Manor Twin Theatre
609 Providence Road,
Charlotte,
NC
28207
609 Providence Road,
Charlotte,
NC
28207
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New non-profit art/foreign cinema opening in Charlotte next month (June 2022). Executive Director and Cinema Director are both former long-time managers of the Manor! independentpicturehouse.org
I miss this old theater. Saw the ghost when I was there one time. Felt a great chill as I was walking to the lobby. Still a great theater much missed. Now art and foreign films will have a tougher time being shown in Charlotte.
Manor Theatre officially closing … will not reopen … https://www.charlotteagenda.com/219504/the-beloved-manor-theatre-will-close-after-73-years-in-myers-park/?fbclid=IwAR0wp-lPgdMCv_nQWdnkQIz9wslaiL635dzADH1XwcwyQYvx099GFDsRv38
This opened on April 11th, 1947. Grand opening ad posted.
“Star Wars” which was release in 1977 was absent from the Dobly Stereo presentations in the greater Charlotte area(It played for 46 weeks at the Charlottetown Mall Cinema). The August 4,1978 re-release was a Dobly Stereo presentation that play for an exclusive engagement showing at Charlotte’s Park Terrace Theatre,and not at the Manor. I have the ads. Contact me at
Coate is right. The Dobly Stereo sound system was installed in February 1978, four months before the opening of GREASE at Charlotte’s Manor Theatre which opened on June 16,1978.
Movies with Dobly Stereo prints in the early months of 1978 ahead of “GREASE” and “JAWS 2” included the following films:
“FM”-general release on April 20,1978
“Big Wednesday”-general release on May 16,1978
“The Manitou”-general release on April 28,1978
“Thank God It’s Friday”-general release May 19,1978
“Close Encounters”-general release November 16,1977**
was still in release throughout early 1978.
“Saturday Night Fever”-release December 16,1977,but was still in release throughout early 1978 and was re-release back in theatres during summer and autumn of 1978.
“Pete’s Dragon”-release November 3,1977,but was still in release throughout early 1978,and was re-release during the summer of 1978. Charlotte didn’t get the film until December of 1977.
“American Graffiti”-re-release on May 12,1978 in Dobly Stereo prints.
I’m conducting research if one of these films played as a Dobly Stereo presentation at Charlotte’s Manor Theatre.
raysson wrote: “Dobly Stereo System was installed in this theatre for the June 16,1978 opening of ‘GREASE’”
Dolby’s installation records indicate a Dolby sound system (CP50) was installed at the Manor in February 1978, not June.
Movies released with Dolby Stereo prints in the early months of 1978 ahead of “Grease” included “FM,” “Big Wednesday,” “The Manitou,” and the re-release of “American Graffiti.” As well, ‘77 Dolby productions still in release in early '78 included “Star Wars,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” Saturday Night Fever,“ and “Pete’s Dragon.” I haven’t researched it, but it’s possible one or more of those played at the Manor in a Dolby Stereo presentation before “Grease.”
“THE BLUE MAX” was a reserved seat engagement at Charlotte’s Manor Theatre on July 28, 1966. It was the only roadshow presentation engagement in the Carolinas.
On the marquee on April 5,1974….Exclusive Engagement “BLAZING SADDLES” when the Manor was a single screener under Eastern Federal Corporation.
CORRECTION:
Walt Disney’s SLEEPING BEAUTY was not a reserved seat engagement at the Manor. It was a Exclusive General Attraction in the Carolinas.
Otto Preminger’s EXODUS did not play at the Manor. The film was an Exclusive Engagement Carolina Showing first-run at Charlotte’s Center Theatre on May 26,1961. It was the only showing of the film in the Carolinas. I have the original ad from the May 26,1961 edition of the Charlotte Observer.
CORRECTION:
“The Agony and the Ecstasy”-Reserved Seat Engagement Carolina Presentation at Charlotte’s Capri Theatre on January 26,1966. This did not play at the Manor.
“Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines”-Reserved Seat Engagement Showing at Charlotte’s Manor Theatre on December 25,1965 in 70mm.
“TORA! TORA! TORA!”-Exclusive Carolina Presentation at Charlottetown Mall Cinema I & II on December 25,1970. This movie did not play first-run at the Manor.
I have my possession the original roadshow ads for the exclusive roadshow presentations that got first-run billing at the MANOR THEATRE and were the only showing in the Carolinas.
THE RESERVED SEAT CAROLINA ENGAGEMENTS AT THE MANOR:
“Exodus”
“Those Magnificient Men In Their Flying Machines”
“The Sand Pebbles”
“Sleeping Beauty”
“Funny Girl”
“Around the World In 80 Days”
THE EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT SHOWINGS AT THE MANOR:
“The Sting”
“Grease”
I have the original ads for these at
Jay Morong and Chuck1231: When the MANOR THEATRE opened in 1947,it was a single screen theatre with a seating capacity of 700. When this theatre was a single screener it was the showcase for a round of reserved seat engagement presentations among them North Carolina premieres like “Around The World in 80 Days”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “The Sand Pebbles”, “Funny Girl”,“The Agony and the Ecstasy” among others. It was also got the exclusive engagement showings like “The Sting” too. It was still a single screener by 1978 when it’s run of “Grease” broke all Charlotte attendance records. It wasn’t until 1979 when this theatre was split into two sections becoming the MANOR TWIN THEATRES. When it became a twin cinema in 1979 both auditoriums had a seating capacity of 186 when brings the correct seating count to 372 seats in both auditoriums.
