The State Theatre on the southeast corner of the main square began as the Universal Theatre in 1922 and was renamed when it was purchased by the North Carolina Theatres Company in 1933. It was one of the main theaters in Lenoir for the rest of the 1930s. In March 1941, North Carolina Theatres opened the large new Center Theatre and the State reverted to a second-run and return engagement house. Being connected to the successful Center Theatre, the State survived into the late 1950s with a few advertised shows and live performances. The last advertised film at the State came in September 1960 and by spring of 1963 the lobby area was being converted into a beauty shop, effectively ending the site as a theater. What follows is an overview of the State from the glory years in the 1930s into its long decline, with a few surprising peaks along the way . . .

The State Has the Shows, 1933-1941

Manager James R. Resley hit the ground running when he took over the Universal in mid-December 1933. He was careful to get front page news about the theater, as well as advertisements emphasizing the changes being made and those yet to come. The headlines indicate big plans: "LENOIR THEATRES ANNOUNCE CHANGE OF POLICY TODAY / Changes In Admission Made And Universal Theatre Renamed 'The State' / PICTURES WILL RUN FOR TWO DAYS EACH . . ." (Lenoir News Topic 12/14/1933, p. 1). The prices and programming are actually nearly identical to those of the Universal: 10 cents for children and, for adults, either 25 cents for a matinee or 35 cents for an evening program. The two-day run, while not unprecedented, was a change for the new theater as most films had run for three-days with a separate Saturday Western.

A large ad announced the re-opening (Lenoir News Topic 12/14/1933, p. 5):

At the same time, North Carolina Theatres purchased the smaller Imperial Theatre on South Main Street, which had opened in 1926. There, they would show subsequent-run films or films less likely to draw a large audience. Resley was able to get the State and the Imperial up and running, making plans for physical improvements to the silent-era buildings without pausing Monday through Saturday exhibition (blue laws still prohibited the showing of movies on Sundays in Lenoir). But as quickly as he arrived in town, Resley was on to other things, resigning his position in early March 1934 (Lenoir News Topic 3/8/1934, p. 3). Henry Brown from Winston-Salem replaced him as manager.

The main competition for the State would have been the Avon Theatre, which opened just north of the courthouse in February 1934. The following map gives the location of the State and Imperial Theatres and their competition in 1934:

The North Carolina Theatres Company that owned the State was associated with Paramount Studios, so it is no surprise that this was the production company for the largest percentage of films shown through its first season. The Avon was independently owned. 

A comparison of the major production companies whose films were played at the two theaters in 1934 demonstrates the differences in film distributors at each venue:

As expected, Paramount films represent the largest number of major studio films at the State, but other companies are represented as well: RKO, Universal, Columbia, and Fox. At the Avon Theatre, Paramount is also represented with the largest number of major studio films, but companies not represented at the State make up the rest of the graph: MGM, Warner Brothers, and First National. There are small numbers of films by these companies at the State as well but, interestingly, the reverse is not true: no films by Columbia, Fox, RKO or Universal were being shown at the Avon in this year. Apparently, the distribution service for the Avon was more limited, which makes sense for a locally owned theater. Note that there were many other smaller companies not represented in the graphs above that had only a handful of films shown that year.

As far as the currency of films--the number of days after the national release date that a film was being shown in Lenoir--the Avon averaged around 5 months after the release date, the State around 4 months. 

Improvements

Although the building was only 12 years old in 1934, movie-going had changed radically in the intervening years. Shows were longer and audiences expected a varied program: not just a feature film but newsreels, cartoons, serials, and other types of short entertainment. Feature films were now typically over an hour long and some were approaching two hours. Therefore, more comfortable seating was Brown's initial priority in improving the State, installing 314 new spring-cushioned seats in September (Lenoir News Topic 9/27/1934, p. 1). The same article states that "The seats were manufactured by the American Seating Company of Grand Rapids, Mich. They have leather cushions and upholstered backs, adding to the comfort of patrons. A space of 30 inches between rows of seats provides plenty of room for comfort." New carpeting in the aisles and lobby were also added at this time, to help deaden the sound of people walking in the aisles.

