Empress Theatre
111 W. Main Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
111 W. Main Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
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Some history:
Empress theatre history 05 Oct 1940, Sat The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) Newspapers.com
Empress Theatre, 1926 Pic added to Photo Section.
1923 Pic of Empress Theatre, Oklahoma City, added to Photo Section.
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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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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