Carolina Beach Cinema 4

The theatre, as well as the entire old Federal Point Shopping Center, was demolished in late 2018 and early 2019. I was there a couple of weeks ago and found new shopping center named the Commons at Federal Point Center which is anchored by a Publix grocery store and several smaller businesses. I managed this theatre the first four years it was open. Granted it was the typical Stewart & Everett Theatre’s style and color scheme of the 80s but it was a good theatre with several nice features. In June 1984 there was tremendous excitement about the opening of the theatre by people who lived in and near Carolina Beach but sadly the theatre struggled with low attendance from the very beginning. The theatre closed 2010 and had become an eyesore so demolition was inevitable Perhaps it doesn’t matter to anyone else but it was a very sad day for me when I saw it was gone. I spent forty years in the movie theatre business. I saw countless changes in the industry from carbon arc and twenty minutes reels to digital presentation. In my opinion it is a dying industry largely because of the entertainment options that are available to people at home but also because greed on the part of movie stars and theatre owners coupled with the lack of respect theatre owners show their employees particularly theatre managers.

As of August 2017 the theater is closed, in ill repair, and looks like it’s in need of a new roof. The parking lot has pot holes and, stagnant rain water sit’s everywhere.

This theater still looks like this with the exception of another letter in “cinema” missing. Still for lease and decaying.

thanks again smyjmy for taking the time to get the pictures.Always enjoy looking at them.

View link

View link

View link

View link

picture taken June, 2010

Well, all the local theaters Carmike purchased from Stewart and Everett were old, out dated styles. There is no way any of those old complexes could have competed with the new, modern, stadium style regardless of how well maintained. Carmike built us a cinema 12 here in town soon after closing most of the old theaters. In 2002 they made that theater a 16plex. I can’t really complain about Carmike closing the CB cinema 4, however another $1.50 theater in town would be nice.

Why would you get in a Business to close theatres if you call yourself a theatre circuit,exhibitor.Could you see LOEWS ever doing that in the Glory days. Heck No.

Yes, Smyjmy,you are right.We have one left in Augusta.MASTERS 7 Value Cinemas.It was a Four plex when it opened in 1975.Remodeled and two screen added ,really a nice $2.00 theatre when so many are left just to fall apart.It is a pity the CAROLINA BEACH 4 CINEMA couldn’t be use as a dollar theatre.The more I read about this CARMIKE outfit on CT they must just buy screens drain what profit they can,put nothing into the theatre and Close up.CT is littered with CARMIKE STORIES.I guess I am the only one that notices.Am I Wrong?

Back in early June (2010) I noticed “FOR LEASE” signs on the theater. The theater however remained open so I decided to see one last movie there. Being that its the last of the old style theaters in the area I’m glad I did. I saw “SPLICE” in auditorium 1. In seeing this movie I have come to understand sadly, why these old theaters are gone.

-The air handler was noisy and cycled on and off during the film which was distracting
-The theater smelled musty
-At times I could overhear the movie playing in auditorium 2
-Sound quality was poor and screen was smaller than the screens in the local stadium style theaters
-floor was barely sloped (common for theaters of this vintage)

I’m sad to see this theater go. If I was'nt a regular at the local stadium style theaters I probbably wouln’t have noticed most of
these things.