Mr. and Mrs. Earl A. London announced the building of Olivet’s first theatre since the silent era in 1945. The 400-seat house stalled with Wartime shortages finally opening on May 27, 1946 with “Along Came Jones” as the first film shown. The streamline moderne house had era-appropriate features including wide aisles, cry room for parents with babies, listening devices and hat / coat check room.
Mr. and Mrs. C.T. Pier bought the venue from the Londons in July of 1955 converting it to widescreen projection to present CinemaScope titles. That began September 4, 1955. The films proved too wide for Olivet audiences with the Piers closing on December 2, 1955. The Chamber of Commerce decided to reopen the venue on a twice a week basis at month’s end. Charging 10 to 25 cents, older family film presentations were instituted that continued through the end of 1960. It was relit in 1962 for an eclectic, non-profit operation. In 1967, it was staging mostly live plays as the Oaks Theatre.
As noted above, it is definitely closed as a theatre - in 2014 - though with an impressive run of showtimes posted from 2015 to 2025 (never showing any of those films).
Its June 14, 1907 opening ad as the Peter Pan Theatre and reboot on December 13, 1908 as the New Majestic Theatre ad in photos. Billy Caldwell is mentioned as the venue’s owner. In 1928 and 1929, the Post, Strand Bijou, Elite and Rex converted to sound.
The Majestic continued into 1930 as the only silent theater while the Bijou Arcade, the last vaudeville house, discontinued. The Majestic closed with “Hold Your Man” on November 30, 1930.
The Strand Theatre launched on August 14, 1915 with Nat Goodwin in the film, “The Master Hand” supported by Gertrude Merchant at the console of the Kimball pipe organ. The theatre was in the Kolb Building on a 15-year leasing agreement.
The Strand was sold to the Legitimate Theatre Circuit and then to Butterfield in its transition to sound. And art policy was tried and it ended its cinematic life with discount priced second-run double features. The Strand closed on March 29, 1953 with a double feature of Montanna Desperado and Ghost Town Renegades. It served as a long-running church and then the home to the Civic Center Theatre from 1973 to 1989.
Grand opening ad with Charlie Chaplin opening the Regent with “Shoulder Arms” on November 26, 1918 in photos. The Regent closed December 3, 1955 with “Tennessee’s Partner.”
The Regent, which is where Battle Creek heard its first talking pictures in 1928 and its first widescreen CinemaScope films in 1953, was torn down in 1964.
Local cereal magnate Charles William “C.W.” Post’s namesake Post Theatre launched on March 14, 1902 with Nat Goodwin and Maxine Elliot in “When We Were 21.” The Post was designed ostensibly as the replacement for Alexander C. Hamblin’s Opera House that had launched in December 31, 1868. The Post Theatre stayed fairly true to that programming mission with predominately live stage programming - though adding motion picture presentations beginning in 1913 and thereafter in gaps with live programming.
W.S. Butterfield Theatres took over the management of the venue in 1928 still mixing live and, now, sound films. That is, until Butterfield closed the post for a refresh in the Summer of 1936. When the Post re-emerged on September 12, 1936, it was now a full-time movie house. On March 6, 1948, the Post Theatre closed temporarily with “The Corpse Came C.O.D” and “Partners of the Plain.” Butterfield would retain the facility for the final 7 plus years of its lease running to 1955 so no competitor could claim the space.
Over those eight years, the theatre remained in a frozen state into the Fall of 1955 when demolition folks toured finding the theatre the same as it was in 1947 but with layers of dust on the seats, stage and pipe organ. They conducted a salvage sale at the site in December of 1955. In January of 1956, the Post Theatre joined the parking lot brigade in its demolition. Capital Lumber & Wrecking of Grand Rapids tried to buckle the wall inward and, instead, it crashed into the street in the venue’s last dramatic moment.
November 9, 1908 grand opening ad for the Princess Theatre is in photos. It closed after showtimes on October 24, 1909. In January of 1910, it was retrofitted for a florist.
The Garden showed W.S. Butterfield serious about bringing a movie palace to Battle Creek. It launched September 13, 1913 and the $5,000 Kimball pipe organ was played by John Howard… when they got it functioning a week later. A converted Congregational Church, the Gothic Revival interior was overlayed with atmospheric garden theme which included garden gate, atmospheric blue sky and - at movie time - twinkling stars, bay trees are seen at the top of the auditorium with grapevines prevalent and hanging flower baskets everywhere. A nice touch was a pergola effect including a gate.
