General Cinema Pre-Show Bumpers and Policy Trailers

A bunch of bumpers and trailers from the now defunct General Cinema movie theater chain, which was acquired by AMC in the 2000s.

The candy band ones still scare me...

These videos were found on various sources.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• general
• cinema
• movie
• theater
• retro
• 60s
• 70s
• 80s
• 90s
• AMC
• theaters
• vintage
• film
• cinemas
• candy
• band
• hoyts

[CelesteK]

Is the GCC defunct now?

[jonrev]

@CelesteK LONG gone... bankruptcy in 2000 and the rest was nabbed by AMC 2 years later. The trademarks, however, were auctioned off last December.

[JimRotunda]

We had two General Cinema Theaters in Racine, Wisconsin untill 1986, when the Marcus Theater Corporation bought them out.

[jonrev]

@JimRotunda Yeah, the Westgate Cinema on Washington Ave. was one of them. Marcus boarded it up about 4 years ago and built a megaplex in Sturtevant.

Last year I found myself up there one evening and stumbled upon it. While taking pics, some guy on a bike came up to me thinking I was vandalizing the place.

[jakestooge34]

Why couldn't we still have this stuff today?

[Dudeman37]

I worked for GCC from 1985-1987 (GC Town East 5 in Mesquite, TX) and I remember most of these bumpers like they were yesterday!! As a matter of fact, at the 2:44 mark, on this particular "candy space" bumper, when we FIRST got this in to our theater, GCC ran what they called the "Count The Candy" contest, in which you watched this bumper and entered a contest where you guessed how many pieces of candy was used in the bumper! We always ran out of the entry forms!! Thanks for posting this!!

[JBarg25]

Where I grew up (Rochester, NY) it was either GCC or Loews until Regal/Cinemark pushed them out in 1996 or so. Lot of memories with these bumpers. Thanks.

[richconte1]

The policy trailer with the snaping camera that you said was from 1975. That is actually from 1980. I used to work at a GCC theater from 1986 to 1989.  The music from that trailer was recorded in 1980 or 1979. it is from Network music from San Diego which got bought by Killer tracks from L.A. in the late 1990s.

[brandonefron2064]

General Cinema used to release Pokemon 3 the Movie in 2001 but they backed out of it since AMC acquired the company in 2000.

[brandonefron2044]

i have seen both the cloudy one (1985, before Silverado) and the candy band one (1993, before a Disney movie) as well as the different candy band trailer from 1997 (1999, before Pokemon the First Movie shortly before GCC went bankrupt in 2000 after the release of Pokemon the Movie 2000 which was shown in a now-defunct General Cinema theater when AMC acquired the company 2 years later)

[gencinjay]

@jonrev I hadn't heard about the trademarks being aucitoned. After some searching, I see that they will only have it if they open by May 5th so it may end up for sale again. I wonder if it includes Popcorn Bob and the Candy Band.

[PShields79]

Thanks! I remember all of these well. Have been looking for 70s and 80s Mann Theatres bumpers, but to no avail. Any ideas?

[spongevee1]

Garden City Cinema in Cranston RI <3.

[bachelordan0470]

I do miss those days:'( There was an GCC theater in South Portland, ME. It was across the street from the Maine Mall. I used to go with my old buddy to see films there. We also remember those bumpers .... well, the ones of the 80's also the 90's. Nowadays, the theatre is gone:( torn down since about 2000:( It represents an era that isn't there anymore. Thanks so much for posting this. How did you capture this?

[davelounder]

Here in CT I worked at General Cinema I II III in Newington until it was traded to Redstone Corp. (Showcase Cinemas / National Amusements). GC gave Showcase its Newington and Orange locations in return for two of theirs in MA, where GC was headquartered. GC evidently wanted out of CT because I guess the sites weren't producing enough revenue for them. I'm so angry that I didn't keep my blue GC blazer and bowtie!!! Dave Lounder