Cinema Latino
2738 Industrial Drive,
Sanford,
NC
27332
2738 Industrial Drive,
Sanford,
NC
27332
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Had a look at the newspaper from December 17th, 1971. No Kendale cinema opened on that date. Grand opening ad:
Kendale Cinema 1 & 2 opening 16 Jun 1977, Thu The Sanford Herald (Sanford, North Carolina) Newspapers.com
The Kendale Cinema 1 & 2 designed by Wheatley-Whisnant Associates of Charlotte contained two 360-seat auditoriums for 720 total seats. This version of the cinema opened with “The Deep” and “ Final Chapter: Walking Tall” on June 17, 1977.
Carmike took on Essantee Theatres operating the theatre as the Kendale Twin Theatres 1 & 2 until the expiry of its 30-year leasing agreement on April 26, 1987 closing with “Norbit” (a good enough reason to close any theater) and “Daddy’s Little Girl.” In March of 2008, it got one more chance as the Cinema Latino for the Cinema Latino Circuit playing Spanish language films.
The premiere attractions for the December 17,1971 grand opening of the Kendale Cinema 1 & 2 were:
CINEMA 1: It’s Sean Connery as James Bond-007
The BIG 007 CHRISTMAS PREMIERE EVENT FOR SANFORD!!!
“DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”-On the Big Screen In Color!!!
CINEMA 2: Ruth Gordon in “HAROLD AND MAUDE”-In Color
AND THE BIG ONES ARE COMING TO THE KENDALE CINEMA:
-Clint Eastwood in “DIRTY HARRY”
-Walt Disney’s “BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS”
-John Wayne and Richard Boone in “BIG JAKE”
-Gene Hackman in “THE FRENCH CONNECTION”
-The Musical Event Of The Year “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF”
-The BIG Event of 1971 is Coming-“BILLY JACK”
Opened on December 17,1971 as the Kendale Cinema 1 & 2 under Charlotte-based Stewart and Everett Theatres as Sanford’s first-ever indoor twin cinema with a seating capacity of 400(200 seats each in both auditoriums).
The Kendale Cinemas was in between two major anchors of the Kendale Shopping Center…to the right of the cinema was a Winn Dixie grocery store….to the left of the cinema were Roses Department Store and Eckerd Drugs along with specialty shops and services. Sat in the middle of the shopping center was Central Carolina Bank and Trust Company.
Closed in 2011 and remained closed by the last time the Googlemobile passed it by.
NOT only the original STAR WARS played here first-run but JAWS, SUPERMAN:THE MOVIE, JAWS 2, and GREASE not to mention SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER,CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, TOP GUN,ALIENS,DIE HARD,and many other memorable movies.
Is the cinema space currently being utilized? After the Cinema Latino effort ended, I remember reading online, sometime around 2010, that one of the auditoriums was hosting amateur wrestling matches, but no word on any events or usage since.
This theater was first operated by Stewart & Everett as the Kendale Cinema 1 & 2.
I worked there in my junior year in high school, when it was still the Kendale Cinemas—projectionist and concessions stand. Colleagues were Chris Lamm, Joe Stansell, and a few others whose names I’ve forgotten. Mrs. Berryman, Eddy’s mother, was usually in the ticket booth. We screened An Unmarried Woman, Grease, Star Wars, many other memorable movies. The place was vibrantly alive on weekend nights in the late 70s—sad to see it so desolate now.
No showtimes posted as of December, 2009. Is this still open?
The Kendale is dissed in this blog:
http://tinyurl.com/638dmq