Sound was really the primary emphasis of the improvements at the State during this period. The era of experimentation was now over and audiences had quickly come to expect sound--good sound--with all shows; it was no longer just live filler music but an integral part of the plot of the film. Major improvements were made in the summer of 1935 when Brown appears to have gone solely with the sound-on-film recording system:

NEW SOUND PUT IN AT THE STATE / Rate Of Balcony Seats Is Established At 15 Cents, Says Brown / SOUND MUCH IMPROVED

New sound equipment has been installed at the State Theater. The sound set is the latest model from the laboratories of the R.C.A. Victor Co. at Camden, N.J., and represents the very best and latest in sound equipment for talking pictures. . . .

The new set produces much more life-like tones than any previous models, according to the engineer, C.J. Faulstick of Atlanta, who installed the new set. "The engineering department is constantly improving the sound equipment," Mr. Faulstick said, "and this set brings out the shades of tone much better than earlier models. It has a frequency range from the organ to the lightest tone of the piccolo," he explained, "and this adds to the realism and ability to distinguish between the voices of the different characters."

Henry Brown, manager of the State explained that the new set can take care of any recording that is made now. "It makes the older recordings better and the new ones perfect," Mr. Brown said, and he invited The News-Topic reporter to listen in for a little while to the preview of a picture. The clever comedian, W.C. Fields' voice came from the new set with tones that were distinctive and life-like. Mr. Brown said that this picture, "The Man On The Flying Trapeze," was right new, and he was especially glad that he could use the new set first with a new picture. (Lenoir News Topic 7/30/1935, p. 5)

Not all of the improvements were done on the building itself. In 1939, Will England penned an editorial regretting the removal of the shade trees on the main square, which helped open up the corner where the State marquee shone:

DOPE From ENGLAND

The old shade trees bordering the sidewalk on the East half of The Square are now being removed. All the old timers stand quietly around and watch--they seem to be in a daze. The general idea appears to be--better vision, better business for the merchants who have been hid behind the trees for years--more sunshine--less cluttering up of the walk-way with leaves. It is supposed the signs of The State Theatre will now dazzle the eyes of additional thousands of pedestrians; that whereas Alice in the past has plied her art on dozens, she perhaps now will have the opportunity to wave and friz hundreds, and gossip and rake in the dollars from early morn till dewey eve; that whereas only a limited number up to now have fallen for 'The World's Largest Milkshake--only Ten Cents,' hundreds, maybe thousands, are now due for enlightenment in the school of experience; and there's Dick Whistnant [sic]--his shingle depicting the pleasures of litigation, will shine forth and glisten in the afternoon's sun as never before. . . . (Lenoir News Topic 9/15/1939, p. 4)

Employees

By 1937, Andrew Hutchinson had taken over as manager for the State, with Harry Brown leaving at some point after 1935. Typical of the era, managers were moved around from city to (larger) city as they gained experience; Hutchinson stayed in Lenoir for a couple of years and then moved to a theater in Anderson, SC and R.D. Stallings took over at the State in 1939. Stallings took a job in Raleigh in 1940 and Dan Austell became the new manager. All of these men were managers of both the State and the smaller Imperial. 

An important source of information on local theaters is Miller's Lenoir, North Carolina City Directory. Directories for Lenoir exist for the years 1930, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1945, 1948, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1961 and 1963. More than just a simple phone book, the Directories list residents by address and also by their place of employment. The first Directory to include the State Theatre, from 1939, lists ten employees: 

• • • Andrew A. Hutchinson, manager

    • Ralph Spicer and Euell Stafford, projectionists

    • Virginia C. Burgess and Ruth B. Sharpe, cashiers

    • J.W. Cole, Jr. and Herndon T. Huntley Jr., doormen

    • Arthur N. Caudle and John E. Powell, ushers

    • Ralph Spicer, employee

Just two years later in January 1941, on the eve of America's entry into World War II, the roster had expanded to twelve, with Dan W. Austell as manager, along with three projectionists, two cashiers (both women), two doormen, a janitor, and two others who are listed in the Directory only as "employed" by the Theatre in some unspecific way. Aside from the manager, the best-paying job was no doubt the projectionist; cashiers and doormen appear to have been mainly young people. The job of cashier was held solely by younger women.

