Ambassador Theatre
115 Fayetteville Street,
Raleigh,
NC
27601
115 Fayetteville Street,
Raleigh,
NC
27601
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The Ambassador Theatre was later operated by ABC Southeastern Theatres, and last operated by Plitt Theatres until closing in July 1979.
1968 photo in Facebook link below. Ambassador marquee on the left, mounted flush to the building.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=610881587709478&set=pb.100063629260284.-2207520000.&type=3
A chronology of Raleigh’s 70mm presentation history has recently been published. The Ambassador is mentioned numerous times.
dishonest employees.
Ambassador Theatre embezzling by employees. 11 Aug 1941, Mon The State (Columbia, South Carolina) Newspapers.com
Re: The Ten Commandments. This played very late in many areas of the country because exhibitors refused to pay the high rental terms. If small towns played it at all, it was rarely within the first year of release. The same can be said for another Paramount release of the time, “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Many small towns never played these pictures. Paramount also held these back deliberately from the smaller towns, and was judicious about awarding these pictures to only circuits that were willing to meet the rental terms. This was also the era of “pre-release” engagements where only the larger cities would get the picture for a limited time, and then the distributor would put it on the shelf for a few months before wider distribution - resulting in many theatres being starved for product.
The Ambassador theatre opened on February 21st, 1938 with “Radio City Revels”.
BEFORE IT CLOSED, IT USE TO HAVE THE MAD MAD MAD MAD MONSTER LATE SHOW ON SAT NIGHTS TILL 2 AM!
skeeter81:
The Ambassador Theatre also showed the “X” rated feature BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS first-run in 1970 as a late show.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC-The Reserved Seat Engagements
http://www.digitalbits.com/columns/history-legacy—showmanship/sound-of-money-celebrating-sound-of-music-50th-anniv
The reserved seat engagement of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” played here in 70mm in 1968.
Not to mention first-run exclusives like “The Exorcist”,“Billy Jack”,“Planet of the Apes”,and the 1976 remake of “King Kong”(the Ambassador’s BIG Christmas Attraction!)not to mention the first-run exclusive of “The Wiz” played here too with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
I forgot to mention that I saw “A Clockwork Orange” at the Ambassador with my boyfriend (now husband). I had forgotten it was an “X.”
raysson, thanks so much. you’re a veritable gold mine of info.
I recall the Ambassador with great fondness. I went to there every week of my life, practically, starting about 1960 as a child. I took the bus so I could see the cartoons they ran on Saturdays for kids, then as a teen, I hit every major movie release. My older sister worked in the ticket booth in the late 1950s.
I asked about the X-rated date in trying to put a date on a piece of Ambassador memorabilia I bought from a collectibles store — a card they used to put in the window of the ticket booth, stating the movie was X-rated and for age 17 and older. So thanks again for that.
The information on this theatre will be upgraded for Cinema Treasures. I have found the original ads to the grand opening of the Ambassador Theatre along with other information that will be revised. Very soon!
skeeter81:
The first X-Rated movie that ever played at Raleigh’s Ambassador Theatre was Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” that was released in early-1972.
Information regarding this theatre will be revised and updated very soon. By the way, I have found the original ad for the opening of Raleigh’s Ambassador Theatre and will be revised with new information. If you need to see the original ad scans I do have them. E-Mail me at
I am trying to find out the year The Ambassador showed its first X-rated movie. I recall it made quite a stir, upsetting many Raleighites.
The world premiere of BRIGHT LEAF made its U.S. event showing at Raleigh’s Ambassador Theatre on May 31,1950. It was the second motion picture to make its U.S. southeastern premiere engagement(after “Gone With The Wind”),and the first-ever Carolina exclusive premiere to be shown at the Ambassador Theatre.
Among the celebrities who were present at the world premiere were Gary Cooper, Lauren Becall,with Patricia Neal,along with British actor Donald Crisp and director Michael Curtiz.
Raysson, I wonder if you even thoroughly read some comments? I posted an aerial photo that shows exactly where the Ambassador was. It was, in fact, nearly halfway down the east side of the block from the capital, not immediately off Morgan Street. Today, there is a parking deck exactly where the Ambassador stood. There are retail shops below the parking deck at street level. The deck is called Alexander Square. The pedestrian entrance to this deck from Fayetteville Street is just to the right of where the Ambassador entrance was. I have uploaded another image from Google Street View that shows the present day site of the Ambassador entrance.
I remember seeing THE EXORCIST here on March 1,1974 at Raleigh’s Ambassador Theatre.
Micah: There is a parking deck next to where the theater was originally located in Downtown Raleigh. It was on Fayetteville Street just walking distance from the South lawn of the State Capital Building. The theater once on Fayetteville Street was towards your immediate left right off East Morgan Street going towards Hargett Street.
There seems to be some confusion as to exactly where this theater was. It’s address was 115 Fayetteville Street. It was not near the current PNC (RBC) tower. I added an aerial photograph from 1988 of the area to the photos section. The south Capital Building lawn is at the top of the image. The skinny lobby and auditorium buildings I marked with red boxes.
From the October 13,1971 advertisement of the News and Observer in Raleigh,North Carolina……….
WILL RALEIGH TURN ITS BACK ON BILLY JACK?
THE MOVIE EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!!!!
BILLY JACK will make you angry!
Even make you furious!
Will make you take a stand!!!
And if you’re a woman…it will break your heart!
STARTING WEDNESDAY…RALEIGH WILL GET READY FOR BILLY JACK AT THE AMBASSADOR THEATRE!!! RATED “GP”
Elvis Presley did four full length concert appearances at Raleigh’s Ambassador Theatre on February 8, 1956. These were four performances(2 matinee and 2 evening shows)that were sold out within minutes.
Speaking of “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” Charlotte’s Imperial Theatre was the only movie venue in the state that presented this film in full widescreen VISTAVISION and was the only reserved seat engagement presentation within the Carolinas that opened on February 17,1957. Raleigh didn’t get the film until November.
Correction: Cecil B. DeMille’s “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” did not played at the Ambassador Theatre first-run in November of 1957. The film played first-run at Raleigh’s Varsity Theatre on November 23,1957. However,the Ambassador did get the film later on during one of it’s many re-releases.
William Wyler’s “BEN-HUR” also did not played first run at the Ambassador Theatre. The film was one of the exclusive engagement premiere showings first-run at the Cameron Village Theatre(aka The Village Theatre) that opened on August 19,1960.
“SOUTH PACIFIC” got first-run showing at the Ambassador Theatre on November 22,1959 for it’s Eastern North Carolina premiere showing.
OTHER MOVIES THAT PLAYED THE AMBASSADOR:
“The Exorcist”
“Family Plot”–[the final Alfred Hitchcock movie]
“King Kong”-the 1976 version first-run
THE SOUND OF MUSIC played here as a Reserved Seat Engagement on August 11, 1965 where it played to capacity crowds for an astounding 61 weeks. Not only THE SOUND OF MUSIC played here but also…..
“THE TEN COMMANDMENTS”
“EL-CID”
“CLEOPATRA”
“HOW THE WEST WAS WON”
“THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY”
“THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM”
“WAR AND PEACE”
“ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S PSYCHO”