Aldridge Theater
303 NE Second Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73104
303 NE Second Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73104
No one has favorited this theater yet
Contributed by
Lauren Grubb
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
Take this shorter route, then type in the word “theatre”. Once picture downloads click on it again for a large shot -
View link
Love the pictures posted on OHS site. So many black persons who were regular patrons of the Aldridge talk about this odeon with such loving memories. Seems the Aldridge and Jewel (both black owned and operated) were built not only as movie/vaude houses, but also pomp gathering places free from retraints found in churches, but not as worldly as night clubs.
Up to the end live acts were always included on the bill. One notable performer who was brought back most often was singer Little Richard.
Don’t bother to look for black (Aldridge, Blue Moon, Carter, Eastside, Jewel) theatre ads in the Daily Oklahoman, or any other white newspaper. Afro-American theatres advertised exclusively in the Black Dispatch.
Don’t understand why the map on these links don’t mark the Jewel Theatre location on NE Third, one block North from the Aldridge.
Included is a breif bio of Zelia N. Page Breaux, beloved theatre owner and music teacher.
During the late 1960s the downtown Cooper Theatre began to book black films, which siphoned Afro patrons away from Negro neighborhood cinemas, this eventually forced their closing.
View link
View link
Above sites work best using dial-up connenction.
Direct links to the Aldridge Theatre page can be found here;
View link
and
View link
Historic photos of the old Aldridge Theater can be viewed on this informative web site,
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/575
The site where the Aldridge Theatre stood is now an apartment complex,
View link
As early as 1957 Oklahoma City had a black radio station, KBYE (AM-890). To see a downtown
billboard advertisement for station KBYE go above to Jeff Chapman’s 04-23-07 link and type in
“katz 1957”
For a rare auditorium look see go above to April 23, 2007 post and enter “ALDRIDGE THEATRE interior THE DUKE IS TOPS”
From CardCow Postcards I found this old picture of the KBYE sign
View link
The Aldridge Theatre was slightly west of where the Haywood Building (Deep Deuce Grill) is today. Owned by Zelia Breaux and F.E. Withrow, the Aldridge opened in 1919. Big bands, vaudeville acts and movies were featured regularly. Music legends such as Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Duke Ellington appeared at the Aldridge.