Butterfield Theatres closed up on March 31, 1929 at end of lease with an Easter Sunday showing of “Red Lips” with Marian Nixon. It would not be wired for sound.
There were two Eagle Theatres. W.D. Simmons began the Eagle Theatorium in 1907. One of their first shows was a fundraiser to celebrate the loss of a fire horse with proceeds to buy another horse. Simmons added a 600 seat Airdome to hold summer shows at the rear of the theatorium. Those seasonal shows began May 19, 1909. While the Airdome was operating, Simmons improved the site lines of the hardtop venture and changed its name to the Eagle Theater. The first Eagle operated to 1915 and was converted to a pool hall.
The second Eagle Theatre was an African American venue whose silent era moniker was the Eagle. Its sound era handle was that of the Rex Theatre.
The City of High Point built a City Hall building that contained a large theater with an entry on Wrenn Street. It was built for live presentations in 1923. And the City also owned the 107 N. Main Street property here and leased that theatre to Alfred B. “A.B.” Huff’s High Point Amusements, Co., as well. The Capitol Theatre opened in November of 1923 on a four year leasing agreement. Under a new leasing agreement, the venue had became the Rialto Theatre on November 19, 1927.
The Rialto’s name was changed on April 2, 1930 to the Paramount Theatre with “Tanned Legs” supported by “His Operation.”
Over a the American Theatre, it had moved away from live stage plays one year to live Keith vaudeville the next before settling on motion pictures. When Publix-Saenger took on Huff’s High Point Amusement operations on February 11, 1928 including here at the Rialto and the American - both of which would receive sound systems. Publix had also received the Broadhurst, the Broadway (formerly the Point Theatre in 1915), and the Orpheum (a live vaudeville house that it would shutter).
At the onset of the Depression, the Publix folks cut the Broadway loose first (though it was wired for sound by next operator, Wag Theatres) but would re-acquire it in the reorganized Paramount-Kincey group. The Orpheum was vacated and demolished later in the 1930s. Here, at the Rialto, Western Electric sound presentations began on October 21, 1929 with “The Man and the Moment.” The Rialto’s name was changed on April 2, 1930 to the Paramount Theatre with “Tanned Legs” supported by “His Operation.”
Soon, Publix decided to elevate the Paramount nameplate to the “A” house changing the American to the Paramount Theatre namesake. The Paramount reverted to its previous moniker in the Rialto Theatre. (The American Theatre nameplate was discontinued.) The Rialto benefitted from High Point’s growth in the 1930s going from 15,000 folks when the theatre opened to around 35,000 people by the mid 1930s.
The Rialto scuffled after the War surviving into the TV age. It went out of business on September 8, 1962 with “High Noon” and “Ivanhoe” supported by two cartoons. The Rialto was altered for Tobias Apparel retail store just weeks later with its marquee and face removed in October of 1962 and, beginning in December of 1962, its interior ending any further theatrical hopes. The Paramount would continue another eight years before closing and being demolished.
The City of High Point built a City Hall building that contained a large theater with ancity entry on Wrenn Street. It was built for live presentations in 1923 and was designed to be a municipal auditorium. The concept was that High Point was trying to show that it was more than just a textile and furniture manufacturing city and a strong arts presence was one of its tactics. Harry K. Barton was the architect of the building that had a large sized 1,200 seat auditorium at opening. Barton cleverly moved the theater from an initial draft of 1,600 to 1,200 likely to save costs but 1,600 seats would have been nearly impossible to fill.
The City decided that the theatre should be leased to commercial interests beginning with a bid process. (It would have been ambitious for a town of 15,000 to program such a large municipal auditorium.) After its first season, a naming contest led to the theater being called the American Theatre in 1924 and operated by Alfred B. “A.B.” Huff’s High Point Amusement Co. All operators from that day forward forced theatre operators to go to the city for leasing renewals and pricing updates.
The City of High Point also owned the 107 N. Main Street property and leased that theatre to Huff, as well. Its opening date began not long after the opening of the theater in the City Hall structure. The Capitol Theatre opened in November of 1923 on a four year leasing agreement. At the end of that lease, the venue was renamed as the Rialto Theatre on its fourth year of operation beginning on November 19, 1927.
