Cardinal Theatres I & II

Located at the intersection of Six Forks Road at Lassiter Mill Road in the North Hills Shopping Center, the Cardinal Theatre was one of the premiere showcase moviehouses in Raleigh and when it opened on July 1, 1967 with Doris Day in “Caprice”. The theatre operated as a single screen theatre with its huge auditorium equipped with state of the art seating and brilliant widescreen projection for showcasing Hollywood’s best. It had great 70mm projection.

The Cardinal Theatre showed only first-run features and family films and it remained a single screen theatre until a second screen seating 625 was built adjacent to this huge astounding auditorium. It opened on July 24, 1977 with “For the Love of Benji”. It remained that way until the Cardinal Theatres I & II closed in 1990.

The smaller additional screen has now been demiolished, leaving the original auditorium in retail use as a Blockbuster store.

Recent comments (view all 41 comments)

NightHawk1 on August 6, 2013 at 5:41 am

Blockbuster is long gone from this location. Bonefish Grill is now located on the site of the original Cardinal Theatre, I’m not sure if the restaurant is in the old theater building or if the old Cardinal Theatre/Blockbuster was demolished.

DavidDymond on August 6, 2013 at 5:17 pm

Built and operated by Wilby-Kincey Paramount Theatre operating partner, then ABC theatres, then Plitt, then Cineplex Odeon after purchasing Plitt, then closed!!

raysson on August 6, 2013 at 7:41 pm

Closed in 1990 under Cineplex Odeon.

Micah on September 4, 2013 at 4:44 am

The Bonefish restaurant is indeed in the former Cardinal I building. The restaurant’s front patio space was originally the outer edge of the lobby.

raysson on April 29, 2014 at 7:54 pm

The Reserved Seat Engagements of GONE WITH THE WIND played here in 70MM-6 Track Stereophonic Sound on December 22,1967.

raysson on June 30, 2014 at 4:22 pm

ALIEN played here on May 25,1979 first-run showing in DOLBY STEREO.

Also played here first-run at the Cardinal at North Hills “GHOSTBUSTERS”

“CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND”

“THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST”

“WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT”

“SCARFACE”-Al Pacino in DOLBY STEREO

As well as the 70mm-6 Track DOLBY STEREO presentations “THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK”

“INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM”

travistarrant on June 8, 2017 at 6:42 am

Today, June 8th, 2017 is the day the time capsule will be opened.

rivest266 on May 5, 2020 at 3:24 am

Grand opening ads

Cardinal theatre of North Hills opening Sat, Jul 1, 1967 – 6 · The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) · Newspapers.com

DavidZornig on June 14, 2022 at 2:10 am

June 29, 1967 photo in below Facebook link.

https://www.facebook.com/olderaleigh/photos/pb.100063629260284.-2207520000../2355801737845431/?type=3

MSC77 on October 25, 2022 at 12:35 am

A chronology of Raleigh’s 70mm presentation history has recently been published. The Cardinal is mentioned numerous times.