Bear Town Cinema 6
2806 Trent Road,
New Bern,
NC
28562
2806 Trent Road,
New Bern,
NC
28562
1 person
favorited this theater
Opened as Southgate Cinema 1 & 2 in the early-1970’s. In around 1988, it was expanded to six screens. Taken over in 2007 by Charlotte-based Southeast Theatres Corporation. After a brief closure in April 2011, it was taken over by new owners in June 2011, and renamed Bear Town Cinema 6.
Contributed by
raysson
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 4 comments)
Opened ~1998 approximate? Can anyone verify the exact date?
rayson, You write it opened under Southeast in 2007. My guess from the date I found, looking at the map, the areial photo, the condition of the roof and parking lot, the theater was run by someone else before Southeast??
Anyone have more info or photos?
This theater, which had briefly closed in April of 2011, has reopened and is now the Bear Town Cinema 6: http://www.newbernsj.com/news/cinema-97919-bear-midnight.html.
If my memory serves me this theatre was opened by an independent owner of a local grocery store chain. At that time I think it was a twin screen, early 80’s. The owner was a very successful and interesting fellow who’s name escapes me at the time. He also operated a Drive-In next to one of his grocery stores on Hwy.70. On one of my service calls here a customer passed during the presentation of “Carrie”. After the owner passed the company changed hands to Southeast Cinemas.
This theatre was built in the early 1970’s as the Southgate Cinema 1 & 2, possibly Eastern North Carolina’s first twin indoor cinema. The owner was Gordon Parrott of the Gordon’s Foodland supermarket chain. One of the Foodlands was next door to the Southgate Cinema (last time I was in New Bern it was a Piggly Wiggly), and Mr. Parrott also owned the Midway Drive-In on Old Cherry Point Road near another one of his Foodland stores. The Southgate was expanded to six screens about 1988-1989. I lived in New Bern from 1990 to 1995 and the Southgate was the larger of New Bern’s two cinemas (the Neuse Boulevard Cinema, then operated by Carmike Cinemas, had only three screens). I spent many hours watching movies at both theatres when I lived there. The Southgate was one of only two theatres in eastern North Carolina to show the NC-17 rated film “Showgirls” (the other was the UA Litchfield 4 in Goldsboro). I am surprised to learn that this theatre has been closed and reopened, as it was the best cinema in town.