The info at the top list the theater as having 700 seats. This is incorrect. The theater has two houses each with 186 seats. So the correct seat count for this theater is 372 seats.
It run of GREASE in 1978 broke all Charlotte movie attendance records when it played at the Manor. In 1978,the Manor was a 700 seat single screener. It’s run of GREASE broke the previous attendance record for a movie musical that was set years earlier by THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
When I lived in Charlotte from 1957-1975, the Manor was one of my favorite theaters. I saw many great films there. Once, my family went to see Dr. Strangelove, and we loved it – since it provided some much appreciated relief from the Cold War. Another film that I appreciated was On the Beach with Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire – a film that focused on the tragedy of the Cold War and the terror of nuclear weapons. Those two films I experienced at the Manor shaped my attitude to war and nuclear weapons – both institutions that the world can certainly do without. The Manor was nestled into the heart of Myers Park near the sumptuous homes on Cherokee, a situation that permitted its movies to influence legions of impressionable minds.
Great inside stuff from jmorong. With Charlotte area pretty much limited to Adam Sandler and other Jackass fare, I was delighted to find that the Regal Manor Twin was showing good stuff. (I gorged after long starvation on “Good Night and Good Luck,” then went next door (within the Twin) to “Capote.” If not obscure or arty enough for critics, it was (is) the only place in town to find quality films. Where else in this area could you see “Tree of Life” (recent example). Sorry to hear about Ballantyne Village sale, wondered about it b/c they were a cut above others and had nice theater features. Our Town Cinema in Davidson is a big disappointment in this regard (film selection) though they had made some efforts showing classics, which we all say we would love to see again but then don’t go when theater runs them.
On the Marquee in 1974 “HARRY and TONTO”.
Thanks jmorong,Best of luck.I live in Augusta,but The Manor is a theatre Charlotte can not let go the way of your other great Theatres.Had a friend Manage theatres in Charlotte in the 70’s I remember seeing the Theatre alot,but we never went in,he was with Plitt.
Full disclosure … i currently work at the Manor. I have been working there since 2005 and love it. Yes the Theater has suffered a bit from the Sale to Regal because of the Film Selection that Regal brings in, but lets be honest … the Manor still brings a lot of GREAT films to Charlotte and does show plenty, plenty, plenty of amazing Foreign and Independent Films. Yes the occasional JUNO etc gets in there … but this still is very much an Arthouse Theatre (especially for Charlotte) Let’s face it, if the Manor gets torn down it will be because of Eastern Federal not Regal … It will close because they sold it to Regal in the first place … and bigger than that … they own the land and building and will not renew the lease so they can tear down the building and build a better one. Bottom line … you want the Manor to stay open? As an Art House theater? Then you need to support Regal! I can think of dozens upon dozens of GREAT Arthouse films that show at the theater and people do not come cause they want to stick it to Regal. Well you do that and you lose your Arthouse Theater!
I am a Charlotte NC native, and have seen many great films “back in the day” at the Manor. In my opinion the theater has suffered from the sale to Regal Theaters. I have a hard time finding titles I want to see there these days. Several years ago I saw a re-release of “Touch of Evil” – the last great film noir there, and I really enjoyed it even though the film broke about 4 times! If the folks at Regal want to make good money at this theater they need to let us have our Art-House venue back ! In all my years of patronage I never saw the ghost. If the Manor gets torn down – it’s Regal’s fault!
The Manor was a great place to work in the mid-80s, as Charlotte’s only resource for art-house & foreign films. Mgmt. at The Manor around that time also had the pleasure of preparing co-op ads for submission to The Charlotte Observer. Boy, those were the days!
Having spent many nights working late at The Manor, I remember times when I felt a cold rush in the upstairs hallway. Once or twice after hours, I thought I saw a woman descending the staircase as I emerged from the office, but was never sure. Female employees spoke of ominous sounds in the area of the ladies powder room.
Several times I encountered “someone” in the projection booth; usually a sound of someone working or a figure in my peripheral vision, but I always dismissed it as my imagination.
It’s nice to know more about the history prior to my time there.
It looks like the Manor was twinned in 1984 according to the movie listings in the local paper from that era.
The grosses at this theater have been in a major decline all year.
The Manor is still hanging in there! Despite Regal adding another 5 Art-house screens (They took over the Ballantyne Village Cinema) and refusing to play any films that are released by IFC Films/HD Net Films or a whole host of Independent Distributors it seems they are still actively trying to operate this theater. I will say that most people can tell you that it is very clear that Regal is not going to take very many “risks” with Art films at this or any of their theaters. So for the time being it looks like THE ROAD, A SERIOUS MAN, THE YOUNG VICTORIA etc for films at this theater. Still it is good to know that the oldest running theater in Charlotte is still operational and hanging in there.