I have the ads from its May 31,1985 grand opening and the article in the Winston-Salem Journal about the opening of the Marketplace Cinema 6. If you need to see them,please e-mail me at and I’ll sent them ASAP along with the article too.
When this theatre expanded from two to four screens under its new name THE GATEWAY CINEMA 4 during the early-1980’s when it was still under Stewart and Everett.
Was twinned by 1978 when ownership changed to Atlanta-based Martin Theatres and renamed the Newtowne Twin split it into two sections with a seating capacity of 265 each.
Carmike Cinemas took over this theatre in 1986 until it closed in 2000 when it was a second-run discount house.
Owned and operated under Statesville Theatre Corporation under Fuller Sams as a single screen cinema with a seating capacity of 530. The architect was Thomas Hutchens. The premiere attraction for the grand opening of the Newtowne Theatre was “Hombre” starring Paul Newman and Richard Boone.
The grand opening of the GATEWAY CINEMA 1 & 2 was on December 21,1977 as Statesville’s second twin indoor theatre with both auditoriums having a seating capacity of 300 seats each. Owned and operated under Statesville Theatre Corporation under the subsidiary of Charlotte-based Stewart and Everett. This theatre offers expanded snack bar and parking facilities as well as restroom facilities designed for people in wheelchairs.
The opening attractions for the December 21,1977 opening of the GATEWAY 1 & 2 are…….
CINEMA 1: Clint Eastwood in THE GAUNTLET
CINEMA 2: John Denver and George Burns in OH GOD!
The coming attractions “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Bobby Deerfield”, “The Betsy”,and “First Love”.
**The Statesville Theatre Corporation,under Fuller Sams,control all of the indoor movie houses and drive-ins in Statesville…Included are the Newtowne Theatre, The Playhouse Theatre Downtown Statesville, and the I-77 Drive-In Theatre and the Villa Heights Drive-In.
The NEWTOWNE THEATRE was the first cinema to be built in Statesville since 1939 and it was the first suburban theater to be located in Statesville and Iredell County.
Correction: THE NEWTOWNE THEATRE opened on April 26,1967 under Statesville Theatre Corporation. Located on East Broad Street in the Newtowne Plaza at the Interstate 77 intersection.
Viper652:
RETURN OF THE JEDI played first-run at the Cardinal in 1983 when it was a two screen cinema under Plitt Southern Theatres. It opened on June 24,1983. I have the original newspaper ad on where it played!!!! If you need to see it,please contact me at and I can sent it to you A.S.A.P!!!
ALSO VIPER…..Check the website Digital Bits too….
http://www.digitalbits.com
Retrospective article on the 30th Anniversary of JEDI
And where it played first-run in North Carolina!!!
Small as this theatre was I’m surprised they knew how to handle the capacity crowds for bigger features. THE COLOR PURPLE played here as well as HOME ALONE.
Not to mention the original JAWS played here in 1975.
A lot of blockbuster movies played here at the Plaza Twin. I was there in 1986 when Steven Spielburg’s THE COLOR PURPLE broken all attendance records. The lines snaked from one end of the shopping center to the other.
But the lines really went beyond the limits in 2004 when Mel Gibson’s THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST had people waiting in long,long lines and traffic back-up from one end of the shopping center to the other . Everyone in that town and all of Harnett County saw this movie,including neighboring counties too packed this theatre.
It was known as the Cinema 1 & 2 that opened in 1974 under Charlotte-based Stewart and Everett Theatres. Stewart and Everett operated it until 1986 when Carmike Cinemas took over this theatre. It was under Carmike Cinemas that this theatre expanded from two to four screens until its closing by Carmike in the early 2000’s.
By the early-2000’s,Premiere Theatres built a huge 12-screen all stadium seating multiplex cinema on the opposite end of Goldsboro that reduced the Berkeley Mall Cinema 4 from showing first-run movies to becoming a second run discount cinema under Carmike Cinemas,when closed this theatre in 2007.