In 1943, with the War in full force and many men in the service, half of the employees at the State are women:

• • • Imla C. Holloway, manager

    • Guy W. Leighton and James Sparks, operators (i.e., projectionists)

    • Miss Jerre Williamson, student manager

    • Miss Wilma McGalliard, cashier

    • Mrs. Margaret F. Branch, doorman

    • Miss Louise Bynum and Miss Marjorie Roberts, ushers

    • Joe Tell Reid, Jr., popcorn maker

    • Sylvester Berry, janitor

The 1945 Directory shows that there was continual turnover and the employees were again split in half between male and female, although the higher paying jobs of manager and projectionists seem to have been exclusively occupied by men. Arthur G. Foard, Jr. was listed as the manager. 

With the end of the War, employment at the State was cut in half. The 1948 directory lists only four employees, one a woman, Miss Mary L. Smith, cashier, with Doyle Norris, manager. The 1950 list makes it apparent that the job of doorman was no longer necessary and had been eliminated or else was hired out to temporary or part-time staff. Note also the long-term tenure of projectionist Guy Leighton and the fact that former projectionist Euell Stafford had reappeared as manager:

• • • Euell E. Stafford, manager

    • Guy W. Leighton, projectionist

    • Miss Anne Cooke and Mrs. Betty Stokes, cashiers

    • Dean Baker, usher

    • James F. Baker and Paul Riley, employees

This list would have been just before Lenoir Theatres sold off the State to Henry Brown.

In 1953, under Brown's ownership, the State gained a new position of assistant manager, but the roles of cashier, clerk, and usher appear to disappear--or else were part of the duties of assistant manager:

• • • Henry W. Brown, manager

    • Lewis G. Brooks, assistant manager

    • Dean Cook, projectionist

    • Frank D. Carter, janitor

By 1955, the Directory lists only Brown as manager with one employee, Eugene Crisp. The roster remains small in 1957 and 1959. The last Directory listing for the State, in 1961, names Homer B. Haynes and Jack J. Harris as managers, Miss Della M. Minton as projectionist, and Dennard F. Carter, janitor. Miss Minton is the first and only woman listed in the Directories in the role of projectionist.

As drive-in theaters and television cut into the audience for the State, the costs of running the theater were cut to the bare bones. From a high of 12 employees before the War, the State operated throughout much of the 1950s with only as many staff as was absolutely necessary to stage a show and keep the theater reasonably clean--generally around four. Managers may also have relied more heavily on high school students and other young people who may not have been listed separately from their families in the Directory. And, no doubt, at least some of the State's potential employees were drawn away to the larger new Center Theatre after 1941.

Center Theatre, 1941

The Lenoir Theatres Company had ended the 1930s with two successful show houses. The State competed against its cross town rival, the Avon, and added extra revenue with the smaller Imperial Theatre. Perhaps the State and Imperial were too successful for their own good. In early 1941, under Dan Austell's leadership, the company opened a new 850-seat theater on West Main Street called the Center Theatre. The new role of the State was outlined in a page one newspaper article:

Austell Gives New Operating Policy of State

With the opening of the new Center theatre, the policy of the State will be to present good first-run pictures, and return engagements of the best pictures from the Center.

With this policy established in Lenoir for the first time, local theatre patrons can be assured of seeing any of the big productions that they missed at the Center, as well as a constant selection of good first-run pictures at the low family admission of only 15 cents, any seat, any time.

The new operating hours of the State will be from 6:45 o'clock, to 11 o'clock, Monday through Friday. On Saturday the State will open at 9:45 o'clock a.m. and show continuously all day with the regular Saturday night late show starting every Saturday at 10:15 o'clock p.m. Late show tickets will be on sale, as at the Center, in the box office at 12 o'clock noon every Saturday.

In addition to these new policy changes, the entire front of the State is being remodeled and painted in beautiful blends to add to the comfort of this popular Lenoir institution. (Lenoir News Topic 2/28/1941, Sect. 2, p. 1)

While the State was incorporated into the plans for Lenoir Theatres, the Imperial Theatre was closed in March 1941 and eventually sold to Herman B. Meiselman of Fayetteville (Lenoir News Topic 5/20/1941, p. 2). Meiselman kept the building closed for more than two years but eventually reopened it in October 1943 as the Strand Theatre, the name of his other venues in Fayetteville, NC and Rockingham, NC. The Strand lasted through the 1940s as an independent B-movie house before showing its last film in August 1949.

