Located on Main Street in Mooresville, NC, the Carolina Theatre was a beloved single-screen cinema that opened its doors in 1939. This intimate venue could accommodate around 300 patrons, offering a cozy and nostalgic cinematic experience.
One of the films screened at the Carolina Theatre was “Stolen Heaven,” a 1938 American drama directed by Andrew L. Stone and written by Eve Greene, Frederick J. Jackson, and Stone himself. Starring Gene Raymond, Olympe Bradna, and Glenda Farrell, the film follows two jewel thieves who pose as musicians to evade law enforcement. Released on May 13, 1938, by Paramount Pictures, “Stolen Heaven” offered audiences a thrilling escape into a world of crime and romance.
By the 1950s, a significant portion of Mooresville’s movie theater scene was under the management of Mr. Dale Groome. This included three prominent theaters: the Carolina, the State, and the Center. However, the Carolina Theatre’s run was relatively short-lived, as it closed its doors sometime in the mid-to-late 1950s.
While the Carolina Theatre in Mooresville may not have had the same grand scale or historical significance as the Carolina Theatre in Durham or other cities, it undoubtedly played a vital role in the local community’s entertainment landscape. It provided a place for residents to gather, escape, and enjoy the magic of cinema.
Today, the Carolina Theatre in Mooresville may be a distant memory, but its legacy lives on. It serves as a reminder of a time when movie theaters were a central part of community life and a source of shared experiences.
On the banner of this photo is a sign that says “Movies of Local People.” In the 1930s and 1940s, North Carolinian photographer Herbert Lee Waters traveled the state filming people and places in a project he dubbed “Movies of Local People.” Waters arrived in different communities with his car clearly labeled, handed out a small sheet of paper to explain his purpose, and then proceeded to take shots of everyday life. Over 250 films were produced.
Waters’ films are candid and only lightly edited. The adults and children alike featured in these films are frequently mugging for the camera and for good reason – the films were subsequently shown in local theaters.
