McKinley Franklin author William B. Doeren, a former entertainment industry executive with AMC Entertainment, General Cinema Theatres, MGM and Kodak, died on March 8 of multiple dementias including FTD, Alzheimer’s and Vascular.
He was 76. Doeren’s career in the film industry spanned over 40 years. His work as the COO of AMC, president and CEO of General Cinema and the managing director for MGM Theatres in Europe advanced the modern cinematic experience.
Some of his most notable innovations include advanced ticket and credit card sales, AMC’s “Movie Watcher” and General Cinema’s “Credits” programs and the United States’ first dine-in theatre with General Cinema’s Yorktown “Premium Cinema” in 1998.
While at Kodak, he also contributed to the digitization of the motion picture industry. Doeren was born in Camp Lejuene, N.C.
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