Empress Theatre
111 W. Main Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
111 W. Main Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
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From the 3/25/11 post, the newspaper article states that Powell-Croak Amusement Company built the Empress Theatre, which was designed by G.F. Schrieber, and managed by Jack Bowland. A white marble lobby measured 30'X 20'. There were eight exits in the auditorium, a $10,000 Kimball pipe organ, along with a five piece orchestra, and had a sheet glass mirror screen.
In this 1920 image the Empress Theatre can be seen on the right, and the Criterion Theatre is photo left.
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Here are postcard views of the Criterion, Empress, and Olympic, from the book Vanished Splendor II.
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From Doug Loedenback’s link comes these 11-26-1911 and 12-4-1911 newspaper notices,
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plus a photo,
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In 1956 this parking garage was constructed on the former Empress site,
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Probably part of the Sullivan&Considine chain of vaudeville theaters as all their venues were called Empress Theaters nationwide.
Architect George F. Schrieber designed the Empress Theatre.
Instead of selling the Wurlitzer piecemeal, Paramount donated the organ to a small church located on either NW 11th or NW 12th, East of Pennsylvania Ave, this fine instrument is still there to this very day.
Look on this site for vintage shots of the Empress Theatre;
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The Kimball organ was replaced with a Wurlitzer theater organ opus 785 style “D” on 2/16/1924. Status: sold.
The word City in the address above needs to be changed from Cty to City. This theater won’t appear on the list when you do a search for Oklahoma City theaters because of the missing “i”.
Even during the early years of the last century merchant sign space caused congestion. To look at a really good Empress Theatre period photo type in word “empress”, then search …
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In that stage door photo; do you suppose those are members of Baby June’s Newsboys?
For better identification, Empress Theatre is far left striped building (those were red/yellow stripes) with spread eagle statues atop support columns.
Looks as if another theatre is located (right) next door to the empress.
From Library of Congress Photo Archives, 1917 images of OKC Empress Theatre.
Photo left, Empress Theatre is structure with three arches running across building top. This view also shows poster ad for Overholser Opera House.
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and a stage door view-
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LM that gives us a pretty good idea on the opening date.
The 1945 Film Daily Yearbook shows the Empress Theatre (no address given) as operating as a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures, seating 1300.
The Empress Theater in Oklahoma City, (only one Empress theater listed) had a Kimball organ installed in 1912.