The Greenland Theater

​China Restaurant 
​The Magician’s Embalmed Apprentice
 
The Greenland Theater provided entertainment to the residents of Greensboro in the late 1920’s, the days of silent movies. It had a player piano with rolls of music meant to complement the scenes on the screen. The movies were moved from one city to another by bus service. If the weather was bad or there were delays, the theater would remain closed for the night.
 
The Greenland was also used for live Vaudeville performances and circus shows. Even the famous fan dancer, Sally Rand, performed at the Greenland.
 
One humorous story involved a magician and “Oscar”, Greensboro’s most famous unknown man. The magician was an escape artist who used a casket in his act. The casket was to be borrowed from McCommons Funeral Home and placed on display with a mannequin inside as a way to advertise the show. When two theater workers went to pick up the coffin, one inquired about the location of the mannequin. Mr. Bill McCommons told the worker to look under the sheet on the table. When he did, he was confronted with the embalmed body of “Oscar.” The young man wasted no time running out the door, and did not return to the theater until the magician left town.
 
In 1935, the Greenland Theater was rebuilt as a showplace with a large auditorium and a balcony. The Saturday after the opening, the theater burned down. But in a matter of months the popular movie house was back in business.