Meanwhile, the American Theatre pinballed from live stage plays one year to live Keith vaudeville the next before settling on motion pictures. Publix-Saenger took on the High Point Amusement operations on February 11, 1928 including here at the American and the Rialto - both of which would receive sound systems. It was a business plan that Publix had run around the country to basically get theaters converted to sound which wasn’t cheap (and then, of course, declare bankruptcy). Publix received the Broadhurst, the Broadway (formerly the Point Theatre in 1915), the Orpheum (a live vaudeville house that it would shutter), the Rialto and here at the American Theatre.
High Point was hit hard initially by the Depression as most factory towns were. Publix cut the Broadway loose first (though it was wired for sound by next operator, Wag Theatres) but would re-acquire it in the reorganized Paramount-Kincey group. (The Broadway’s name would be changed to the Carolina Theatre in 1933.) The Orpheum was vacated quickly and later was demolished. Over at the Rialto, it began Western Electric sound presentations on October 21, 1929 with “The Man and the Moment.” The Rialto’s name was changed on April 2, 1930 to the parent company’s nameplate of the Paramount Theatre with “Tanned Legs” supported by “His Operation.”
Within a year, the Circuit decided to move the parent company Paramount Pictures Inc. name to the “A” house changing the American to the Paramount Theatre with the City’s blessing. The short-lived Paramount reverted to its previous moniker of the Rialto Theatre. In the Fall of 1933, under the Paramount Wilbey-Kincey Theater / North Carolina Theatres nameplate following Publix’s bankruptcy strategy, the Paramount venue received a $50,000 facelift to be more in line with 1930’s movie palaces. By 1934, exhibitors had returned to the Southern Furniture Exposition Building, filling all available space and showing a dramatic turnaround. The City was at 15,000 residents when the theatre was built nnow stood at 35,000 in 1935.
In 1940, the Paramount was granted a lease extension by the City of High Point. A post-War refresh took seat count down just under 1,000. Change was on the horizon with television and industry reshaping. Paramount-Kincey’s parent company, Paramount Pictures, Inc., entered into a consent decree to exit the exhibition space. Hugh Smart’s Key Theatres took on the venue following the Paramount decree and got a long-term lease extension from the City in 1956 that allowed Key to remodel the venue extensively - likely for the last time. That remodeling included the transition to widescreen technology to present CinemaScope films. On December 17, 1969, Key Theatres sold the Paramount Theatre to Martin Theatres of Georgia Circuit.
In April of 1970, Martin announced the creation of a suburban luxury venue, the Martin Twin. That would be the death knell for the Paramount Theatre as Martin announced that the Twin would replace the almost 50-year old venue. Movie theaters dotted the outskirts of High Point ending the movie palace era downtown. The Paramount Theatre closed permanently on November 19, 1970 with the film, “Soldier Blue.” The Martin Twin opened the next day.
The City of High Point put out a bid process for the next operator of the theatre just as it had done in 1923. But times had changed and there was no operator to be found and just one bidder who wanted to demolish the venue. The City had architectural plans drawn up to save the space but the costs exceeded $300,000. Thus, the venue was demolished in its 50th year of existence beginning in late June of 1973.
Virtually nothing from the Paramount Theatre was deemed worthy of salvaging. Well documented in its demolition, photos show the seats and interior design viewable - not only from inside the theatre - but from the street as the demolition process proceeded.
The Point Theatre opened April 7, 1915 with Edna Payne in “Saved by a Telephone.” It was housed in the 1891-built Commercial National Bank Building. New Manager J.W. Prevo took over the venue in October of 1915 changing its name to the Broadway. It closed in 1928 failing to wire for sound.
Reitzel Wagner took on the venue in early 1930 hiring architect Fred B. Klein to reimagine the space for sound films. The New Broadway Theatre launched as a sub-run discount venue on June 4, 1930 after a $22,000 refresh including equipment with “Sweetie.” In 1931, it became Wag’s Broadway Theatre.“ Wagner sold out to Paramount Wilbey-Kincey Theater which renamed it as the Carolina Theatre.
The Carolina closed breifly on January 31, 1949 with its final refresh calling for a glass and steel streamline moderne front. It scuffled trying to find programming to match its new exterior going from discount to first-run and back to discount. It closed June 15, 1952 with “Half Breed.” Its interior was gutted becoming home to a retail store in 1953.
Mrs. Minnie Broadhurst had the Broadhurst Theater’s Aug. 31, 1925 launch with “Don Q” and at the $10,000 Geneva Pipe Organ was organist Herma Stanley Quinn formerly of the Quinn Theatre in Chicago. Architect Fred B. Klein was among those in the audience that night. The Broadhurst converted to sound to remain viable. It reached the end of its 30-year leasing period on May 31, 1954 with “Salome” its final feature.
