GENERAL CINEMA <GCN> POOR SEASON LOWERS NET General Cinema Corp said lower attendence at its theatres against last year's record Christmas season lowered its first fiscal quarter operating earnings nine pct to 15.9 mln dlrs. "While we are not off to as good a start in fiscal 1987 as we would like, business has picked up in the last few weeks," chairman Richard Smith said. He said that the company expected net pricing to be higher and unit volume to improve in the remaining quarters of the fiscal year. The company added that operating earnings in its theatre unit will be higher in fiscal 1987 if the important summer season film releases perform well. In addition, its other key business, General Cinema Beverages, is expected to achieve record operating results for the full year, Smith said. The company's superstar video business which rents video cassettes in supermarkets continues to operate at an expected loss, the company added. General Cinema said the financing costs associated with its purchase of 3.5 mln Carter Hawley Hale Stores Inc <CHH> shares for 177.9 mln dlrs, and its 89.7 mln sterling investment in <Cadbury Schweppes PLC>, lowered first quarter net. But it said the loss was offset by a 2.5 mln dlr gain on the sale of common shares of Sea-Land Corp, a unit of CSX Corp <CSX>.