Village Plaza 5
141 S. Elliott Road,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
141 S. Elliott Road,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
2 people
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Became a three screen cinema on August 9, 1973 and was renamed the Plaza 3 Theatres under Eastern Federal Theatres Corporation. It remained.a three screen cinema until the early 1990’s when itwhen from three to five screens as the Village Plaza 5.
Regarding the Dolby install…. The earliest example of a newspaper advertisement explicitly promoting a Dolby Stereo presentation at this venue was for ALIEN in June 1979. The Dolby references for ALIEN included a “first time in Chapel Hill” blurb which suggested a fresh install. Those earlier examples others have cited (GREASE, ‘78 re-issue of STAR WARS, etc.) seem to be a case where the Dolby logo was baked in to the ads.
In response to Stan’s post, ATS and the EFC City office had moved to 5891 New Peachtree Rd. by 1978. William Sheared was a good guy and in the summer of 1980 I purchased cleaning supplies from him/ATS for an apartment complex I was working at. My best story of him was a new manager changed out a lamp for a new one and somehow burned it up in less than 2 days. There was no extra on hand and he sent me with his keys to AST to get another while he figured out what the guy had done. He was absolutely furious about the lamp. He built a bunch of stuff for EFC since they were always looking for a way to save a buck.
I know I’m responding about 10 years after the original debate about this theater’s Dolby Installation. While I can’t prove that Grease played in Dolby in June of ‘78, I can prove that Dolby was installed at this theater before December of '78… a re-issue of Star Wars in September of '78 clearly indicates that that film was playing in a Dolby Auditorium (and Grease was still playing at this cinema at that time). Uploading picture now.
All supplies mentioned by Mr. Malone to theaters in the Carolinas came through the ATS Charlotte NC location.
William Shearer, well, that is a name from the past. Eastern Federal had a big presence in Atlanta by 1971 and he was in charge of their subsidiary, American Theater Supply. All booth and concession supplies, except the prepopped popcorn was ordered from there. At least for the Atlanta area theaters, I don’t know about out of town locations. Mr. Shearer also did the company’s booth repair and maintenance as well as supply all booth equipment, from carbons, to splicers, to reel to reel tapes of intermission music.
When I started working for EFC in 1971, ATS operated out of the basement of the downtown Coronet Theater, an area that also contained the theater bathrooms and the office of the City Manager, a fellow by the name of George Shepp. The Coronet was EFC’s flagship and a very busy theater. In the Spring of 1972 the company rented space in a strip of storefronts on Spring Street near Third. Several managers and doormen from different theaters were ordered to report to the Coronet basement and we spent the day moving all of the stock and equipment to the new location.
EFC was out of Atlanta by 1979 but I do not know about ATS. It was centrally located among the remaining EFC locations in the SE, so maybe it stayed. It’s old home on Spring Street remained in use as a very popular nightclub until a couple of years ago but has now been demolished as Georgia Tech continues to expand down Spring Street all the way to The Varsity.
Just like so many of the theaters it served, the time for ATS is over and it’s home is now in the landfill.
Grand opening ad uploaded in the photo section.
The Dolby system was indeed installed prior to the release of Grease in 1978. As I stated earlier, I was personally involved in the installation, overseen by William Shearer, company engineer from Atlanta. We tested the system – holy cow it was nice and sounded great for Grease. The only proof I have is first hand experience and at least one other guy involved in the installation. No big deal really. I managed this theater for a time – trained there as well during which time the install took place – early 1978 without a doubt.
raysson’s latest comment contradicts my comment from January 2nd. Per his request, I recently sent him some information pertaining to early Dolby installations in North Carolina, but, unfortunately, it would appear he has misinterpreted that info. What I had mentioned to him in regard to this theater was that Dolby’s records suggest a timeframe of no earlier than December 1978 and no later than July 1980 as when this theater first had installed a Dolby cinema processor. If, however, he insists a Dolby unit was in place in time for “Grease” (June 1978), well, let him prove it!
