Manor Twin Theatre
609 Providence Road,
Charlotte,
NC
28207
609 Providence Road,
Charlotte,
NC
28207
7 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 44 of 44 comments
I want to make a list of my favorite films but the AFI top 100 and other lists do not include the Indie films I have seen at the Manor over the years.
I came to Charlotte in 1999 and would love to have access to a list of films shown at the Manor from that point on.
Is this a possibility?
What is the update on the fate of The Manor?
99 % what is played here is art.The PARK TERRACE did get SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE to my surprise.
…another sign the days of the Manor may be dwindling…Regal who runs the Manor Theatre recently acquired the Park Terrace Theatre in Charlotte from Consolidated Theatres, and plans to start running the Park Terrace as a CineArt theatre on August 15th, 2008. With so little Arthouse product out there, it is hard to imagine they will be able to fill 8 arthouse screens in the Charlotte area (2 at the Manor and 6 at Park Terrace). Heck Ballantyne has plenty of trouble filling 5 screens with “arthouse” stuff. So this may be another nail in the Manor’s coffin…
that rumor is and has been floating around since Regal took over the theater from Eastern Federal who ran the theater before them. Guess who the landlord is…Eastern Federal! So it is probably a safe bet that when the lease of the theater and all the other establishments are done in that plaza they will not be renewed and the building will be demolished and rebuilt. So the years of the Manor are probably sadly dwindling…
People tell me this art house (a huge grosser)days are limited.The landlord will take back the property when the lease is up with regal…..
The theater opened in 1947 (April i believe)…with the THE EGG AND I a Ma and Pa Kettle film starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert. The theater is (as far as I know) the longest continuous running movie theater in Charlotte, NC, surpassing 60 years last year…
Also this theater currently seats no more than 400 people. Not sure where the number of 700 seats comes from (maybe the old 1 screen number).
The theater only sells 186 tickets for each theater with maybe a few seats that go unsold…so there is no way there are more than 400 seats in the building.
I believe this theater was converted to two screens in the late seventies (1977/1978). I once heard a story (from a Box Office woman who works at the theater) that GREASE was either the last movie to play on one screen, or the first to play after the renovations. My hunch is it was the last to play in 1978 and then the theater closed for renovations and re-opened in 78/79…
Any photos of this theatre? And when was it twinned?
The Charlotte Film Society had been in partnership with the Manor for many years to show alternative films that wouldn’t otherwise play the Charlotte market. It’s always been a great match – a funky old cinema showing movies even edgier than the regular art house offerings normally booked by the theater. The new owners of the Manor – Regal Entertainment – have moved the film society screenings way out to the suburbs to another of their properties – Stonecrest 22. It’s a soulless megaplex that is miles away from the membership base of the film society. The main reason is to directly compete with the new Ballantyne Village Cinema, an upscale five screen art house which is a Stonecrest neighbor. I think the situation is going to wreck the film society but in the meantime the local audience is experiencing an embarrassment of riches in art house screens. Charlotte is generally considered a C market for films but currently the number of commercial screens dedicated to art house product stands at eight. I’m not sure their is enough support for that many screens in this conservative market.
Mark: As a member of CTPS, Carolina Theatre Preservation Society, I urge you and anyone else interested in preserving the Carolna Theatre to contact us and come aboard! You can reach our president, Charlie Clayton at .com for further details.
“Hidden behind those draped walls you can see the elaborate plaster work that framed the original screen with its deco/ moderne styling.” Guess I’ll just have to visit the Manor while in Charlotte and check out those draped walls! Why would anyone cover up elaborate plaster work with its deco/moderne styling? They should uncover them and show them off!
If you are a film buff in Charlotte the Manor is the best thing going. It’s also the longest continuously operating cinema in the city. The theater recently changed hands when locally owned Eastern Federal was bought out by Regal Entertainment. The country’s largest exhibitor has maintained the art house programming format though. Brokeback Mountain is currently showing on both screens to packed houses and it’s got an exclusive run in the city at the moment.
I see just about everything they screen at this theater and it’s nicely run. Architecturally it’s nothing remarkable inside or out but it does have its own old cinema charm. The theater auditorium was twinned in the mid 80’s and everything is well maintained. With the exception of one discount house in the suburbs it’s the only non-stadium seating theater left in the city.
You can check out some of the theaters early art deco charm if you use the exits that are underneath the screens. Hidden behind those draped walls you can see the elaborate plaster work that framed the original screen with its deco/ moderne styling.
Robby: I believe that I may have asked you this before, but have you or do you have any interest in restoring the Carolina Theatre? Recently I’ve met with Charlie Clayton and others, but know that their work has been an uphill battle for the past 10 years!
Robby: Interesting ghost story of a Manor former manager!
In aher book “Ghost Stories of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County” (Bandit Books) writer Stephanie Burt Williams describes the frequent appearance of a former manager of the Manor … who died in 1947. Apparently he committed suicide at home, but still shows up for work dressed in his uniform. He usually appears late in the evening. Employes have seen him in the projection booth, usually sweeping the floor. Also, a woman’s high heels are heard on the floor above the current manager’s office. An employee reported hearing a woman scream in an upstairs power room. Naturally, no one was there when the employee went to check. A meduim who there to see a movie reported a strong impression in the power room of a woman named Rose.
Ghosts or not, the Manor is a great place to see movie. Indies, foreign films and even some mainline films are selected with care. The theater has the feel of something from the past. It’s a very special place to go. What a wonderful treat after experiencing the “cattle hearding” at the non-descript multiplexes.
The Manor is the the theatre for Charlotte’s independant film fans. Not only does Eastern Federal Theatres and the Charlotte Film Society host several film series but they also bring a a good many directors and rarieties to the area.
The manor originally was a single screen theatre and several years later was twinned. Although the twining created small theatres it has given the Manor a feel that goes hand in hand with the series of films that she hosts. Just recently EF remodeled the theatre with very comfortable chairs and excellent, but not over bearingly loud, sound. The bathrooms still remain the same with the hand laid tile and the stairwells and balcony are just charming. All in all a great place to catch a smaller film. If you miss a certain film, don’t worry. The Manor’s sister theatre, Movies at Birkdale, is just up the highway in Hunterville.
Here are links to the Manor’s website and to the CharLotte Film Society:
Eastern Federal’s Manor Theatre:
http://www.easternfederal.com/movies.asp?ID=2
The Charlotte Film Society:
http://www.charlottefilmsociety.com/
The Manor Theatre seated 700 people.