Became the Towne Twin on November 24, 1977 with “Starship Invasions” and “Oh, God!” Closed permanently on August 22, 1985 with “Weird Science” and “Volunteers.” Was gutted and retrofitted as a restaurant.
Opened with 562 seats in Theatre 1 and 338 in Theatre 2 or 900 at launch. Dreadful news on September 4, 1995 when it closed at the end of its 25 year leasing agreement with “Congo” and a split screen of “Batman Forever” and “Judge Dredd” playing at deep discount, 99 cent sub-run pricing.
The Trans-Lux Inflight Ciné operated from opening April 29, 1970 to its puddle jumping excursion into X-Rated fare in 1972 and 1973 and its red-eye flight where it crash landed on January 31, 1976 with “Airport ‘75” always under the Inflight and not the Westchester namesake.
A new flight crew based in Greensboro boarded operating as the Royal Ciné Theatre II beginning on February 6, 1976. And they went executive class with adult unrated films advertised as XXX titles beginning with “Miss September” and “Fringe Benefits” on a subleasing agreement.
Open noon to midnight offering the most non-stop options on a grind policy, that flight package was a hit running from 1976 to January 12, 1982 ending with “Spank Me Daddy” and “Tamara.” But the adventure wasn’t without turbulence as protests were not uncommon.
The next flight crew embarked on a discount fare policy as the Westchester Cinema with “The Soggy Bottom Gang” and “The Nights the Lights Went Out in Georgia” on April 28, 1982. The venue operated with the Southgate in Thomasville on a joint operating agreement in discount cinema. The Southgate disembarked in 1988 and the Westchester flew into the sunset in 1990.
The Kleeburg Airline Circuit claimed the runway relaunching the Westchester on May 3, 1991 as a discount house before closing permanently.
The reboot ad with widescreen projection on November 12, 1954 as the grand opening of the Crescent Drive-In is in photos with “Hell and High Water” playing on the new tower.
Opened on November 21, 1979, the Capri Triple opens with Apocalypse Now, Fiddler on the Roof and The Prize Fighter. The venue had 556 total seats at launch - Audi 1 had 300 and Audis 2 & 3 had 178 each.
The Havana Theatre was a streamline moderne movie house in downtown Havana, Illinois that lasted nine years before being suffering a major fire. It was retrofitted and reopened as the Kaye Theater with the theatre running for 20 years.
During the Depression and movie theater’s expensive conversion to sound, Havana lost its silent-era Castle Theatre as a movie house. It was unable to make the transition to sound and continued with sporadic live events as the Havana Theatre in the early 1930s before closing permanently.
Kerasotes Brothers Circuit likely inherited the closed Havana Theatre along with its operation of the Lawford Theatre. Kerasotes leased a building in 1936 and made a quick conversion combining the two-floor retail building into a single floor, streamline moderne movie theater. The “new” Havana Theatre opened on Christmas Day 1936 with “Adventure in Manhattan” with Jean Arthur and Joel McRae. It operated through World War II with a Kroger food store as its neighbor.
That more or less ended on November 3, 1945 when, at a 2p kids matinee, fire spread from the alley to the theater’s roof prompting Manager Edward Walker to move the kids and the film print to the nearby Lawford Theatre where the matinee took place. The theater was rebuilt pretty much entirely in a two month period reopening as the Kaye Theatre on January 18, 1946. The streamline moderne venue used the same cream porcelain used in other George and Louis Kerasotes movie houses. It also housed an internal concession stand and its seats were recushioned.
When Kerasotes was converting venues to widescreen for CinemaScope presentations, the Kaye appears to have been left out while the Lawford and the two-year old Havana Drive-In were transitioned. The Kaye appears to have closed in 1955 at the end of its 20-year leasing period.
Architect Aaron T. Simmons of George Howell Harris & Associates had two very different sets of plans for the New Castle. The first was more pertaining to a Castle and the second set of plans much more like the high rise it became.
The previous Castle Theatre didn’t quite make it to the January 24, 1916 opening. It had been deemed unsafe operating to the end of March of 1915 and razed in April of 1915. It has its own Cinema Treasures page. Organist Harry Wilson, who played the Hammers pipe organ at the previous Castle, was rehired as the organist at the launch of the new Castle. He made factory visits and helped design the custom pipe organ installed at the New Castle.
