Cabarrus Theatre

MAJOR CORRECTION: What I am calling the Piedmont Theatre was actually the Cabarrus Theatre. I was recently show a photograph of the building and it's very obvious that the marquee reads "Cabarrus".

This theatre needs to be returned to the people of Concord NC!

Pasty

Simma down... Have you actually seen this building? I live about a mile from it an it is physically impossible for it to be returned into a movie theatre. First Charter bank did an excellent job maintaining and restoring much of the interior.

Don't worry downtown Concord will have a renivated theatre soon enough.

Ok, Thomas I'll simmer down, but was just concerned over another former theatre. I have friends from Concord NC and asked them tonight about this former theatre so will check it out for myself sometime. Your quote "Don't worry downtown Concord will have a renovated theatre soon enough" did interest me though.

"You can still tell where the box office used to sit and the current receptionist desk is the concession stand but modified. The brilliant Art Deco curvatures in the ceiling exist as does the domed lobby and brass railings. To the right of the desk is a commissioned letter by, I believe Paramount Studios, that contains well over 50 autographs of then famous stars and directors." I must go see this for myself!

After 9/11 First Charter made it into a pass key only building but before that I got to look around the building a good bit. For me the coolest artifact of the building is the movie theatre deed hanging in the entrance. I wish I could remember the names but I recall that there are some very well known names signed on it.

Across the street from the Cabarrus Theatre is the original site for the Cabarrus, but then it was called the Paramount. In fact you cannot even tell that the bicked over building contains a theatre until you walk around the back (towards the Police station) and see the booth projector's smoking/exit door and stairwell. Over the years several restaurants have chipped away from the interior but there is still a great deal left to be restored. (hint hint)

The is yet another theatre located near the 1st Cabarrus Theatre site. I've looked through the papers and old phone books and believe that it was called the 3 Star Theatre. If you walk up to it you can still see the rings that supported the marquee. Further up you can see the angled projectionist's windows. That way the outside light wouldn't shine directly into the auditorium. This same building also has two huge front glass windows. You can't miss them. If you look in you can see the original entrance to the box office.

I show the address for the Cabarrus Theatre AKA Carolina Theatre was 22 Union Street, N., Concord, NC. 28025

Charles,

Just wondering...what year are you referencing? The numbers on Union Street have changed several times.

Sounds like we're all in the Concord area so perhaps we all should think about meeting for coffee sometime and do some 'cinema' chattin! Then maybe tour Concord's Union Street together! My contact email is provided on My Profile.

I believe that Charles in the St. Louis area. Traditionally he tends to be the "what's that addy for that theatre" guy on this website.

Thomasina, you are patially correct about my location, it is divided between the St. Louis area and Ohau, Hi. The address that I listed was taken from a newspaper ad of 12/24/49. I do have a couple photos that I was able to obtain in my theatre research and when add a photo goes back on line I will submit them. I have contributed a couple hundred theatres to Cinema Treasures and their history so it just isn't the addresses that I have. I have over 10,000 theatres in both my physical and computer data base. This has been a hobby of mine for many years now. When doing my research and I find theatres that are not submitted to the site I will submit them, sometimes with a lot of history and sometimes just the opposite. I take it that you are the UA girl.

Charles: What a lucky break for us cinema treasure buffs having you as a contributor! Must be nice dividing your time between the mainland and HAWAII! ;-)

Also, when you have time please look up the Columbia Theatre, Brookville PA and see if you can find any further information! Thanks as it's my husband's hometown. Mine is the former Grand Theatre in Westfield NY, but I've been able to track down some good sources to help with my hometown cinema. There may be others so will advise as I think of them.

Charles

I wasn't doubting your hobby just posting an observaion.

Yep, I am UAGirl but due to me closing out my RR account (thank you creepy college "friend") and forgetting my old password I was unable to continue to log in as that name. I've been with the theatre chain for 8 or so years and have been collecting local information for about 9 so you're miles ahead of me.

