The Village Twin Cinema opened only one screen in 1975 in the Village Mall located at 552 Kingsley Avenue with the classic “Gone With The Wind”. The one screen operated successfully until April when the second screen opened with the first-run title “Drowning Pool” starring Paul Newman. Competition quickly grew in the area, with Florida State circuit opening a twin on the other end of Kingsley Avenue. Soon AMC opened a 5-screen theatre in the then new Orange Park Mall on Blanding Blvd. The small “Village Cinema” was unable to compete with the larger chains. It converted first one screen, then eventually the other screen to an all-seats .99 cent house. It played “subrun”, or second run pictures and competed successfully mostly with nearby drive-ins. The theatre was loved in the community, if only for a brief while. The Village Cinema closed Labor Day weekend, 1977.
The Village Twin Cinema opened only one screen in 1975 in the Village Mall located at 552 Kingsley Avenue with the classic “Gone With The Wind”. The one screen operated successfully until April when the second screen opened with the first-run title “Drowning Pool” starring Paul Newman. Competition quickly grew in the area, with Florida State circuit opening a twin on the other end of Kingsley Avenue. Soon AMC opened a 5-screen theatre in the then new Orange Park Mall on Blanding Blvd. The small “Village Cinema” was unable to compete with the larger chains. It converted first one screen, then eventually the other screen to an all-seats .99 cent house. It played “subrun”, or second run pictures and competed successfully mostly with nearby drive-ins. The theatre was loved in the community, if only for a brief while. The Village Cinema closed Labor Day weekend, 1977.