By the mid-1990’s this theatre expanded from four to six screens in order to compete with the neighboring theatres like Berkeley Mall Cinema 4 and the Eastgate Twin Theatres(which at the time was showing second-run films at discount prices in order to stay afloat under Carmike Cinemas)on that stretch of Berkeley Boulevard. By the early-2000’s,this theatre got muscled out of the competition when UGC-Premiere Theatres built a huge 12-screen multiplex cinema with digital sound and all stadium seating located on the opposite side of Goldsboro that put this theatre out of business by 2002.
Opened on December 16,1983 under Litchfield Theatres as the Litchfield Cinema 4. Expanded from 4 to 6 screens by the mid-1990’s in order to compete with the neighborhood cinemas like the Eastgate Twin and the Berkeley Mall 4.
THEATRE HISTORY:
1969-1971 Wilby-Kincey Corporation/Paramount Theatres
1971-1978 ABC Southeastern Theatres
1978-1987 Plitt Southern Theatres
1987-1991 Cineplex Odeon/Plitt Southern Theatres
1991-1994 Carmike Cinemas
I have the ads from its May 31,1985 grand opening and the article in the Winston-Salem Journal about the opening of the Marketplace Cinema 6. If you need to see them,please e-mail me at and I’ll sent them ASAP along with the article too.
This theatre was closed by Carmike Cinemas in 2005. The Carmike Cinema 10 at Cleveland Mall replaced it.
Carmike took over the operations of this theatre until its closing in 2007.
Reason? A ten-screen multiplex muscled in the competition.
You’re right Stephen…….
CINEMA 1: 150
CINEMA 2: 150
CINEMA 3: 150
CINEMA 4: 150
TOTAL: 600
When this theatre expanded from two to four screens under its new name THE GATEWAY CINEMA 4 during the early-1980’s when it was still under Stewart and Everett.
I have the ads if you need to see them
Was twinned by 1978 when ownership changed to Atlanta-based Martin Theatres and renamed the Newtowne Twin split it into two sections with a seating capacity of 265 each.
Carmike Cinemas took over this theatre in 1986 until it closed in 2000 when it was a second-run discount house.
THEATRE HISTORY:
1967-1978 Statesville Theatre Corporation
1978-1986 Martin Theatres
1986-2000 Carmike Cinemas
Owned and operated under Statesville Theatre Corporation under Fuller Sams as a single screen cinema with a seating capacity of 530. The architect was Thomas Hutchens. The premiere attraction for the grand opening of the Newtowne Theatre was “Hombre” starring Paul Newman and Richard Boone.
Chuck1231, kenmcintyre and Mmandarano:
The grand opening of the GATEWAY CINEMA 1 & 2 was on December 21,1977 as Statesville’s second twin indoor theatre with both auditoriums having a seating capacity of 300 seats each. Owned and operated under Statesville Theatre Corporation under the subsidiary of Charlotte-based Stewart and Everett. This theatre offers expanded snack bar and parking facilities as well as restroom facilities designed for people in wheelchairs.
The opening attractions for the December 21,1977 opening of the GATEWAY 1 & 2 are…….
CINEMA 1: Clint Eastwood in THE GAUNTLET
CINEMA 2: John Denver and George Burns in OH GOD!
The coming attractions “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Bobby Deerfield”, “The Betsy”,and “First Love”.
**The Statesville Theatre Corporation,under Fuller Sams,control all of the indoor movie houses and drive-ins in Statesville…Included are the Newtowne Theatre, The Playhouse Theatre Downtown Statesville, and the I-77 Drive-In Theatre and the Villa Heights Drive-In.
Other small cities and towns in North Carolina didn’t get JAWS until late-June or August of 1975.