The following maps locates the Center, State and other theaters in 1941. Ironically, the "Center" was a full two blocks from the main square in town:

The opening of the Center changed the status of the its smaller companion, the State. The following chart shows the average number of days after the national release that a film was shown at the State from its beginning in 1934 until 1945. Before the opening of the Center Theatre, films at the State averaged around 100 days old or slightly less. With the completion of the new theater in 1941, older and older films are the norm at the State, jumping markedly from 1941 on:

By 1945, the average film shown at the State had been released almost two years earlier. The numbers remain high throughout the rest of its existence. A complete story of the Center will be told on a separate page in the future, but its impact on the smaller and older State can be clearly seen here.

The oldest films shown at the State during the early 1940s were generally Westerns and comedy shorts from as early as 1930. As long as the films were not silent, they did not need to reflect current tastes--a cowboy film or a pie-in-the-face comedy would have been just as entertaining in 1945 as it had been in 1930, especially to a younger audience who might not have seen it originally. Still, the majority of films shown at the State during this time had played at the Center or Avon within the last couple of years; it was a chance for the audience to see movies they might have missed in their first run. 

War Years, 1941-1945

World War II began in September 1939, but the United States was officially neutral until the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Movie theaters were a vital part of the home front during the war. In addition to the hiring of more women discussed above, theaters worked hard to stay relevant by providing a continuous supply of newsreels and special shows that contributed to the war effort.  In the newspaper ads, the designation of a short containing "news" was often changed to "war news" or "latest war news." Hollywood films dramatizing the war effort were also common. Even cartoons could have war-related themes in an attempt to boost morale. More direct contributions included special fund-raising nights for the Red Cross or the various national War Bond rallies, as when September 1942 was designated "War Bond Month" at all three Lenoir theaters (Lenoir News Topic 9/1/1942, p. 2) or the "Red Cross Week" in March 1943 (Lenoir News Topic 3/26/1943, pp. 1, 8). In July of 1943, the theaters even joined in to raise money to build an Essex-class aircraft carrier, the Shangri-La (Lenoir News Topic 7/2/1943, p.  1).

Restrictions on gasoline and tires made it more difficult for people to travel into town to see a show during the War, and it was now a bit more expensive to see a show once you arrived in town. War taxes were levied on ticket prices, such as this one in March 1944:

CENTER AND STATE THEATRES / SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

On Saturday, April 1st (and this is not an April Fool's story) the NEW SCHEDULE OF WAR TAXES go into effect at both the Center and State Theatres.

You will then pay 1c on each 5c admission. Example: A 25c ticket will cost you 30c instead of 28c now

Children under 12 years remain at 9c

I.C. Holloway, Mgr. (Lenoir News Topic 3/28/1944, p. 8)

In the last year of the War, curfews were enacted, effectively ending the late night "owl" shows for the duration:

POLICE TO ENFORCE MIDNIGHT CURFEW

The recent order of James F. Byrnes, War Mobilization Director requiring night clubs, cafes, amusement places, etc., to be closed by midnight of each day will be enforced in Lenoir, Mayor Earl Tate stated to a News-Topic representative Thursday.

The order which was issued for the purpose of conserving manpower and electric energy, the Mayor says applies to the cafes, theatres and pool rooms and the operators of these places will be expected to comply with the War Mobilization Director's order.

While the order has been generally observed in Lenoir, the Mayor stated he has received information that some places are remaining open after midnight, probably through misunderstanding of the order, but these places will be notified regarding the order and compliance will be expected. (Lenoir News Topic 3/9/1945, p. 1)

By the end of 1945, World War II had ended and an uneasy peace had settled over Europe and East Asia. For movie theaters, the period following the War would prove to be even more turbulent and economically dangerous . . .

Post War Era: Paramount Sells Out, a New Owner, Sunday Movies, the Final Shows

National antitrust legislation in 1948, the case of the United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., had major implications for the theaters in Lenoir. Paramount was forced to relinquish ownership of 774 theaters nationwide, including the Center and the State (Motion Picture Daily 2/28/1949, p. 5). Paramount Pictures was split into a studio production company and a separate exhibition chain called United Paramount Theaters. The move had more direct impact on the Center than on the State:

Center, State Theatres Sold

The Center and State theatres of Lenoir were among the more than 100 theatres in North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama which were sold to Paramount Pictures in a transaction involving $5,000,000, it was announced here.

I.C. Holloway will remain as manager of the theatres here, and no change of personnel is anticipated. The Center building on West avenue was involved in the deal but the State building was not involved as it is under lease, it was learned here.

