Neighborhood Theatre
511 E. 36th Street,
Charlotte,
NC
28205
511 E. 36th Street,
Charlotte,
NC
28205
2 people
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Reopened as the Astor Art on May 1st, 1964 with “Her Bikini never got wet” and “Adam & Six Eves”.
The Astor opened on March 1st, 1948. Grand opening ad posted. It became an adult theatre called Astor Art on May 2nd, 1964.
Astor theatre opening Sun, Feb 29, 1948 – 54 · The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, North Carolina) · Newspapers.com
The Astor was not opened until 1948. The April 2, 1948 issue of The Film Daily has this item:
The 1950 FDY listed the Astor Theatre in both their “Negro Theaters” section and the main theaters listing for Charlotte.I am working on a project on “Lost” Charlotte Movie Theaters for UNC-Charlotte where i am a faculty member. Would love to get in touch with anyone who as insight into this theater (stories, pics, whatever). You can send me an email at and hopefully we can talk about your interest or info on the lost theaters of Charlotte. – Thanks
Hi, our neighborhood history group is trying to research the old Astor Theater. If anyone has any old stories or photos they would like to share we would love to capture them. My contact information is waymere at Yahoo.com. Thanks for any help.
In early 1960, my dad operated the Astor theater for a short while. He showed mostly “B” movies, not porn or anything like that. I could tell that it had once been elegant, with it’s carved ceiling and red velvet curtain to draw over the screen. Next door was a business that made and sold french fried potatoes for resturants. An apartment was upstairs over the business where some people lived. The neighborhood was pretty run down, and my dad did not operate the theater very long. But he did have Bill Monroe and his bluegrass band play there once. My dad also operated a drive-in theater in South Carolina and had Bill Monroe and Carl Story play there.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 gives a seating capacity for the Astor Theatre as 446.
Recently while traveling in the NoDa section of Charlotte along North Davidson I spotted a theatre that appeared to still be a theatre, but not sure so can anyone give me additional information? I don’t recall the name of the street where the theatre was located in that area as I didn’t go around the block to get a second look and should have, but will return soon.
The Neighborhood Theatre is now a wonderful funky shade of purple with cream colored ceramic tile around the lower level. A new exterior ticket booth has been build. I remember how seedy this neighborhood, and particularly the Astor Theater (now the Neighborhood Theatre), was in the 1960s. I was recently told that a brothel operated upstairs. The newspaper adds for the Astor during the 1960s called it “The Carolina’s Most Unusual Theater”. The Astor and the Fox Drive-In were the two X-rated theaters I remember advertising in the newspaper. Of all the wonderful movie theaters that Charlotte has lost, how ironic that it’s most notorious and seedy movie house is resurrected at a great performance space.