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'''General Cinema Corporation''' was founded in 1935 as a drive-in movie theater by Philip Smith, who previously owned a small chain of silent movie theaters. However, the company didn't see much growth until 1939, due to heavy sales of news printed on film. After the World War II ended, the company got into new leadership under Richard A. Smith, who closed all drive-in theaters in order to make room indoor theaters. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, GCC dabbled in financing movie productions, particularly ''Night of the Juggler'' and ''Foolin' Around'', with Gary Busey and Annette O'Toole, which were both distributed theatrically by [[Columbia Pictures]]. In April 1992, the company teamed up with [[Lucasfilm Ltd.|Lucasfilm]] to create mascots for the company. This lead to the creation of the then iconic Candy Band, the band would be followed by two more mascots, Popcorn Bob, and Pepsi Sue. By October 2000, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and then Chapter 7 bankruptcy a year later. This lead to the company being acquired and absorbed by [[AMC Theaters]] in March 2002. | '''General Cinema Corporation''' was founded in 1935 as a drive-in movie theater by Philip Smith, who previously owned a small chain of silent movie theaters. However, the company didn't see much growth until 1939, due to heavy sales of news printed on film. After the World War II ended, the company got into new leadership under Richard A. Smith, who closed all drive-in theaters in order to make room indoor theaters. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, GCC dabbled in financing movie productions, particularly ''Night of the Juggler'' and ''Foolin' Around'', with Gary Busey and Annette O'Toole, which were both distributed theatrically by [[Columbia Pictures]]. In April 1992, the company teamed up with [[Lucasfilm Ltd.|Lucasfilm]] to create mascots for the company. This lead to the creation of the then iconic Candy Band, the band would be followed by two more mascots, Popcorn Bob, and Pepsi Sue. By October 2000, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and then Chapter 7 bankruptcy a year later. This lead to the company being acquired and absorbed by [[AMC Theaters]] in March 2002. | ||
===1st (known) Open ( | ===1st (known) Open (Fall 1967-1984)=== | ||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200"> | <gallery mode="packed" heights="200"> | ||
File:GCC Purple.jpeg | File:GCC Purple.jpeg | ||
File:General Cinemas Intro 1964.png | File:General Cinemas Intro 1964.png | ||
File:General Cinema Corporation (1964 -1980).jpeg | File:General Cinema Corporation (1964 -1980).jpeg | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
{{youtube|id=https://youtu.be/m6uHhUKURYE|id2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= | {{youtube|id=https://youtu.be/m6uHhUKURYE|id2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhzJUzanaj8|id3=https://youtu.be/mzCAJt7HsqQ|id4=https://youtu.be/1qTGJUZ2E0o}} | ||
'''Nicknames:''' "Projector 1.0", "'60s GCC", "GCC Projector", "Kaleidoscopic Projector" | '''Nicknames:''' "Projector 1.0", "'60s GCC", "GCC Projector", "Kaleidoscopic Projector" | ||
'''Logo:''' On a black background is a light blue GCC logo: an abstract projector made out of the letter G, and two C's representing film reels above and below the G to the slightly aligned to the right. A jazzy drumbeat begins and the film reels (the C's) begin to rotate, as the projector begins to spool out a line of dots. A harpsichord riff briefly cuts in, and the word "GENERAL" comes out of the projector, followed by more dots. The musical trade-off repeats two more times, with the words "CINEMA" and "CORPORATION" spooling out of the projector | '''Logo:''' On a black background is a light blue GCC logo: an abstract projector made out of the letter G, and two C's representing film reels above and below the G to the slightly aligned to the right. A jazzy drumbeat begins and the film reels (the C's) begin to rotate, as the projector begins to spool out a line of dots. A harpsichord riff briefly cuts in, and the word "GENERAL" comes out of the projector, followed by more dots. The musical trade-off repeats two more times, with the words "CINEMA" and "CORPORATION" spooling out of the projector with green dots in between. Then, after "CORPORATION," the brushes finally take it home, allowing the projector enough time to spool out an entire line of pink dots as either "COMING ATTRACTIONS" or "FEATURE PRESENTATION" appear with the final hit of the drum (The C's also stop when this happens). | ||
'''Variants:''' | '''Variants:''' | ||
* | * '''1970s-1977:''' The graphics appear on a plain purple background, and the GCC logo is gray. | ||
* 1977-1984: The graphics appear on a kaleidoscopic red | * '''1977-1984:''' The graphics appear on a kaleidoscopic red or purple background (similar to the ''Family Affair'' intro). | ||
