New | The American movie buff who brought multiple screen cinemas to Hong Kong

 Bob Vallone has been a fixture in the film industry for over half a century but the man who helped bring UA Cinemas to Hong Kong three decades ago is still passionate about the business.

 Vallone, 72, is an advisor to UA Cinemas and Lark International Mutimedia, and has worked in the movie business since 1964.

 In 1985 he set up UA in Hong Kong, establishing Asia’s first multiple screen cinema in Shatin. He entered the mainland China market in 1997.

 The grey haired executive is not worried new technology will stop people from going to the cinema. Rather, a good movie and new technology would bring audiences into cinemas today. “Every Thursday there are a bunch of new movies released and I have to think of ways to promote them. It is full of excitement and full of surprise,” Vallone said in an interview with the South China Morning Post.  

 “If I were in another industry, I might  be bored and would start up my own business. But movies and cinemas are so interesting I never feel bored. I like going to the cinema to watch movies. Action movies are the best sellers and I like Clint Eastwood’s films.”

 There are many interesting aspects of the job, he said, including negotiating with film owners and distributors to prevent blockbuster titles  in the same genre from being screened at the same time. While film owners decide on the release date, cinema operators would advise them on how to get better box office results.