Asheville West Twin Theatres
201 Smokey Park Highway,
Asheville,
NC
28806
201 Smokey Park Highway,
Asheville,
NC
28806
1 person
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Located in the Ingles Shopping Center off Smokey Park Highway, the Asheville West Twin Theatres opened June 3, 1977 under the Irvin-Fuller Theatres chain, which was a nice sized chain operating in the Carolinas. The Asheville West Twin Theatres was just your standard twin-screen theatre with 800 seats (400 in each auditorium) which was nothing really great and one would think some lesser films would find the Asheville West Twin Theatres as nothing but a ‘B’ movie venture which showed films that were first-run billing.
While the Asheville West Twin Theatres would get the standard Hollywood fare like “Annie Hall”, “Star Trek II:The Wrath of Khan”, “Richard Pryor: Here and Now” and standard Disney films, it had a reputation of showing such horrible films such as “The Other Side of Midnight”, “Guyana Cult of the Damned”, “The Swarm”, “If Ever I See You Again”, to “Harper Valley PTA, "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger”, “Corvette Dream” to “Roller Boogie”. Even the worst of the worst got first-run billing also, from “Crossed Swords”, “It’s Not the Size that Matters”, to “The Bad News Bears Go Japan” among others. At the same period of time it had sold out to capacity crowds for its Asheville run of “Grease”.
Irvin-Fuller Theatres operated the Asheville West Twin Theatres until 1985, when Roth Theatres took over the operations until its closing in 1994. It has since been demolished.
Contributed by
MikeRogers
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Recent comments (view all 20 comments)
This theater was in a shopping center that is still in existence. There is an Ingles grocery store and an “Asiana Grand Buffet” across the parking lot. As you drive into the shopping center and look to the left, you can see where the theater was due to the raised roof in the back to accommodate the screens and projection booths. For some reason I think I remember seeing either “The Empire Strikes Back” or “Return of the Jedi” there.
er—that’s “look to the right” – not left.
thanks Arx,please add more Asheville stories.
RAYSSON WHERE EXACTLY WAS THIS THEATER? THE STREET NAME DOESN’T RING A BELL.
MikeOaklandPark, Mike Rogers, Arx,: I have found the original ads for the Asheville West Twin Theatres grand opening. I will revised this information and reposted it for the Cinema Treasures site. If you need to see the original grand opening ad please contact me at .
From what I have research on the Asheville West Twin Theatres grand opening it opened with the Western North Carolina premiere of Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” on Screen One with Diane Keaton.
On Screen Two was “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger” starring Patrick Wayne and Taryn Power(Patrick Wayne was the son of John “The Duke” Wayne,and Taryn Power was the daughter of screen legend Tyrone Power).
MikeOaklandPark,Mike Rogers,Arx,and whom it may concern:
THE ASHEVILLE WEST TWIN THEATRES were located on
153 Smoky Park Highway Ingles Plaza Shopping Center Asheville, NC 28806
Thank you raysson.
The Asheville West Twin Theatres opened on June 3,1977 with the grand opening features under Irvin-Fuller Theatres.
SCREEN 1: “Sinbad and the Eye of The Tiger”-starring Patrick Wayne and Taryn Power. Rated G
SCREEN 2: “Annie Hall” with Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. Rated PG
The Coming Attractions to the Asheville West Twins:
-Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda in ROLLERCOASTER
-Disney’s HERBIE GOES TO MONTE CARLO
-Susan Sarandon in THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT
I have the ads to its official grand opening. If you need to see them please contact me at .
From the research I conducted,the Asheville West Twin Theatres opened to huge crowds with the Western Carolina showing of Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” to sold out capacity crowds upon its grand opening on June 3,1977. It even brought in biggest crowds when “Grease” played here in 1978 to sold out capacity crowds.
November 25,1983….NOW PLAYING AT ASHEVILLE WEST….
SCREEN 1: “RICHARD PRYOR:HERE AND NOW”-Rated R No One Under 17 Will Not Be Admitted
SCREEN 2: Albert Finney and Carol Burnett in ANNIE
Which was re-released as a second run feature. Rated PG