National Amusements finds value in marquee name.

Dedham cinema outfit set to open theater in London by the end of the year, owners say

DEDHAM--Shari Redstone employs an oft-used cliche when describing an industry that has seen three of its top players file for bankruptcy protection in recent months and many others struggling--"Bigger is not always better."

The Dedham-based National Amusements Inc.--which operates 105 Showcase and Multiplex Cinemas in the United States and 130 worldwide--has managed to avoid the ills of a movie theater industry that analysts say is overbuilt with multiplexes and wanting for customers.

"I think it's been a tough year for the industry" said Redstone, the president of National Amusements since 1994. "Product certainly has been weak. It hasn't been movies that people want to see. At the end of the day, …