Ambassador Theatre
115 Fayetteville Street,
Raleigh,
NC
27601
115 Fayetteville Street,
Raleigh,
NC
27601
2 people
favorited this theater
The Ambassador Theatre was the foremost movie theater in Raleigh for decades.
The Ambassador Theatre showcased the films of M~G~M, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, etc. At least one premiere took place there — “Bright Leaf” in 1950.
It was demolished in March 1989 when Fayetteville Street was turned into a mall.
Contributed by
Edward Wright
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Recent comments (view all 49 comments)
Viewed “2001 A SPACE ODDESSEY” 70mm in 1969 prior to flying away for short Navy career!
ctrwd: You’re right. The Ambassador Theatre had a widescreen Cinemascope projection. That was installed during the renovation process in 1953 for it’s Eastern North Carolina Premiere of THE ROBE.
The Carolina Theatre in Downtown Charlotte was the ONLY moviehouse in the state that had the Cinerama capability and the only venue where certain films were presented in the Cinerama format.
The seating capacity for the Ambassador Theatre was 1,477. A lot of great films played here…not only did HOW THE WEST WAS WON,and THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM played here but THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, BEN-HUR, EL-CID, CLEOPATRA, and other blockbusters like THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY, and it’s 61-week astounding run of THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY played here and was given the exclusive engagement treatment in 70MM and 6 Track Stereophonic Sound in 1969.
GONE WITH THE WIND played here as a exclusive reserved seat engagement on January 29,1940. It was one of the two theatres in the State that showed it. The other was at the Carolina Theatre in Charlotte.
David Lean’s DOCTOR ZHIVAGO was also a reserved seat engagement at the Ambassador Theatre in mid-1966. In fact,DOCTOR ZHIVAGO replaced the long-running THE SOUND OF MUSIC after it’s astounding 61-week run.
NEXT ATTRACTION: “GRAND PRIX” in 70MM. Speaking of “GRAND PRIX”,if you want to see this in Cinerama,you had to go to the Carolina Theatre in Charlotte to see it in the Cinerama format.
Did PLANET OF THE APES played here too?
THE SOUND OF MUSIC played here as a Reserved Seat Engagement on August 11, 1965 where it played to capacity crowds for an astounding 61 weeks. Not only THE SOUND OF MUSIC played here but also…..
“THE TEN COMMANDMENTS”
“EL-CID”
“CLEOPATRA”
“HOW THE WEST WAS WON”
“THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY”
“THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM”
“WAR AND PEACE”
“ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S PSYCHO”
Correction: Cecil B. DeMille’s “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” did not played at the Ambassador Theatre first-run in November of 1957. The film played first-run at Raleigh’s Varsity Theatre on November 23,1957. However,the Ambassador did get the film later on during one of it’s many re-releases.
William Wyler’s “BEN-HUR” also did not played first run at the Ambassador Theatre. The film was one of the exclusive engagement premiere showings first-run at the Cameron Village Theatre(aka The Village Theatre) that opened on August 19,1960.
“SOUTH PACIFIC” got first-run showing at the Ambassador Theatre on November 22,1959 for it’s Eastern North Carolina premiere showing.
OTHER MOVIES THAT PLAYED THE AMBASSADOR:
“The Exorcist”
“Family Plot”–[the final Alfred Hitchcock movie]
“King Kong”-the 1976 version first-run
Speaking of “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” Charlotte’s Imperial Theatre was the only movie venue in the state that presented this film in full widescreen VISTAVISION and was the only reserved seat engagement presentation within the Carolinas that opened on February 17,1957. Raleigh didn’t get the film until November.
“BRIGHT LEAF” made its world premiere at Raleigh’s Ambassador Theatre on July 2,1950. At the time it opened it was the second movie to make its premiere in the Southeastern United States(after “Gone With The Wind”). Among the celebrities who attended the world premiere showing in Raleigh were stars Gary Cooper, Lauren Becall, Patricia Neal, Donald Crisp along with director Michael Curtiz.
Elvis Presley did four full length concert appearances at Raleigh’s Ambassador Theatre on February 8, 1956. These were four performances(2 matinee and 2 evening shows)that were sold out within minutes.