Colquitt Theatre

On May 28, 1942, the Colquitt Theatre opened its doors. More than 1,200 people attended the first night to see the beautiful new theatre and to watch, in technicolor, the “Song of the Islands.”

The interior was said to be beautiful, comparable to a dreamland journey through fairyland. The interior was finished with turquoise and copper rose, with heavy twist weave carpets lying luxuriously on the floors throughout the edifice. A “silver jewel” hung across the front of the stage, upon which played six beautiful varicolored lights.

The building had a seating capacity of 1,200 patrons, 800 of whom could sit in the main hall and 400 in the balcony. The screen was one of the largest in South Georgia. The marquee was more than 500 feet of neon lighting blazing forth the name of the theatre and its attractions. It was one of a few in the south that had the entire marquee lighted solely by neon.

The theatre was an asset to the community until it burned in 1956 while a crowd of around 600 people were enjoying the movie, “Slightly Scarlet.” Fire from an unknown cause broke out in the false ceiling area, and sparks dropped onto the stage screen, igniting it. At first, people thought it was part of the movie but quickly realized that was not the case. Within a matter of minutes, the theatre was a roaring inferno. The Moultrie Fire Department arrived seconds after the alarm was sounded. They were down the aisles while people were still coming out. As firefighters were working near the screen, they heard a cracking noise overhead; someone yelled, “the roof’s going to fall in,” and firefighters dropped their lines and ran. They hardly made it outside before the whole roof fell in. There were no serious injuries, but the theatre and Dr. W. F. Mathis’s optometrist office were ruined. Other nearby buildings were damaged. Windows were cracked and broken from the heat at the Commercial Building, and the wind carried sparks as far east as the Colquitt Ice Company. The roofs of the Powell Building and the Huber Building caught fire, but firemen and volunteers were able to put these out. Canvas awnings in front of Schreiber’s, Christo’s, and Braswell Jewelry Store flamed, but volunteers pulled them down and stamped out the flames. It was the worst fire the city had seen in years. Estimates put the damage to the Colquitt Theatre around $225,250.

It took two years to rebuild. The Gala Opening was held on March 20, 1958. The first showing was “Gift Of Love.”

During the rebuild, changes were made to the interior. The old theatre could hold around 1,200 people, but that number was reduced to 1,000 to provide wider spacing, creating 40 inches between rows so people could stretch their legs and walk without disturbing seated patrons. It was one of only two theatres in the state at that time with that much space between seats. The new screen was 18 feet high and 41 feet wide. A control switch in the projection booth raised and lowered the curtain, which was the “waterfall” type. The lobby was finished in stained oak.

The color scheme of the heavily padded carpet was coral and beige to match the overall décor. The theatre had a Venetian mural. The mural was a reproduction of an oil painting depicting a view of old Venice, complete with camels, antique buildings, and bridges. Dr. Mathis’ office became the business office. An outgoing telephone was added so kids could call their parents to come get them.
In 1958, when the Colquitt reopened, regular admission prices were 60 cents for adults and 25 cents for children.

On October 15, 1978, the Colquitt Theatre closed its doors. Edwin Hill, manager of the local theatres for the Georgia Theatres Company, said the Colquitt’s future “will depend on economic conditions in the theatre business.” This was also the same year the Moultrie Twin-Cinemas opened in the Sunset Plaza Shopping Center.

In 1993, the City of Moultrie received a Community Development Block Grant to help renovate the old Colquitt Theatre into a Senior Center.
On October 8, 1996, the building became the home of the Senior Center until 2020, when social distancing due to Covid-19 kept seniors away. When pandemic regulations died down, the Senior Center did not reopen.

At the beginning of 2024, it was announced that Susana and Alan Torres would renovate the building and turn it into Rocco’s Ristorante at the Theatre. Plans are for the restaurant to open in the fall of 2024.

1942: Colquitt Theatre
1942: Dr. W. F. Mathis, optometrist (located in the east corner of the building.)
1958: Gala Opening of Colquitt Theatre
1996: Senior Center
2024: Ricco’s Ristorante at the Theatre