Mr. and Mrs. Earl A. London announced the building of Olivet’s first theatre since the silent era in 1945. The 400-seat house stalled with Wartime shortages finally opening on May 27, 1946 with “Along Came Jones” as the first film shown. The streamline moderne house had era-appropriate features including wide aisles, cry room for parents with babies, listening devices and hat / coat check room.
Mr. and Mrs. C.T. Pier bought the venue from the Londons in July of 1955 converting it to widescreen projection to present CinemaScope titles. That began September 4, 1955. The films proved too wide for Olivet audiences with the Piers closing on December 2, 1955. The Chamber of Commerce decided to reopen the venue on a twice a week basis at month’s end. Charging 10 to 25 cents, older family film presentations were instituted that continued through the end of 1960. It was relit in 1962 for an eclectic, non-profit operation. In 1967, it was staging mostly live plays as the Oaks Theatre.
Opening ad as the Magic Theater on May 17, 1907 in photos.
As noted above, it is definitely closed as a theatre - in 2014 - though with an impressive run of showtimes posted from 2015 to 2025 (never showing any of those films).
Its June 14, 1907 opening ad as the Peter Pan Theatre and reboot on December 13, 1908 as the New Majestic Theatre ad in photos. Billy Caldwell is mentioned as the venue’s owner. In 1928 and 1929, the Post, Strand Bijou, Elite and Rex converted to sound.
The Majestic continued into 1930 as the only silent theater while the Bijou Arcade, the last vaudeville house, discontinued. The Majestic closed with “Hold Your Man” on November 30, 1930.
The Strand Theatre launched on August 14, 1915 with Nat Goodwin in the film, “The Master Hand” supported by Gertrude Merchant at the console of the Kimball pipe organ. The theatre was in the Kolb Building on a 15-year leasing agreement.
The Strand was sold to the Legitimate Theatre Circuit and then to Butterfield in its transition to sound. And art policy was tried and it ended its cinematic life with discount priced second-run double features. The Strand closed on March 29, 1953 with a double feature of Montanna Desperado and Ghost Town Renegades. It served as a long-running church and then the home to the Civic Center Theatre from 1973 to 1989.
Grand opening ad with Charlie Chaplin opening the Regent with “Shoulder Arms” on November 26, 1918 in photos. The Regent closed December 3, 1955 with “Tennessee’s Partner.”
The Regent, which is where Battle Creek heard its first talking pictures in 1928 and its first widescreen CinemaScope films in 1953, was torn down in 1964.
Local cereal magnate Charles William “C.W.” Post’s namesake Post Theatre launched on March 14, 1902 with Nat Goodwin and Maxine Elliot in “When We Were 21.” The Post was designed ostensibly as the replacement for Alexander C. Hamblin’s Opera House that had launched in December 31, 1868. The Post Theatre stayed fairly true to that programming mission with predominately live stage programming - though adding motion picture presentations beginning in 1913 and thereafter in gaps with live programming.
W.S. Butterfield Theatres took over the management of the venue in 1928 still mixing live and, now, sound films. That is, until Butterfield closed the post for a refresh in the Summer of 1936. When the Post re-emerged on September 12, 1936, it was now a full-time movie house. On March 6, 1948, the Post Theatre closed temporarily with “The Corpse Came C.O.D” and “Partners of the Plain.” Butterfield would retain the facility for the final 7 plus years of its lease running to 1955 so no competitor could claim the space.
Over those eight years, the theatre remained in a frozen state into the Fall of 1955 when demolition folks toured finding the theatre the same as it was in 1947 but with layers of dust on the seats, stage and pipe organ. They conducted a salvage sale at the site in December of 1955. In January of 1956, the Post Theatre joined the parking lot brigade in its demolition. Capital Lumber & Wrecking of Grand Rapids tried to buckle the wall inward and, instead, it crashed into the street in the venue’s last dramatic moment.
November 9, 1908 grand opening ad for the Princess Theatre is in photos. It closed after showtimes on October 24, 1909. In January of 1910, it was retrofitted for a florist.
The Garden showed W.S. Butterfield serious about bringing a movie palace to Battle Creek. It launched September 13, 1913 and the $5,000 Kimball pipe organ was played by John Howard… when they got it functioning a week later. A converted Congregational Church, the Gothic Revival interior was overlayed with atmospheric garden theme which included garden gate, atmospheric blue sky and - at movie time - twinkling stars, bay trees are seen at the top of the auditorium with grapevines prevalent and hanging flower baskets everywhere. A nice touch was a pergola effect including a gate.
