Blackbox Theater
421 E. Sugar Creek Road,
Charlotte,
NC
28213
421 E. Sugar Creek Road,
Charlotte,
NC
28213
4 people
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1984 news clipping on 4 screens added to gallery.
This property is currently being renovated and turned into a music club. Has already had some shows and will be a full-time music venue.
This became Sugar Creek Cinema on May 9th, 1997 and listings disappeared in December 1997. Another ad posted.
4 screens opening on April 13th, 1984
Grand opening ads posted. It was the last single-screen cinema to be built in town (except adult cinemas).
I was the manager of the Tryon Mall Theater when it twinned in 1974. I remember well when we opened on Christmas Day with Freebie & The Bean.
I frequented this theater quite a bit during the 70s and 80s, mainly because it was the closest theater to home. I recall it’s original state when it was run by ABC Theaters. When I was 8, my dad too me to see “Superman The Movie” – on January 1, 1979. I also saw “Oh Heavenly Dog” and “Brainstorm” at Tryon Mall.
They ran the summer kids movie program that my elementary school sold tickets to. Saw some odd stuff that I never would have thought to see in a theater that way, like “A Man Called Flintstone” and even “Born Free.”
It also counts as the only theater I ever rode my bike to to see a movie (I believe it was the 1985 version of “Brewster’s Millions”). This was during its unfortunate 4 auditorium + video arcade phase, but it was only a dollar. And although I don’t recall what movie I was supposed to see, I remember sneaking into “Jo Jo Dancer Your Life is Calling” in the theater next to it. When you’re 15, and you sneak into a theater to see an R-rated movie, make sure it’s not a drama/bio-pic.
I miss the old place – even the house I grew up in nearby has been leveled – but the area really went downhill and never seemed to recover. Looking at the picture when it was some sort of nightclub, I couldn’t help but notice how bad the pavement looks. It was bad back in the 80’s too. In fact, I once hit a pothole in the parking lot (behind the mall, where some nightclub used to be, but was already long gone) and it broke a battery cell. The fact that it has never been repaired tells you how much the area has been left to rot. It’s too bad. I used to enjoy this area in my childhood.
On the marquee for the re-opening of the Tryon Mall Theatres I & II on December 21,1974……
TRYON MALL CINEMA I-“EARTHQUAKE!”-Rated “PG”
TRYON MALL CINEMA II-“FREEBIE AND THE BEAN”-Rated “R”
FYI: Charlotte was absent from the state of the art format SENSURROUND system for the Tryon Mall 1 & 2 showing of the film “EARTHQUAKE!” that originally opened on December 21,1974.
The SENSURROUND system was in two theatre in the state of North Carolina that had it for it’s showing of the film EARTHQUAKE!
Raleigh: State
Greensboro: Cinema
**Charlotte was absent from getting SENSURROUND since it was only available in select cities.
There was a movie theater that closed in the 1990s that was located next to Tryon Mall (now Asian Corner) but was located in a building that is now tucked behind a laundromat/dry cleaners. It was accessed via the Sugar Creek side of the mall near the intersection with Raleigh St.
Scott Neff;
Multi-Cinemas corporation was basically a separate entity from American Multi-Cinemas(AMC Theatres).
Multi-Cinemas based in Charlotte was a subsidiary with Consolidated Theatres,also based in Charlotte. Multi-Cinemas at one time not only operated the Tryon Mall,but also the Queen Park Cinemas on South Blvd., and the University Place Cinemas 6. During the mid-1980’s,the Tryon Mall became a second-run discount house under Multi-Cinemas,while The Queen Park and the University Place were first-run movie houses until the mid-1990’s when the Tryon Mall closed and the Queen Park and University Place became second-run theatres.
By Multi-Cinemas — do you mean American Multi-Cinemas (AMC) operated this theatre for a time?
For the record, Plitt Southern Theatres closed the Tryon Mall 4 in 1984. Multi-Cinemas took over the operations of the Tryon Mall that same year when they turned this cinema into a second-run discount movie house with reduced admission until its closing in 1996.
Cineplex Odeon NEVER operated this theatre. Plitt closed it before long Cineplex Odeon was about to take over the remaining Plitt Theatres in the greater Charlotte area including the Park Terrace.
Mike, The original SUPERMAN movie played here on December 15,1978 at Tryon Mall in DOBLY STEREO when this theatre was under ABC Southeastern Theatres.
Mike,
Both JAWS and JAWS II played here at the Tryon Mall first-run when this theatre was under ABC Southeastern Theatres and later Plitt Southern Theatres.
“JAWS II” played here,any old Plitt Employee,go to Remembering Plitt Theatres on Facebook, it is there for you.
Tryon Mall Twin was a nice place when ABC and Plitt had it.
Here are my pictures from December 2010.
I was there for the opening of the Tryon Mall that Mark in NC references Feb. 7, 2010 – it was exciting to go to a new theatre and go back to school and tell everyone about it. But that’s another movie I remember little about.
Yep – pretty bad – I remember Charlton (well, his character) rolling down a mountain fighting somebody and that’s about it. By the way, back up there at raysson’s comment on June 18 – Jaws never played at the Capri (Jaws II might have).
I have always wanted to see “MOUNTAIN MEN” is it that bad.
Shook Charlton Heston’s hand in the lobby of this theatre as he toured with his forgettable film “The Mountain Men” (1980) – but what a gentleman (and handsome too)! Saw “Jaws” here – blew me away, there had never been a film like that before! (well, at least not for me) Also met David Carradine at the Tryon Mall Theatre but can’t remember the name of the film…must have really been a forgettable one…
Oh,they forgot to send a reel back when they tore down “JAWS II” and John kept it for months finally giving it to me,I passed it on to the projectionist at the IMPERIAL in Augusta,don’t know what Bill did with it.
I know “JAWS II” played there my friend John Mackey was managing it.He had a projectionist there I think in his 80’s when I visited,don’t know how he managed those large 35mm reels.
JAWS was one of the several theatres in North Carolina that released the film during its initial release on June 20, 1975.
It did played here at the Tryon Mall Cinema when it a twin theatre.
It was however re-released later on that year at either the Capri or the Park Terrace or maybe the Charlottetown in late-1975 or early-1976.