Grandin Theatre
1310 Grandin Road,
Roanoke,
VA
24015
1310 Grandin Road,
Roanoke,
VA
24015
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Grand opening ad:
Grandin Theatre opening 20 Mar 1932, Sun The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Virginia) Newspapers.com
The Emporis page for the Grandin Theatre attributes the design of the project to the local architectural and construction firm Eubank & Caldwell.
According to the City of Roanoke’s official plan for the Greater Raleigh Court neighborhood, the Grandin opened as the Community Theatre on March 26, 1932.
Here is a photo circa 1946:
http://tinyurl.com/ylxjqsm
HEY! Wasn’t the exterior of the Grandin used in the movie “Crazy People”??
Thanks for the photo of this theater as I’ve been to Roanoke many years and don’t recall seeing it, but then again I wasn’t into theatres during my visit in the 60’s. It looks like the original ticket kios is still there, too.
Roanoke,Patsy,is probably the most livable,pleasent place in the country,with more beauty than is given to most places.The biggest stain is the total wipe out of the former array of great downtown theaters.Several are not listed on the site,including the largest and grandest.One attraction for a traveler like me,is the traditionally lower than anywhere in the region,gas prices.
I would like to visit Roanoke as I’ve been to that city many years ago and remember the star on the hill overlooking the city and the beautiful neighborhoods. A future visit would include the Grandin this time around though!
When I was a teenager attending Patrick Henry High School, I met Sam Craver who was general manager of the Grandin/Jefferson/Lee Theatres. He gave me a stack of pressbooks and spent hours showing me how movies were promoted and advertised. A year later we moved to Richmond where I got a job as an usher at a reserved seat 70mm house and eventually became the advertising director for the circuit of 100 screens from 1974 to 1996, all from the seed Mr. Craver planted. Nice folks in Roanoke!
The terrace theatre was a twin & I was the projectionest there part time. Also I worked at it sister theatre the Towers theatre which was a triple ples & it was only about 3 to 4 miles from the grandin. I also was the projectionest there part time.
Must have been used for concerts during the 1980s.
I have a list showing Bobby “Blue” Bland played there on 3/15/85.
My favorite movie memory from the Grandin was Dr.Strangelove.A lot of the senior class of Cave Spring,‘64 saw it there and did skits from our favorite parts during school time.Giving the nazi salute to Quillan or Overstreet when their backs were turned often happened.I do remember some ads styling the Grandin as Roanoke’s last movie palace.That reminded me of a line from 1776,but forget that..It’s like calling a ford pinto a BMW.Both beat walking,but there is a difference.The Byrd is a movie palace.The Grandin as a nice neighborhood movie house that through great love and pain has survived,when every other one in the beautiful valley has bit the dust.Kudos for that.
The Roanoke movie scene used to be a lot different.Near the corner of Jefferson & Campbell was the magnificent American Theater.Great lobby,great decor.Upstairs concession stand also.Great balcony.Torn down in the late 70’s,I think for a new bank bdg.Up the street two blocks on Jefferson was the Jefferson Theater,not as big or grand.I remember seeing 1776 there.The American,I particularly remember for The Graduate and Little Big Man.About ten blocks North from Orange Ave.on Williamson Rd.is the bdg that once was the Lee Theater.I remember seeing Elvira Madigan there.In beatiful downtown Salem,across from the old courthouse sits the handsome bdg that was the Salem Theater.It closed in the early 70’s,I think,after a short porno house run.I saw something there in the mid-60’s,can’t remember what,except John Wayne was in it.You have no section for Lynchburg,but after sitting for decades,the Music Academy is really getting a major re-upping.
Wish there was a photo of The Grandin on their website!
Are there any other movie houses in Roanoke? I heard
there used to be a twin that competed with the
GRANDIN back in the early 90’s. Does anyone know if this is true or not?
Does anyone know how to reach Julie Hunsaker?
Did her husband pass away? I met her them both at a SHOWEST
CONVENTION where she was honored for her outstanding work
at the Grandin Theater.
The Grandin has 4 screens, not one. (It had five before the new management took out one to increase the size of the concession stand). It is NOT part of a chain. How ‘bout updating the listing.
I’m searching for any old photos of the Grandin Theatre. I currently work at the theatre and am trying to put together a history page on our website.
The Grandin Theatre is located at 1310 Grandin Road and it seated 944 people.
The Grandin re-opened in 2002. They have a nice web site at:
http://www.grandintheatre.com/