BROADWAY TO UP PRICES FOR FIRST-RUN MOVIE ONLY

The $1 movie will return to the Broadway Theatre Jan. 5.

Theater management had to raise its prices to bring the first-run movie, "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," to the Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

"The Dracula movie was not available as a discount movie," said John Miller, general manager of Kerasotes Theatres, headquartered at Springfield. Kerasotes operates six theaters in Cape Girardeau -- five in Town Plaza Shopping Center and one on Broadway. "We had to raise our prices when we arranged for the two-week run."

"Dracula: Dead and Loving It," stars Leslie Nielsen as the undead title character of Mel Brook's spoof.

Brooks produced such movies as "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein."

The change in prices at the Broadway is only a temporary thing, said Miller. It will return to discount movies when the Dracula movie moves on.

Even during the current 3.50 (shows before 6 p.m.) and $5.25 (after 6 p.m) shows, the theater resumed its policy of free refills for pop-corn and sodas.

The Broadway Theatre, which closed its doors in March 1984, reopened about eight months later, in March 1992, offering movies at budget prices.

Most of the films shown at the Broadway are fairly recent films, said Miller. Most of them are returning to Cape Girardeau for a second engagement, with Broadway seats at $1.

This has been the price for adults and children, seven days a week for the last three and a half years, said Miller.

The Broadway, which seats 514, was constructed in 1921, and featured vaudeville shows and silent movies. Fox Theatres leased the building in 1929 and purchased it 20 years later. It was later acquired by Shirley Theatres Inc., and in 1969 was purchased by the Kerasotes group.

When the Broadway closed in 1984, the building was used by a church group.