New shopping centers began appearing in North Carolina in 1949, when Cameron Village opened. Winston-Salem had the second shopping center in North Carolina, when Thruway Shopping Center opened in 1955. Soon, there were other shopping centers in and around Winston-Salem, and they were called Northside, Reynolda Manor, and Parkway Plaza. Parkway Plaza (shown above) opened in 1960.
At one time, movie theatres in Winston-Salem were located in the downtown area. When the shopping centers opened, drawing shoppers to the outlying areas, movie theatres were built at some of the shopping centers. Some of these theatres were Thruway Theatre, Reynolda Manor Cinema, and Parkway Theatre.
Parkway Theatre was under construction in the summer of 1965, located to the side of Parkway Plaza Shopping Center on Silas Creek Parkway (once called Corporation Parkway), near Buchanan Street.
An advertisement in the Winston-Salem Journal announced the opening to be on Wednesday, September 1st, 1965. The featured movie would be “A Very Special Favor,” starring Rock Hudson, Leslie Caron, and Charles Boyer. And, notice the mention for Bob Gordon who would present a Kiddie Show on Saturday morning at the theatre.
The advertisement also touted the fact that there would be plenty of free parking, and that the chairs in the theatre were “lounger” chairs.
A preview party for the new theatre was held on August 30, 1965. Attendees could see for themselves all the features of the theatre, such as the chandeliers that reflected in the entrance glass. The carpet was described as “rich, luxuriant, and multicolored in a floral pattern.” The building and furnishings cost $250,000.
The “lounger” chairs were well-padded, with a swivel base that allowed the movie-goer to swing back and rock. The seats were 20-23 inches wide and they were staggered for better sight lines. The rows were 44 inches apart, making it easy to walk between the rows and to give long-legged viewers plenty of leg room. The screen could handle the 70 mm films, and the stereophonic sound system had speakers surrounding the walls and behind the screen. There were side-lights with dimmers and aisle lights to help viewers locate their seats. A circular concession stand held refreshments in the lobby. For the opening event, works of local artists were displayed around the lobby.
When the movie theatre left the building around 1981, it was used for several purposes. Then, the building was demolished.
Today, Compare Foods is located on the site of the former Parkway Theatre.
Black and white images courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
Color images courtesy of Molly Grogan Rawls.
Stay tuned for the next historical post on April 1st.
