General Cinema Corporation, also known as General Cinema, GCC, or General Cinema Theaters, was a chain of movie theaters in the United States. At its peak, the company operated about 1,500 screens,[1] some of which were among the first theaters certified by THX (A division of Lucasfilm Ltd.). The company operated for approximately 67 years, from 1935 until 2002.
History
Early history
General Cinema Corporation was founded as a drive-in theater in 1935 by Philip Smith, who had previously owned a small chain of silent film theaters. Smith had chosen to open the chain after noticing the increasing sales of local Massachusetts theaters, and the introduction of films that were able to accommodate a synchronized sound and voice track into their reels. Originally, Smith planned to open indoor theaters, but had decided to open a small number of outdoor theaters instead (later deciding to add indoor theaters). The company saw limited growth until 1939, when growth began as World War II started, and with it, the emergence of Newsreel news presented with the feature films.