Have you found any pictures of the black only theatre in the Concord/Kannapolis area? I have found one picture of a theatre that is now a funeral home and that's it.

If you wouldn't mind could you drop me a mail at straight.in@gmail.com ? Thanks! :)

Thomas: I just spent some time in Concord and stopped to check out the now First Charter Bank/former Carrabus Theatre on Union. I see it sits between a Baptist Church and the Hotel Concord. We drove around to the back/side of the building and could see that it was a theatre due to its size and general structural design. It wasn't quite 5:00 so I tried the front doors, but they were locked. I couldn't see the framed piece (commissioned Paramount letter) with signatures so that must be within the second set of doors. Also wanted to find the other former Concord theatre, but didn't print those comments for reference! Since we didn't know where the police department was located we didn't find the other theatre location. Does this location have regular business hours for anyone to enter the lobby and look around. I'd love to know if the theatre (seats, etc.) are still in the auditorium area or is it being used as some sort of storage as sometimes happens?

Patsy

It wasn't quite 5:00 so I tried the front doors, but they were locked.

Yeah, it will always be "locked" because after 9/11 First Charter made that operations center employee pass only. It's not open to the public. The auditorium was divided into two floors. Luckily they save the old style balcony steps as a way to access the top floor. The signatures are located in the second set of doors on the right side of the entrance. Keep looking,you'll find them, but remember this is a secured bank building. They might take it the wrong way if they saw someone glaring in to find the framed signatures.

Also wanted to find the other former Concord theatre.....

If you mean the first location for the Cabarrus theatre then you weren't too far away from it. The bricked up building across from the Concord Hotel is the theatre. To the right of it sits the Star Theatre which now houses the community planning offices for Concord.

Concord had a lot more theatres than what we are talking about here. In addition to the Cabarrus above and the Cabarrus AKA Paramount across the street, just down the street at 2 South Union was the State Theatre, also there was the Pastime on Main Street, and many others like the Center, the Lincoln, and the Roxy. These are some that I have come across in my studies. There were a few drive-ins also in the Concord area, the Willis, the Poplar, the Newton- Conover, the Concord, the Carolina and the Airport. There have been a couple mutli screen venues that have come and gone also. I believe the only operating theatres left are the UA Carolina Mall Cinemas (screens ?)and AMC's Concord Mills 24. Thomasina correct me if I am wrong or if I missed something that you have more info on.

Thanks guys! Thomas: How does one go about seeing the framed signatures if the bank is a pass key only building? I take it the seats, screen are gone, but what in the world do they use that huge auditorium area for? When we drove around to the back we could see the immense size of the building! Now that you have explained further we'll return to check out the former theatre scene in Concord. We have a dear friend who lives on S. Union and so I plan to ask him if he and his late wife ever went to a movie in these theatres.

Thomasina if I am reading youu correctly they made the auditorium into two floors, correct?

The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of the Cabarrus Theatre as 700. The FDY, 1950 lists a seating capacity of 1,056.

"You can still tell where the box office used to sit and the receptionist desk is the concession stand but modified. The brilliant Art Deco curvatures in the ceiling exist as does the domed lobby and brass railings. To the right of the desk is a comissioned letter by, I believe Paramount Studios, that contains well over 50 autographs of then famous stars and directors. That is really all you can see from the lobby because you need security clearance to get to the back." The interior sounds really unique and special, but if security clearance is needed to get to the back I may never see it! How did you get inside before it became a pass key bank?













You can still tell where the box office used to sit and the current receptionist desk is the concession stand but modified. The brilliant Art Deco curvatures in the ceiling exist as does the domed lobby and brass railings. To the right of the desk is a comissioned letter by, I believe Paramount Studios, that contains well over 50 autographs of then famous stars and directors.

That is really all you can see from the lobby because you need security clearance to get to the back.

Charles,


You're like 85% correct. :) There are several other ghost theatres that hung around for a few years in the buildings that used to be theatres. Then there were a few fly by nighters that took residence.Concord also had several negros-only theatres. I'm typing it up as a word document. If you'd like a copy give me a e-mail. It's rather large.

