Janus Theatres
1416 Northwood Street,
Greensboro,
NC
27408
1416 Northwood Street,
Greensboro,
NC
27408
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Janus Theatres
Previous Names: Janus 1 & 2
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News About This Theater
- May 24, 2012 — Celebrating the Original STAR WARS on its 35th Anniversary
The Janus Theatres in Greensboro North Carolina opened its doors to the public on December 20, 1968 as a twin theatre. It was the South’s most elegant theatre and it was the second twin theatre to open in North Carolina. At the time of its opening the Janus 1 & 2 was one of the first modern ultra theatres in the South between Washington and Atlanta. to have full automated projection and stereophonic sound. The first films shown were “Yellow Submarine” and “Elvira Madigan”. By 1970 it expanded to four screens and by 1975 three more screens were added to expand to seven screens. By 1981, it eventually grew to eight screens and was Greensboro’s top entertainment showplace when it closed on June 27, 2000. It was demolished to make way for luxury condos and speciality shops. The Janus Theatres showed many first-run blockbusters and well as smaller independent and art films, as well as special features of interest.
Contributed by
John Brannon
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Recent comments (view all 22 comments)
After the Janus closed, the buildings were razed and the lot sat empty for over a decade. All that remained was the old parking lot until 2012, when First Citizens Bank built a fine looking branch at the location.
Star Wars opened at the Janus on June 17, 1977. In a (spoiler-rich!) review from that days Greensboro Daily News, staff writer Russ Edmonston, who had attended a special showing the night before, wrote, “The [Janus] management has installed a dolby-stereo [sic] sound system to enhance the sound effects of specially prepared film. It is the only theater so equipped in North Carolina.”
On a personal note, the Janus was the theater where I saw Star Wars for the first time in summer of 1977. When the Special Edition was released twenty years later, I saw Episode IV in the exact same auditorium. Great memories!
The Janus not only showed “STAR WARS:SPECIAL EDITION”
but the special editions of “THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK” and “THE RETURN OF THE JEDI” too.
December 20th, 1968 grand opening ad uploaded here.
Other movies that got first-run exclusive billing:
ALIEN-where it played on 2 screens in DOLBY STEREO
APOCALYPSE NOW-Directed by Francis Ford Coppula
The original STAR TREK:THE MOTION PICTURE
Steven Spielburg’s “E.T.”-played on 2 screens-DOLBY
“BACK TO THE FUTURE”
“TOP GUN”
Not to mention the North Carolina exclusive engagement showing of Steven Spielburg’s THE COLOR PURPLE
The JANUS also got the adult “porn” films too. It got the only exclusive showing of the notorious adult picture EMANUELLE IN AMERICA first-run showing with complete matinees in early-1977.
Let’s not forget the Janus' long-running engagement of ROCKY that ran from February 18,1977 to July 28,1977.
The original ROCKY movie was the Janus' second long-running engagement after “Star Wars” that ran for an astounding 64 weeks.
My favorite element of the Janus was the lighted hallways that led to the auditoriums. My friend and I would run up and down those halls pretending to be jumping into hyperspace. It was awesome.
Also that they let me get in to see the Abyss with my pockets obviously full of Andy Capp Hot Fries.
More info:
• On December 20th, 1968, Janus 1 was opened, followed by Janus 2 on December 21st, 1968.
• In April 1969, the theatre management opened an art gallery.
• On December 24th, 1971, Janus III & IV opened in a neighboring restaurant that had previously failed.
• The Janus Screening Room was opened on July 25th, 1973, in a separate building located across from the main theatre.
• Janus Screening Room II was opened on January 4th, 1974.
• Janus 7 was inaugurated on May 14th, 1976.
• The theatre was closed down in 2000.
Grand opening ads posted.
Closed June 27th, 2000. closing ad posted.