Carmike Biltmore Twin Theatres
780 Hendersonville Road,
Asheville,
NC
28803
780 Hendersonville Road,
Asheville,
NC
28803
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The last day of business appears to have been 12/7/1995.
raysson, I have both 1970 and 1975 grand opening ads in the photo section for this cinema. More ads to come for Asheville
I seem to remember seeing movies here much later than the claimed closing date of 1991. I saw Aladdin, the Lion King, Addams Family Values, Forrest Gump, Outbreak at a twin-screen second-run theater in the same general location as late as 1995.
OMG…..“Rabbit Test” played here first-run????? The film debut of Billy Crystal and the worst Joan Rivers movie ever made! Who told her that she was a first-rate director for Hollywood?
Dudley Moore’s ARTHUR returns for a second hit run while that silly basketball movie with Robby Benson and Annette O'Toole “One On One” returns to Asheville.
It also got that very cheap horror film that would be most suited for the drive-in theatre crowd “Ruby” with Piper Laurie and Stuart Whitman released in 1977. This Omen/Exorcist/Carrie rip-off was reduced to $2.50 a seat for a very good reason where this movie ended up playing on a first-run venue at Asheville’s Park Drive-In.
A lot of cheap movies got first-run billing at the Biltmore Theatres including “The Boogens”,“The Town That Dreaded Sundown”, “Day of the Animals”,two kung-fu double features “Exit The Dragon,Enter The Tiger” & “The Five Fingers of Death”,“Laserblast”,“Battle Beyond The Stars”(that Star Wars rip-off produced by Roger Corman that starred Richard Thomas of “The Waltons”,and Robert Vaughn)…not to mention a lot more……
February 3,1980 at the Biltmore Twin Theatres….
I-Going into nine weeks is STAR TREK:THE MOTION PICTURE
II-Going on seven weeks is Bette Midler in THE ROSE
June 13,1982 at the Biltmore Twin Theatres…..
I-William Shatner and Lee Grant in “Visiting Hours”
II-Steve Martin in “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid”(going on four weeks)
Mike Rogers: The Biltmore Twin Theatres were NEVER under Litchfield. It opened as the Biltmore Cinema on December 23,1970 under Martin Theatres. Carmike took over this theatre in 1982.
“PURPLE RAIN”-played at the Biltmore Twin Theatres on September 13,1984 for a second-run after playing an impressive 14 weeks at Asheville’s Mall Theatres.
Also played here was that Exorcist/Omen rip off flick “THE CHILD” from producer-director Roger Corman.
THE BILTMORE CINEMA opened on December 23,1970 under Martin Theatres-Fuqua Group Entertainment Division.
The Opening Attraction for its Grand Opening…… “TORA! TORA! TORA!”-Direct from its reserved seat engagements….Now Asheville can see this epic drama at reduced prices…
The Coming Attractions to the BILTMORE CINEMA…..
-George C. Scott and Karl Malden in “PATTON”
-John Wayne in “BIG JAKE”
-Barbra Streisand in “THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT”
-Robert Mitchum in David Lean’s “RYAN’S DAUGHTER”
**I have the grand opening ads for the Biltmore Cinema if you need to see them. Please contact me at Thank you.
I have found the original ad for the Biltmore Cinema’s grand opening and I will have this reposted and revised for the Cinema Treasures site. I have the original ad’s grand opening. From the research that I conducted on this theatre, it was known as the Biltmore Cinema under Atlanta-based Martin Theatres/Fuqua Entertainment.
The premiere attraction for its grand opening was the World War II epic “Tora! Tora! Tora!”
And the coming attractions for the opening of the Biltmore Cinema were “The Owl and the Pussycat”, “Big Jake”, “Patton”, “Ryan’s Daughter”,and the re-release issues of “Gone With The Wind”,and “Doctor Zhivago”.
Contact me at if you need addiional information concerning the opening ads for this theatre. I have them in my possession through newspaper scans.
I will have this information updated for Cinema Treasures. It originally opened as the Biltmore Theatre and was under Atlanta-based Martin Theatres.
two pretty good films, pity it had to be twinned…
The BILTMORE CINEMA closed on May 12,1975 with the final feature RANCHO DELUXE as a single screen theatre starring Jeff Bridges and Sam Waterson.
It reopened as the BILTMORE TWIN THEATRES on May 23,1975 under Martin Theatres. The Biltmore Cinema is now equipped with two complete auditoriums under one roof..giving you twice the choice of movies at the same convenient location
GRAND OPENING ATTRACTIONS FOR THE BILTMORE CINEMA TWIN
Screen 1: “ROSEBUD” directed by Otto Preminger
With Peter O'Toole and Richard Attenborough-Rated PG
Screen 2: “CHINATOWN” directed by Roman Polanski
With Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway-Rated R
Mike…Yes, that’s the area I’m describing. There are actually 6 shops in the small building right against the road. (It has 3 more on the 2nd floor). The Bellsouth “CO” building is right behind those shops. The Biltmore Twin was immediately north of the Bellsouth (now AT&T building).
In was in the shopping center that is now a Ingles supermarket. I asked around and it was in the right corner of the parking lot behind a small little area with 3 shops.
Thanks arx,
The building was indeed torn down, or at least partially so. There is a AT&T (formerly Bell South) “CO” or central office near or on its former location.
If you look at the google map below, you will see a relatively square building at the south side of the parking lot. You will notice a patch of slightly darker asphalt in its parking lot on the north side of that building. If memory serves me correctly, that was the back end (screen end) of the Biltmore Twin. The front/entrance end extended north through the grassy area and into what is now the larger parking area for the shopping center. As I recall, when you turned off of Hendersonville Road, you could drive your car right up along the front curb of the theater and let your passengers out.
The entrance/concession area of the theater was quite small. If you’ve seen the “Ju Ju Bees” episode of Seinfeld, it looked a lot like that!
The sign above the entrance was white background with red-painted metal-framed letters that used incandescent bulbs to fill in the letters and the frame around the sign. I don’t remember when it closed but I’m thinking it was around 1989-1991.
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Movies that played the Biltmore twin.
Rabbit Test
The Sea Gypsies
Matilda
Godzilla on Monster Island and Terror of Godzilla {double feature}
Laserblast
Pretty Baby
Bob,My cousn Ray says it was a MARTIN Theatre in 1975.He thinks the theatre might be torn down.
PLEASE CHANGE ADDRESS TO:
780 HENDERSONVILLE ROAD.
South Biltmore Forest Center address showed the entire United States!
AKA:
BILTMORE
Made into 2 cinemas in the late 1970’s.
Owners:
1975-1985 Martin Theaters?
1985-1995 Carmike Cinemas?
What is the theater used for now?
More info and photos?
Yeah, I think it played a week or so here at MASTERS 4 CINEMAS.
Got the one-sheet for VALENTINO,it did not hardly do any business when we played it.Michelle Phillips looked good in it though.
Big summer picture for the Biltmore Twin is Clint Eastwood in “FIREFOX”