Plaza Theatre
2 Biltmore Avenue,
Asheville,
NC
28801
2 Biltmore Avenue,
Asheville,
NC
28801
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 28 comments
i totally agree with all the comments. I was head usher and worked with Mr. Hall closing many nights; hanging posters for upcoming movies. Also remember Mrs. Hall, forgot the gentleman’s name who handled cleaning duties, popping the corn, etc. Great group of young ladies working the concession. Left December 1959 for Great Lakes and the U.S. Navy. Great memories. Would like to reconnect with some or all of those fine people.
If you want to contact me, please go right ahead.
This was one of the best times of my life!
I burned out as a manager, and went back to work at the Plaza as a projectionist. (What a great job!) I left around 1976. As you can see from my narrative, it was one of the best times of my life.
I got promoted to Assistant Manager, working with Bruce Crossman. Soon after Irvin-Fuller opened the Merrimon Twin Theaters. Tony Tracy from Columbia, SC was our manager. Dean Campbell and I were his assistants. I met my first wife there.
It was a beautiful theatre! Since ushers really worked during show changes, we got to goof off. My favourites were the balcony and behind the stage in Plaza I. We called it the catacombs. The dressing rooms and back stage were evident. It was cool to think of what it was like with a house full of 1200 people seeing a live performance!
Gene Shipman found this job for me. Last year in high school I joined in. Roy Gibbs was the City Manager. (He smoked Salem cigarettes. And always used green ink in his pen.) I my worked my way up from second (!) usher to assistant manager. Garry Miller and Mr. Simpson anchored the projection booth. The box office was held down by Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Porter.
i was the manager of the plaza theater from 1980-82. does anyone in asheville knows what happened to former employees of mine? michael grant was a projectionist and former manager of the plaza back in the 70’s, cathy hall, matt hawkins, and tim i cant remember his last name a former manager in the 70’s who quit and went to work for 3 mountaineers in asheville. i did my internship at the plaza for my management degree at unc-a and later became the manager there thanks to tims help. email at . also what happened to plaza theater after it closed in 1985, and why did it close?
If anyone knows or has knowledge of employees during 1957-59 (Irma Parker/Boyd, Judy Monroe, etc.), please contact me at , or 540.370.1642. As indicated in my comments above, I was head usher during most of that time, and would like to reconnect with those folks. Thank you, Ken (Gene) Gaddy
Closed In July 1985.
Additional comment from TOBY 11: If anyone knows IRMA JEAN PARKER (BYRD), a former employee and friend, please have her contact me at Thank you, Kenneth Eu(Gene) Gaddy
I worked at The Plaza from 1957-59 first an usher and then head usher. Gene was mgr. and I’ve forgotten the assistant mgr’s. Name. The gentleman who popped the pop corn and kept the place spotless was also a minister with seven or eight children. He invited the employees to his Sunday service, a small black church as I remember, and oh what a blessing. Only wish I could remember their names. I left for Great Lakes and the Navy at a young age of 17. Fond memories! My email is Kenneth Eugene Gaddy
hey ruthie i remember something about gene. he went to work for sky city department stores as their ad manager. i think they might have went out of busisness in the early 90’s?. is the merimon twins on merrimon ave. still operating? or the ashevlle west?and what did they do to the plaza after it closed?
December 18th, 1969 grand opening ad as a twin cinema also in the photo section.
This opened on January 12th, 1925. Grand opening ad in the photo section
@mtnhawk…thank you so much for answering! I am so delighted to just know something…you know, you just remember those very special people from your childhood, and you wonder where they went. In my memory he was exactly as you describe,glasses and all. I was 9/10 when we first met Gene, and had a very minimal understanding of Gay, but I do remember somehow comprehending that he was. I had a gay uncle. You know every single gay man I have ever known has been the kindest of people. Gene had the best personality. And you are right , he was very intelligent. We dearly loved him. He was there and then ‘poof’ he was gone, and I really don’t remember what age I was when he was no longer there. I do remember we asked where Gene was, and someone told us he didn’t work there anymore.We were too young and perhaps ‘too respectful’ at the time to have pressed for more information, but I wish we had. I remember that we were very disappointed. I would love to think that he is somewhere enjoying a wonderful life today. Perhaps with the information you have already provided, in both your response to me, and your first post of Jan. 23, 2015 I can get closer to finding his last name. With Facebook, finding people is a lot easier if you just have a few pieces of information. Thank you so much. I am sure I would have seen you at the Plaza too…it was my favorite movie theater in Asheville and I went there all the time, up until it closed. But, in that you didn’t throw me up on your shoulders like Gene did…lol! Well, actually in 80-82 I was 20 to 22, so you wouldn’t have done that! haha!
