Bear Town Cinema 6
2806 Trent Road,
New Bern,
NC
28562
2806 Trent Road,
New Bern,
NC
28562
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According to their website all the theatres have been converted to digital projection and sound. That’s a big investment for a theatre that is possibly going to close.
Stadium seating was installed in the original two auditoriums around 1999 (probably influenced by Greenville’s Carmike 12, which opened in 1998). The ticket stub above was from the last time I went to the Southgate; none of the four added screens had stadium seating at that time.
The theater is no longer a part of Southeast Cinemas. As of September 12, 2012, this was the theater’s official website: http://www.beartowncinema.com/
According to FOX Eastern Carolina (WFXI-8 and WYDO-14) News at 10 on September 12, 2012, the former owner of the Southgate/Bear Town Cinema 6 (Southeast Cinemas) is building a new stadium multiplex in the Craven Thirty development on the western edge of New Bern. Scheduled to open in 2013 at the US 70/NC 43 interchange, this new theater may wipe out both Bear Town 6 and Neuse Boulevard 3 Cinemas. It will be the first completely new theater built in New Bern since the original Southgate Cinema 1 & 2 opened about 1974.
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.
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 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.
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?