Cardinal 3
1916 Stone-Rose Drive,
Rocky Mount,
NC
27804
1916 Stone-Rose Drive,
Rocky Mount,
NC
27804
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Located at Stone Rose Drive behind the K-Mart Plaza Shopping Center, the Cardinal Theatre was off Sunset Avenue near Wesleyan Boulevard just a mile down from the Tarrytown Mall. The Cardinal Theatre was Rocky Mount’s first-ever “Ultravision” theatre. The first for the town and the surrounding area. It was a modern theatre both inside and out complete with full lounge seating with full stereophonic sound throughout and giant Ultravision screening that was capable of showing both 70mm and 35mm films.
When it opened in 1972, it was a 750 seat single screen cinema operated under ABC Theatres. The opening attraction on November 2, 1972 was “The New Centurians” starring George C. Scott. By the mid-1970’s a second auditorium was built along side the original auditorium. Last operated by Carmike Cinemas in the 1990’s as a three screen cinema, it did constantly well showing some great films until it’s closing in 1999.
Contributed by
raysson
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
The Cardinal was one of several “Ultravision” theatres that ABC Southeastern opened during the 1970’s. Last owned by Carmike Cinemas when it closed in 1999.
This was a nice theatre when ABC and Plitt had it.
This theater was flooded by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Nearly a year later Carmike reopened the Cardinal 3 (it had been a three screen theater since the early 1980s) as a dollar house, a format Cineplex Odeon tried there after opening the Golden East 4 (later the RM Cinema Grill). Carmike returned the Cardinal to first-run status after they bought Cineplex Odeon’s Carolinas theaters, moving second-run product in Rocky Mount to the Englewood and Oakwood Twins (former Stewart-Everett houses). Carmike had abandoned the twin theaters by the time Floyd hit Rocky Mount, and needed to get an edge on the newly opened UEC Premiere 12 (now 14) multiplex. Reopening the Cardinal was Carmike’s response to the Premiere 12; Carmike could charge full price at the Golden East 4 while undercutting Premiere’s prices with second-runs at the Cardinal. The second-run strategy for the Cardinal failed miserably. Carmike shut down the Cardinal 3 about a month after reopening it, as they were going bankrupt at that time. The Cardinal has since been used as a church and a bingo parlor.
Of course it was first run when ABC and Plitt had it,When Carmike comes on the scene the writing is on the wall, go to REMEMBERING PLITT THEATRES on Facebook for more PLITT info.
The shopping center housing the Cardinal Theatres was renamed Crossroads Plaza after K-Mart moved to a new store on Sutters Creek Boulevard, next to Golden East Crossing.
K-Mart (Crossroads) Plaza and the Cardinal Theatres 3 were on the opposite side of Wesleyan Boulevard (US 301) from Tarrytown Mall (now Sam’s Club). Stone Rose Drive led into Tarrytown Mall’s parking lot, making it possible to go from the mall to the Cardinal without getting onto Sunset.
The former Cardinal 3 Theatres are still standing; they have not been demolished. I do not know if the bingo parlor that was in this building is still operating, but the building is still there.
The Cardinal was triplexed under Plitt Southern Theatres' ownership by 1980 (the original auditorium was divided down the middle); screen count should be three screens.
The Cardinal Theatre was a 2-screen theatre through the end of 1983. I know because I managed the theatre in 1983 before being transferred to another. (My best guess is that it became a triple screen around 1985.) The big auditorium played Return of the Jedi in the summer of 1983. We had long lines. Jedi actually opened up in Rocky Mount a few weeks after it opened in Raleigh. Employees wore Star Wars costumes and we cross promoted the film with Tarrytown Mall. I recall a coloring contest where we gave away Star Wars toys. We also had a torpedo style trash can painted like R2-D2. The smaller auditorium was added before 1983…probably the late 1970s. In 1983, we played first run movies (Jedi, Risky Business, Twilight Zone, Breathless, Krull, etc.) Also in the summer of 1983, we had kiddy movies every Tues-Thurs morning. We had a few late shows…mainly horror and Rocky Horror. The theatre was operated by Plitt Southern Theatres. Ushers wore red coats. The ladies wore smocks. I had a great staff that year. They were mainly high school kids. There was a marquee on the building and a sign at the top of the hill on Sunset Ave. Behind the theatre was an abandoned mini golf (Putt Putt) place. K-Mart was still operating. Next door was a chinese restaurant. A coin operated laundry mat was a few shops down the sidewalk. While in Rocky Mount in 2011, I stopped by the old theatre. It was abandoned. Trashy looking. I have a few photos of the theatre from 1983.