What led me to this site “Cinematreasures” was actually a Face Book post of the very photograph at the top of this page. I posted the picture with a shout-out to Elizabeth, my best friend, who I mentioned in my question to you, asking her if she remembered our fun friend Gene who would toss us all around like we were his brothers and sisters. Of course she remembers Gene as well as I do. Elizabeth lives in Iowa now. Anyway that got a tremendous conversation started, with so many people commenting and several people said they loved it when they played the Bruce Lee, James Bond and Horror movies, also the late nights and weekend matinees, just as you mentioned above. lol! Now it’s so funny that I am talking to you…the one responsible for all that!
I was really into horror movies… I am sure I saw every single one that was there. I am totally a James Bond fan, and Bruce Lee. I am sure I saw all that. I come from a big family of movie lovers. One of the things I make sure to do as a mom is to make sure my son sees ALL the great movies. I mean going way, way back to the beginning of cinema. Even the silent films. Movies are wonderful entertainment but they can can literally change people’s lives for the better.
Well, sorry this is so long, but thank you so much! I am so pleased to meet you, and to know you were there at my favorite theater. I was so sad when it closed. Also, if you ever find anything out about Gene, I have subscribed here and will be notified if you post another comment.I am still in Asheville. I lived in Martinsville Virginia when I was in kindergarten and first grade.Then we moved to Atlanta, then here to Asheville when I was in 5th, and I have been here ever since. Asheville is a great town. Take Care. :)
yes i remember gene. he had already moved on when i started there. he was the assistant manger and also did all the advertising for the plaza. i cant remember his last name. he was probably in his early 20’s tall thin and black headed and wore glasses. he was very intelligent and gay. im 58 now so he is in his early 60’s . i dont know if he still lives in asheville i left there in 1983 and moved to virginia. i still miss the plaza it was the best time i ever had working there.
@ mtnhawk, would you know how to find out about an employee of the Plaza 1 & 2 in 1970, and on through maybe 1973 whose name was Gene? He was young, maybe high school or college age. My best friend and I who were 10 in 1970 would go there with our little sisters and brothers and Gene was so nice to us. It was as much fun to see him as it was to go to the movies. We only knew him as Gene. It would be fun to know where he is now.
i was the manager of the plaza theater from 1980-82. it was the first real job i had out of college unc-asheville. i managed the theater and also cleaned it for extra money. irvin-fuller had just sold it to roth and cohen theaters and i was their first manager there. i had a great time working there. we also had a union projectionist. we played alot of the bruce lee movies and horror movies,james bond movies. and ran late shows occasionally. we had weekend matinees
April 13,1977 Now Showing First-Run!!! Calvin Lockhart in THE BARON Rated R With Four Showings On Saturday and Sundays,and Three Showings on Weekdays Only…..
COMING SOON:
Gladys Knight in PIPE DREAMS Rated PG
Bruce Li in THE CHINESE CONNECTION II Rated R
The PLAZA had also that embarrassing weak STAR WARS rip off called “BATTLE FROM BEYOND THE STARS” with Richard Thomas and Robert Vaughn that was produced by Roger Corman. Rated “PG”
COMING ATTRACTIONS TO THE PLAZA(Double Feature):
“REVENGE OF THE STREET FIGHTER”-Sonny Chiba along with “THE RETURN OF THE STREET FIGHTER” Both features Rated “R”
“THE TEACHER” with Angela Tompkins and Jay(Dennis The Menace)North!!! Rated R
“RETURN OF THE BABYSITTER”-Rated R….with Jerry Mathers(aka The Beaver!)
Friday January 31,1975 Showing at the Plaza……
Double Feature with Issac Hayes in “TRUCK TURNER” and Pam Grier in “FOXY BROWN”-Both features Rated “R”
Plaza II: THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED
COMING ATTRACTIONS: Sonny Chiba in THE STREET FIGHTER “THE TEACHER” with Angela Tompkins and Jay North “POLICEWOMAN” with Sondra Currie and Tony Young
Jan 6 1980 Now showing “MOUNTAIN FAMILY ROBINSON” and “SCAVENGER HUNT” both held over.
Movies that played the Plaza:
“THE END” $3.00 before 5:00pm $3.50 after 5:00pm.
“FM"
"CORVETTE SUMMER”
Also Showing at the Plaza “POLTERGEIST”, “HANK PANKY”,“PENITENTIARY” “MOUNTAIN FAMILY ROBINSON”, “NOSFERATU”[one week only],“CUBA” and “THE VISITOR”. While all the other theatre chains in town had matinees every day the IRVIN-FULLER Theatres for some strange reason never did.
The PLAZA Theatre was going strong in the summer of 1977 with Gladys Knight in “PIPE DREAMS” rated PG.With FIVE showings. Thank goodness the other IRVIN-FULLER Theatre in town had “STAR WARS” because on the other screen at the PLAZA was a VERY WEAK “STARSHIP INVASIONS” rated Pg.