APRIL 23 1979 | BOXOFFICE® MAGAZINE
Cinema + Complex = Cineplex
What may be the world's largest and most unusual theatre complex opens this spring in Toronto. It is Cineplex -- 18 individual theatre auditoriums located on two floors of this city's massive Eaton Center, itself a magnificent redevelopment of the downtown "core" area. The first phase of this center was opened two years ago and the second phase, including Cineplex, is scheduled to be completed this month.
At that time, the Eaton Center will stretch for four city blocks, link up two major department stores and contain no less than 300 leading retail stores on three levels.
The Cineplex theatre complex comes at a time when Toronto has emerged as a great cultural and art center; a cosmopolitan city rich in its many ethnic communities. Certainly, Toronto is third among this continent's most important film markets. Yet its theatre-going populace now seeks something more than the usual diet of first run commercial movies on huge screens.
Until now, however, there has been no way to meet these demands in a thoroughly feasible, economical manner. The costs involved with showing art, foreign language or other "specialty" films have been strict, if not prohibitive. Costs for management and maintenance must be met, even before returns are made to the exhibitor.
Cineplex will eliminate many of these difficulties. With 18 auditoriums at its disposal, the weekly operating costs per cinema have been considerably reduced. This allows a greater number of films to be shown for longer periods of time.
Mandel Sprachman, architect for the project, was given 25,000 square feet under the Eaton Center parking area to transform into Cineplex. His design resulted in two floors; one containing ten theatres and another containing eight.
Avoiding Hell
"There isn't a hope in hell of filling a 2,000-seat theatre anymore," Sprachman laments. "Being one of 25 people watching a movie in a 2,000-seat house is not a pleasant experience. That situation will never arise at Cineplex."
The project is the brainchild of veteran Canadian exhibitor N. A. (Nat) T-aylor and Garth Dmbinsky, a Toronto lawyer. The two formed Cineplex Corp. in Toronto early last year. "We coined the word 'Cineplex' as a contraction of the words 'cinema complex'," Taylor explained. "What makes this project unique is that we're investing over $2 million in somebody else's building."
The Eaton Center, reportedly owned by Texas-based real estate firm Cadillac Fairview, attracts an estimated 500,000 shoppers each week and is located near approximately 200,000 office workers in downtown Toronto.
According to Sprachman, one feature of Cineplex is its "moveable walls." This will enable the management to respond to fluctuating audience demands by increasing or decreasing the size of each auditorium.
The advantages of this feature are immediately apparent to any experienced showman. From time to time, certain films may become available which generate such public interest that it would be frustrating if only 100 seats were available.
On such occasions, Cineplex will utilize several auditoriums for at least the first weeks of presentation. As public demand subsequently slackens, the number and size of auditoriums will be cut back.
All theatres will utilize specially designed rear projection systems in conjunction with 16mm projectors. Each auditorium has a central bank of seats with none against the side walls.
The main lobby has the ambience of a large salon featuring art exhibitions and a decor that is easy and relaxing. A lounge area, or "common room," provides an ideal place for meeting before and after films. The common room has seating for up to 200 people and is expected to act as a holding area for theatre patrons.
A computerized ticket issuing machine, specially designed for Cineplex, will print tickets in advance for each performance on a daily basis. No tickets will be sold after the start of the feature to prevent latecomers from disturbing the audience. Each auditorium will also be cleared of litter after each performance.
The 18 cinemas have been divided into four sections on the two floors and are color coded for easy identification. The tickets will be correspondingly color coded and eye-catching directional signs win point the way.
Unique Features
Other interesting details about Cineplex include the following:
The smallest cinema will seat 57 while the largest has a 137-seat capacity.
Starting times will be staggered by 15 minutes to reduce crowds and prevent lines.
All projection equipment will be electronically controlled from a remote location.
A single, giant concession counter will serve patrons from all 18 theatres.
Cineplex will be open 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
Facilities for the handicapped are provided.
Shadow boxes and outdoor rear projection screens will provide previews of current and coming attractions.
All 18 theatres will be monitored by closed circuit television.
An important factor to be considered is that a large number of foreign language films acquire U.S. rights and rely heavily on a favorable initial reception in New York City before being launched elsewhere. According to Taylor, Cineplex will intentionally bypass the hazards of a film's trial exposure on these terms.
Cineplex bookers will deal directly with foreign producers and distributors. In many cases, Cineplex expects to obtain first North American rights for unusual, foreign language and art films.
A vital factor for Cineplex is that it is under the direction of Taylor. Because of his experience in motion picture distribution, he reportedly maintains an excellent relationship with film producers and distributors throughout the world.
Taylor asserts that he had told fellow exhibitors during his keynote address, presented at the 1965 Show-A-Rama convention, that multi-screen theatres would be an answer to the motion picture industry's problems, especially where overhead costs were concerned.
Taylor said that Cineplex intends to build similar theatres in other regions after the Toronto facility is completed.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The man who coined the phrase "Cineplex" passed away in 2004 at the age of 98. N. A. (Nat) Taylor was responsible for the first Canadian film to receive a major studio release in the US, 1961's The Mask. The inventor of the multiplex, Mr. Taylor built the world's first dual-screen facility in 1948 and followed that with a triplex, a four-plex and a five-plex. The Toronto Star called him Canada's original movie mogul. Toronto Architect Mandel Sprachman was the son of Abraham Sprachman who was a partner in the firm that designed three-quarters of all the theaters in Canada in the first half of the last century. Mandel Sprachman also specialized in theaters with the Elgin and Winter Gardens Theaters of particular note. Mr. Sprachman died in 2002 at 77. Though little is known about Harry S. Mandell, almost too much is known about Garth Drabinsky. He is currently under a fugitive arrest warrant in the United States stemming from fraud charges leveled against him in 1999. Mr. Drabinsky lives in Canada.
AND CINEPLEX? Initially, Cineplex found huge success with its unusual programming: foreign films, indies, and rereleases. But taste and traffic patterns change and a little over twenty years after this article appeared Cineplex closed its 18 doors and was torn down -- but not before spawning, like the head of the Hydra, hundreds and thousands of multiplexes, every one of which is screening Bee Movie as I type this. - K.
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