Varsity Theatre
123 E. Franklin Street,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
123 E. Franklin Street,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
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Rumor has it that the Varsity maybe turned into a performing arts center. That at least will bring back the thriving business that was located in Downtown Chapel Hill.
It is sad to see it close its doors as a popular Chapel Hill landmark.
Why forever? Cant someone buy or lease this?????
“The Last Picture Show At The Varsity Theatre"
From the Independent Magazine Site: July 1, 2009.
http://www.indyweek.com
“The Varsity Theatre leaves Franklin Street Dark"
From the Daily Tar Heel,Thursday July 2, 2009.
The Daily Tar Heel is the student newspaper for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://www.dailytarheel.com
As of June 26, 2009……
The Varsity Theatre has closed its doors forever,marking the only movie theatre in Downtown Chapel Hill for more than 80 years.
The last two picture shows that played here were:
“The Hangover” and “The Brothers Bloom”.
Harry Hart’s Boxoffice Magazine column of December 6, 1952, mentioned that Wil-Kin Theatre Supply had installed Cycloramic screens in three houses, including the Varsity. I don’t know if that indicates that the Varsity was then under construction or not. At least one of the other two theaters getting one of the screens, the Carolina in Charlotte, was an existing house.
Closing of the Varsity Theatre in Chapel Hill
View link
The Varsity also showed reissued or re-released classic films…..
It did brought in the record crowds when it showed a reissue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo once back in the early 90’s.
“Star Wars” played at the Varsity in 1977 to record breaking crowds and it was a huge favorite when it was a single screen theatre. I also remember seeing “Saturday Night Fever” there as well as “Conan The Barbarian”. When it was a single screen theatre,I do recall it had late shows on Friday and Saturday nights during the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s. One late show that it did featured was “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”,and other films of interest including one showing of “The Story of O”(the X-rated version)when the Varsity was a single screen theatre. A typical grindhouse theatre that was a showcase for Downtown Chapel Hill in its day.
Construction began in 1983,when the single screen auditorium was split in two,making it a twin cinema. It reopened in late-1983 as the Varsity 1 & 2,under new management. The theatre however started showing independent and foreign films as well as first-run features on a limited basis which it still does today.
Regal Cinemas seems to enter the picture in many locations. They are headquartered in Knoxville TN.
FYI: During the 1970’s and during the early 1980’s,the Varsity at one time was owned and operated by Eastern Federal Corporation which also owned and operated the Village Plaza Theatres(which closed its doors in 2003)and also The Movies at Timberlyne(which is still in operation and now it is owned and operated by Regal Cimemas Corporation which bought out Eastern Federal).
The only theatre that is still open in Downtown Chapel Hill on historic Franklin Street. However,the Carolina Theatre and the Ram Triple Theatres have closed its doors forever.
Yes, Juno is a recent movie. And as all good CT members should do…I watched the Oscars last night.
I’ve been to this theatre, but don’t recall half of the marquee being gone so perhaps they should look into this repair as it doesn’t look nice on main street in the beautiful college town of Chapel Hill, home to UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University.
Check out some vintage Varsity ads here:
http://plantweed.blogspot.com/search?q=varsity
I was a projectionist at the Varsity in the 60’s, while going to high school there ($50/wk). Adult tickets were .85/ kids .25 back then. It has not really changed, that’s the original marquee (I used to change that too, for $1 per change) – probably the same marquee letters or at least some of them. Some things never change – last time I was in Chapel Hill I peaked inside the doors and it looked very much like it did nearly 50 years ago. Next door was “Jeff’s Confectionary” where you could get a real, made from scratch, soda with crushed ice, a pimento cheese sandwich (grilled!) and girlee magazines. Franklin St is amazingly similar to what it looked like back then, today. Few things have changed, the Varsity being one of the most obvious.
The marquee for this theatre looks very much like the one that was on the old Varsity Theatre in Evanston, IL. Could the two theatres (or at least the marquees) have been designed by the same person?
My husband and I recently visited this theatre and even rec’d a tour of the projection room by the projectionist! How cool was that! And across the street on the corner is Top of the Hill, a microbrewery on the 3rd floor with a great view of main street and the Varsity!