Mission Valley Cinemas
2109 Avent Ferry Road,
Raleigh,
NC
27606
2109 Avent Ferry Road,
Raleigh,
NC
27606
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I visited this theatre many times when United Artists was operating it. Lovely COMFORTABLE auditoriums, extremely clean floors (tiles) under the seats — far nicer than any Carmike dump!
For further information go to this site: http://www.in70mm.com/news/2008/jedi
Further proof that cities like Raleigh,Greensboro and Fayetteville were absent from the 70mm presentations of this film.
To: Mike Rogers and Michael Coate
I have the original newspaper ad from the Raleigh News and Observer that indicated upon it’s May 25,1983 general release that the movie RETURN OF THE JEDI did played here,but it was NOT mentioned anywhere in the ad that the film was in 70mm…NOR anywhere in the ad that film was mentioned in DOBLY STEREO. As Michael Coate quoted in on this site that the MISSION VALLEY and the CARDINAL were absent from the 70mm presentations. At the time the film opened MISSION VALLEY was a twin theater and the film played in it’s largest auditorium with a seating capacity of 515.
ONLY two cities in the state had RETURN OF THE JEDI presented in full 70mm-6 Track Dobly Stereo upon it’s May 25,1983 release:
Charlotte: Park Terrace
Winston-Salem: Thruway
The largest auditorium at the MISSION VALLEY had a seating capacity of 500 that was equipped with a full 180-degree widescreen projection that was equipped to show bigger presentations in the 70MM format.
The theatre opened on March 2,1973 as a twin cinema under Litchfeld Theatres and by 1983 expanded to five screens under United Artists Theatres and also Ambassador Entertainment Group.
This was also the same person who disrupted crowds during a screening of the James Bond “Skyfall” movie that also played at the Mission Valley Cinema that same night.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/27/2510253/raleigh-man-charged-with-disrupting.html.
Disruption at local movie theater results in charges…. From the November 28, 2012 edition of the Raleigh News and Observer….during a screening of the new “Twilight” movie at Raleigh’s Mission Valley Cinema……
More details on this are located at this website…..
http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/27/2510253/raleigh-man-charged-with-disrupting.html
STAR TREK II:THE WRATH OF KHAN played here in DOBLY STEREO at the Mission Valley Cinemas I & II in 1982.
The second auditorium showing was the musical ANNIE.
But it was the capacity crowds that were around the block in 1982 for STAR TREK II.
raysson, I didn’t have any questions as to when this theatre opened. I was just saying that the Related Website needed to be updated for Ambassador Entertainment.
Chuck 1231: I have the original ads from March 2, 1973 grand opening of the Mission Valley Cinemas in Raleigh,aka The Mission Valley Cinema I & II. Source: Raleigh News and Observer.
You can get the Ambassador Entertainment which features this theatre at this link Related website need to be updated.
Speaking of the 25th Anniversary of the 1986 blockbuster hit TOP GUN, The Mission Valley Cinemas in Raleigh was the only theatre in the Carolinas that was given the showing in 70MM and 6 Track Dobly Stereo. It opened in general release on May 16, 1986.
**Source: The Friday May 16, 1986 edition of the Raleigh News and Observer.
Did you know that a local television station is right next door to Mission Valley facing the intersections of Western Boulevard and Avent Ferry Roads?
WRAL-TV,Channel 5 of Raleigh is right next door to Mission Valley.
I remember taking one of the marquee.I assume you live in that area. It’s funny how people will live in a place and never think to snap a picture. Got a CT guy from ATlanta on and found out he never got around to snapping a picture of NORTHEAST EXPRESS DRIVE-IN in Atlanta.Driving home to Augusta I stopped off 1-85 and took several pictures Cliff never thought to do it,but I was able to mail him copies. I will try and locate the picture,I have hundreds of pictures,mainly in the South.
That theater was once the Varsity. I think it operated as Studio I for a brief time before it closed. Soon after it closed Studio I & II opened just down the street at 2526 Hillsborough in the Electric Company Mall. That theater closed in October of 2000. It was a very unique and very small theater. Screen 1 had just under 50 seats and screen 2 just over 50. The old Varsity sat empty for a long time after McDonalds closed and it is now a textbook store. Do you have pictures of the McDonalds? I would love to see them!
