Fans of Hoot Gibson, the famous early western film star, flocked to the new Amuzu Theatre in August 1910 to see “The Flaming Frontier” and “King of the Rodeo.” The Amuzu opened at 116 West Fourth Street following the demise of its predecessor, the Lyric.
Early moviegoers paid 10 to 25-cents to see a matinee performance and up to 30 cents for an evening performance. In 1919, Amuzu manager, Edgar Pearce, spent $6,000 for a Seeburg pipe organ that produced a multitude of sounds to thrill and chill the silent-film audience.
Advertised as “The Place You Know,” the Amuzu lasted longer than most of the early downtown theatres. But, eventually, it joined the Mystic, Marvel, Pickwick, Airdome, Elmont, Pilot, Lyric and others in Winston-Salem’s theatre history as memorable places where people first experienced and were captivated by the magic of the movies.
If you’ve visited downtown Southport, on North Howe Street, you might have seen the Amuzu sign shown above. This historic theatre has existed in this location in Southport for about 100 years. It has weathered the ups and downs that all movie theatres have experienced over the years, even closing for about 25 years. But it is owned and operated by the original owning family and the theatre’s offerings have evolved to include live theatre.
Black & white images courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
Postcard courtesy of Molly Grogan Rawls.