'''FX/SFX:''' The film reels rotating and the projectors spooling out the dots that morphed into the titles. This snipe was produced by Selame Associates of Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts, while the 1977 | '''FX/SFX:''' The film reels rotating and the projectors spooling out the dots that morphed into the titles. This snipe was produced by Selame Associates of Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts, while the 1977 bumpers were produced by Pike Productions of Newport, Rhode Island. | ||
'''Music/Sounds:''' A snazzy jazz beat established on a snare drum with brushes, occasionally interrupted on the off-beat by a catchy harpsichord riff. The drums give the feel of the sound a projector makes. A few double bass notes are also heard on the third harpsichord riff. | '''Music/Sounds:''' A snazzy jazz beat established on a snare drum with brushes, occasionally interrupted on the off-beat by a catchy harpsichord riff. The drums give the feel of the sound a projector makes. A few double bass notes are also heard on the third harpsichord riff. | ||
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'''Editor's Note:''' The fanfare of this open would later become popular, so much so that it became a staple for General Cinema. | '''Editor's Note:''' The fanfare of this open would later become popular, so much so that it became a staple for General Cinema. | ||
===2nd Open ( | ===2nd Open (1984-June 1986)=== | ||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200"> | <gallery mode="packed" heights="200"> | ||
File:General Cinema Theaters (1980, Part 1 of 2).png | File:General Cinema Theaters (1980, Part 1 of 2).png | ||
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* On longer films, during the start of a transition from the first to the second part of the film, "INTERMISSION" appeared in place of "FEATURE PRESENTATION". | * On longer films, during the start of a transition from the first to the second part of the film, "INTERMISSION" appeared in place of "FEATURE PRESENTATION". | ||
'''FX/SFX:''' The moving background, the shines of the projector, the film reels rotating and the light effects. All in pretty cool cel animation. | '''FX/SFX:''' The moving background, the shines of the projector, the film reels rotating and the light effects. All in pretty cool cel animation by Pike Productions. | ||
'''Music/Sounds:''' A funky flute/brass rendition of the first music mixed with a Rhodes piano. Chimes are heard whenever a star shines. Also, like in the first logo, the animation is supported by reverberated percussion that simulates the sound of a projector. | '''Music/Sounds:''' A funky flute/brass rendition of the first music mixed with a Rhodes piano. Chimes are heard whenever a star shines. Also, like in the first logo, the animation is supported by reverberated percussion that simulates the sound of a projector. | ||
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'''Editor's Note:''' The animation and lighting effects make up for a suitable successor to the original projector. Too bad it was short-lived. | '''Editor's Note:''' The animation and lighting effects make up for a suitable successor to the original projector. Too bad it was short-lived. | ||
===3rd Open (1986-1993)=== | ===3rd Open (June 1986-May 1993)=== | ||
[[File:General Cinema Corporation - CLG Wiki(1).jpeg|center|350px]] | [[File:General Cinema Corporation - CLG Wiki(1).jpeg|center|350px]] | ||
{{youtube|id=zATp5Ga5TII|id2=8pzd6GjNv4A|id3=OssgZARmGXE}} | {{youtube|id=zATp5Ga5TII|id2=8pzd6GjNv4A|id3=OssgZARmGXE}} | ||
'''Nicknames:''' “GCC in the Sky”, <nowiki>''</nowiki>Projector 3.0<nowiki>''</nowiki> | '''Nicknames:''' "Flying Candy", "Space Candy", “GCC in the Sky”, <nowiki>''</nowiki>Projector 3.0<nowiki>''</nowiki> | ||
'''Logo:''' | '''Logo:''' In a dark space environment, a red General Cinema "bargain matinees" ticket zooms towards the screen and past it, revealing a belt of candy pieces, popping popcorn kernels, and a Pepsi-Cola cup. A GCC-branded "drink" cup flies out of the belt, then the screen pans to the right, going past a red/white trash can the cup enters. A "no smoking" symbol with "No Smoking Please" to the right fades in, then the screen fades to black. | ||
The screen fades to time-lapsed clouds in the sky, reflected by a circle with the gold/bronze letters “GCC” inside (arranged like the old Projector logo but in a different, more modern typeface). The clouds fade to a starry sky, and the words “General Cinema” appear at the bottom in a gold Century Gothic, as the color of the GCC circle becomes solid blue. The logo and company name fade out to reveal the words “Feature Presentation”. | |||
'''Variants:''' | '''Variants:''' | ||
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* Also Showing at This Theatre: The aforementioned words tilt and fly away in a similar fashion to the previous variant. | * Also Showing at This Theatre: The aforementioned words tilt and fly away in a similar fashion to the previous variant. | ||
