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Topic: Theatre Closing, Tucson AZ

Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 06-24-2002 08:35 PM

It has been announced in the local news the Loew's Cineplex Odeon El Dorado will be closing. Building is currently for sale and is to be taken over by a retailer.

The El Dorado was origonally, I believe, Plitt, and was built in the late 1960's as a very large 2 screen theatre with true 70mm capability! Back then, most of the theatres in Tucson were large one or two screen theatres. Generally speaking, each theatre would run a different show so that no one was in direct competition. There were a couple of multiplexes, but generally speaking, they were VERY crappy! I do believe that Cineplex took over Plitt. When they took over, they canned all of the union projectionists, tore down all of the grand theatres and replaced them with multi-plexes. This was in the name of "corporate improvement"...which is actually low quality assembly line mass entertainment! This is one of the most stupid things Cineplex could have ever done! Had they acquired the land surrounding the El Dorado, it would have been perfect for a IMAX, that would have been somewhat of a competition to Century Theatres. As it now stands, Century Theatres almost has a monopoly on first run theatres in Tucson! The new Century Park Place 20 has led to the demise of the El Dorado...

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John Hazelton
Film Handler

Posts: 42
From: Oakland, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 06-24-2002 09:16 PM

Thanks for the news, Will.

It's a real drag. I have many fond memories of seeing films at the El Dorado, which I thought was the best theater in town. The Buena Vista was a close second.

Everything changes, but I'm truly sorry to see this great old theater vanish.

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Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 06-25-2002 07:46 PM

John...

Among the films I saw either at the El Dorado or Buena Vista were several 70mm shows such as Star Wars in 1977...

Whenever I went to either theatre in my early youth I always made it a point to go into the booths so that I could watch the IATSE projectionists at work and learn !

If memory serves me correctly, at the Buena Vista, the north screen was platter and the south screen was changeover. This was a "classic" booth...VERY toasty inside with the crapper right behind the projectors! There was usually only one IATSE projectionist on duty, I I distinctly remember him working his ass off...this is no joke! The Buena Vista has been closed for many years. After its closure, it was turned into some type of fitness center and youth center...both of which failed. The property is currently for sale. I did contact the property agent to see if I could get inside briefly to take some photos and preserve some memories of what was...but this was denied.

One memory comes to mind during a trip (and booth visit) to the Buena Vista. Automation was rather new and the projectionist had just installed a system...and the promixity cue detector was giving him a real headache. So, on this particular visit, I politly notified the projectionist (as he was rewinding a reel and preparing for the next show) that his cue detector had failed to work and that the tail was being projected on screen. BOY WAS HE PISSED WITH THAT SYSTEM!

As for the El Dorado, as I previously said, when Cineplex came to town, they aquired both the El Dorado and Catalina (which was a wonderful large auditorium single screen). In the name of progress, Cineplex razed both theaters and completely rebuilt them as multiplexes. The El Dorado is now closing. It barely has an attendance, with the Century Park Place 20 right across the street.

Look in the archives of the AZ Daily Star for articles regarding the demise of IATSE projectionists as well as the Catalina demolotion...which was not popular among Tucsonans when it was done.

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