Valley Theatres I & II
4325 Glenwood Avenue,
Raleigh,
NC
27612
4325 Glenwood Avenue,
Raleigh,
NC
27612
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February 2, 1973 flood photo in below Facebook post.
https://www.facebook.com/olderaleigh/photos/pb.100063629260284.-2207520000../2473306462761624/?type=3
Grand opening ad
Valley I & II cinemas opening Wed, Feb 10, 1971 – 14 · The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) · Newspapers.com
STAR WARS played here first-run in Raleigh on July 1, 1977. It played for an astounding 24 weeks.
A BEST BUY store now stands on the opposite side of the plaza area of Crabtree Valley where the former Valley Twin Theatres once stood.
Both of THE GODFATHER I & II movies got first run billing at this theatre. This theatre got a lot of the Paramount product as well as movies from 20th Century-Fox and Columbia Pictures.
The ONLY Disney movie that ever played at the Valley Theatres I & II was for its Christmas of 1977 attraction of the musical PETE’S DRAGON.
August 16,1974…Exclusive Triangle Engagement Showing VALLEY THEATRES 1 & 2….The Movie Event of 1974…… Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in “CHINATOWN”
THE VALLEY THEATRES 1 & 2…December 20,1974
VALLEY I-Irwin Allen’s “THE TOWERING INFERNO” with Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden with an all-star cast….the Christmas Event of 1974 is here in Raleigh!!!
VALLEY II-Opens Christmas Day-The Family Saga Continues Francis Ford Coppula’s “THE GODFATHER:PART II”
Richard Pryor in “Which Way Is Up?” played at the Valley Twin in December of 1977 and ran for two months. Saw it opening night with my parents with a capacity crowd that snaked around the cinema. Hilarious funny. Went back to see it the following week. Great movie.
“AMERICAN GRAFFITI” played at the Valley Twin in 1978 as a re-release.
“The Poseidon Adventure” played at the Valley Twin in December 1972, and ran for several months. I saw it as a kid with a bunch of my friends. We went back to see it again and again. Great movie.
Not only VALLEY OF THE DOLLS played here but also Raquel Welch in MYRA BRECKINRIDGE played here first-run as part a double feature of “X” rated films that played at the Valley Theatres 1 & 2 in 1971. But were re-releases
I remember seeing Clint Eastwood’s THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES playing here first-run at this theatre in 1976.
Also played here “ROCKY” (1976) and “ROCKY II”(1979) as well as “ROCKY III”(1982) got first-run at the Valley.
Francis Coppula’s “THE GODFATHER” played at the Valley Twin Theatres first-run on March 16,1972 as a general release.
In fact a lot of the Paramount product got first billing here including a lot of the venue…. “THE GREAT GATSBY”
“CHINATOWN”
“HAROLD AND MAUDE”
“NASHVILLE”
“CHARLOTTE’S WEB”-animated feature
“JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL”
“THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDLEY KRAVITZ”
“THE CONVERSATION”
“LADY SINGS THE BLUES”
“MAHOGANY”
“THE GODFATHER: PART II”
“THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR”-Robert Redford
“SERPICO”-Al Pacino
and many more!
STAR WARS played at the Valley Twin Theatres on July 1,1977 as a general release.
A lot of great blockbusters got first-run at this theatre
–“PATTON”
–“THE FRENCH CONNECTION”
–“THE GODFATHER”
–“THE GODFATHER PART II”
–“MAS*H”
–“STAR WARS”
–“TOP GUN”
–“BACK TO THE FUTURE”
–“BEVERLY HILLS COP I AND BEVERLY HILLS COP II”
–“CHINATOWN”
–“AMERICAN GRAFFITI”
When the Valley Twin Theatres closed in 1988,construction of two multiplexes were being built along that stretch of Glenwood Avenue and all of Northwest Raleigh…….
-The opening of the Pleasant Valley Promenade Cinema 7 on October 27,1989 (which was General Cinema’s first venue in the Raleigh-Durham market)just three blocks from Crabtree Valley Mall.
-The Raleigh Grande 16-(Raleigh’s megaplex cinema)opened in May of 1998.
-The Carmike Cinema 7-(located off Atlantic Springs Road at Millbrook Road in North Raleigh)was Carmike’s first multiplex theatre for Raleigh that opened on November 3,1989. The Carmike 7 did not replaced the Valley Twin,but the chain did however wanted to built a bigger cinema that basically expanded their market in the Northern section of Raleigh.
