Valley Theatres I & II
4325 Glenwood Avenue,
Crabtree Valley Mall Shopping Center,
Raleigh,
NC
27612
4325 Glenwood Avenue,
Crabtree Valley Mall Shopping Center,
Raleigh,
NC
27612
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Located in the strip mall section of Crabtree Valley Mall facing the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh, the Valley Theatres I & II opened to the public on February 9, 1971 as Raleigh’s first-ever twin cinema that was owned and operated under Schneider-Merl Theatres. The Valley Theatres I & II made it’s premiere before the official opening of the Crabtree Valley Mall which opened its doors to the public on August 8, 1972 as one of the largest indoor shopping centers in North Carolina. The premiere attractions for the Valley Theatres I & II’s grand opening was Barbra Streisand in “The Owl and the Pussycat” in Auditorium One. Auditorium Two was John Wayne and Richard Boone in “Rio Lobo”. The Valley Theatres got the blockbuster films and was fortunate to get the exclusive North Carolina engagement showings(the theatre was one of two cinemas in the state to get the 70mm print of Steven Spielburg’s “The Color Purple” upon its exclusive release in 1985).
By the late-1980’s, the theatre was fallen on hard times due to not only the added construction and the extension of Crabtree Valley Mall, but competition from newer and bigger multiplexes that were being built along Glenwood Avenue. The Valley Twin Theatre’s final picture show came in November of 1988, closing its doors forever.
Contributed by
raysson
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Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
Steven Spielburg’s THE COLOR PURPLE was one of three theatres in the state of North Carolina that was given the exclusive engagement showing of the film when it opened on December 20,1985. These are the theatres that were the exclusive engagement showings:
-Raleigh (Valley Theatres 1 & 2)
-Greensboro (Janus)
-Charlotte (Park Terrace)–[In Dobly Stereo]
Other theatres didn’t get the general release of the film until February or March of 1986. Only Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro were the exclusive engagements.
The CRABTREE VALLEY MALL was anchored by three department stores that opened on August 8,1972:
-HUDSON BELK-Which was the largest Belk’s in the state and the largest retail department store to be built in Eastern North Carolina that opened in 1972.
-THALHIMERS-Which became HECHT’S and is now MACY’S.
-SEARS ROEBUCK AND COMPANY-At the time of its opening was the largest SEARS store in the Carolinas and in all of Eastern North Carolina that opened in 1972. This store replaced the one that was located at Cameron Village. This SEARS store had expanded features including its own restaurant and snack bar section!
The supporting stores:
-MILLER AND RHOADES
-G.C. MURPHY COMPANY
-TREASURY DRUGS
-PICCADILLY CAFETERIA
-SAM GOODY’S
THEATRE HISTORY:
1971-1976 Schneider-Merl Theatres
1976-1984 Martin Theatres
1984-1988 Carmike Cinemas
Mike: Carmike was the last theatre to operate the Valley Twin. In my posession I have the original ads on the two features during the Valley’s last picture show in 1988. At that time,this theatre was under Carmike Cinemas. The November 15,1988 last picture show at the Valley Twin were as follows:
Screen 1: George Burns in “18 AGAIN”
Screen 2: “FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII:THE NEW BLOOD”
Mike: Carmike was the last theatre to operate the Valley Twin. In my posession I have the original ads on the two features during the Valley’s last picture show in 1988. At that time,this theatre was under Carmike Cinemas. The November 15,1988 last picture show at the Valley Twin were as follows:
Screen 1: George Burns in “18 AGAIN”
Screen 2: “FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII:THE NEW BLOOD”
When the Valley Twin Theatres closed in 1988,construction of two multiplexes were being built along that stretch of Glenwood Avenue and all of Northwest Raleigh…….
-The opening of the Pleasant Valley Promenade Cinema 7 on October 27,1989 (which was General Cinema’s first venue in the Raleigh-Durham market)just three blocks from Crabtree Valley Mall.
-The Raleigh Grande 16-(Raleigh’s megaplex cinema)opened in May of 1998.
-The Carmike Cinema 7-(located off Atlantic Springs Road at Millbrook Road in North Raleigh)was Carmike’s first multiplex theatre for Raleigh that opened on November 3,1989. The Carmike 7 did not replaced the Valley Twin,but the chain did however wanted to built a bigger cinema that basically expanded their market in the Northern section of Raleigh.
A lot of great blockbusters got first-run at this theatre
–“PATTON”
–“THE FRENCH CONNECTION”
–“THE GODFATHER”
–“THE GODFATHER PART II”
–“MAS*H”
–“STAR WARS”
–“TOP GUN”
–“BACK TO THE FUTURE”
–“BEVERLY HILLS COP I AND BEVERLY HILLS COP II”
–“CHINATOWN”
–“AMERICAN GRAFFITI”
STAR WARS played at the Valley Twin Theatres on July 1,1977 as a general release.
Francis Coppula’s “THE GODFATHER” played at the Valley Twin Theatres first-run on March 16,1972 as a general release.
In fact a lot of the Paramount product got first billing here including a lot of the venue…. “THE GREAT GATSBY”
“CHINATOWN”
“HAROLD AND MAUDE”
“NASHVILLE”
“CHARLOTTE’S WEB”-animated feature
“JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL”
“THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDLEY KRAVITZ”
“THE CONVERSATION”
“LADY SINGS THE BLUES”
“MAHOGANY”
“THE GODFATHER: PART II”
“THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR”-Robert Redford
“SERPICO”-Al Pacino
and many more!
I remember seeing Clint Eastwood’s THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES playing here first-run at this theatre in 1976.
Also played here “ROCKY” (1976) and “ROCKY II”(1979) as well as “ROCKY III”(1982) got first-run at the Valley.