Butterfield Theatres closed up on March 31, 1929 at end of lease with an Easter Sunday showing of “Red Lips” with Marian Nixon. It would not be wired for sound.
There were two Eagle Theatres. W.D. Simmons began the Eagle Theatorium in 1907. One of their first shows was a fundraiser to celebrate the loss of a fire horse with proceeds to buy another horse. Simmons added a 600 seat Airdome to hold summer shows at the rear of the theatorium. Those seasonal shows began May 19, 1909. While the Airdome was operating, Simmons improved the site lines of the hardtop venture and changed its name to the Eagle Theater. The first Eagle operated to 1915 and was converted to a pool hall.
The second Eagle Theatre was an African American venue whose silent era moniker was the Eagle. Its sound era handle was that of the Rex Theatre.
Last season - 1977
The City of High Point built a City Hall building that contained a large theater with an entry on Wrenn Street. It was built for live presentations in 1923. And the City also owned the 107 N. Main Street property here and leased that theatre to Alfred B. “A.B.” Huff’s High Point Amusements, Co., as well. The Capitol Theatre opened in November of 1923 on a four year leasing agreement. Under a new leasing agreement, the venue had became the Rialto Theatre on November 19, 1927.
The Rialto’s name was changed on April 2, 1930 to the Paramount Theatre with “Tanned Legs” supported by “His Operation.” Over a the American Theatre, it had moved away from live stage plays one year to live Keith vaudeville the next before settling on motion pictures. When Publix-Saenger took on Huff’s High Point Amusement operations on February 11, 1928 including here at the Rialto and the American - both of which would receive sound systems. Publix had also received the Broadhurst, the Broadway (formerly the Point Theatre in 1915), and the Orpheum (a live vaudeville house that it would shutter).
At the onset of the Depression, the Publix folks cut the Broadway loose first (though it was wired for sound by next operator, Wag Theatres) but would re-acquire it in the reorganized Paramount-Kincey group. The Orpheum was vacated and demolished later in the 1930s. Here, at the Rialto, Western Electric sound presentations began on October 21, 1929 with “The Man and the Moment.” The Rialto’s name was changed on April 2, 1930 to the Paramount Theatre with “Tanned Legs” supported by “His Operation.”
Soon, Publix decided to elevate the Paramount nameplate to the “A” house changing the American to the Paramount Theatre namesake. The Paramount reverted to its previous moniker in the Rialto Theatre. (The American Theatre nameplate was discontinued.) The Rialto benefitted from High Point’s growth in the 1930s going from 15,000 folks when the theatre opened to around 35,000 people by the mid 1930s.
The Rialto scuffled after the War surviving into the TV age. It went out of business on September 8, 1962 with “High Noon” and “Ivanhoe” supported by two cartoons. The Rialto was altered for Tobias Apparel retail store just weeks later with its marquee and face removed in October of 1962 and, beginning in December of 1962, its interior ending any further theatrical hopes. The Paramount would continue another eight years before closing and being demolished.
The City of High Point built a City Hall building that contained a large theater with ancity entry on Wrenn Street. It was built for live presentations in 1923 and was designed to be a municipal auditorium. The concept was that High Point was trying to show that it was more than just a textile and furniture manufacturing city and a strong arts presence was one of its tactics. Harry K. Barton was the architect of the building that had a large sized 1,200 seat auditorium at opening. Barton cleverly moved the theater from an initial draft of 1,600 to 1,200 likely to save costs but 1,600 seats would have been nearly impossible to fill.
The City decided that the theatre should be leased to commercial interests beginning with a bid process. (It would have been ambitious for a town of 15,000 to program such a large municipal auditorium.) After its first season, a naming contest led to the theater being called the American Theatre in 1924 and operated by Alfred B. “A.B.” Huff’s High Point Amusement Co. All operators from that day forward forced theatre operators to go to the city for leasing renewals and pricing updates.
The City of High Point also owned the 107 N. Main Street property and leased that theatre to Huff, as well. Its opening date began not long after the opening of the theater in the City Hall structure. The Capitol Theatre opened in November of 1923 on a four year leasing agreement. At the end of that lease, the venue was renamed as the Rialto Theatre on its fourth year of operation beginning on November 19, 1927.
Meanwhile, the American Theatre pinballed from live stage plays one year to live Keith vaudeville the next before settling on motion pictures. Publix-Saenger took on the High Point Amusement operations on February 11, 1928 including here at the American and the Rialto - both of which would receive sound systems. It was a business plan that Publix had run around the country to basically get theaters converted to sound which wasn’t cheap (and then, of course, declare bankruptcy). Publix received the Broadhurst, the Broadway (formerly the Point Theatre in 1915), the Orpheum (a live vaudeville house that it would shutter), the Rialto and here at the American Theatre.