Aberdeen/Southern Pines: Town and Country
Statesville: Playhouse
Hickory: Terrace 1 & 2
Greenville: Plaza Cinema 1 & 2
Sanford: Kendale Cinema 1 & 2
Chapel Hill: Carolina
Burlington: Terrace 1 & 2
ADDRESS:
1515 East Broad Street, Newtowne Plaza Shopping Center Statesville, NC 28625
The NEWTOWNE THEATRE was the first cinema to be built in Statesville since 1939 and it was the first suburban theater to be located in Statesville and Iredell County.
Correction: THE NEWTOWNE THEATRE opened on April 26,1967 under Statesville Theatre Corporation. Located on East Broad Street in the Newtowne Plaza at the Interstate 77 intersection.
Viper652: RETURN OF THE JEDI played first-run at the Cardinal in 1983 when it was a two screen cinema under Plitt Southern Theatres. It opened on June 24,1983. I have the original newspaper ad on where it played!!!! If you need to see it,please contact me at and I can sent it to you A.S.A.P!!!
ALSO VIPER…..Check the website Digital Bits too…. http://www.digitalbits.com Retrospective article on the 30th Anniversary of JEDI And where it played first-run in North Carolina!!!
Small as this theatre was I’m surprised they knew how to handle the capacity crowds for bigger features. THE COLOR PURPLE played here as well as HOME ALONE.
Not to mention the original JAWS played here in 1975. A lot of blockbuster movies played here at the Plaza Twin. I was there in 1986 when Steven Spielburg’s THE COLOR PURPLE broken all attendance records. The lines snaked from one end of the shopping center to the other. But the lines really went beyond the limits in 2004 when Mel Gibson’s THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST had people waiting in long,long lines and traffic back-up from one end of the shopping center to the other . Everyone in that town and all of Harnett County saw this movie,including neighboring counties too packed this theatre.
ADDRESS:
2001 East Dixon Blvd. Shelby, NC 28150
Located on the opposite end of the Cleveland Mall. This theatre replaced the Carmike Cinema 4.
It was known as the Cinema 1 & 2 that opened in 1974 under Charlotte-based Stewart and Everett Theatres. Stewart and Everett operated it until 1986 when Carmike Cinemas took over this theatre. It was under Carmike Cinemas that this theatre expanded from two to four screens until its closing by Carmike in the early 2000’s.
NEARBY THEATRES:
Carmike Berkeley Mall Cinema 4
Litchfield Cinema 4
UA Litchfield Cinema 6
By the early-2000’s,Premiere Theatres built a huge 12-screen all stadium seating multiplex cinema on the opposite end of Goldsboro that reduced the Berkeley Mall Cinema 4 from showing first-run movies to becoming a second run discount cinema under Carmike Cinemas,when closed this theatre in 2007.
By the mid-1990’s this theatre expanded from four to six screens in order to compete with the neighboring theatres like Berkeley Mall Cinema 4 and the Eastgate Twin Theatres(which at the time was showing second-run films at discount prices in order to stay afloat under Carmike Cinemas)on that stretch of Berkeley Boulevard. By the early-2000’s,this theatre got muscled out of the competition when UGC-Premiere Theatres built a huge 12-screen multiplex cinema with digital sound and all stadium seating located on the opposite side of Goldsboro that put this theatre out of business by 2002.
From the October 13,1971 advertisement of the News and Observer in Raleigh,North Carolina……….
WILL RALEIGH TURN ITS BACK ON BILLY JACK?
THE MOVIE EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!!!!
BILLY JACK will make you angry!
Even make you furious!
Will make you take a stand!!!
And if you’re a woman…it will break your heart!
STARTING WEDNESDAY…RALEIGH WILL GET READY FOR BILLY JACK AT THE AMBASSADOR THEATRE!!! RATED “GP”
Opened on December 16,1983 under Litchfield Theatres as the Litchfield Cinema 4. Expanded from 4 to 6 screens by the mid-1990’s in order to compete with the neighborhood cinemas like the Eastgate Twin and the Berkeley Mall 4.