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Author Topic: Old Rand Theatres in Texas William T. Parr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 823 From: Cedar Park, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-13-2001 10:14 AM                     Just curious as to how many of the Old Rand Theatres in Texas are still open, and who has them now. The ones I know about are the Nakoma 8 and Bandera 6 in San Antonio which Regal recently closed, and the Bridge Creek 8 in Austin that closed shortly after opening in 1989 and became a Church in 1990. There were supposed to be 7 of them in Dallas/Ft Worth Area, but I am not sure where they were. Anyone have any Idea? Rick McCluney Film Handler Posts: 66 From: Ocean Springs, MS, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-13-2001 05:26 PM                     Now that's a name I haven't seen in a long time. I had been working for Act III at the Crossroads 6 and Northwest 14, when Tony Rand came to town with his grand plan. I went to work at the Bandera 6 and helped Clyde McKinney and another gentleman whose name escapes me. I was the head projectionist at the Bandera 6 during it's entire 6 month life as a Rand Theatre. They shut down with my last couple of checks not worth the paper on which they were written. I also got a little taste of being a technician during that stint. Being an outpost in the Rand "Empire", we had no technician. So I ended up cover the two San Antonio theatres and the one in Austin. I know that doesn't answer your question but I haven't heard anyone talk about Rand since they closed down. William T. Parr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 823 From: Cedar Park, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-13-2001 05:47 PM                     Hey Rick your the first person I have heard from that worked for Rand. You and I possibly know somebody Mutually, You used to work for ACT III at the Northwest, My First job as a thetare employee was under Henry Corkill who used to manage the Northwest 10 at the time until he went to work for Cinemark in 1987 and Moved to Corpus. I do have a question you might be able to answer. Did Rand actually remove All equipment from the Bridge Creek 8 in Austin ? Also What sound System were used at the all three Theatres, I know the one in Austin had 2 Supposed THX auditoriums as did the Nakoma 8, but were all the Rest Dolby or a mix? Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-13-2001 05:56 PM                     The only two I know of (and did some service work for) was the Lewisville 10 and the Burleson (was it 8?) theaters. These theaters were compilations of whatever projection equipment junk was in the warehouse at the time. Never that I know of did Rand purchase new equipment, or even make an effort to keep the same type of projector heads in one complex. The projectionists there were minimum wage kids and had zero training. Needless to say, this is not a way to run a business, for the kids damaged every print that they played because of the confusion as to "how does this particular unit thread" and such. Rick McCluney Film Handler Posts: 66 From: Ocean Springs, MS, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-13-2001 09:34 PM                     Hey William. I recognize Henry's name but I didn't work at the Northwest until they added the 4 screen annex in 1988. My wife worked at the Northwest starting in 1986 so I will ask her if she remembers him, though I believe the manager was a woman by the name of BJ Glover when she started there. As to the equipment at Bridge Creek, I don't know what happened to it but, I seem to remember hearing that it had been removed. They had all Kintek sound equipment but I do believe it was all new. I think 2 of the auditoriums had Kinteks full stereo systems and the rest of them were center-surround. The equipment at Nakoma and Bandera was all new and included Strong consoles with Ballentyne projector and sound heads. Each theatre had 2 Ballentyne 35/70 Systems which had Dolby CP 200's. I think the medium sized auditoriums might have had CP 55's but I do know the small auditoriums had Kintek center-surround systems. They had Eagle automations by Ed Glenn who was working with Rand at the time. I do know that each of the San Antonio theatres had 2 THX auditoriums ( the 35/70 auditoriums). From what I heard at the time, Rand had leased the Dolby equipment then told the banks that financed the theatres that the equipment was part of the collateral. But that is hearsay so I can't say for sure.But all the equipment at the SA theatres was new. Rand was also expanding into New Mexico at the time so he may have smooth talked some equipment dealers into outfitting him. William T. Parr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 823 From: Cedar Park, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-13-2001 11:33 PM                     Another person we, know Ed Glen, may he rest in peace. Had his eagle automation in Corpus at UA the Movies and his original Pre Eagle in 2 audutoriums at Cine 6 in Corpus. I also forgot about my assistant at Cinemark James Barnes, Worked at he Century Plaza and Embassy in San Antonio. What a small World. Do I dare ask about old Plitt Theatres in Texas and conjure up another name gone by? Rick McCluney Film Handler Posts: 66 From: Ocean Springs, MS, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-14-2001 04:10 PM                     Hey William, The Embassy 14 is where I started my cinema career. I started there about 3 months after it opened. I was trained in the booth there by an old union guy named Larry Serafine. As to Plitt theatres, my wife worked at a Plitt Theatre in Gautier,MS (it is now a UA theatre). The manager there was Jimmy Hart who later went to Houston I believe as a District Manager. When I worked for Act III, we had a technician named