High Point was hit hard initially by the Depression as most factory towns were. Publix cut the Broadway loose first (though it was wired for sound by next operator, Wag Theatres) but would re-acquire it in the reorganized Paramount-Kincey group. (The Broadway’s name would be changed to the Carolina Theatre in 1933.) The Orpheum was vacated quickly and later was demolished. Over at the Rialto, it began Western Electric sound presentations on October 21, 1929 with “The Man and the Moment.” The Rialto’s name was changed on April 2, 1930 to the parent company’s nameplate of the Paramount Theatre with “Tanned Legs” supported by “His Operation.”
Within a year, the Circuit decided to move the parent company Paramount Pictures Inc. name to the “A” house changing the American to the Paramount Theatre with the City’s blessing. The short-lived Paramount reverted to its previous moniker of the Rialto Theatre. In the Fall of 1933, under the Paramount Wilbey-Kincey Theater / North Carolina Theatres nameplate following Publix’s bankruptcy strategy, the Paramount venue received a $50,000 facelift to be more in line with 1930’s movie palaces. By 1934, exhibitors had returned to the Southern Furniture Exposition Building, filling all available space and showing a dramatic turnaround. The City was at 15,000 residents when the theatre was built nnow stood at 35,000 in 1935.
In 1940, the Paramount was granted a lease extension by the City of High Point. A post-War refresh took seat count down just under 1,000. Change was on the horizon with television and industry reshaping. Paramount-Kincey’s parent company, Paramount Pictures, Inc., entered into a consent decree to exit the exhibition space. Hugh Smart’s Key Theatres took on the venue following the Paramount decree and got a long-term lease extension from the City in 1956 that allowed Key to remodel the venue extensively - likely for the last time. That remodeling included the transition to widescreen technology to present CinemaScope films. On December 17, 1969, Key Theatres sold the Paramount Theatre to Martin Theatres of Georgia Circuit.
In April of 1970, Martin announced the creation of a suburban luxury venue, the Martin Twin. That would be the death knell for the Paramount Theatre as Martin announced that the Twin would replace the almost 50-year old venue. Movie theaters dotted the outskirts of High Point ending the movie palace era downtown. The Paramount Theatre closed permanently on November 19, 1970 with the film, “Soldier Blue.” The Martin Twin opened the next day.
The City of High Point put out a bid process for the next operator of the theatre just as it had done in 1923. But times had changed and there was no operator to be found and just one bidder who wanted to demolish the venue. The City had architectural plans drawn up to save the space but the costs exceeded $300,000. Thus, the venue was demolished in its 50th year of existence beginning in late June of 1973.
Virtually nothing from the Paramount Theatre was deemed worthy of salvaging. Well documented in its demolition, photos show the seats and interior design viewable - not only from inside the theatre - but from the street as the demolition process proceeded.
The Point Theatre opened April 7, 1915 with Edna Payne in “Saved by a Telephone.” It was housed in the 1891-built Commercial National Bank Building. New Manager J.W. Prevo took over the venue in October of 1915 changing its name to the Broadway. It closed in 1928 failing to wire for sound.
Reitzel Wagner took on the venue in early 1930 hiring architect Fred B. Klein to reimagine the space for sound films. The New Broadway Theatre launched as a sub-run discount venue on June 4, 1930 after a $22,000 refresh including equipment with “Sweetie.” In 1931, it became Wag’s Broadway Theatre.“ Wagner sold out to Paramount Wilbey-Kincey Theater which renamed it as the Carolina Theatre.
The Carolina closed breifly on January 31, 1949 with its final refresh calling for a glass and steel streamline moderne front. It scuffled trying to find programming to match its new exterior going from discount to first-run and back to discount. It closed June 15, 1952 with “Half Breed.” Its interior was gutted becoming home to a retail store in 1953.
Mrs. Minnie Broadhurst had the Broadhurst Theater’s Aug. 31, 1925 launch with “Don Q” and at the $10,000 Geneva Pipe Organ was organist Herma Stanley Quinn formerly of the Quinn Theatre in Chicago. Architect Fred B. Klein was among those in the audience that night. The Broadhurst converted to sound to remain viable. It reached the end of its 30-year leasing period on May 31, 1954 with “Salome” its final feature.
