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Historic Gem Theatre reopens after renovation project

The neon marquee at the Gem Theatre in Kannapolis. The Gem is one of the oldest single-screen movie theaters still operating in the U.S.
Marshall Terry
/
WFAE
The neon marquee at the Gem Theatre in Kannapolis. The Gem is one of the oldest single-screen movie theaters still operating in the U.S.

A big part of the summer, for many people, is going to the movies. One of the oldest single-screen theaters still operating in the U.S. is in Kannapolis.

The Gem Theatre first opened nearly 90 years ago with a showing of the comedy "Can This Be Dixie?" It’s continued to show first-run movies like "Jaws" and "Star Wars" ever since.

The Gem recently reopened after being closed for a few months for a $1.1 million renovation project. Under the marquee, on a bright sunny morning, WFAE's Marshall Terry met up with the man in charge of the historic theater.

Gary Mills: I’m Gary Mills. I'm the director of parks and recreation for the city of Kannapolis — and parks and recreation oversees the operation of the Gem as one of our facilities. The theatre originally opened in 1936, closed down from a fire in the early '40s, and reopened in 1948.

Marshall Terry: So, since the '40s, it has been continuously operating?

Mills: Correct.

Terry: The outside of the building is a really good example of art deco. And, of course, one of the prominent features is this wonderful marquee. It’s white and blue and neon, and it really extends almost out over the sidewalk entirely. Were any of the renovations done out here?

Mills: The marquee was redone about two years ago. And so we had brought a company in to do some repainting, replace the neon, and do some improvements to (it) to make sure we save the marquee. All the newer renovations were done inside.

Terry: All right. Well, let's go inside. I just want to point out it's, it's the morning, there's no movie being shown right now. But even when you walk in, in the lobby, you're still kind of met with that delicious popcorn smell.

The etching on the glass in the lobby of the newly renovated Gem Theatre in Kannapolis is a replica of the original pattern on the theater's curtains in the 1930s, according to Gary Mills, the city's parks and recreation director.
Marshall Terry
/
WFAE
The etching on the glass in the lobby of the newly renovated Gem Theatre in Kannapolis is a replica of the original pattern on the theater's curtains in the 1930s, according to Gary Mills, the city's parks and recreation director.

And also there's some work going on right now. And what are they doing here today?

Mills: They're putting our sliding shelves on our candy counterpart, so the candy boxes can slide out and make it easier for staff to access.

Terry: That's helpful.

Mills: Yes. We totally redid the concession area. And so we had a custom concession counter, new monitors for the concession menus, new tile flooring, new carpet, new paint. Got the trough lighting working back in the ceiling again, which has been off for quite a while.

So, yeah, a lot of cool improvements in here. The etching on the glass, that's a replica of what the original pattern was on the curtains back in the 1930s.

Terry: Well, let's go into the main event, right? The actual theater. Immediately my eye is drawn to the, sort of, metalwork above the two exits that flank the screen.

The "birds of paradise" that sit above the two exits that flank the movie screen are original to the Gem Theatre. They've been restored and repainted, and new fabric has been placed behind them.
Marshall Terry
/
WFAE
The "birds of paradise" that sit above the two exits that flank the movie screen are original to the Gem Theatre. They've been restored and repainted, and new fabric has been placed behind them.

Mills: These are the birds of paradise.

Terry: There are two birds on each panel that's above the exit signs here.

Mills: Those are original to the theater. And so we restored those, cleaned those up, new fabric behind them, repainted all the deco work and then added new art deco exit signs from the 1930s. All new curtains in here, all new paint and plaster work. Added Dolby 7.1 surround sound.

There's 400 new seats downstairs, redid all the flooring, new carpet, new LED lighting on the aisles. Got the trough lights working in the ceiling which haven't been on in roughly 40-plus years.

Terry: Yeah, these seats — you can definitely tell they're modern. Do you mind if I give one a spin? Yeah, this is pretty comfortable, and you said the cup holders are new. Every seat has a cup holder.

Mills: The citizens, one of their biggest requests was to replace the seats. And so that was one of our priorities, was making sure we got the seats right. And then, obviously with that, we added the cup holders and the comfort and they rock back about 5 inches. So it's a lot better movie experience.

Among the many renovations at Kannapolis' Gem Theatre, are 400 new seats downstairs — all redesigned for comfort — with a 5-inch recline and cupholders.
Marshall Terry
/
WFAE
Among the many renovations at Kannapolis' Gem Theatre, are 400 new seats downstairs — all redesigned for comfort — with a 5-inch recline and cupholders.

Terry: What about any additions with the screen?

Mills: It's a whole new white screen, clear white screen. We redid the stage. I think it's probably the first time the stage had been sanded and refinished, probably in about 70-plus years. We've redone the stage, added some curtains back behind the stage, too. So it can actually be used now for performances, as well as a movie theater.

Terry: Well, I wanted to save the best for last, and that is what's above us. This is quite the view up here. You just don't really see balconies like this in movie theaters anymore.

Mills: No, not at all. It's very unique. We’re really pleased to be able to preserve what we did.

The view from the balcony at the newly renovated Gem Theatre in Kannapolis.
Marshall Terry
/
WFAE
The view from the balcony at the newly renovated Gem Theatre in Kannapolis.

All of the seats were removed and totally renovated, sandblasted down, repainted new, reupholstered, and then redid the backs, and put them right back to where they started from.

Terry: Is this where everybody wants to sit when they come?

Mills: A lot of people do. The kids do. The kids like to sit in the balcony just because it's unique and different. There's not a bad seat in here.

Terry: Folks just don't go to the movies in the same numbers that they used to. In fact, this past Memorial Day box office was the worst in decades, in terms of attendance. And, of course, people have so many streaming options at home.

So what role does the Gem Theatre, and other theaters like it around the country, play? Not only in Kannapolis, but just in society today?

"The city had the foresight to preserve the Gem Theatre as a piece of our history," says Gary Mills, Kannapolis' parks and recreation director.
Marshall Terry
/
WFAE
"The city had the foresight to preserve the Gem Theatre as a piece of our history," says Gary Mills, Kannapolis' parks and recreation director.

Mills: Well, I think everybody still loves going to the movies. It's just that people are probably being a little more cautious now on how they're spending their dollars and using them. I think a lot of it depends on the movie itself.

And there's going to be a lot of strong movies that come out this summer that are going to be blockbusters. I think "Inside Out 2" is going to be one. I think "Deadpool" is going to be one. So I think the numbers are coming back. 

The biggest attractions to the Gem Theatre is its cost. It's only $4 and $5 to come to a first-run movie theater. You're getting the top-of-the-line experience that you don’t get hardly anywhere else. 

And our concessions are inexpensive. So our numbers are doing well while other theaters may be not doing quite as well. We're doing quite well just because of what we can provide.

Terry: Why do you think it's important to hang on to these old theaters? Not just here, but everywhere in the country?

Mills: Oh, I think saving the piece of history. And you know movies were the family thing to do and the place to go. And, so the fact that we were able to preserve that, and the city had the foresight to preserve the Gem Theatre as a piece of our history, I think is incredibly important. We plan for it to be here for decades to come.


The Gem Theatre in Kannapolis is hosting $2 family-friendly summer matinees every Tuesday at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. through Aug. 8. Click here for more info.

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Marshall came to WFAE after graduating from Appalachian State University, where he worked at the campus radio station and earned a degree in communication. Outside of radio, he loves listening to music and going to see bands - preferably in small, dingy clubs.