Village Theater
3057 Freedom Drive,
Charlotte,
NC
28208
3057 Freedom Drive,
Charlotte,
NC
28208
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For a while, Carmike had their district office in this theater, until it moved to the Town Cinema Six near UNCC. I worked for Carmike back during that time and helped move the office furniture. I got to see the screens coming down and seats removed from the auditorium. It was a little sad since I had seen TRON there years prior. One of the old theater seats sat in offices of Town Cinema for quite a while. I’m sure it was taken by a manager at some point (or trashed).
This theatre was known for its showing of family films and Disney releases. I saw “THE CASTAWAY COWBOY” starring James Garner here in 1974. This was one of the worst Disney films ever made and the worst James Garner picture ever shown.
STAR WARS played here as a re-release on July 21,1978.
A lot of first-run exclusives brought in record crowds to this theatre,which was mainly known for its showing of Disney films and “B” movie releases.
The Village was the only theatre in the Carolinas that brought in record crowds for its showing of Ross Hunter’s AIRPORT that played here first-run in 1970 that held the all-time record attendance for such a movie in the greater Charlotte area that played here an astounding record of 27 weeks!
Other first-run exclusives including WALKING TALL in 1973 that played here for 23 weeks! Another record breaking attendance for a showing of a film in Charlotte.
It also held another record that brought in record crowds was the Village’s exclusive engagement of the 1977 re-issue of STAR WARS that played here on July 21,1978 that held it until August 22,1978.
The VILLAGE THEATRE opened on July 8,1966 with the premiere attraction “THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE” Starring Henry Fonda,Robert Ryan and Telly Savalas. Even though this movie was presented in Cinerama in 1966,the movie was a basic general engagement showing in the Carolinas. It was not a roadshow presentation when it played at this theatre nor it was not featured in Cinerama. The only theatre in the state of North Carolina that had three strip Cinerama projection was at Charlotte’s Carolina Theatre.
For Mike Rogers: The Village was twinned in 1978 when its 800 seat single screener was split into two sections with 400 seats each renamed the Village 1 & 2 under Stewart and Everett.
The Tryon Mall was twinned in 1974 under ABC Southeastern Theatres and reopened on Christmas Day of 1974.
This theatre was equipped with “Century” JJ 70/35mm projectors along with 6 Track and 4 Track Magnetic Sound in addition to optical analog.
Carmike Cinemas ran this theatre in the mid-1980’s as a 99-cent second run discount house from the buyout of Stewart and Everett in 1986 until its closing in 1989(by 1989,the Capri became a discount house with 99-cent pricing)under the titles AKA Village 1 & 2 and the Village Twin.
After additional research I found that the Village was not the last single screen cinema built in Charlotte. That distinction belongs to the Tryon Mall Theater which opened on March 24,1972 by ABC Southeastern Theatres.
The Village Theater was one of several theatres that were built as part of a rapid expansion of the Charlotte-based Stewart and Everett chain in the mid-1960’s…Five were built in 1966 alone. According to items in Boxoffice Magazine,the Village and at least one of the four were designed by Charles L. Wheatley and Associates,a Charlotte architectural firm. It seems likely that the firm designed all of the S&E houses during this period,but Boxoffice fails to confirm this.
The January 10,1966,issue of Boxoffice said that construction of the Village was about to begin and that completion of the house was expected by June 1,1966. The theater was to have a seating capacity of 800 and it opened on July 8,1966.
Stewart and Everett operated this theatre from 1966 to 1986. Carmike Cinemas acquired this theatre in 1986 until it’s closing in 1989.