The former owners also will be employed by Paramount in the operation of the theatre houses, it was stated. (Lenoir News Topic 12/6/1949, p. 1)

In all likelihood, the Center faced higher rents after the move, but the State was unlikely to be directly effected. Still, big changes were on the way for the State, which was sold to one of its former managers in June 1950:

Brown Buys State Theatre

A former Lenoir resident, Henry Brown of Hickory, has purchased the State Theatre from Lenoir Theatres, Incorporated, operators of the State and Center theatres here for a number of years.

Mr. Brown will continue the operation of the State--the oldest in the city, still in existence, at its present location.

In addition to the State Theatre here, Brown also operates the Embassy Theatre in Hickory. He will divide his time between the two motion picture houses.

He formerly served as manager of the State and Imperial theatres here and moved to Hickory to become manage of the Center theatre there about the time the new Center was built in Lenoir.

During his residence in Lenoir, Mr. Brown was an active member of a number of civic organizations and active in civic affairs.

No change will be made in the status of the Center Theatre here of which I.C. Holloway is manager, it was stated today. (Lenoir News Topic 6/8/1950, p. 2)

Harry Brown had managed the State and Imperial beginning in 1934, before moving to Hickory. The early 1950s were a rough time for the film exhibition industry; competition from drive-in theaters and television caused many theaters to be closed during this period, but the State was to hold out for a few years more. 

With other theater owners in the town, Brown took up the fight to allow Sunday movies. A well-publicized plebiscite in 1950 resulted in a 985 to 888 vote against allowing movies on Sunday (Lenoir News Topic 2/15/1950, p. 1). But by 1953, several drive-in movie theaters had opened outside of city limits--and thus outside of the municipal blue laws--and were running movies seven days a week. The theater owners argued that this was unfair competition. Besides, they added that people watched television, played golf or bowled, fished, etc., on Sundays with no restrictions. The initial reaction from local government was quite the opposite of what the theater owners had hoped: a bill was proposed to ban Sunday movies throughout Caldwell County, thereby closing down the drive-ins (Lenoir News Topic 3/2/1953, p. 1). This proposed bill never gained traction and the issue was tabled once more. 

By the summer of 1955, with Sunday movies in most of the neighboring towns in the area, including Blowing Rock and Boone in Watauga County, the issue was pushed through the town council unanimously without a popular vote. The first paying crowds for Sunday movies in Lenoir lined up at the Avon and Center on 31 July 1955. No shows were advertised at the State during this period, but one assumes Sunday shows there as well. There was, however, one trade-off for the Sunday movies: the end of the late night or "owl" shows beginning at 10 PM or later. These shows typically took place on Saturday night and it was felt that they discouraged Sunday morning church attendance. The theater owners agreed and, at least into the early 1960s, appeared to have kept their end of the bargain regarding no late night shows in town.

Brown continued regular shows at the State through July of 1952. Afterwards, he appears to have opened the theater on Friday and Saturday only for the rest of the year. In February 1953, a more regular Monday-Saturday schedule begins, but by summer the ads are sporadic. It is difficult to determine if the theater was closed for periods of time or if there were shows with no newspaper ads. The latter appears more likely since several serials appear to continue through the breaks in newspaper coverage. After February 1954, however, there are no more regular weekly ads for the State. From this point forward, only a few special films are advertised, such as Jane Russell's infamous The French Line (1954), with "that dance," that played for one week in August 1954. There were also yearly horror/spook shows combining unnamed films and live action on the stage and in the audience on 11/11/1954, 11/10/1955, 10/15/1957 and 3/27/1958.

Brown appears to have sold out or turned the managing over to others from 1956. Afterwards, weeks go by without any mention of a show at the State, although there are a handful of films advertised each year. The few final films that are advertised from the late 1950s show a clear shift to the growing teenage audience:

• • Hot Rod Girl (1956) with Lori Nelson and Chuck Connors played on 11/5/1956

  • Alan Freed's Rock Rock Rock! (1956) played for a week in January 1957, paired with the Western, The Proud Ones (1956) with Robert Ryan

  • a double feature with Monster from Green Hell (1957) and Half Human (1957) played for three days in August 1957

  • another double feature with the controversial Island in the Sun (1957) and Blackboard Jungle (1955) in October 1957

