Cherokee Theatre
204 E. Central Avenue,
La Follette,
TN
37766
204 E. Central Avenue,
La Follette,
TN
37766
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Cherokee Amusement Company
Firms: Baumann & Baumann
Functions: Furniture Showroom
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The Cherokee Theatre was located on the main street in LaFollette. It faced the mountains that were in easy walking distance. It was opened on December 23, 1937 with Burt Lahr in “Merry-Go -Round of 1938”.
The Cherokee Theatre was a brick structure with a decent marquee and a balcony. It served Campbell County as the only walk-in theatre. Closest was the Manring Theatre in Middlesboro, Kentucky. It was owned by Cherokee Amusements, a small theatre outfit in East Tennessee.
The concession stand greeted the moviegoer with very little lobby. I never attended a movie there, but passed it countless times. My dad did go there as a child and remembered the Gabby Hayes westerns.
The Cherokee Theatre was closed on June 18, 1968 with Georgia Lee in “The Restless Ones”. It would stay closed for several years until a pharmacy occupied that location for years. Just recently I went through LaFollette, and a furniture store has that location. But to a trained eye you can tell many years ago that location gave great movie experiences to a rural audience.
Today LaFollette is served with a small Twin Theatre built back in the late-1970’s called The Movies. You can look at how trashy it is, worn out basically. I dropped by several years ago when "Spiderman" was playing just to look the location over.
The admission was like $2.00 a seat!! And this was a first-run house. It’s a Carmike Cinema, which seems to seek out rural small towns and put no money into a theatre.
Contributed by
Mike Rogers
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
Yeah,Your right.Last time I drove by the old CHEROKEE theatre it was selling furniture.I have the Skyway Drive in listed in Lafollette,but also was told of the STARLITE DRIVE in there.But I have no idea of its location.
The little twin theatre was still open and being run by Carmike,But really run down from what i could tell for looking outside into the lobby.
It might be a small world.My mom’s sister married a Parrott and i will ask her if Uncle Clyde was related to W.H.Parrott.
Finally found out that my Uncle Clyde’s family was in the theatre business. The old Cherokee is still standing having long since been remodeled,but you can spot it… drove by it LABOR DAY..Sure would like to get inside , bet the booth is all there…
Could this theater also have been called The Capitol Theater at one time? I saw a photo of a Capitol in Lafollette that later became McCarty Fashion Store. I can find no Capitol Theater in Tennessee on CT.
i have no idea DAVID,hard to get info on small town theatres i have found.
Playing April 1965 ROBIN and the 7 HOODS, PLEASURE SEEKER.CAPT.Blood., DISTANT TRUMPET, GIRL HAPPY, ISLAND of BLUE DOLPHINS, FATHER GOOSE and INvation to a GUNFIGHT.
Would W.H. Parrot’s first name be Bill and wife named ADDIE?
I don’t know…
Currently a furniture store.
December 23, 1937 grand opening with “Merry-Go-Round of 1938” in photos. Baumann and Baumann of Knoxville, Tennessee created the architectural plans. Shirley Temple, W.C. Fields, Mae West, Tyrone Power and Sonja Hennie were among the Hollywood stars sending telegrams of delight to operators W.H. Parrott and Earl Hendren then of Cherokee Amusement Company. It appears to have closed at the end of a 30-year leasing agreement with brief extension on June 18, 1968 with “The Restless Ones.” In 1968, Winkler’s Pharmacy took over the location.