There were two theatres in Roanoke Rapids during the mid-to-late 1970’s. One was the Peoples Theatre that was located in Downtown Roanoke Rapids. The other was the Cinema,located on East 10th Street.
The Peoples Theatre at the time the Cinema opened in the 1970’s was the only operating movie theatre in town. The Cinema changed all that and during the late-1970’s and the early 1980’s The Peoples Theatre and the Cinema were the only two moviehouses in town until the Peoples Theatre closed its doors in 1985,leaving only the Cinema 1 & 2 the only operating theatre in town and all of Halifax County.
The Peoples Theatre closed in the late 1980’s when it was under the Carmike Cinemas chain. The only operating moviehouse in Roanoke Rapids is the Cinema 1 & 2 which was once under Carmike’s operations,but it is now run by an independent chain.
The Ram Triple was also a “grindhouse” theatre that basically showed a LOT of first-run features,independent films,and at one time showed adult films(when it was originally The Movies 1-2-3) before Martin Theatres took over operations in the mid-1970’s.
I highly remember the Ram Triple Theatres late shows every Friday and Saturday nights between 11:30pm and Midnight. The late show favorites were “Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein"
along with "Wizards”,“The Last Picture Show”,“Harold and Maude”,and the all-time favorite at the Ram: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” which played one night to capacity crowds. They even showed as a late night venue one evening the X-rated version of “Fritz The Cat”.
Wasn’t this the only theatre that permitted African-Americans in Chapel Hill? I read somewhere that this was the “colored” theatre in town between Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
The theatre was a single screen theatre during the late 1940’s all the way through the mid-to-late 1970’s when it was the Cameron Village Theatre. The auditorium at that time was HUGE and it seated over 800 people.
Somewhere in the late-1970’s or early 1980’s,the original auditorium was split in two,making it a twin cinema renamed the Village Twin Theatre,and it remained that way until it closed in the early 1990’s.
Function of the IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum is basically showings of first-run features presented in the IMAX format as well as documentaries and specials of important interest.
The function of the Park Terrace is showing mostly foreign and independent films of interest as well as some documentaries and also first-run features. It will played second-run films on a limited basis and re-issue of some classic films.
Recently was acquired by Regal Cinemas. The theatre is now one of three theatres in Charlotte that is under Regal’s Arthouse Cinemas which is owns and operates the Manor 1 & 2 Theatres(on Providence Road) in Charlotte,and the Park Terrace 6(Intersection of Park and Woodlawn Roads in Park Road Shopping Center).
*Function of Ballantyne Village Theatres is mostly foreign and independent films as well as first-run features,and re-released classic films and documentaries.
The Varsity also showed reissued or re-released classic films…..
It did brought in the record crowds when it showed a reissue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo once back in the early 90’s.
“Star Wars” played at the Varsity in 1977 to record breaking crowds and it was a huge favorite when it was a single screen theatre. I also remember seeing “Saturday Night Fever” there as well as “Conan The Barbarian”. When it was a single screen theatre,I do recall it had late shows on Friday and Saturday nights during the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s. One late show that it did featured was “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”,and other films of interest including one showing of “The Story of O”(the X-rated version)when the Varsity was a single screen theatre. A typical grindhouse theatre that was a showcase for Downtown Chapel Hill in its day.
Construction began in 1983,when the single screen auditorium was split in two,making it a twin cinema. It reopened in late-1983 as the Varsity 1 & 2,under new management. The theatre however started showing independent and foreign films as well as first-run features on a limited basis which it still does today.
In its heyday,you had the movie theatre,Riverview Furniture Store,
G.C. Murphy’s Department Store,Upchurch Drugs,and Big Star Food Store.
Upchurch Drugs and Riverview Furniture are the only two stores that has been in the same area since the Riverview Shopping Center opened in the early 1970’s. And are still in operation,anchored by a huge Kroger Supermarket and Drugs,which sits in the middle of the shopping center.
The G.C. Murphy’s and the Big Star Grocery are gone. And so is also the Riverview Cinema.
I highly remember this! This was a pretty good size drive-in theatre that was located between two major highways(Intersection of U.S. 74 West at U.S. 601)on the outskirts of Monroe. Did tremendous business until its closing somewhere during the 1980’s.
the drive-in theatre was located off Bragg Boulevard in Fayetteville.
Owned and operated by ABC Southeastern Theatres at one time and later on by Plitt Southern Theatres until it close in 1981.
The cinema was demolished in November of 2008. The council board for the City of Durham should have did something to preserve this classic theatre by saving it from the wrecking ball. It could have been a second arthouse cinema if those friends of the Carolina Theatre step in and save it from being destroyed.
