In 1925, L.L. Drake created The Ansonia Amusement Company, sold stock in this endeavor and built the Ansonia Theatre as a combination movie and vaudeville theatre. The historic Ansonia hosted such stars as Roy Rogers and Lash LaRue and is listed on the National Historic Register of America.
When the Ansonia Theatre opened it has an open lobby, could seat 500 people and opened to a full house. Many popular shows played the Ansonia, such as Ollie Hamilton, who often stayed at the home of Mrs. Mary Les Huntley. The Bennett Brothers of Wadesboro supplied many of the costumes for Mr. Hamilton’s stage shows and Pauline Moore often played the piano for his shows.
While the Golden Age of Hollywood is a part of our past, many still remember these days. The Ansonia got its start with the silent movies of the period, which were extremely popular at the time.
Mr. Drake is recognized as running the first newsreel in the United States. The Silent Movies quickly gave way to the “talkies” with the first sound movie being “The Jazz Singer” starting Al Jolson. Other early movies included “Don Juan” staring Douglas Fairbanks, Hoot Gibson westerns and cartoons. Later came the classics of “Gone with the Wind” and “The Bohemian” to be enjoyed by local residents.
During World War II, thousands of servicemen came to Anson County for military maneuvers and enjoyed the theatre’s performances. Because there was no Catholic church in Wadesboro at the time, the Ansonia served double duty opening for Mass on Sunday mornings.
In 1946, Mr. Drake leased the theatre to the chain of Stewart and Everett who remodeled the building several times over the next twenty-five years. The post-war years brought rapid change to the community; during this time television made its way onto the scene and the Saturday serials were no longer as popular and the Ansonia saw more stage shows. Movies changed as Walt Disney, Abbott & Costello and Bob Hope became popular with local audiences.
With the advent of the sixties the crowd shifted from family groups to young adult groups. In 1971 the management of the Ansonia was once again in the control of the Drake family. Brookie-Drake Craft, Mr. Drake’s granddaughter became the manager. As large movie complexes took over America, the Ansonia began winding down as a movie theatre in the 70’s, closing and reopening. The Ansonia Theatre was reopened by Jack and Judy Poulnott and later closed and has sat idle since.