Mike: Carmike was the last theatre to operate the Valley Twin. In my posession I have the original ads on the two features during the Valley’s last picture show in 1988. At that time,this theatre was under Carmike Cinemas. The November 15,1988 last picture show at the Valley Twin were as follows:
Screen 1: George Burns in “18 AGAIN”
Screen 2: “FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII:THE NEW BLOOD”
Mike: Carmike was the last theatre to operate the Valley Twin. In my posession I have the original ads on the two features during the Valley’s last picture show in 1988. At that time,this theatre was under Carmike Cinemas. The November 15,1988 last picture show at the Valley Twin were as follows:
Screen 1: George Burns in “18 AGAIN”
Screen 2: “FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII:THE NEW BLOOD”
THEATRE HISTORY:
1971-1976 Schneider-Merl Theatres
1976-1984 Martin Theatres
1984-1988 Carmike Cinemas
The CRABTREE VALLEY MALL was anchored by three department stores that opened on August 8,1972:
-HUDSON BELK-Which was the largest Belk’s in the state and the largest retail department store to be built in Eastern North Carolina that opened in 1972.
-THALHIMERS-Which became HECHT’S and is now MACY’S.
-SEARS ROEBUCK AND COMPANY-At the time of its opening was the largest SEARS store in the Carolinas and in all of Eastern North Carolina that opened in 1972. This store replaced the one that was located at Cameron Village. This SEARS store had expanded features including its own restaurant and snack bar section!
The supporting stores:
-MILLER AND RHOADES
-G.C. MURPHY COMPANY
-TREASURY DRUGS
-PICCADILLY CAFETERIA
-SAM GOODY’S
Steven Spielburg’s THE COLOR PURPLE was one of three theatres in the state of North Carolina that was given the exclusive engagement showing of the film when it opened on December 20,1985. These are the theatres that were the exclusive engagement showings:
-Raleigh (Valley Theatres 1 & 2)
-Greensboro (Janus)
-Charlotte (Park Terrace)–[In Dobly Stereo]
Other theatres didn’t get the general release of the film until February or March of 1986. Only Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro were the exclusive engagements.
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CRABTREE VALLEY MALL IN RALEIGH:
The Convenience Center opened in early 1971 with the opening of several stores that was part of the strip plaza that was facing the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Blue Ridge Road. This was anchored by a Big Star grocer and several speciality shops were added including a Singer Sewing Store, Pier One Imports, Catherine’s Women Store, a United States Branch Post Office, a Laundromat and Dry Cleaners.
A Crabtree Valley Barber Shop and Beauty Salon,and a Hardees Restaurant. Not to mention a Shoe Store and other specialty shops. The Valley Theatres were on the opposite end of the Plaza facing Blue Ridge Road right across from the Good Year Tire and Auto Center that was basically across the street from the convenience center.
The shopping mall itself,CRABTREE VALLEY MALL didn’t officially opened to the public until August 8,1972. It was in fact prior to its opening the Triangle’s first-ever megaplex shopping center and was the largest indoor shopping center in the state and in all of Eastern North Carolina. CRABTREE VALLEY MALL was Raleigh’s second indoor shopping center after the huge success of North Hills which opened in 1966 as Raleigh’s first-ever mall,and after Cameron Village which was Raleigh’s first-ever suburban shopping center that opened in 1949.
The mall was anchored by three major department stores: -HUDSON BELK-which was the largest Belk store in Eastern North Carolina that opened on August 8,1972. -THALHIMERS -SEARS ROEBUCK AND COMPANY With the supporting stores: -MILLER AND RHOADES -G.C. MURPHY COMPANY -TREASURY DRUGS -PICCADILLY CAFETERIA With more than 200 stores and services
From Mike Rogers' (7-13-2010) comment: Mike is right! “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” was released in 1970 by 20th Century-Fox that actually played in first-run theatres and not some slutty adult movie house. By the way,this picture was in fact Rated “X” for a reason!!! During it’s run,the film did huge business despite the criticism it got for it’s graphic subject matter. Also,the theatres here in Raleigh and in Durham did played this as part of their “late shows” on Friday and Saturday nights……The Valley Twin Theatres was in fact the only movie theatre during it’s showing of the film did played it as a later matinee…very risky for its time in 1970.
THE COMING ATTRACTIONS TO THE VALLEY THEATRES 1 & 2:
Raleigh Exclusive Engagement Showing! “PATTON”
-Dustin Hoffman and Faye Dunaway in “LITTLE BIG MAN”
-The Monster Hit of 1970-“MAS*H”
–“BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS”–
-Gene Hackman in “THE FRENCH CONNECTION”
–“ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES”
-Ruth Gordon in “HAROLD AND MAUDE”
The Valley Theatres 1 & 2 opened on February 9,1971 as Raleigh’s first-ever twin theatres under Schneider-Merl.
AUDITORIUM ONE: “THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT” starring George Segal and Barbra Streisand.
AUDITORIUM TWO: “RIO LOBO”-starring John Wayne and Richard Boone.