Today’s photo depicts a unique lobby amenity that was once a signature feature of the, now defunct, General Cinema Corporation. The GCC chain, once one of the biggest names in the exhibition industry, was an early pioneer in the multiplex era and an innovator of many cinema features we currently experience. However, General Cinema’s lobby art galleries were an innovation that never quite caught on with the industry.
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As seen in the picture, dating from the late sixties, these galleries held a prominent position in the lobby and were intended as somewhat of a facility showpiece. Yet, also evident in the photo, the galleries were often rather sparse and the quality of art varied greatly between theatres; relying on local artists, exhibitions were subject to the particular area’s art “scene” and availability of locals who were interested in having their work displayed in a cinema lobby. Concerning the overall quality of art exhibited, former GCC theatre manager, Phil Epstein, commented, “There were always a couple of nice paintings, but most of it was stuff you’d see in a motel…I remember a lot of oil painting landscapes.” While never an overwhelming success, these galleries were featured in select GCC theatres throughout the 60’s and 70’s, before being fazed out in the early 80’s.
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