Became the Towne Twin on November 24, 1977 with “Starship Invasions” and “Oh, God!” Closed permanently on August 22, 1985 with “Weird Science” and “Volunteers.” Was gutted and retrofitted as a restaurant.
Cap - 291 seats
Opened with 562 seats in Theatre 1 and 338 in Theatre 2 or 900 at launch. Dreadful news on September 4, 1995 when it closed at the end of its 25 year leasing agreement with “Congo” and a split screen of “Batman Forever” and “Judge Dredd” playing at deep discount, 99 cent sub-run pricing.
The Trans-Lux Inflight Ciné operated from opening April 29, 1970 to its puddle jumping excursion into X-Rated fare in 1972 and 1973 and its red-eye flight where it crash landed on January 31, 1976 with “Airport ‘75” always under the Inflight and not the Westchester namesake.
A new flight crew based in Greensboro boarded operating as the Royal Ciné Theatre II beginning on February 6, 1976. And they went executive class with adult unrated films advertised as XXX titles beginning with “Miss September” and “Fringe Benefits” on a subleasing agreement.
Open noon to midnight offering the most non-stop options on a grind policy, that flight package was a hit running from 1976 to January 12, 1982 ending with “Spank Me Daddy” and “Tamara.” But the adventure wasn’t without turbulence as protests were not uncommon.
The next flight crew embarked on a discount fare policy as the Westchester Cinema with “The Soggy Bottom Gang” and “The Nights the Lights Went Out in Georgia” on April 28, 1982. The venue operated with the Southgate in Thomasville on a joint operating agreement in discount cinema. The Southgate disembarked in 1988 and the Westchester flew into the sunset in 1990.
The Kleeburg Airline Circuit claimed the runway relaunching the Westchester on May 3, 1991 as a discount house before closing permanently.
Closed January 22, 2026
Plitt closed after the Nov. 2, 1980 showing of “Halloween”
The reboot ad with widescreen projection on November 12, 1954 as the grand opening of the Crescent Drive-In is in photos with “Hell and High Water” playing on the new tower.
Opened on November 21, 1979, the Capri Triple opens with Apocalypse Now, Fiddler on the Roof and The Prize Fighter. The venue had 556 total seats at launch - Audi 1 had 300 and Audis 2 & 3 had 178 each.
The Havana Theatre was a streamline moderne movie house in downtown Havana, Illinois that lasted nine years before being suffering a major fire. It was retrofitted and reopened as the Kaye Theater with the theatre running for 20 years.
During the Depression and movie theater’s expensive conversion to sound, Havana lost its silent-era Castle Theatre as a movie house. It was unable to make the transition to sound and continued with sporadic live events as the Havana Theatre in the early 1930s before closing permanently.
Kerasotes Brothers Circuit likely inherited the closed Havana Theatre along with its operation of the Lawford Theatre. Kerasotes leased a building in 1936 and made a quick conversion combining the two-floor retail building into a single floor, streamline moderne movie theater. The “new” Havana Theatre opened on Christmas Day 1936 with “Adventure in Manhattan” with Jean Arthur and Joel McRae. It operated through World War II with a Kroger food store as its neighbor.
That more or less ended on November 3, 1945 when, at a 2p kids matinee, fire spread from the alley to the theater’s roof prompting Manager Edward Walker to move the kids and the film print to the nearby Lawford Theatre where the matinee took place. The theater was rebuilt pretty much entirely in a two month period reopening as the Kaye Theatre on January 18, 1946. The streamline moderne venue used the same cream porcelain used in other George and Louis Kerasotes movie houses. It also housed an internal concession stand and its seats were recushioned.
When Kerasotes was converting venues to widescreen for CinemaScope presentations, the Kaye appears to have been left out while the Lawford and the two-year old Havana Drive-In were transitioned. The Kaye appears to have closed in 1955 at the end of its 20-year leasing period.
Architect Aaron T. Simmons of George Howell Harris & Associates had two very different sets of plans for the New Castle. The first was more pertaining to a Castle and the second set of plans much more like the high rise it became.
The previous Castle Theatre didn’t quite make it to the January 24, 1916 opening. It had been deemed unsafe operating to the end of March of 1915 and razed in April of 1915. It has its own Cinema Treasures page. Organist Harry Wilson, who played the Hammers pipe organ at the previous Castle, was rehired as the organist at the launch of the new Castle. He made factory visits and helped design the custom pipe organ installed at the New Castle.