Pioneer Theater
115 Budleigh Street,
Manteo,
NC
27954
115 Budleigh Street,
Manteo,
NC
27954
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How a Single-Screen Theater on a Remote North Carolina Island Keeps Movie Magic Alive
Classic films, clever owners, and a leg up from Andy Griffith have kept the lights on at Manteo’s Pioneer Theater for 108 years
By Andrea Cooper
March 11, 2026
The Pioneer Theater in Manteo, North Carolina.
In the historic photo, a local actor stands on a ladder outside the Pioneer Theater in Manteo, North Carolina. He smiles and waves at the camera. His other hand rests on the marquee boasting his name: ANDY GRIFFITH. The burgeoning star was there to promote the East Coast premiere of his 1957 film debut, A Face in the Crowd.
Visitors can see the ladder in the theater’s lobby today, an artifact of the self-proclaimed “oldest independent, family-owned theater in the country.” The Outer Banks landmark on Roanoke Island, first built in 1918, has survived the advent of “talking pictures,” fires, world wars, and a pandemic. “We raised a lot of generations,” says former owner Buddy Creef, whose great-grandfather founded the theater. “As my dad always said, we were the cheapest two-hour babysitter in town.”
The story goes that Buddy’s great-grandfather, boat builder George Washington Creef Jr., stopped by a nickelodeon theater on a trip up north and saw a couple of short films. He came home with projector equipment and began showing movies to friends at the boat shop. As word spread, he thought, “I can probably start charging people.”
By the 1930s, “talkies,” or movies with sound, were growing in popularity. Herbert Creef Sr., Buddy’s grandfather, knew the theater didn’t have space for the modern technology it needed, so he constructed a new Pioneer Theater downtown. What some might view as a risky business decision, given the greater economic tumult, Buddy sees as a masterstroke. “The movie industry was one of the few that thrived during the Depression and through World War II,” he says.
It didn’t hurt that the theater was the first place in Manteo with air conditioning, according to Michael Basnight, who co-owns the Pioneer today with his sister, Jamie Hatchell. (In the late 1940s, air conditioning replaced “swamp coolers,” which chilled air through evaporated water.) The building expanded its utility and appeal in the 1950s by adding a stage for beauty pageants, historic plays, and sock hops.
Manteo’s children spent their weekends at the community mainstay through the 1960s and 1970s under the watchful eye of Buddy Creef’s dad. “Everybody knew H.A. Creef,” Hatchell remembers. “The parents knew the kids were safe. He was not going to let them leave.”
Showing flicks like Jaws and Star Wars, the Pioneer provided date night for most of Manteo’s teens. “They would come here to get away from their parents,” Buddy recalls. With his own father on site nearly every night and his mom there often, being at the Pioneer for Buddy “was like having a couple of friends over and hanging out in the living room with my parents.” He found other places for dates.
Along with many downtown buildings, the theater got an English Tudor makeover in the early 1970s when the town attempted to entice Queen Elizabeth to Manteo for a celebration of the first colony. Liz didn’t show, but she sent her people. A fire later that decade—one of several to threaten the theater over the years—burned the neighboring hardware store. The Creef family mopped the water in the theater, aired out the smoke, and opened the Pioneer that night.
Covid-19 could have been the Pioneer’s undoing. When the town allowed takeout restaurant sales, Buddy Creef saw his chance. He offered drive-up concessions of candy, soda, and popcorn from the 1950s popcorn machine outside the theater. The first night, Manteo’s town manager, county health inspector, and chief of police arrived together. Buddy began explaining why he thought the sales were allowed. “We’re here to get popcorn,” they said.
Basnight and Hatchell bought the theater in 2023, restored the original blond brick, and revamped its offerings. Studios require first-run movies to be shown for weeks, a formula that doesn’t suit Pioneer’s single screen. “Everybody here will have seen it in a weekend,” Hatchell explains. Instead, the theater screens classic and popular films from the past. (Recent showings include An American in Paris, Scarface, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.) It also hosts concerts with Grammy-winning musicians and special events like an OBX Got Talent competition and a 1929-style speakeasy for Valentine’s Day.