(raysson: How is “Dolby” handled in the Chapel Hill newspaper ads for “Grease”? Is there explicit text indicating a Dolby presentation and/or new sound system installtion? If it’s merely the Dolby logo embedded into the ad, then I hardly think that qualifies as an indicator this theater ran “Grease” in Dolby Stereo.)
Foggy memory here. I originally thought it was spring of 1978 – I was actually involved in the install but could not remember the exact date(s). I was pretty sure the installation happened before Grease.
FYI-A Dolby Stereo System was installed in the cinema’s third auditorium in the Spring of 1978 prior to the opening of “Grease” which played here in Dolby Stereo during the summer of 1978. “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” played here in the fall of 1978 as a re-release issue in Dolby. The system was already in place for the Triangle showing of “Alien” which played here on June 22,1979 in Dolby Stereo. It was already up and running in time for the Triangle showing of “The Empire Strikes Back” on June 20,1980 in Dolby Stereo. Also to point out it did show a lot of films with Dolby Stereo presentations…among them “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, “Purple Rain”, “The Goonies”, “Extreme Prejudice”, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”.
That’s right. The system was actually in place in time for the premier of “Alien” in Spring ‘79.
Dolby’s install records from the summer 1978 period (when “Grease” opened) make no reference to this theater, suggesting the install took place during a later timeframe, the records are incorrect, or a Dolby-compatible competitor format system was what was installed.
FYI – Dolby Stereo was installed in third auditorium prior to 1978 “Grease” release, rather than “Empire Strikes Back” although the latter used the same auditorium/system a year or so later.
Carmike won’t be retuning to Chapel Hill anytime soon. A new 13-screen multiplex is planned for University Mall, replacing Dillard’s (which is pulling out of Chapel Hill). According to newsobserver.com the new theater will be operated by Silverspot Cinema, a South American-owned chain.
Nighthawk1: About Ambassador Theatre or Carmike’s decision to build another movie theater in Chapel Hill where the former Borders Book Store used to be at the intersection of Sage Road and Fordham Blvd.(15-501) near Lowe’s Home Improvement……
That deal was rejected….the former Borders Book Store has been taken over when administrative officials with UNC Health Care and North Carolina Medical Systems decide to open a medical office there. The decision to put a movie theater there would be a striking blow to Carmike’s involvement of opening another multiplex there. So the deal is off. The only two mainstream movie houses in Chapel Hill are on the Northern end of the city is the Timberlyne 6 under Regal Cinemas,and the Lumina Theatres on the Southern end of the city under Ambassador Entertainment.
March 13,1974…Showing at the Village Plaza Theatres,aka Plaza 3…
William Friedkin’s THE EXORCIST….No Passes Accepted-Rated “R”
WARNING: Due to the frank and graphic nature of this motion picture,the management of this theatre has recommended that No One Under 17 Years of age will not be admitted without parental consent. Identification for admission to this feature will be asked.
Last comment should be: Ambassador’s largest current theater is Six Forks Station 6 in Raleigh – (not Mission Valley 5).
I uploaded yesterday a 2002 photo of the Village Plaza 5 at night (the car in the foreground was mine). Raysson: your comments regarding the multiplex shenanigans in Chapel Hill are interesting. If Ambassador builds the new theater, it will most likely be eight screens or less – Ambassador’s largest current theater is the Mission Valley 5 in Raleigh. Carmike would likely put a 14-screen or 16-screen multiplex there, although it may cut into the Wynnsong 15’s business up the road in Durham. Still, I like the idea of Carmike re-entering Chapel Hill – it would be a thorn in the side of all those who pressured Regal not to build there. To the best of my knowledge it would be only the third Carmike built in North Carolina since they emerged from bankruptcy (Jacksonville’s 16-plex and Wilson’s 10-screen are the others).
About to be mention here as well: Regal recently had plans to built a multiplex right off Fordham Boulevard at the intersection of Sage Road(where the former site which was Borders Book Store that closed its doors in early 2011)right next door to the Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse that was convenience to nearby Highway 15-501 and not far from where the original Village Plaza Theatres were located. Guess what?