One note, the Newton-Conover theatre is located and hour north of the Newtowne 1 & 2 in Conover,NC. That's like two and half hours away from Concord,NC.

Here is a link for my girl the UA/REG Carolina Mall Cinemas 8 . AMC Concord Mills 24 is located in Charlotte,NC.

Charles, you are correct.

Patsy it would be very hard to get in there. Like I said several posts up I was very lucky to get in there before 9/11.

BTW, am I missing something in your post? All I am seeing are quotes that I wrote several days ago.

Thomasina you can send it to me at charlesvanbibber@msn.com
Thanks, Chuck

I salvaged, and still have, the Cabarrus Theater front doors when FCNB converted the Cabarrus Theater to offices. Later I acquired two glass signs that show the movie time schedule and prices.

Jim: Fine cinema treasures!

I just visited Concord and tried to find the location for the former Paramount Theatre which is listed on Cinema Tour, but did locate the former Carrabus/Carolina Theatre/First Charter Bank building. Could someone who has more information on the former Paramount perhaps add the theater to CT? Thanks.

Just thought I'd post and let everyone know I have first hand knowledge of the Cabarrus Theater having spent many hours there as a child. My grandfather, WM Morgan owned the Cabarrus Theater until the 70's I think so I know it intimately. Spent many hours as a kid running up and down the steps and can remember getting into trouble lots of Saturdays for dropping popcorn from the Balcony. My grandfather passed away in 1993 but my grandmother and aunt are still alive. My aunt was the manager and run the concession area of the theater. As far as I can remember when it was closed they moved some of the furniture from upstairs out and its still at my grandmothers house stored upstairs. The projectors were also disassembled and sold after my grandfather passed away to a collector. But the seats and everything else remained when it was sold. I'll question my grandmother and see if she can remember anything else. My grandfather owned many drive ins in that same time period such as Mt. Mourne Drive In Mooresville Nc, Albemarle Drive IN Albemarle, NC and Locust Drive In Locust NC. I can remember on Monday mornings riding in the car with my aunt and grandmother to replace the placards that were put up the week before with new advertisments in all the gas stations and stores for all the drive ins. Jeez how me and my cousins use to HATE Mondays because we were in the car for hours and hours with my aunt getting in and out to put up a new placard. Well I've took up enough space for now. If anybody has a specific question I'll see if I can find out.

Lacceee: Thanks for this information and do you know anything about a theatre in Concord called the Paramount as it is being restored today? I have an address of 6 N. Union, but not sure if that is correct. The location of the former Cabarrus is 22 N. Union Street.

Lacceee: I believe when the bank bought the former Cabarrus theatre the bank used it for storage so probably removed the seats and I'm sure your grandmother is a wonderful theatre source so do continue to ask her questions.

The Paramount is located across the street from the Cabarrus in the shopping arcade that is currently under renovations.

PS: Yes, that totally contradicts what is posted in the description of the theatre. My goof on the first. The addresses for Union Street hip hop'd a lot over the years.

Thomasina: Thanks for your help as I'm trying to view the work being done at the Paramount while visiting friends in Concord who live on S. Union. I recall reading an article about the work being done with name(s), but I don't recall where I read the article no if I even saved it. BTW, I was glad to see that there is work being done at the former Cabarrus Creamery location as that building dates back to the 1920's.

Does anyone have a recent theatre news out of Concord NC?

A recent event revived my memory of the Cabarrus: YOUTUBE featured a short subject, said to have been produced in 1967, which predicted such things as the Internet, giant flat television screens and tiny camcorders. It was so accurate in its forecasts of the technological future that some people suspected a hoax. I remember seeing this feature at the Cabarrus Theater in Concord in 1967, when it was shown with the classic Michelangelo Antonioni film, BLOW UP!

Theatre opened 19 June 1939 and the architect was Erle G Stillwell.