One experience is reserved for the Pioneer’s performers. They’re invited to get their photo taken on the ladder outside the theater as they point to their name on the marquee.
It’s that obvious that a theater in a predominant right wing fascist town don’t include R rated . Typical right wing family values against left.
Don’t leave any spaces between [ & )
David type in a [ and then type in the name you wish to link and close it] then without a space you add a ( and type in the address then close with a )
Thank you, Ken. Great to see your post from England
To post a link Fill in the name of the link in the [] and the address of the link in ()
You can highlight them then click Open In New Tab. Or copy and paste them into your browser. Unfortunately I do not know how to paste them as clickable links. I just copy and paste them here.
Wish there was a way to turn posted links blue so we could simply tap on it to view.
Reopened in May 2023 for films, music and live events. Official website and Facebook page below.
https://www.thepioneertheater.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2ilgrtbkAMM-tF7iobqADm58iLXNW_oeCgcWXA4cjbHjxNFVCHaqRWhI0_aem_AdZGHsDYLBmhdWwdFZ7bM7Ie2NWDnATzI0YqXhsv7oySnwWiGVRnreI38BBFHIOluO5I93tc0opKMGHzIlKhSHcV
https://www.facebook.com/PioneerManteo/?show_switched_toast=0&show_invite_to_follow=0&show_switched_tooltip=0&show_podcast_settings=0&show_community_review_changes=0&show_community_rollback=0&show_follower_visibility_disclosure=0
The 104-year tradition has ended. The Pioneer Theatre in Manteo last showed a film on November 16, 2022 with “Wakanda Forever.” A temporary closure occurred for a projector issue. But on December 13, 2022, the management decided to make the closure permanent ending the Pioneer’s run - one of the nation’s longest running movie theaters.
And her is another link with another pic with a newer marquis:
http://outerbanksthisweek.com/articles/outer-banks-firsts
Here is the link to the photo I promised over 2 years ago:
http://myouterbankshome.com/the-pioneer-theater/
Sorry I work very, very, very, very slow!LOL
Somewhere I saw a picture of this theater before manteo went crazy and went all colonial, I wish I could find it. It was neat it had a marquee and a ticket booth. I will look for it then see if I can get permission to post it.
Mike,
You are truely clueless. The William C. Cline you refer to was a movie booker that we used for many many years. After his untimely, and unexpected death, we found out he had been booking movies with the studios at one percentage, and charging us a different higher percentage in addition to his booking fee……. ie skimming…….For many many years he portrayed himself.if you want the true history of the pioneer theater come to Manteo, NC and I will fill you in, show you a movie house like you have never seen, and embarrass you regarding your arrogant ignorance regarding this theater, it’s history, and the movie industry in general. I am a 4th generation owner operator, and know things about which you speak that you have no idea of. If you want to come visit and become enlightened email me and we can talk some real truths. Until then speak of that which you know, no more and no less. A man who speaks of what he has heard is ignorant….no more….no less…..Buddy, Herbert A Creef III
I see that someone by the name of Buddy Creef added this theatre…thanks. Herbert A. Creef Jr. and my father had something in common…..they both owned a fuel oil business.
To the late William C. Cline….thanks!
In William C.Cline’s book about the theatre business in the Carolinas.“STROKE OF FORTUNE'he writes about the theatre once called THE YE OLDE PIONEER THEATRE.Cline writes."when the family passed the Pioneer Theatre on to Herbert A Creef Jr. He wanted no part of the theatre business. Creef Jr, had already owned a local hotel and a fuel oil business and wanted no part of running a theatre”.Cline writes that he met with Creef Jr. and told him he {Cline} would help him learn the ropes.Creef Jr,said “Go ahead,I don’t have anything to Lose”.You guys can thank the Late William C.Cline for the advice and encouragement to keep it still a family theatre.
This theatre was recently featured on WTVI in the Charlotte NC area.