Regal rejected that idea not to build a multiplex cinema on the site of the former Borders Book Store,not to even mention the environmentalists and the backward liberals who are on the board committee of the Chapel Hill Town Council and the upper management of the powers that be at Regal Entertainment who decided not to do so.
However,it is still up in the air,as Ambassador Entertainment(which is based in Raleigh under founder and CEO Bill Peebles that has three movie theatres operating in the Raleigh area plus the Lumina Theatres at Southern Village that is based in Chapel Hill) is looking to add another cinema on that section of town where the former Borders Book Store used to be! Also eyeing this is Carmike as well!!!
From 1970 to 2003,Eastern Federal Corporation operated this theatre. This was NEVER under Regal Cinemas. It closed in 2003 before Regal was to take over.
The Movies at Timberlyne 6 is the only theatre in Chapel Hill that Regal bought out from Eastern Federal…..
Other theatres that Regal took over from Eastern Federal:
-North Hills Cinemas 14
-The Movies at Brier Creek
Other theatres that Regal took over from Consolidated:
-White Oak Cinemas 14 in Garner
-Beaver Creek Commons in Apex
-Crossroads Cinemas 20 in Cary
A lot of good movies played here got first-run…….
“Airport”
“The French Connection”
“The Exorcist”
“Chinatown”
“Rocky”
“The Poseidon Adventure” (1972)
“The Towering Inferno”
“Purple Rain”
“The Empire Strikes Back”
“Terminator 3: Day of the Machines”
“Dirty Harry”
“Mangum Force”
“Beneath the Planet of the Apes”
“Escape from the Planet of the Apes”
“Conquest of the Planet of the Apes”
“Battle for the Planet of the Apes”
“Blazing Saddles”
“Young Frankenstein”
“Live and Let Die”
“The Spy Who Loved Me”
“Stayin Alive”–[the sequel to Saturday Night Fever]
“Indiana Jones and the Temple Doom”
“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”
“Harold and Maude”
“A Man Called Horse”
“Goodfellas”
“Raging Bull”
“The Godfather:Part II”
“Sounder”
A lot of good movies played here at this theatre first run…….
THE RE-RELEASES:
–“Gone With The Wind”
–“Lawrence of Arabia”
–“2001: A Space Odyssey”
–“Doctor Zhivago”
–“Ben-Hur”
From May 2,2012: NightHawk was exactly right about this theatre. When it closed in 2003,the proposed multiplex(a ten-screener)fell through when Knoxville,Tennessee based Regal Cinemas bought out Charlotte-based Eastern Federal and it’s Movies at Timberlyne 6(that theatre opened in 1989 on the Northern section of Chapel Hill that is posted on the Cinema Treasures site),and two other locations in the Triangle that were also under Eastern Federal as well…Raleigh’s North Hills 14 and Movies at Brier Creek(that is now under Regal Cinemas). Most of Regal’s North Carolina locations came from four chains…Fairlane-Litchfeld(the second incarnation),and United Artists(which bought out the first incarnation of Litchfeld). Eastern Federal and Consolidated Theatres were the other two(its final incarnation as an all-stadium theatre chain). Regal also had a hand in buying out theatres that were once under Cineplex Odeon and also Carmike.
There were other factors leading to the cancellation of the ten-screen Village Plaza Theater which was set to start construction in 2004 after the old Plaza Theatre was demolished. One of the factors was the building contract that was pushed back by members of the Chapel Hill Town Council and other parties who had other plans for this theatre. There were plans to built a ten-screen multiplex right off Highway 15-501 on the site where a formerly auto dealership stood(the former Crown Honda and Volvo)…There were talks of building a 20-plex on that same site,but that fell through as well. But the backward liberals of the Chapel Hill Town Council blocked the idea of this too. Rent was also another factor as new stores were set to be built along that stretch of the Village Plaza Shopping Center…(the Kroger store closed in the early-1990’s and was replaced by a Whole Foods grocer and specialty shops). Regal simply chose not to build the proposed theater on that site where it remains vacant to this day as council members recently made the former Village Plaza site into an environmental park. Comments?
The re-release of George Lucas' STAR WARS played here at the Village Plaza I-II-III on August 11,1978.