Who’s kidding whom? In a recent article in The Pilot the manager of the Town and Country Cinema painted a rosy picture for the future, but let’s look at some facts.

According to a November article in The Charlotte Observer, Hollywood analysts warn that the last thing we need is more theaters.

Why? There are too many screens and not enough people. As a result, half of the nation’s largest theater operators, our own Carmike Cinemas included, filed for bankruptcy protection in August 2000. Bill Wilson, director of real estate for Eastern Federal, a Charlotte-based company that runs 20 cinemas in the Carolinas and Florida, states that the industry standard is one screen for every 10,000 people.

With the opening of the new 10-screen cineplex here, we now have 17 screens in the area, including the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines, but where are the 170,000 people? Result: more abandoned buildings, lost tax revenues, and failed enterprises due to poor planning.

Richard Banks