The drama was about a factory worker in a North Carolina mill who courageously fought resistance to form a labor union and improve work conditions. Field won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

The fire attracted attention from nearby neighbors who stepped into their yards to watch the blaze and firefighting efforts, and from curious onlookers from afar as well.

Flames roaring into the cool night air easily were visible from the upper floors of East Alabama Medical Center, where patients and staffers watched, and from numerous other nearby businesses.

"We were leaving Tiger 13 (theaters) when we saw the fire," said bystander Bill Eyke. "They started tearing it down about five years ago."

Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller said the building was in the process of being demolished.

"It pretty much had already been torn down," he said.

He said the fire at West Point Pepperell Mill in 2013 was a greater loss to the community because the building was going to be used for housing. He said there were no plans for Leshner Mills.