Richard Tucker from Austin. Do you know if he is still in the area? I haven't talked to him in about 5 years. Last I heard he left Act III and was working independently. William T. Parr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 823 From: Cedar Park, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-15-2001 12:28 PM                     Rick, the name does sound familiar, but I have never meet him. Seem like he was doing some work for a company called GTS out of Georgia servicing Independenttheatres as well as some smaller chains here in Austin. I will ask around and see if anyone know for sure where he is at now. As to the theatre in Gautier, My old thetare, Th UA Padrde Staple 6 closed in August ans the Stereo equipment from it is supposed to go into severla theatres in Missisppi that do not have stereo. I know that Turtle Creek and Bonita Lakes all have stereo in them so the Gautier theatre could inharite some of my old sound equipment as soon as Al Remy and George Cisco have time to go get it out of storage and haul it up there. Rick McCluney Film Handler Posts: 66 From: Ocean Springs, MS, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-15-2001 01:37 PM                     The last I heard George Cisco was up in Greenwood, MS preparing to do some upgrades there. That was about a month ago, so it will probably be going up there. William T. Parr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 823 From: Cedar Park, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-01-2001 04:40 PM                     Well as with Regal Cinema's Theatre closings, the Two former Rand theatre's in San Antonio are being converted into office spaces. The Nakoma 8 is hard to recognize as a theatre now. Windows have been cut in all the way around the building, 1st and 2nd floor. The auditorium floors have all been leveled. The second floor has been set in place and there is a very large staircase cut into the Back center of the building. Have photo's of it. The Bandera 6 is going through the same process, it's just not as far along. All the wall have been striped out of it, the projection room floor and stair well has been removed and the Speaker Pods that were on the Backside of the building were removed and sitting on the ground. Anybody here from Regal Cinema know what might have happened to the equipment out of these two theatres? The only 2 known theatre from Rand to be open is the Cinemark Pleasant Run 7 theatre in Lancaster, Tx. and Cinemark Movies 8 in North Richland Hills maybe? not sure on the last one but the building shot looks like the Rand theatre that was here in Austin I know now that he had the Grapvine 8 also which is closed.  |  IP: Logged Richard Tucker Film Handler Posts: 15 From: Austin, TX, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 04-09-2001 10:18 AM                     Hello, Gentlemen! Yes, I am still in the area. I have just been initiated into the world of Film Tech, and what a surprise to see my name mentioned! Rick, I am trying to remember you; you may have to jog my memory a bit as I have met a lot of people in booths over the years. You probably know David George, who is now a tech for Regal in San Antonio. Glad you are doing well. As I heard, the equipment in the Bridge Creek 8 was repossessed by Strong. I went through the theater right after it closed. Act III decided they didn't want it, so it became a church at one time, among other things. Great to talk to old friends!  |  IP: Logged Rick McCluney Film Handler Posts: 66 From: Ocean Springs, MS, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 04-10-2001 12:53 AM                     Hey Richard, Good to see you on the Film-Tech forums. I worked at the Northwest 14 in San Antonio from 1990 to 1993. Lisa Butaud was the manager. While I was there you installed the first digital sound system (Dolby)in SA in # 8 for the premier screening of George Strait's "Pure Country". What became of the Norelco projector from # 8? I had heard that it had been replaced. Also, do you know what Lenny Slavin is doing now? Rick  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 11-04-2017 02:02 PM                 It has been 6052 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Mike Rivest Expert Film Handler Posts: 185 From: Montréal QC Canada Registered: Nov 2009 posted 11-04-2017 02:02 PM                     A couple of article from Albuquerque NM https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5572893/rand_theatres/ and https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5572855/rand_theatres/  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 11-04-2017 03:29 PM                     Long time passing... The names I recall, besides William Parr, who I have not yet met but we have mutual friends who worked at the UA Padre Staples Mall until JD left the company and Paul returned to Lubbock. Ed Glen came to the UA theater in Lubbock in the spring of 1981 to get the 4 channel magnetic stereo set up for Fantasia. Al Remy was our booth engineer throughout the 1980s. (So was Ben Kehe until 1988, when he departed UA to form his own company.) George Cisco was our booth engineer through 1990. In 1992, Cinemark acquired the UA building and ran it until the lease ran out in 1994. The first district leader I encountered was another name in this thread: B J Glover. She seemed nice enough. She left a couple of months later. I suspect Padre Staples 6, and all the UA buildings still left in that time, got "nuked" when the Century 16 opened in 1999(?). It still dominates the Corpus Christi market. I was surprised to find George Cisco was still working as of 2001. I had him pegged to retire soon when I worked with him in 1990. He told me he started in the business in the 1940s. I can't help but think he's bound to have passed away by now.  |  IP: Logged

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