  • a Japanese monster film, Rodan (1957), was paired with a George Montgomery Western, Gun Belt (1953), in May 1958

  • two juvenile delinquent films, Hot Rod Gang (1958) and High School Hellcats (1958) , played in July 1958, followed by Killers All (1947), an exploitation film with newsreel footage of John Dillinger and Bonnie and Clyde, complete with wax figures and props for the lobby

  • on 31 August 1958, a double feature with Robert Mitchum's Thunder Road (1958) and Rory Calhoun's Domino Kid (1957) played for a few days, followed by films of Roy Harris and Floyd Patterson's bloody heavyweight boxing match earlier that month

  • Guy Madison's Bullwhip (1958) played for three days in December 1958

  • the Mexican sexploitation pic, Adam and Eve (1958), played in April 1959

  • Vincent Price's horror classic, House on Haunted Hill (1959), played in May 1959

The very last film advertised at the State was in September 1960: The Dead One (1960) with John McKay, Linda Ormond, and Monica Davis. Roughly the same number of live shows occurred during this period, to be discussed below . . .

Nearby Stores

Before continuing with the live shows at the State, it is worth looking at the surrounding businesses that occupied the square during the theater's existence. More so than most theaters, the State was closely connected to the businesses that came and went in the buildings surrounding it. The following map shows the old street addresses for these buildings:

The State Theatre, with its entrance tied to the front of the building directly to the north (105) was given an address of 105 1/2 South Main Street. The front of the theater building--the original part of the structure that was known as the Harrison Building--was 107 South Main. The next building, which had originally housed the Princess Theatre, was 109.

105 South Main Street

When the State opened, this building housed Geraldine's Beauty Garden: "For Those Who Care / Have Your PERMANENTS Done With CARE" . . . "Geraldine's Beauty Garden / Next the STATE" (Lenoir News Topic 11/1/1935, p. 2). Beauty parlors were to have a long history in these buildings. By 1936, the name was changed to reflect the new owner, Alice Moose, and it became Alice's Beauty Shop (Lenoir News Topic 5/15/1936, p. 3). The shop remained in this location, most often given as being next to the State, until the Miller's Lenoir, North Carolina City Directory 1945-1946 when the name is given as Jerry's Beauty Shop. By 1950, the Directories list Hackney Johnsie Floral Shoppe at the 105 address and this business remains well into the 1960s after the theater had closed.

105 1/2 South Main Street

The 105 1/2 address is normally given as the location for the State Theatre, but there are others who use this address. In 1938, a picture framing studio is operating in the theater lobby:

ANNOUNCING NEW LOCATION E.B. MEANS STUDIO

"Picture Framing--Old Prints" Entrance LOBBY STATE THEATRE

We have just received a shipment of 5,000 feet of the latest design picture mouldings, and can take care of any requirement. 

"Have That Diploma Framed" (Lenoir News Topic 6/10/1938, p. 2)

The upstairs rooms above the lobby apparently found use as both a residence and later office space. A James W. McGalliard, an electrician at the Hibriten Furniture Company, is listed as one of 4 residents at the address in 1941. The McGalliards appear to remain at this address through the 1940s. Note that a Miss Wilma McGalliard (daughter?), was a cashier at the State in 1943. The 1948-1949 Directory increases the McGalliard family from 4 to 5, so perhaps this was the time for them to find a larger dwelling. 

The 1950-1951 Directory lists lawyers Benjamin Beach and Henry B. Huff with offices, apparently in the old second floor apartment space. By 1953, Beach alone is listed in this space, now as County Solicitor. The Home Security Life Insurance Company and the Pilot Life Insurance Company also share this address. Homer B. Haynes, one of the last managers of the State, appears to have lived in the space from 1957-1958, with the Home Security company still given at that address.

The 1963-1964 Directory lists the 105 1/2 address as vacant. In May 1963, the lobby portion of the Theatre was converted to a beauty shop:

Old State Theater Is Being Remodeled To House Beauty Shop

Part of the old State Theater on the Lenoir Square is being remodeled to house a beauty shop.

The old theater is a part of the Harrison Building, owned by the Harrison Building Corporation.

An official of the corporation said Mrs. Lester Thompson is doing part of the remodeiling and will move her beauty shop there from the First Union National Bank Building.

