State Cinema
Newton, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Check out this Art Deco treasure in downtown Newton. The State Cinema still has its great vertical STATE sign, marquee and classic theater entrance along North College Avenue. 11-07

The State opened in 1936 and, unlike so many old downtown theaters, never completely disappeared from the movie scene. The original single-screen house was eventually divided into three screens, but the front still has plenty of that old neighborhood theater look.

Best of all, you can still stop here for a movie. Current films and occasional classics continue to play beneath that vintage marquee.

UPDATE: The State Cinema remains open and showing movies in downtown Newton. 08-26

Gem Theatre
Kannapolis, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss / 2007

The Gem Theatre is still lighting up downtown Kannapolis with its classic vertical sign and old-fashioned movie marquee. Amazingly enough, movies have been showing here since 1936. 12-07

A fire badly damaged the theater in 1942, but the Gem came back, reopening in 1948 with much of the Art Deco look seen today. Inside, it remains a real throwback, with a single screen and balcony seating.

The City of Kannapolis purchased the Gem in 2015 and has kept this downtown landmark going.

UPDATE: Following a major restoration, the Gem reopened in May 2024 and is still showing first-run movies. The marquee and vertical GEM sign continue to shine over downtown Kannapolis. 08-26

Dillon County Theatre
Dillon, SC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Cruising through downtown Dillon brings you to the Dillon County Theatre, a little piece of old Main Street entertainment that has managed to stick around. The restored facade looks much as a small-town theater should, sitting right along MacArthur Avenue. 01-08

The building dates back to 1919, when it was known as Everybody's Theater. It received a major makeover in 1935, giving the theater its distinctive Spanish Colonial look. After years of decline, local preservation efforts brought the old theater back. Following several years of restoration work, it reopened in January 1990 as a community performing arts center.

UPDATE: Today the Dillon County Theatre remains open and is home to the MacArthur Avenue Players, with live performances and community events once again bringing people through the doors. 08-26

Imperial Theatre
Augusta, GA
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The big marquee hanging over Broad Street is enough to make you slow down for a look. The Imperial Theatre in Augusta, GA has been lighting up this stretch of downtown for a long time, first opening as the Wells Theatre in 1918 with vaudeville acts and silent photoplays on the bill. 01-08

Charlie Chaplin even stopped here in April 1918, appearing on stage during a Liberty Bond drive. The Wells became the Imperial Theatre in 1925, and movies eventually became a regular part of the show.

The theater closed as a movie house in 1981, but that wasn't the end of the Imperial. It reopened a few years later as a performing arts venue, and the old marquee still hangs out over the sidewalk inviting people inside.

UPDATE: The Imperial Theatre remains open today, hosting concerts, theater and other live performances beneath its restored Broad Street marquee. 08-26

Kirby Theatre
Roxboro, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

There's still plenty of old movie-house character along Main Street in Roxboro. The Kirby Theatre opened here in 1949, complete with a big marquee and more than 1,000 seats inside. The first feature on the screen was The Stratton Story with James Stewart and June Allyson. 03-08

By the 1970s, the days of the big downtown movie theater were fading, but the Kirby got another act. Person County purchased the building in 1974 and turned it into a civic auditorium. Those old hand-painted murals inside survived too, giving the place a little more character than your average community hall.

These days the movies have mostly given way to concerts, plays and other live performances. The Kirby is now part of the Kirby Cultural Arts Complex, and that familiar theater front still looks right at home on Main Street.

UPDATE: The Kirby remains open as a performing arts venue, with the old theater continuing to host concerts, plays, movies and community events. 08-26

Paramount Theatre
Burlington, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The Paramount Theater is located in Burlington, NC. The lettering on the Paramount seems a little suspicious as it seems too small and far too modern a style for what was probably originally an opera house. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 03-08

Something about the lettering on this old theater makes you take another look. The Paramount Theatre in Burlington, NC opened as the Grand Theatre in 1928, becoming the Paramount just a year later. That modern-looking lettering isn't original. The theater received a big makeover in 1957, when the old front was covered with corrugated panels and red plastic letters. Not exactly the marquee you might expect from a 1920s movie house.

The Paramount nearly faced the wrecking ball in the 1970s, but survived and was eventually restored as a performing arts venue.

UPDATE: The Paramount remains open today, hosting live performances and other events in downtown Burlington. 08-26