Milton
I. Moritz is president and CEO of the National Association
of Theatre Owners of California/Nevada.
What
about you would most surprise the majority of your fellow
exhibitors?
I was the auteur behind the “Beach Party” movie
copy line, “When 10,000 kids meet on 5,000 Beach Blankets!”
What’s
the best thing about living in Southern California?
My family and the new In -N- Out Burger restaurant in Westwood.
Leaving
aside family members, who was your first role model?
James H. Nicholson, the mastermind of American International
Pictures.
What
would you wish for if a djinn offered to grant one wish
(assuming you couldn’t wish for more wishes)?
Peace in the Middle East.
What
would you be if you weren’t a cinema operator?
President, NATO of California/Nevada or an FBI agent.
Who
is your favorite filmmaker and why?
Neal H. Moritz, producer of the 2001 sleeper “The Fast
and The Furious” and this summer’s box office
hit “XXX.”
What
was your favorite movie last year?
“The Fast and The Furious.”
Which
movie or movies are you most looking forward to?
“Gangs of New York” and Denzel Washington in “Out
of Time.”
Who
is the most talented actor most people have never heard
of?
William H. Macy.
Which
book would you most want to see adapted into a motion picture?
“Sponging: A Guide to Living Off the Ones You Love”
by Robert A. Moritz.
Which
TV show do you hate to miss?
“The Sopranos.”
What’s
your favorite movie theatre?
For nostalgic reasons, the Victor Theatre, the first theatre
my father owned in Southern California where my sisters
and I worked as teen-agers.
Which
sacred cow would you most like to barbecue?
Flip movie reviewers.
What
do you wish someone had told you earlier?
Nothing turns the ladies on like the name “Milton.”
What
was the single best piece of advice you ever got?
Never take yourself too seriously! 
