound at their flagship theater. I recall writing to them inquiring about the pending installation of CDS, and this is the reply I got. [Disregard the flattering comments made by Mr. Edwards regarding my technical knowledge -- I didn't know squat back then. Today I have proudly advanced to squat-and-1/2.]

The letter was prepared by "ms", the Marcella Sheldon mentioned in the news link. She would have been a spry young 77 years old at that time!

Here's the display ad Edwards ran for "Dick Tracy" and CDS:

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 04-01-2002 10:23 AM

I had a friend who was an assistant manager at the Big Newport. I visited him a few times while he stayed late to do a full weekly inventory. That Big Newport is a wonderful theatre that truly shows the evolution of the theatre business. From it's original single screen, then the building they added next door for two, then the third building made three and then the fourth building with the stadium seated 3-screens.

I was impressed that a company that size was operating out of offices built over a theatre. My friend took me up into their offices (I was impressed he had a key to the board room!) but we danced on the board room table and I snooped through upcoming projects that they were working on...

It's hard to believe that those offices will be empty, and some day there will be a manager who never knew a time where a corporate officer would stare down out of the upstairs windows to ensure that there were people cleaning constantly. On the flip side, for a location that has no real manager's office (just a desk in the lobby) I guess Regal employees will be very happy to have their choice of offices... (of course unless Regal puts an area office out there...)

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 04-01-2002 11:12 AM

Does Regal maintain regional offices? Since Edwards is their big entry into the Southern Calif. market, maybe they'll turn the old Edwards corporate offices into some kind of regional office for the southwest. Who knows.

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Mike Williams
Master Film Handler

Posts: 255
From: Knoxville, TN
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 04-01-2002 02:49 PM

Regal has District Offices for the DMs, but mostly everything is out of Knoxville.

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Rick McCluney
Film Handler

Posts: 66
From: Ocean Springs, MS, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-01-2002 07:44 PM

I have been told that the DMs will be working out of their homes instead of offices. The idea being to get them to spend more time in theatres and less in the office. This is from the UA perspective. I am not sure about Edward's.

Rick McCluney

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Mike Olpin
Chop Chop!

Posts: 1852
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 04-02-2002 12:24 AM

Today marked the first day of big changes at my Edwards (former edwards?) in (location removed). Their is a guy from Regal Corp. who will be staying at our theatre for a week to help us "Regalize". First thing? He put up comment card despensers near every loby exit door. Next? We were told the new employee movie privilages. Only ourselves plus one guest. (Compared to ourselves and 3 guests). This is the end of something great. Edwards has always been the pinicle of the exhibition industry in terms of cleanliness, on screen presentation, customer service, and overall classy-ness (is that a word?). I feel that this is yet another nail into the art of motion picture presentation. A few employees i talked to tonight are seriously contemplating quiting.

Now, if you'll excuse me, i must go curl into a little ball in a dark corner and cry. (joking) ;-)

(Post modified 4-19-02 by Mike Olpin)

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 04-02-2002 10:09 AM

If there's one thing I learned working in the software dev. business (games), it's that things change all the time and sometimes the changes are not pleasant. Our corporate ownership changed several times where I last worked (8+ years), and each change of ownership brought a round of new corporate-imposed rules and procedures. Sometimes these seemed like nonsense designed to make our lives miserable. But people tend to acclimate to the changes and life & business carry on. Hang in there, see how things unfold, and don't do anything you'll regret later.

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Mike Olpin
Chop Chop!

Posts: 1852
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 04-03-2002 01:12 AM

Perhaps that last post was a little to negative. I, personaly, have no intention of leaving (no matter how much i think Regal is the devil). Also, Regal/UA/Edwards (Now named "Regal Entertainment Group") will have a significant push on Hollywood now, since they controll so many screens.

And now, more bad stuff.......
Although the signs outside the building will say "Edwards" EVERYTHING inside will be branded Regal. We will get the roller coaster policy trailer, too. We have been forced to move our cue dots untill after the previews, so that all of the house lights remain lit untill the feature begins (lots of complaints over this).
Is that a regal policy?

Friday is the official date set for us to become Regal.
We are having a theatre wide meeting on saturday to go over everything - i'll keep posted.

Oh well......

At least the regal rep seems nice.

-------------------------------------
update 4-19-02 - My understanding is that all stock will have all three logos. We have not yet recieved our poliy trailer or newly designed stock.

----------------------------------------
update 7-2-02
We are using regal cinemas branded stock, including popcorn bags.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 04-03-2002 10:37 AM

I can only speak to 1 Regal theater's cues (Cinema World 8 in Eugene OR). The house lights dim slightly when the PSAs & commercials start. At Panic Room, they ran ads for Mello Yello (which looked absolutely terrible), Coke, Fandango, Foundation for a Better Life, and 1 or 2 others I can't remember. The lights dim further when the coming attractions start (and in my opinion they are running too many of those -- must have been 6 or 7 trailers at least). Then the lights go out completely when the roller coaster policy plays.

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 04-03-2002 12:14 PM

Mike, Yes it is Regal policy to run house lights at 50% for ads and previews and then go all the way down (actuallly about 20%) when the policy starts.

So I'm confused. The new Regal Entertainment Group logo incluldes the logos for Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theaters, and Edwards theaters. I would think that everything at a UA theater and an Edwards theater would stay the same as far as uniforms, logos, etc.... Why would they leave the marquess but make everything inside Regal?

Who is the guy from corporate?

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Mike Olpin
Chop Chop!

Posts: 1852
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 04-03-2002 01:29 PM

The automation and lighting system sucks - it can only be on or off (no "50%" or anything) so the lights stay full (100%) untill the feature begins.

I dont know the corperate guys name, i'll find out for you.
I sure hope we dont have to get regals popcorn containers - bags suck. We currently use buckets for all of our sizes.

------
Update 7-2-02 Lights now run at around 15% through previews and feature.

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 04-03-2002 03:20 PM

About the automation and lighting -- that does suck! Do the lights at least fade so that they don't blind you by coming full on right away at the end credits? I was at an AMC one time where the lights immediately came to full bright when the credits came on and it was so incredibly annoying!!

Buckets probablly make for less leaky butter, but bags are probably cheaper. I have no idea if you will be gettin Regal stock or not.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 04-03-2002 03:35 PM

I hated the switch to bags at first, but I've gotten to like them now. Not sure why. Maybe because it makes me feel like I'm doing something good for the environment since bags probably use less space in the landfill.

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