Most of these Disney films were shown at the Northgate as double features,but when it was a single screen theatre show a LOT of Disney films. They cut it back when the Northgate became a twin cinema.
Between 1962 through 1974,a LOT of the James Bond 007 movies played here at the Carolina Theatre: Most of these Bond films were shown as double features.
THE BOND FILMS THAT PLAYED AT THE CAROLINA THEATRE-DURHAM:
“Doctor No"
"From Russia With Love"
"Goldfinger"
"Thunderball"
"You Only Live Twice"
"On Her Majesty’s Secret Service"
"Diamonds Are Forever"
"Live and Let Die"
"The Man With The Golden Gun”
A lot of good movies played here at the Ram Triple Theatres:
The lines snaked all the way down Rosemary Street in 1981 for the opening show of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” which was screened in cinema one to capacity crowds.
Other movies that played here were “First Blood”,
“The Last American Virgin”,“Tim Burton’s Batman”,
“Rambo:First Blood Part II”,“Marathon Man” when it was a first-run theatre.
the theatre opened in 1975 about the same time Hanes Mall open its doors as Winston-Salem’s largest and most popular shopping center.
the cinema closed in 2001.
I have some Eastern Federal Theatres “Movie Money” certificates. I know the company is not in business,but I can still use them now that Eastern Federal was acquired by Regal Cinemas Corporation. Can I still use them,and if so where? I live in Chapel Hill,NC where there were two Eastern Federal Theatres: Village Plaza Theatres 5-[Closed and Demolished] Movies at Timberlyne
And I also acquired “Movie Money” certificates for another Eastern Federal Theatre that was in Rockingham,NC. during the mid-1980’s……:
*Richmond Plaza Cinema I & II-[Closed]
The location of the Terrace Theatres was in a shopping center complex that was very visible from the highway
especially if you’re coming from Greensboro into town where the intersection of Interstate 85 South and U.S. 52 meet once you’re in Salisbury. The shopping center where the cinema was is on the right.
There were two theatres in Roanoke Rapids during the mid-to-late 1970’s. One was the Peoples Theatre that was located in Downtown Roanoke Rapids. The other was the Cinema,located on East 10th Street.
The Peoples Theatre at the time the Cinema opened in the 1970’s was the only operating movie theatre in town. The Cinema changed all that and during the late-1970’s and the early 1980’s The Peoples Theatre and the Cinema were the only two moviehouses in town until the Peoples Theatre closed its doors in 1985,leaving only the Cinema 1 & 2 the only operating theatre in town and all of Halifax County.
Also known as the original Carolina Theatre.
The Peoples Theatre closed in the late 1980’s when it was under the Carmike Cinemas chain. The only operating moviehouse in Roanoke Rapids is the Cinema 1 & 2 which was once under Carmike’s operations,but it is now run by an independent chain.
The Ram Triple was also a “grindhouse” theatre that basically showed a LOT of first-run features,independent films,and at one time showed adult films(when it was originally The Movies 1-2-3) before Martin Theatres took over operations in the mid-1970’s.
I highly remember the Ram Triple Theatres late shows every Friday and Saturday nights between 11:30pm and Midnight. The late show favorites were “Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein"
along with "Wizards”,“The Last Picture Show”,“Harold and Maude”,and the all-time favorite at the Ram: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” which played one night to capacity crowds. They even showed as a late night venue one evening the X-rated version of “Fritz The Cat”.
Wasn’t this the only theatre that permitted African-Americans in Chapel Hill? I read somewhere that this was the “colored” theatre in town between Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
Closing of the Varsity Theatre in Chapel Hill
View link
The theatre was a single screen theatre during the late 1940’s all the way through the mid-to-late 1970’s when it was the Cameron Village Theatre. The auditorium at that time was HUGE and it seated over 800 people.
Somewhere in the late-1970’s or early 1980’s,the original auditorium was split in two,making it a twin cinema renamed the Village Twin Theatre,and it remained that way until it closed in the early 1990’s.
Function of the IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum is basically showings of first-run features presented in the IMAX format as well as documentaries and specials of important interest.
The function of the Park Terrace is showing mostly foreign and independent films of interest as well as some documentaries and also first-run features. It will played second-run films on a limited basis and re-issue of some classic films.
Photo of Southpark Cinemas from 1985……..
View link
*Also called at the time the Southpark Cinemas I-II-III:
On the marquee was the showing of “Commando” with Arnold Scwarzenegger.
