Mooreland Theatre

Mooreland had a single theater operating prior to 1928, when the January 3 issue of The Film Daily reported that the town' movie house had been bought by Kenneth Campbell. The name of the theater was not given, so it might or might not have been the same house that was operating as the Mooreland Theatre in the 1940s.

There are two Mooreland Theatres in its history. The first Mooreland Theatre opened its doors on March 13, 1936 with Ross Alexander in “Boulder Dam” along with an unnamed comedy and novelty, but that was closed in January 1941 when it was purchased by the undersigned and became a drug store.

The second Mooreland Theatre was built next door to the drug store that was once the first Mooreland Theatre. It first had a soft opening on February 8, 1946, followed by an official grand opening two days later on February 10, 1946 with Jack Haley in “Sing Your Way Home” (unknown if extras added).

Information about the Mooreland Theatre as of 1946 goes as follows: The theater was built with an estimate $20,000 in construction. The front of the building was finished in tan colored tile laid up in 4in squares with light brown border of the same material, blending into the tan colored face brick above with an marquee over the entrance. That was also decorated with a face brick of brown. The ticket booth reaches out in the center of the entrance vestibule and double entrance leading in on either side to the spacious foyer or lobby. Two doors then lead into the auditorium. The entrance outside the ticket booth is laid with tile flooring with the two walls curving from the two sides to the recessed front doors on either side. One steps from the tile floor into the rich green rug of the lobby. Comfort facilities at the lobby include a men’s bathroom on the left and the women’s lounge and bathroom on the right. There are also drinking fountains placed at the left wall of the lobby.

Inside the auditorium features heavily draped entrances leading to the double aisles, and seating arrangements are made up with the center section with staggering chair placement. There is a side section in both directions (left and right) placed on an angle making less interference with screen vision from the patron ahead. The seats are shaped and cushioned in green leather upholstery mounted on the sloping auditorium floor of the correct slope to make for comfort in viewing the 11x14ft Valencia-shielded silver screen. The entire interior is finished in modernistic design with the base of the walls in deep green coloring blending in to lighter and lighter hues until melting away into the ivory ceiling. Silver strips separate the various blends of green. A rainbow type lighting indirects of light diffusion. The gallery which featured a 10x12ft projection booth with Century projection, a spacious office room, and storage room is fireproof-built.