THE PINES THEATER
The Pines Theater showed movies, welcomed musical acts, and – on Saturday nights – hosted The Cas Walker Jamboree which featured a 10-year-old Dolly Parton. This is the location where Dolly first played for a paying audience in 1956.
With 700 seats and state-of-the-art lighting, the theater drew big crowds…as did Cas’s show. Cas Walker was a local grocer with a regional chain of Cas Walker’s Super Market stores in East Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky. Cas was known for his wild publicity stunts – like throwing coupons from airplanes or burying a stuntman alive outside one of his stores. At The Cas Walker Jamboree on Saturday nights, those who came to see the show were also offered a chance to climb a 10-foot greasy pole and win $100. Anyone who wanted to take the challenge could…including a young Dolly. Watch the video below to hear the story.
The Pines Theater holds a special place in Dolly’s story – it’s where her dreams first began to take shape.
During Cas’s lively Cas Walker Jamboree, local performers showcased their talent during “amateur hour.” It was during one of these programs at The Pines in 1956 that Dolly first sang before a paying audience and the crowd loved her performance!
She so impressed Cas Walker with her talent and drive that when she later told him directly “I want to work for you,” he agreed. By the age of 10, Dolly had landed her first paying gigs singing on stage for The Cas Walker Jamboree and on radio and television as part of Cas Walker’s Farm & Home Show.
Dolly’s Uncle Bill Owens played an important role in her early career, encouraging her, driving her to shows, and helping her open those early doors that would lead to something extraordinary.
J.B. Waters, Sr. and his wife, Myrtle, built this building in1928 as the Watson Motor Co., a Chrysler, Plymouth, and International truck dealership. (Dollywood fans may recognize that name’s association with the Rockin’ Raceway ride in the park’s Jukebox Junction area.) By 1942, World War II was heating up, and the federal government halted all civilian automotive manufacturing, redirecting production to the war effort. Without new cars to sell, the dealership closed and the couple converted the massive building into a modern 700-seat theater.
Interior of The Pines Theater
“Legends of the Pines Theater,” a mural by Seth Bishop, features Roy Acuff, Archie Campbell, Dolly Parton, June Carter Cash, and Chet Atkins.
Not only did The Pines show popular movies, but it also became a well-known venue for musical acts, welcoming talents such as Archie Campbell, Chet Atkins, Roy Acuff, the Carter Family, Bill Monroe, Don Gibson, Pee Wee King, and more. Many of the famous faces who once performed at The Pines are now part of a vibrant mural on the building’s exterior.
After a successful fifteen-year run, the theater closed in 1959.
Today The Pines Theater has been reimagined and welcomes families to enjoy games, food, and fun in historic downtown Sevierville. Many nods to the past can be found throughout, including a beautiful mural of Dolly inside the restaurant.
