The Wichita Eagle from Wichita, Kansas • 23

INDEX Your Leisure-Time Guide 30idjita Teleriilsi Listings An la TV-Week iifirmfiTinn wThe Beacon Sunday March 22 1970 Page 1G Opening Slated doomed in the spacecraft Ironman One in this scene from "Marooned" opening the New Mall Cinema theater Wednesday night i t' Astronauts James Franciscus Gene Hackman and Richard Crenna from left-fail to make re-entry contact with Mission Control and fear they are The Fox opened last October Other National General theaters here include the Boulevard and Uptown National General Corporation officials expected here for the Wednesday opening are Jack McGee division manager of Mountain Midwest Denver Colo Dick Conley area supervisor of Midwest Kansas City Mo Joe Ruddick district manager St Louis Mo James Martin district manager for Kansas who recently moved his headquarters to the Mall Cinema theater from 'its former location in Topeka and Roy Hill Wichita city manager Zeb Pruner former manager of -the Orpheum Theater for 15 years will operate the Mall Cin-ema assisted by Cliff Godfrey' former assistant manager at the Fox Premiere attraction at the Mall Cinema will be a showing of as a benefit for the Appalachian Settlement School supported by Pi Beta Phi Alumnae The only Wednesday performance will be at 8 pm Beginning Thursday the Mall Cinema will operate with continuous showings beginning at 1 pm daily Tickets for the Pi Beta Phi Alumnae benefit are available at the Mall Cinema boxoffice or from alumnae members Gregory Peck co-stars as George Keith head of the US manned space program in "Marooned" will be on sale during intermission of the film Proceeds from the benefit opening will be used to help continue the work of the Appalachian Settlement School help collegiate Pi Beta Phi chapters and for community work Instead of the traditional ribbon-cutting for the new theater there will be a flag-raising ceremony according to Roy Hill city manager for Fox theaters The ceremony will precede the opening of the doors to the building Once inside the audience will see a timely film dealing with a subject which might happen on any of space probes As the story unfolds Gregory Peck as chief of the US manned space program awaits the return to Earth from space of Ironman One a three-man craft The ship misfires during reentry and its crew commander Crenna scientist-astronaut Franciscus and pilot Hackman are marooned in space Teck and his senior astronaut played by David Janssen put into operation a desperate rescue plan while the world and the wives played by Lee Grant Nancy Kovack and Mariette Hartley watch and wait National General 290th theater the Mall Cinema opens Wednesday in the Mall Shopping Center 3833 Harry The one-story theater features interior decor in shades of green gold and blue The large lobby in tones of blue and gold is highlighted by two polished brass and crystal chandeliers and natural walnut ceiling beams The 804 -seat auditorium1 is decorated in antique green with gold seats and a green-and-gold curtain Side wall indirect lighting gives the appearance of arches -i The Mall Cinema features an indoor-outdoor boxoffice for use in possible roadshow engagements and in handling large crowds Projection equipment in the new theater utilizes Xenon rather than the traditional carbon arc lamps The theater follows a national trend of building new movie houses in shopping centers and neighborhoods rather than in' downtown areas With the opening of the Mall Cinema the Miller Theater which has been in operation for 48 years will close This will leave only two downtown theaters Qrpheum and Fox Theaters the film which will open the Mall Cinema Wednesday night is the story of three astronauts stranded in space due to the malfunction of theiy spacecraft Also concerned with the efforts of Mission Control to effect a rescue while the world watches on television the film stars Gregory Peck Richard Crenna David Janssen James Franciscus Lee Grant Nancy Kovack and Marietta Hartley is based on the novel by Martin Caidin veteran writer bn aviation and aerospace It was filmed pot only in Holly- wood but at1 Cape Kennedy and 1 Houston Wherever possible the team filmed at act- ual locations called for in script Director was John Stur-ges The premiere at 8 pm 1 Wednesday will be sponsored by members of Pi Beta Phi Alumnae of Wichita as their fund-raising project for 1970 Pi Beta Phi the oldest social sorority for women was organized in 1867 It started its national philantropy Pi Beta Phi Settlement School in Gatlinburg Tenn in 1912 This was one of the first attempts from the outside to provide an education for the people of this area In 1967 as a special centennial project Arrowmont School was built on the site It is an extension of the University of Tennessee School of Art It provides year-round education teaching the crafts of the mountain people I Pi Beta Phi is the only sorority to have a permanent display of these crafts at the' Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC Settlement School merchandise In top photo at left marquee lettering installation was delayed for a while by this week's snows The new Mall Cinema is in the center of the north side of the Mall Shopping Center on East Harry In the lower photo a workman puts finishing touches on the carpeting in the auditorium which seats 804 persons (Staff photos by Hugh Tessenaorf) 4 VM 4t 4 4 jl -t.