'''Trivia:''' General Cinema made a contest around the time the Space Candy trailer was brand-new, called the "Count the Candy" contest. As the name suggests, moviegoers had to count how many candies appear in the trailer. | '''Trivia:''' General Cinema made a contest around the time the Space Candy trailer was brand-new, called the "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZTLJeozoU Count the Candy]" contest. As the name suggests, moviegoers had to count how many candies appear in the trailer to possibly win a season pass or a trip to Los Angeles. | ||
'''FX/SFX:''' | '''FX/SFX:''' Stop-motion animation in the first segment, and the fading of the GCC circle and text, the clouds, and the fade to the starry sky in the second segment, all done by Industrial Light & Magic. The live-action daytime sky was shot from Hawaii and took the film crew six days just to get right. | ||
'''Music/Sounds:''' A short ethereal synth tune that culminates into a 6-note fanfare with timpani drums and a choir, which softens when "Feature Presentation" appears/fades out with the logo. | '''Music/Sounds:''' A short ethereal synth tune that culminates into a 6-note fanfare with timpani drums and a choir, which softens when "Feature Presentation" appears/fades out with the logo. | ||
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'''Availability:''' Easier to find than the previous open, but only appeared in theaters at that time, unless you have film reels (though there are some accounts that this logo, but with the next logo's "Candy Band" policy trailer instead of this logo's "Space Candy" policy trailer, showed up in some theaters as late as 1995). | '''Availability:''' Easier to find than the previous open, but only appeared in theaters at that time, unless you have film reels (though there are some accounts that this logo, but with the next logo's "Candy Band" policy trailer instead of this logo's "Space Candy" policy trailer, showed up in some theaters as late as 1995). | ||
'''Editor's Note:''' This is a great | '''Editor's Note:''' This is a great opening with great VFX work by ILM. General Cinema estimated this opening was ran nearly 700,000,000 times before it was retired. | ||
===4th Open (1993- | ===4th Open (May 1993-1996)=== | ||
[[File:General Cinema Corporation (1993-1997).jpeg|center|350px]]{{YouTube|id=https://youtu.be/kbMBR2zbExA|id2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDCaA2T6xyU|id3=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZtVmVNK8x8}} | [[File:General Cinema Corporation (1993-1997).jpeg|center|350px]]{{YouTube|id=https://youtu.be/kbMBR2zbExA|id2=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDCaA2T6xyU|id3=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZtVmVNK8x8}} | ||
'''Nicknames:''' “Searchlights 1.0”, “GCC Moon”, “Moon And Searchlights”, “Moon Of Boredom” | '''Nicknames:''' “Searchlights 1.0”, “GCC Moon”, “Moon And Searchlights”, “Moon Of Boredom” | ||
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'''Editor's Note:''' A much simpler logo compared to most others, especially by Industrial Light & Magic standards. | '''Editor's Note:''' A much simpler logo compared to most others, especially by Industrial Light & Magic standards. | ||
===5th Open ( | ===5th Open (1996-2002)=== | ||
[[File:General Cinema final logo.png|center|350px]] | [[File:General Cinema final logo.png|center|350px]] | ||
{{youtube|id=https://youtu.be/vSdIsv6TkZs|id2=GzBQ_Z-A1Ng}} | {{youtube|id=https://youtu.be/vSdIsv6TkZs|id2=GzBQ_Z-A1Ng}} | ||
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'''Music/Sounds:''' A jazzy arrangement of the theme from the 1st opening, combined with the sounds of running filmstrips. The music starts to slow down, and decrease in pitch when the phone start ringing. A whistle is heard when Bob speaks through the megaphone, a growl is heard from the clapperboard when it pushes the phone off, and a high pitched sound is heard when the phone is falling. The music starts to get out of control when everything is falling. Finally, we hear 5 final notes, and a clap from the clapperboard. | '''Music/Sounds:''' A jazzy arrangement of the theme from the 1st opening, combined with the sounds of running filmstrips. The music starts to slow down, and decrease in pitch when the phone start ringing. A whistle is heard when Bob speaks through the megaphone, a growl is heard from the clapperboard when it pushes the phone off, and a high pitched sound is heard when the phone is falling. The music starts to get out of control when everything is falling. Finally, we hear 5 final notes, and a clap from the clapperboard. | ||
'''Availability:''' Extinct. This was the final opening General Cinema used before AMC Theaters | '''Availability:''' Extinct. This was the final opening General Cinema used before AMC Theaters bought the chain after its crippling bankruptcy in 2000. It was also seen on Cinema Concepts' Trailer Park website page until the page shut down. Used in tandem with the previous open around this time. | ||
'''Editor's Note:''' While it is not as powerful as the previous open, it is a great end to a company with a long line of memorable opening logos. | '''Editor's Note:''' While it is not as powerful as the previous open, it is a great end to a company with a long line of memorable opening logos. | ||