Ottoway Theatre
12 N. Tryon Street,
Charlotte,
NC
28262
12 N. Tryon Street,
Charlotte,
NC
28262
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The Ottoway Theatre opened on April 17, 1911. It was Charlotte’s first purpose built cinema. Up to that point all the films being show in town were either special features in legitimate theaters like the Academy of Music or the Auditorium Theatre or shown in nickelodeons that were nothing more than converted storefronts.
The Ottoway Theatre had a big hit not long after opening when “Queen Elizabeth” staring Sarah Bernhardt was screened in November of 1912. The theatre ran successfully through the 1920’s but was a victim of the Depression and closed in 1930.
Contributed by
Mark Huffstetler
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
The University of North Carolina’s “Going to the Show” web feature includes the first known newspaper advertisement for the Ottoway Theatre. The brief three line ad was published in the Charlotte Daily Observer of July 7, 1911.
Otto Haas opens his Ottoway Theatre, a “pantomime theatre,” on April 17, 1911 with a Florence Lawrence film. The last film appeared in November of 1928 and the venue was listed for sale “cheap” in early 1929.