Empress Theatre
3616 Olive Street,
St. Louis,
MO
3616 Olive Street,
St. Louis,
MO
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There is a small park or plaza part of St. Louis University on the corner of Grand and Olive where Garavelli and part of the Empress stood. There is also a parking garage for the Scottish Rite Temple where part of the Empress once stood.
Do any interior photos of this theatre exist? Where do you suggest looking?
Demolished late 1970.
Architectural design by firm of Clymer & Drischler.
Opened February 2, 1913.
I did not say that. I was just adding some information that had not been mentioned before—specifically the era when the theatre was known as the MIDTOWN. The Ansells operated the theatre as a 2nd-run movie house until Dec. 18, 1951 with the stock-company policy beginning Jan. 8, 1952.
JAlex are you saying that the Empress while under Joseph and Louis Ansell did not have a resident stock company for live theatre in the early 50’s? Really curious.
Under Skouras Bros. management, theatre was renamed MIDTOWN in Nov.1928 and first film shown was Jolson’s “The Singing Fool.” With high competition in the area, however, the film policy ended in March 1929. Theatre then was known as the MIDTOWN-EMPRESS and the major use was by the Woodward stock company. Theatre reverted to the EMPRESS moniker in 1933 when the Ansell Brothers took over management for a 2nd-run film policy.
In 1921 the Klilgen Organ Co installed a 2m/10r instrument in the Empress that was formerly in the Empress Theatre in Kansas City MO
JamesGrebe
The dates Debbie Reynold played the Empress were 3/2/54 to 3/14/54 and the play was, “GiGi"
On the plabill it says simply Olive at Grand
In the 1950’s, Debbie Reynold appeared there in a play. I had a client who had an autographed copy of the playbill from when she went to see her.
JamesGrebe
I show the address for the Empress Theatre as 3616 Olive St.