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[ Ivey's ]
[ Itinerary ]
[ Tour Guide ]
[ Related Sites ]
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[ Walking Tour ]
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[ Ivey's ]
The Carolina Theater opened on March 7, 1927, when Warren Ervin, who
managed the Carolina welcomed the large audience that came to see "A
Kiss In A Taxi" starring the "ever popular" Bebe Daniels. Lavish movie
houses were built all over the United States in the 1920's, and the
Carolina Theater in Charlotte was no exception. Architects for these
cinema palaces were free to borrow from various historical styles and to
employ ostentatious ornamentation, because their mandate was to provide
opera houses for the masses. "No kings or emperors
have ever
wandered through more luxurious surroundings. In a sense, those
theaters are a social safety valve in that the public can partake of the
same luxuries as the rich, and use them to the same full extent,"
explained one designer.
Publix Theaters, the owners of the Carolina Theater in Charlotte, selected architectural styles which it deemed appropriate for different regions of the country. New Yorker R. E. Hall and C. C. Hook of Charlotte, the architects of the building, were told to emphasize Mediterranean motifs. "All the best in art and architecture from the various countries bordering on this sea of azure blue are combined in a harmonious assemble," explained the Charlotte Observer.
The Carolina Theater underwent a major renovation in 1961, when it became the Carolinas home of Cinerama, a wide-screen technology of that day. The interior was transformed into a "modern, suburban" look. The final glory days for the Carolina occurred in the mid-1960's, when the "Sound of Music" played to 398,201 people during its run from March 1965 to October 1966. The Carolina Theater closed on November 27, 1978, after showing "The Fist," starring Bruce Lee. Since then, all but a small portion of the front facade of the grand movie palace has been demolished. But if you look carefully you can still see reminders of the Mediterranean.
Continue south on Tryon Street until you reach the next cross street, which is Fifth Street. Directly ahead is the building that originally served as the home of the Ivey's Department Store.
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