By Cameron Lee
September 18, 2025 (updated)
Charlotte’s restored Carolina Theatre has a rich and storied history with film since its original opening in 1927. Initially screening mostly silent films and staging vaudeville acts before adopting sound in the late 1930s, the theatre hosted the North Carolina premiere of the classic film Gone with the Wind in 1940.
While The Sound of Music — which played for 79 straight weeks to about 400,000 people, more than Charlotte’s population at the time — has been highly publicized, experimental films such as Alfred Hitchcock’s neo-noir psychological thriller Vertigo and Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey also graced the historic theatre’s screen.
Charlotte is a city that has lost much of its historic architecture over the years, but the Carolina Theatre stands as one of the rare touchstones connecting us to the city’s artistic and theatrical origins.
While the theatre has already hosted concerts, galas, and community events, since its reopening, nothing quite connects you to its roots like watching a film in the beautifully restored space.
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Throughout the year, the theatre screens summer blockbusters, Halloween horror films, holiday classics, and cultural features celebrating heritage. Carolina Theatre is definitely a place every Charlottean should experience watching a movie.
Check out all of the films screening at the historic theater in the coming months:
Sunday, December 7 – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 14 – A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) at 2:00 p.m. (Double Feature)
Sunday, December 14 – The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) at 2:00 p.m. (Double Feature)
Monday, December 22 – Miracle on 34th Street (1947) at 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 23 – Elf (2003) at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 17 – The Change Baker at 7:00 p.m.
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Sponsored by Carolina Theatre
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