Recently was acquired by Regal Cinemas. The theatre is now one of three theatres in Charlotte that is under Regal’s Arthouse Cinemas which is owns and operates the Manor 1 & 2 Theatres(on Providence Road) in Charlotte,and the Park Terrace 6(Intersection of Park and Woodlawn Roads in Park Road Shopping Center).
*Function of Ballantyne Village Theatres is mostly foreign and independent films as well as first-run features,and re-released classic films and documentaries.
The Varsity also showed reissued or re-released classic films…..
It did brought in the record crowds when it showed a reissue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo once back in the early 90’s.
“Star Wars” played at the Varsity in 1977 to record breaking crowds and it was a huge favorite when it was a single screen theatre. I also remember seeing “Saturday Night Fever” there as well as “Conan The Barbarian”. When it was a single screen theatre,I do recall it had late shows on Friday and Saturday nights during the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s. One late show that it did featured was “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”,and other films of interest including one showing of “The Story of O”(the X-rated version)when the Varsity was a single screen theatre. A typical grindhouse theatre that was a showcase for Downtown Chapel Hill in its day.
Construction began in 1983,when the single screen auditorium was split in two,making it a twin cinema. It reopened in late-1983 as the Varsity 1 & 2,under new management. The theatre however started showing independent and foreign films as well as first-run features on a limited basis which it still does today.
A lot has really changed over the years.
In its heyday,you had the movie theatre,Riverview Furniture Store,
G.C. Murphy’s Department Store,Upchurch Drugs,and Big Star Food Store.
Upchurch Drugs and Riverview Furniture are the only two stores that has been in the same area since the Riverview Shopping Center opened in the early 1970’s. And are still in operation,anchored by a huge Kroger Supermarket and Drugs,which sits in the middle of the shopping center.
The G.C. Murphy’s and the Big Star Grocery are gone. And so is also the Riverview Cinema.
I highly remember this! This was a pretty good size drive-in theatre that was located between two major highways(Intersection of U.S. 74 West at U.S. 601)on the outskirts of Monroe. Did tremendous business until its closing somewhere during the 1980’s.
the drive-in theatre was located off Bragg Boulevard in Fayetteville.
Owned and operated by ABC Southeastern Theatres at one time and later on by Plitt Southern Theatres until it close in 1981.
Hey Raysson,
Look under the website (http://movie-theatre.org).
The Carmike Cinemas 12 in Fayetteville did not close. However,it remains open under Carmike.
Do yourself a favor pal,and get your stats right before posting!!!!
The cinema was demolished in November of 2008. The council board for the City of Durham should have did something to preserve this classic theatre by saving it from the wrecking ball. It could have been a second arthouse cinema if those friends of the Carolina Theatre step in and save it from being destroyed.
Most of these Disney films were shown at the Northgate as double features,but when it was a single screen theatre show a LOT of Disney films. They cut it back when the Northgate became a twin cinema.
Between 1962 through 1974,a LOT of the James Bond 007 movies played here at the Carolina Theatre: Most of these Bond films were shown as double features.
THE BOND FILMS THAT PLAYED AT THE CAROLINA THEATRE-DURHAM:
“Doctor No"
"From Russia With Love"
"Goldfinger"
"Thunderball"
"You Only Live Twice"
"On Her Majesty’s Secret Service"
"Diamonds Are Forever"
"Live and Let Die"
"The Man With The Golden Gun”
A lot of good movies played here at the Ram Triple Theatres:
The lines snaked all the way down Rosemary Street in 1981 for the opening show of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” which was screened in cinema one to capacity crowds.
Other movies that played here were “First Blood”,
“The Last American Virgin”,“Tim Burton’s Batman”,
“Rambo:First Blood Part II”,“Marathon Man” when it was a first-run theatre.
the theatre opened in 1975 about the same time Hanes Mall open its doors as Winston-Salem’s largest and most popular shopping center.
the cinema closed in 2001.
I have some Eastern Federal Theatres “Movie Money” certificates. I know the company is not in business,but I can still use them now that Eastern Federal was acquired by Regal Cinemas Corporation. Can I still use them,and if so where? I live in Chapel Hill,NC where there were two Eastern Federal Theatres:
Village Plaza Theatres 5-[Closed and Demolished]
Movies at Timberlyne
And I also acquired “Movie Money” certificates for another Eastern Federal Theatre that was in Rockingham,NC. during the mid-1980’s……:
*Richmond Plaza Cinema I & II-[Closed]
website: www.in70mm.com
The location of the Terrace Theatres was in a shopping center complex that was very visible from the highway
especially if you’re coming from Greensboro into town where the intersection of Interstate 85 South and U.S. 52 meet once you’re in Salisbury. The shopping center where the cinema was is on the right.