Plans call for all of the Harrison Building to be remodeled sometime in the future. (Lenoir News Topic 5/29/1963, p. 1)

One assumes that the State's seating area and stage, which still survive to this day, were no longer used for shows after this date.

107 South Main Street

A Western Auto Associate Store is located in the older part of the building in front of the theater by at least 1941. By 1950, the address has been vacated and by 1953 Pilkington Shoes has moved in. The name changes to Peterson's Shoes in the 1957 directory and this business remained after the theater closed.

109 South Main Street

The old building that decades previous to the State housed the Princess Theatre, had already been converted when the Universal/State opened. In the 1941 directory, it housed a clothing store called The Leader. This business morphs into a department store and by 1953 the name has changed to Lerner's. It was still Lerner's well into the 1960s.

Live Shows: 1934-1958

Like most theaters, the State was first and foremost a theater for film exhibition. Especially in the early years, live shows would take place on the stage, but they were always surrounded by the normal schedule of feature films and shorts. The total number of live shows advertised at the State was 157, with nearly one a week in its first year of existence, but dropping off to only a handful a year after the War:

The drop in the number of live shows is typical of all film theaters in this period. And after 1941, the Center Theatre would accommodate the larger shows and, during the War years, live shows were a rarity because of travel restrictions. Nevertheless, there were some interesting performers during both pre- and post-War eras.

Not all of these shows were musical. The very first live performance on the stage of State involved a sex education film, No More Children (1929). Dr. L. Lee Krauss--or someone claiming to be a doctor by that name--appeared on the stage to introduce the film, which was created by the non-governmental "Bureau of Moral and Hygienic Education." Films such as this were often little more than exploitation disguising itself as sex education. The warning, "FOR ADULT MINDS ONLY!" (Lenoir News Topic 12/18/1933, p. 4) would have added to the excitement, although it was entirely up to the staff at the theater to prohibit any children, or adults with less than mature minds, from attending. 

In 1934, the State's first full year of existence, singing cowboys were the rage in Hollywood and on the radio, so it is not surprising to find a group that billed themselves as Doc Schneider's Texas Yodeling Cowboys to be the first live musical performance at the State on 8-9 January 1934. It was a full show that night; in addition to the "Hilarious Yodeling Numbers, Crackling, Robust Comedy, Sharpshootin'" of the live show, there was a 65-minute feature film, Love, Honor and Oh, Baby! (1933) with Slim Summerville, two cartoons--The Gay Gaucho (1933) and an Aesop's Fable--in addition to a newsreel.

For such a small stage, one finds relatively large stage shows appearing, including the 22-member Rhythm Aristocrats later the same January (Lenoir News Topic 1/29/1934, p. 6):

While such shows could have played any small town in the country, several live shows of the pre-War era featured local talent or acts that would have appealed to fans of Country and Western or, as it was often called at the time, "hillbilly" music. In March 1934 a young man who was to establish a long career in Western North Carolina first came to the State: Fred Kirby. Kirby had appeared on the same stage when the theater was still called the Universal the year before. Known especially for his long-running Charlotte television shows in the 1950s, as well as his association with the Tweetsie Railroad amusement park north of Blowing Rock, Kirby was just establishing himself on radio at the time.

In May, Dock Walsh, "another local boy who has made good" (Lenoir News Topic 5/3/1934, p. 2), played a show with Garley Foster and the Carolina Tar Heels. Other early country acts on the State Theatre stage included Dick Hartman and His Tennessee Ramblers (July 1936), the Carolina Ramblers (November 1938), and the nationally known Delmore Brothers (January 1939). Western film stars who made live appearances include Johnny Mack Brown (November 1934), Art Mix (November 1935), Chief William Red Fox (September 1936), and Ray "Crash" Corrigan (August 1939).

Post-World War II shows include an array of Country and Western talent including Grand Ole Opry star George Morgan (February 1952) and, in September 1953, the widow--actually one of the widows--of Hank Williams, Sr. (Lenoir News Topic 9/11/1953, p. 8):

This would have been Billie Jean Jones, who married Hank in October 1952, just two months before his death. Hank's first wife, Audrey Sheppard Williams, eventually settled out of court with Billie Jean on the exclusive rights of the performing title, "Mrs. Hank Williams." The performance at the State obviously comes in the period of time before the settlement later in 1953. Billie Jean's future career mixed fame and tragedy; not long after this concert, she married country star Johnny Horton and took the name she would be known by for the rest of her career: Billie Jean Horton. Tragically, she was widowed again in November 1960 when Horton died in a car crash, the victim of drunk driver. For more on her connection with Paul Howard, mentioned in the ad above, see Roger M. Williams, Sing a Sad Song: The Life of Hank Williams (University of Illinois Press, 1981; p. 232). The connection with Howard and the photo establish that this performance was by Billie Jean and not Audrey . . .

