Four Seasons Cinemas
1300 7th Avenue E.,
Hendersonville,
NC
28792
1300 7th Avenue E.,
Hendersonville,
NC
28792
1 person
favorited this theater
Four Seasons Cinemas was a nice little 4-plex opened in Hendersonville, N.C. most likely in the mid-1980’s.
Once the Carolina 1 and 2 closed (downtown theatre) this was the only theatre left having seen both drive-ins close. Interestingly this theatre only had three managers in its existence. Ed Webb, Keith Black, and Ray Rogers. It was a Fairland-Litchfield theatre, then sold to United Artists, Regal, and finally a little theatre chain called Epic that ran it in the ground.
It seated 244, 244, 160, 120 and had automated projection in a large booth. The lobby was large as was the concession stand centered in the lobby; the box office being part of the concession stand.
As managers Ray Rogers put it, "it was a sick building." According to Rogers the theatre was always battling water leaks coming through the walls. And mold was always a problem. After Rogers left no one really managed the cinemas.
Up the road Epic had taken an old Walmart and converted it into a 12-plex. Assistants would then take turns seeing that the now converted Four Seasons, now a dollar cinema, was opened.
Rogers said once the HVAC unit broke, for over a year until closing they never fixed it. He knew the mold was growing without proper ventalation. In fact Epic was so cheap they had a sign on the door, "no AC bring a hand fan to fan yourself."
Luckily being located on a mountain the Hendersonville summers probably were not that hot. Finally the Four Seasons opened just 4 days a week and was closed the rest. Today it sits empty. Ray Hutto said not long ago all the seats were pulled and taken to Mississippi!
Ray said the theatre had made a lot of money in its best years being a high grossing theater for Fairland-Litchfield. Once Regal took over most of the magic was gone.
With the home office of Regal just up the road in Knoxville, Four Seasons Cinemas was just a target for some know-it-all district manager to visit and criticize. Illness forced Ray to retire but he does miss the employees that served him faithfully.
Contributed by
Mike Rogers
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 18 comments)
when I first went in that booth I had only seen Platters,not reels on the walls.It was different,for sure.Ray ended up servicing all the Regal Cinemas in that area when Projection problems arose.
Thanks for the photos Nick.Great shot of Mike.And what a great name for a Cinema.
By the way Mike Very Good intro on this theatre.
Before they closed it,My cousin drove down with a VAN FULL OF ONE-SHEETS.They are all in my Basement and Attic.Only a few I wanted,But I saved them from the Dump.
2011 photo of the 4 Seasons courtesy Shaina Wise.
View link
thanks Shaina and Chuck.She should have snapped a picture of the Road marquee,if it is still standing.I bet my Cousin had boxes of 35mm Trailers.I guess he dumped them since All i got were the one-sheets.I think I did get a couple of 007 Trailers.Can’t do much with them but roll out and look at the frames.
STripped and Empty,probably see a wrecking ball,not really in a good location for anything.
Last i heard Still empty.
My cousin hopes to get the key from the landlord and go back in his old theatre,he feels Mold and Mildew will really be bad,he just wants to see what EPIC THEATRES took out when they closed it. Told him to take pictures.
last i heard the whole theatre maybe torn down, might already be,for a road i think…