Thanks Micah enjoyed that theatre and the old downtown theatre that was a MCDONALDS.I snapped several pictures,never saw anything like it.I know it is listed on CT.
There used to be the Mission Valley Inn directly across the street. It closed in the 1990’s and NCSU bought it and converted it into dormitories. It is now called Avent Ferry Complex.
I visited the MISSON VALLEY while staying at a hotel across the street. Not bad. I least I think it was the MISSION VALLEY.
raysson, The original specs for Mission Valley were around 500 seats for screen 1, and 300 seats for screen 2. Screen 2 is half the size of screen 1 and never had more than 300 seats. Auditoriums 3, 4 and 5 were all added at the same time in 1983 and all seat 288. The only other remodel that was done was in 1994-ish when United Artists took over. This was just a lobby renovation in which a kitchen was built and the concession stand was moved from a circular island in the middle of the lobby to a new stand to the right of the lobby as it stands today. There were some changes to the box office and downstairs managers office as well. The theater has not been majorly altered since, except for seat replacement and redecoration of the largest auditorium in 2007. I have all of the original blueprints from the original build and the additions in 1983.
The Opening Attraction was “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean"
starring Paul Newman. It was also noted,that legendary actress Ava Gardner was in Raleigh to promoted her new movie and to promoted the official opening of the Mission Valley Cinemas on March 2, 1973.
The film during its opening was shown on both screens……..
However,the official opening of Mission Valley Cinema II,came the following week with the nature-adventure documentary family film
“EDGE OF THE ARCTIC ICE”.
From the March 1, 1973 edition of the Raleigh News and Observer:
GRAND OPENING TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:00PM!!!
A NEW MAGNIFICENCE IN MOVIE-MAGIC!
RALEIGH’S NEWEST TWIN THEATRES FOR EASTERN CAROLINA!!!
-TWIN COMFORT Rocking Chair Luxorious Seats
-TWIN PROJECTION Finest automated equipment on two mammoth widescreens!
-PERFECT VISION IN OUR TWIN THEATRES Every row is perfectly spaced for your viewing pleasure!
-ELEGANT DECOR AND APPOINTMENTS With Double Lobbies
-ACRES OF LIGHTED FRONT DOOR PARKING!!
-MATINEES EVERYDAY!!!
“OUR GRAND OPENING ATTRACTION SHOWING ON BOTH SCREENS"
………..THE "BUTCH CASSIDY” HIT OF 1973…………….
“THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN Starring PAUL NEWMAN"
with North Carolina’s Own AVA GARDNER
The Mission Valley opened on March 2, 1973 as a twin cinema (aka Mission Valley Cinema I & II) that was owned and operated under Fairlane-Litchfeld Theatres.
The original auditorium in Screen One had a seating capacity of 515,when Screen Two had a seating capacity of 490,when it was a twin cinema until 1983.
Construction began in 1983 when two auditoriums were added keeping the original auditorium intact. Later on in 1983,three more auditoriums were also added. The original auditorium remained intact with the largest screen(it kept the original auditorium for the screening of RETURN OF THE JEDI IN 1983).
The MISSION VALLEY and CARDINAL are absent from the list of 70mm presentations included in this retrospective article on RETURN OF THE JEDI, suggesting JEDI was shown in Raleigh in 35mm.
The largest auditorium at Mission Valley has a seating capacity of 490 (previously 500 until handicap spaces were added). Screen 2 is 260, down from the original 300 for the same reason as above. Screens 3, 4 and 5 were all added at the same time in 1983, and they each seat 288. JEDI was shown in 70mm in Raleigh, though I cannot remember if it was at the Cardinal or Mission Valley.
The MISSION VALLEY CINEMAS opened in the early to mid-1970’s as a twin cinema under the Fairlane-Litchfeld theatre chain(which also owned and operated the Imperial in Cary). It expanded in 1983 by adding a third auditorium,and keeping the original auditorium intact(which was great for showing 35MM and 70MM films). Two more screens were added by the early 1990’s,when the Mission Valley was acquired by United Artists Theatres when Fairlane-Litchfeld Theatres folded.
The MISSION VALLEY CINEMA I & II is absent from the list of 70mm presentations included in this retrospective article on RETURN OF THE JEDI, suggesting JEDI was shown in Raleigh in 35mm.