Carmike Yorktowne Twin

NOW SHOWING AT DURHAM’S YORKTOWNE THEATRE-(12/25/1974)

Francis Ford Coppula’s “THE GODFATHER PART II”

Sorry,No Passes or Spec. Admission Discounts Accepted

Please be informed that due to the running length of this movie,there will be a short intermission. There will be three performance showings for this feature.

Theater will be cleared after each showing.

Management suggest patrons to avoid capacity crowds,please come early for the best seats. AVOID THE CROWDS….ATTEND OUR MATINEES!!!!

A lot of “X” rated films played here first-run at the Yorktowne. “EMMANUELLE” Starring Sylvia Kristel played here first-run in 1974 as well as the sequels starring Sylvia Kristel with “EMMANUELLE 2:THE JOYS OF A WOMAN”,and “GOODBYE EMMANUELLE”. The notorious “X” rated “CALIGULA” played here in 1979. Not to mention a TON of soft-porn flicks like “TROPIC OF CANCER”, and “FLESH GORDON”,and the explicit “ANDY WARHOL’S FRANKENSTEIN”,and “THE STORY OF O” too.

THEATRE HISTORY OF THE YORKTOWNE:

Opened on May 28,1969 under Schneider-Merl Theatres as a 750-seat single screener named the Yorktowne Theatre. The opening attraction for its grand opening was James Coburn and Lee Remick in HARD CONTRACT. It operated as a single screen theatre from 1969 to 1975. Among the biggest blockbusters that played here were “THE GODFATHER”, “CHINATOWN”, “THE LAST DETAIL”, “PAPILLON”, “THE GETAWAY”, “LADY SINGS THE BLUES” not to mention “LOVE STORY”,“SAVE THE TIGER”,“FRITZ THE CAT”,and “THE GODFATHER PART II” just to name a few. When it was a single screen theatre it played a lot of “X” rated films during its midnight screenings.

By June 20,1975,Schneider-Merl went under and the Yorktowne was under new management under Atlanta-based Martin Theatres. A second auditorium was built right next to the original,keeping the original auditorium of 750-seats intact. The second auditorium seated 300 and it was renamed the Yorktowne Theatres 1 & 2. The June 20,1975 grand re-opening was on Auditorium 1 “Jaws” with Roy Schneider and Richard Dreyfuss. Auditorium 2’s opening attraction was Gene Hackman in “French Connection II”. By 1977,it was renamed the Yorktowne Twin Theatres under Martin Theatres. Not only did “JAWS” broke all Durham movie attendance records,but also on July 1,1977 the original “STAR WARS” movie shattered the previous all-time movie attendance record in the history of this theatre. Among the movies also played here were the original “STAR TREK” movie.

By 1982 the Yorktowne became one of several theatres acquired by Carmike Cinemas after its acquisition of Martin Theatres.

By 1987 it went from showing first-run films to becoming a dollar run discount house until its closing in 1995. It became a megachurch until 2005. And by 2008 it was demolished.

1969-1975 Schneider-Merl Theatres

1975-1982 Martin Theatres

1982-1995 Carmike Cinemas

Steve McQueen’s THE GETAWAY played at the Yorktowne Theatre first-run on December 12,1972 as the cinema’s big christmas attraction.

PAPILLION with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman played at the Yorktowne Theatre first-run around Christmas of 1973.

A lot of great blockbusters of the 1970’s and 1980’s got first-run billing at the Yorktowne Theatre in Durham.

November 22,1986 ……. STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME at the Yorktowne Twin. See it on the Triangle’s largest auditorium on it’s largest screen in KINTEX STEREO.

The worst movie to play at this theatre in 1981….. Screen 1: Bo Derek in “TARZAN,THE APE MAN”-Rated R Screen 2: Julie Andrews in “S.O.B.”-Rated R

“TARZAN,THE APE MAN” was the worst movie to ever play at the Yorktowne Twin. Totally horrible!!! A lot of people who bought tickets for this dung sneak out over to Screen 2 which was a better movie…..

Francis Ford Coppula’s THE GODFATHER was one of two Triangle area theatres that booked the film’s original opening on March 22,1972 when the Yorktowne Theatre was a 780 seat single screen cinema.

“THE GODFATHER PART II” also played here as well as “CHINATOWN”, “LADY SINGS THE BLUES”, “LENNY”

The Yorktowne Theatre also played first-run on July 1, 1977 the original STAR WARS movie not to mention had the privilege to booked on December 7, 1979 the original STAR TREK movie.

“Jaws” was one of two Triangle area theatres that booked the film’s original opening on June 20,1975.
The Yorktowne was still a single screen theatre when “Jaws” officially opened. The original auditorium where it played had a seating capacity of over 800 that included a super widescreen that was capable of showing both 35mm and 70mm films. However,the opening weekend showings brought in record capacity crowds which had it showing at the Yorktowne for 26 weeks.

At the time “Jaws” opened,the second auditorium was under construction and basically almost completed for its 325 seat auditorium for the Yorktowne II’s official opening in late June of 1975 for the opening of “French Connection II”. The only problem the Yorktowne had was the availability for parking which was limited for the cinema’s lot and around back but for additional parking you had to go across to used the parking lot over at the Hutton Building and from there had to walk across the street to the theatre.
Great movie theatre,but had a serious problem with parking there

I recall seeing in 1975 “Jaws” on the marquee along at the time when the Yorktowne was becoming a twin cinema. The other movie on the marquee at the time was “The French Connection II”. The lines for “Jaws” were record breaking with sold-out shows and the lines stretching from the entrance to the theatre all the way toward the E.F. Hutton Building Parking Lot facing Bedford Street and Chapel Hill Boulevard.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW was a late night treat at the Yorktowne as part of its Halloween midnight screenings during the early 80’s when it was a twin cinema.

Also known as the Yorktowne Twin.

Was converted into a church after it folded and nowadays it sits in decay. The Yorktowne could be a great second arthouse theatre to the Carolina Theatre-Downtown Durham. It had the huge widescreen in its time and the size of the auditorium to boot.