The theater is closed as of June 8,2023.
https://www.regmovies.com/theatres/regal-longview-rpx/1638#/buy-tickets-by-cinema?in-cinema=1638&view-mode=list
Leaksville, NC merged with two other towns (Spray and Draper) in 1967 to form the city of Eden, NC. The city listed here should be updated.
The 1957 closing date for this theater can’t be correct. I recall seeing Bedknobs and Broomsticks (as well as other movies) here as a child. The Grand was Eden’s better movie venue until the Kingsway Cinema opened in the early 1970’s. Next time I’m in Eden, I’ll hit the library and see if I can find more exact dates.
After the Janus closed, the buildings were razed and the lot sat empty for over a decade. All that remained was the old parking lot until 2012, when First Citizens Bank built a fine looking branch at the location.
Star Wars opened at the Janus on June 17, 1977. In a (spoiler-rich!) review from that days Greensboro Daily News, staff writer Russ Edmonston, who had attended a special showing the night before, wrote, “The [Janus] management has installed a dolby-stereo [sic] sound system to enhance the sound effects of specially prepared film. It is the only theater so equipped in North Carolina.”
On a personal note, the Janus was the theater where I saw Star Wars for the first time in summer of 1977. When the Special Edition was released twenty years later, I saw Episode IV in the exact same auditorium. Great memories!
I worked at the Arbor Cinema 4 in the summer of 1985, and I’m awfully sorry to hear it’s gone. We took a lot of pride in this theater. Chuck’s description is spot on, except that I’m pretty sure the Arbor opened its doors in the late spring of ‘85. I started there a few weeks after the grand opening, and this was my summer job after I graduated from high school, so I’m certain of the year.
Another unique feature in the lobby was the concierge station. It was located toward the front and was on your right, across from the concession stand, as your entered the lobby. There was always a manager posted there to keep an eye on things and answer questions from theater-goers and staff. I can’t say that I’ve seen anything like this in other theaters.
The decor in the lobby was supposed to evoke the courtyard of an Italian villa, or so I was told. I seem to recall that the outside of the elevator shaft was made to look like a clock tower, but I could be mistaken.
I do remember those very sleek, comfortable seats, which were designed by Porsche Designs.
Keep in mind this is 24 year-old hearsay, but I was told that Presidio originally planned to have more than 4 screens there. I don’t know how it was supposed to be laid out, but it seems like this was the reason the restrooms were upstairs, off the balcony.
The big movie that first summer was Back to the Future, and staff favorites were Silverado and Weird Science. Explorers was the stinker. People were constantly walking out of that one, and we had to issue a lot of refunds.
Anyway, it was a great place to work. I had hoped it was the beginning of a trend for more elegant movie houses, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The theater is closed as of June 8,2023. https://www.regmovies.com/theatres/regal-longview-rpx/1638#/buy-tickets-by-cinema?in-cinema=1638&view-mode=list
This morning, I received an email from AMC Stubs stating that this theater has closed.
https://www.amctheatres.com/amc-classic-greensboro-18-closed
Eden News, 14 July 1971
Leaksville, NC merged with two other towns (Spray and Draper) in 1967 to form the city of Eden, NC. The city listed here should be updated. The 1957 closing date for this theater can’t be correct. I recall seeing Bedknobs and Broomsticks (as well as other movies) here as a child. The Grand was Eden’s better movie venue until the Kingsway Cinema opened in the early 1970’s. Next time I’m in Eden, I’ll hit the library and see if I can find more exact dates.
After the Janus closed, the buildings were razed and the lot sat empty for over a decade. All that remained was the old parking lot until 2012, when First Citizens Bank built a fine looking branch at the location.
Star Wars opened at the Janus on June 17, 1977. In a (spoiler-rich!) review from that days Greensboro Daily News, staff writer Russ Edmonston, who had attended a special showing the night before, wrote, “The [Janus] management has installed a dolby-stereo [sic] sound system to enhance the sound effects of specially prepared film. It is the only theater so equipped in North Carolina.”
On a personal note, the Janus was the theater where I saw Star Wars for the first time in summer of 1977. When the Special Edition was released twenty years later, I saw Episode IV in the exact same auditorium. Great memories!
I worked at the Arbor Cinema 4 in the summer of 1985, and I’m awfully sorry to hear it’s gone. We took a lot of pride in this theater. Chuck’s description is spot on, except that I’m pretty sure the Arbor opened its doors in the late spring of ‘85. I started there a few weeks after the grand opening, and this was my summer job after I graduated from high school, so I’m certain of the year.
Another unique feature in the lobby was the concierge station. It was located toward the front and was on your right, across from the concession stand, as your entered the lobby. There was always a manager posted there to keep an eye on things and answer questions from theater-goers and staff. I can’t say that I’ve seen anything like this in other theaters.
The decor in the lobby was supposed to evoke the courtyard of an Italian villa, or so I was told. I seem to recall that the outside of the elevator shaft was made to look like a clock tower, but I could be mistaken.
I do remember those very sleek, comfortable seats, which were designed by Porsche Designs.
Keep in mind this is 24 year-old hearsay, but I was told that Presidio originally planned to have more than 4 screens there. I don’t know how it was supposed to be laid out, but it seems like this was the reason the restrooms were upstairs, off the balcony.
The big movie that first summer was Back to the Future, and staff favorites were Silverado and Weird Science. Explorers was the stinker. People were constantly walking out of that one, and we had to issue a lot of refunds.
Anyway, it was a great place to work. I had hoped it was the beginning of a trend for more elegant movie houses, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.