In October 1955, one of the founding members of country music's famous Carter Family, Maybelle Carter, appeared with her three daughters on the State stage (Lenoir News Topic 10/24/1955, p. 8):

One of three members of the original Carter Family that began recording in 1927, Maybelle was the only one still performing in the 1950s when both her brother-in-law A.P. and cousin Sara had retired from show business. Her three daughters, Helen, June, and Anita, performed with her as the "Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle." In the folk revival of the 1960s, this same group would, confusingly, take on the name the Carter Family. While the original Carter Family of the 1920s-1930s was of one the most important groups in country music history, the Carter Sisters enjoyed success in television and recordings and Mother Maybelle was introduced to a whole new generation of fans from the 1950s on. Daughter June, seen at left in the ad above, was to marry Johnny Cash in 1968.

In 1957, another group from the mountains of Virginia appeared on the State stage: Carter and Ralph Stanley, the Stanley Brothers. One of the first groups to adopt Bill Monroe's musical style known as "bluegrass," after his band the Blue Grass Boys, the Stanleys added authentic Appalachian roots to the sound. Carter played acoustic guitar, Ralph banjo; they were joined by numerous other Clinch Mountain Boys through the years so the exact lineup in November 1957 is unknown, but would obviously have included fiddle, mandolin, and bass. Carter died at only 41 years of age in 1966, but his brother Ralph outlived him by 50 years and was increasingly successful well into the present century.

Cowboy actors appeared on the stage from time to time, either as singers or simply in their Western costume. Tim Holt and His Western Revue performed on the State Theatre stage in August 1955. Just a week later, comedian Al "Fuzzy" St. John came to Lenoir. Lash LaRue and his Western Revue took the stage in March 1957.

Several other rock 'n' roll shows took place at the State Theatre in the late 1950s:

• • Bill Ritchie and His Dixie Cats on 3/20/1957 and 12/12/1957

  • Frankie Myers and His Mad Men on 5/22/1957

  • Del Reeves and the Cool Drools on 7/28/1958

  • Lloyd Arnold and His Rockin' Drifters on 11/20/1958

The last live show was a spook show in May 1959:

Compared to earlier ads for similar shows, this one is rather tame; clearly the focus is on the film itself: Vincent Price's House on Haunted Hill (1959). The only real reference to a live portion involves the warning about the skeleton coming out of the audience. There may have been other shows of a similar or more musical sort after this date, but they were not advertised in the papers . . .

The Last Picture Show: September 1960

Having cut back to a minimum staff, the State entered the 1960s on unstable ground. In general, movie theaters in towns across the country struggled to draw audiences away from television and the suburban drive-ins. Television had begun showing old Westerns and other films that had once been the staple at the State. The new teen-age audience gravitated towards the drive-ins or the other two theaters in Lenoir, the Center and the Avon. Clearly, the town did not need three theaters.

Site Visit, 2018

In November 2018, the author, accompanied by Mardi Sumrell of Blowing Rock and Dr. Craig Fischer of Appalachian State University, was invited to tour the remains of the State Theatre by current owner, Debbie Burns. Debbie runs the Side Street Pour House & Grill that now occupies the Harrison Building in front of the old theater.

The stage area is mostly intact, as is the balcony, but the seating area is now occupied with a structure built over top of it as the restaurant kitchen and storage. No theater seats remain and very little lighting is currently available, especially in the balcony area. Nonetheless, the following photos hint at some of the remaining architectural details from the 1922 structure.

The duct work is obviously a modern addition.

From the old balcony area, here are three views looking out towards the top of the kitchen, the railing of the balcony, and the original ceiling:

Thanks to Mardi Sumrell for the photos and to Debbie Burns for allowing us to see the remains of the Universal/State Theatre . . .

***

If you have stories and information about this building, please contact the author at the address below.

Dr. Gary R. Boye

Music Librarian and Professor

Appalachian State University

boyegr@appstate.edu

©2020