Cloverleaf Mall Cinemas (#1)

7201 Midlothian Turnpike,
Richmond, VA 23255

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Cineplex Odeon, Plitt Theatres

Nearby Theaters

Interior Entrance

This twin opened in the mall on August 16, 1972 operated by District Theatres. The mall was the first large scale indoor mall in Richmond, it was ‘The Shopping Center of Richmond’ and had a Sears, the East Coast’s largest JC Penney, Thalhimers which later became a Hechts (May Co.) and over 75 other stores.

On March 31, 1982 Cineplex Odeon opened an 8-screen cinema (Cloverleaf Mall Cinemas #2) in a separate building way at the back of the mall site and the twin screen was closed and made into an 8 bay food court.

The entire mall closed in 2008, and as I write this in April of 2012, this once premier shopping destination in the Richmond area, is being demolished. At the same time the largest Kroger Market Place Store in the Mid-Atlantic region is being built. Also to be built is retail, restaurants, offices and 350 multi-family residences. You will never know Cloverleaf Mall or the cinemas were on the site! The new name is Stonebridge.

Contributed by Chief Bob Jensen

Recent comments (view all 8 comments)

Coate
Coate on April 21, 2012 at 10:18 am

From the intro: “On March 31, 1982 Cineplex Odeon opened an 8-screen cinema (Clover Mall Cinemas #2) in a seperate building” <<<

Cineplex-Odeon did not exist in 1982, so either you have cited the wrong company or wrong year. (Cineplex and Canadian Odeon both existed then but had not yet merged. And I do not believe Cineplex operated any theaters in the United States as of spring ‘82. Their first opened in the summer of '82, and it wasn’t this one.)

Coate
Coate on April 21, 2012 at 10:26 am

Also, isn’t the proper name Cloverleaf, rather than, simply, Clover?

raysson
raysson on April 21, 2012 at 12:09 pm

Coate: From the previous comment about this theater; “Cineplex Odeon did not exist in 1982,so you have cited the wrong company or the wrong year.”

In 1982,this theater was owned and operated under Plitt Southern Theatres,which basically owned and operated a LOT a movie theaters in the South during part of the early-1980’s,and it remained that way until Cineplex Odeon bought them around 1987 or 1988. All of the movie theaters in the Southeast around the Carolinas or Virginia were under Plitt Southern Theatres,and it wasn’t until Cineplex Odeon took over the operations of the Cloverleaf Mall Cinemas until 1987.

You’re right about one thing Coate: Cineplex Odeon didn’t operated any theaters until 1982,and this was in the Midwest states where Cineplex Odeon was first established.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on April 21, 2012 at 3:09 pm

Go to “REMEMBERING PLITT THEATRES” on Facebook for more Plitt info.

Ret. AKC (NAC) CCC Bob Jensen, Manteno, Illinois
Ret. AKC (NAC) CCC Bob Jensen, Manteno, Illinois on April 21, 2012 at 6:51 pm

PLEASE CHANGE NAME OF CINEMA TO:

cloverLEAF mall cinemas

Michael Coate, thanks for pointing that out, I don’t know what I was thinking?

Robert L. Bradley
Robert L. Bradley on August 24, 2013 at 1:28 pm

The 2-screen theater inside the mall was opened by District Theatres.

mev1985
mev1985 on April 3, 2018 at 11:26 am

I worked in the original Cloverleaf Twin Cinemas in 1985 and 1986, or you could say from THE LAST DRAGON to FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR.

I don’t recall the first owners for me being Plitt, but I’ll check pay stubs at home. I do know that the owners also owned the Broad Street Cinemas 1 & 2 because a “district” manager for both theaters kept his office there. I’m near certain though that Neighborhood Theaters acquired us in early 1986 and then Cineplex Odeon rather quickly acquired Neighborhood.

I believe the 8-screen, free-standing Cineplex Odeon behind the mall opened in 1988.

rivest266
rivest266 on September 26, 2022 at 4:45 am

The Cloverleaf Mall Cinema I & II was opened by District Theatres on August 16th, 1972. Grand opening ad posted.

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