Varsity Theatre
123 E. Franklin Street,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
123 E. Franklin Street,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
7 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 39 comments found
I was involved with the installation of the projection & sound equipment in 1982 when the theatre was disected. The twinning was accomplished in a front/rear layout. The rear auditorium was accessed by a lighted tunnel that used “Tivoli” style lighting which was becoming popular at that time. The effect was to immulate a time tunnel which was sometimes disconcerting to some patrons. The theatre was operated by the Janus Theatres of Burlington N.C. at that time.
Thanks raysson.Great story.You always seem to find the right articles to submit.
Today’s edition of the Chapel Hill News:
The Varsity Theatre celebrates its first year after reopening one of Chapel Hill’s greatest landmarks.
More on this story:
www.chapelhillnews.com/2010/12/01/61049/now-showing.html
The Varsity’s official web site says that this theater opened in 1927 as the Carolina Theatre, and was later called the Village Theatre before finally becoming the Varsity Theatre in the 1950s.
The new Carolina Theatre opened on October 15, 1942, and this house was renamed the Village just prior to that event. Cinema Treasures currently has a page for the Village Theatre which is, of course, a duplication. Its introduction is accurate as far as it goes, and could be moved to this page, adding that the house was renamed the Varsity by 1952. As noted in my comment of May 27, 2009, above, this house was called the Varsity in a Boxoffice item from December 6, 1952, when Wil-Kin Theatre Supply was installing a new cycloramic screen.
Comments by Lost Memory on the Carolina Theatre page and on the redundant Village Theatre page say that the original Carolina Theater had a Robert-Morton organ installed in 1927.
This weblog post includes a nice photo of the Varsity Theatre. The year of construction, 1927, is carved into the building’s facade.
the varsity is showing the rear window, the goonies and goldfinger over the next 3 or 4 weeks. i went back to the varsity for the first time since it changed ownership earlier this year to see the rear window. it was neat to watch a classic hitchcock film on the big screen. the theater is extreamly clean and they new owners have done an excellent job in keeping the classic feel of the old varsity. i love how prior to a films screening the show photos of what the theater used to look like and the crowds that attended viewings of classic films even prior to wwII. i definitely plan on going back considering i’m a student at unc. here are some photos below
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From the previous comment:
Theater is re-opening with new and classic movies at discount prices!
All Seats for All Shows Are Just $3.00!!!!
They recently had some very good flicks that played at the Varsity.
James Cameron’s Avatar is REALLY pulling in some big business too as the main attraction!!! Forget going to see this in IMAX!!!! “Avatar” has been selling-out shows every night and the crowds are snaked around the cinema all the way down Franklin Street at discount prices! The website is www.varsityonfranklin.com
The classic films ranged from “Gone With The Wind”, “Mary Poppins”,
“Old Yeller”,to “Back To The Future”,“Raiders of the Lost Ark”,
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail”,“Fast Times At Ridgemont High”,
“Casablanca”,“A Clockwork Orange”,“Young Frankenstein”,and “Ben-Hur”.
Coming Soon: The Frankie Avalon-Annette Funicello beach film festival
The Varsity has a website here.
George Lucas' STAR WARS played here at the Varsity on July 1, 1977 for six weeks. When the Varsity was a single screen theatre.
Theater will reopen as a single screen theatre.
Theater is re-opening with new and classic movies with $3 admission!
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How can I find out what the asking price is for the Varsity? I would love to see the theater restored and working.
Thanks.
If anyone has lease or sales information can you please email me any info you have. I can be reached at
ANY FOR LEASE INFO LET ME KNOW…
Rumor has it that the Varsity maybe turned into a performing arts center. That at least will bring back the thriving business that was located in Downtown Chapel Hill.
It is sad to see it close its doors as a popular Chapel Hill landmark.
Why forever? Cant someone buy or lease this?????
“The Last Picture Show At The Varsity Theatre"
From the Independent Magazine Site: July 1, 2009.
http://www.indyweek.com
“The Varsity Theatre leaves Franklin Street Dark"
From the Daily Tar Heel,Thursday July 2, 2009.
The Daily Tar Heel is the student newspaper for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://www.dailytarheel.com
As of June 26, 2009……
The Varsity Theatre has closed its doors forever,marking the only movie theatre in Downtown Chapel Hill for more than 80 years.
The last two picture shows that played here were:
“The Hangover” and “The Brothers Bloom”.
This is a May 2009 photo.
Seating-555
Screens-2
Harry Hart’s Boxoffice Magazine column of December 6, 1952, mentioned that Wil-Kin Theatre Supply had installed Cycloramic screens in three houses, including the Varsity. I don’t know if that indicates that the Varsity was then under construction or not. At least one of the other two theaters getting one of the screens, the Carolina in Charlotte, was an existing house.
Closing of the Varsity Theatre in Chapel Hill
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The Varsity also showed reissued or re-released classic films…..
It did brought in the record crowds when it showed a reissue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo once back in the early 90’s.
“Star Wars” played at the Varsity in 1977 to record breaking crowds and it was a huge favorite when it was a single screen theatre. I also remember seeing “Saturday Night Fever” there as well as “Conan The Barbarian”. When it was a single screen theatre,I do recall it had late shows on Friday and Saturday nights during the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s. One late show that it did featured was “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”,and other films of interest including one showing of “The Story of O”(the X-rated version)when the Varsity was a single screen theatre. A typical grindhouse theatre that was a showcase for Downtown Chapel Hill in its day.
Construction began in 1983,when the single screen auditorium was split in two,making it a twin cinema. It reopened in late-1983 as the Varsity 1 & 2,under new management. The theatre however started showing independent and foreign films as well as first-run features on a limited basis which it still does today.
Regal Cinemas seems to enter the picture in many locations. They are headquartered in Knoxville TN.
FYI: During the 1970’s and during the early 1980’s,the Varsity at one time was owned and operated by Eastern Federal Corporation which also owned and operated the Village Plaza Theatres(which closed its doors in 2003)and also The Movies at Timberlyne(which is still in operation and now it is owned and operated by Regal Cimemas Corporation which bought out Eastern Federal).