New Dreamland Theater

There were three theaters named ‘Dreamland’ in Tulsa. This entry is about the third Dreamland Theatre built in 1921 / 1922 on the N. Greenwood Street business district area of Tulsa once known by names including “Black Wall Street” and “Little Africa”.

The first Dreamland Theatre venue had been opened on June 7, 1906 at 310 W. Main Street as a pioneering and successful downtown nickelodeon. The second Dreamland Theatre was launched in the Greenwood District for African-American patrons in 1914 by John and Loula “Lulu” T. Williams as a mini-chain of three documented Dreamland venues in Oklahoma. Williams’ Dreamland Theatre #1 was this one near the corner of Archer Street and Greenwood Street in Tulsa. Williams’ Dreamland Theatre #2 was in Muskogeee (at 203-5 South 2nd Street) and Dreamland #3 was located in Okmulgee. The neighboring Williams Confectionery was launched in 1909 by Loula Williams and served as the de facto concession stand for the Dreamland Theatre.

But Williams' Dreamland #1 – which has its own Cinema Treasures entry was destroyed by rioters on June 1, 1921 during the Tulsa Race Massacre’s massive fires. The neighboring Dixie Theatre was also burned down. The rebuilding of both venues and the many other neighboring businesses was considered nearly miraculous as the City of Tulsa and associated businesses including insurers tried their best to make it next to impossible for the business district to return to some degree of normalcy. This hostility was two-fold for Tulsans - the first was the City of Tulsa’s poor record on race relations and the second was over a failed attempt by the railroad to drive out the African-American population to build expanded rail services.

The attempt to dissuade the Williams from building their replacement Dreamland Theatre almost worked. This is evidenced by the Muskogee Dreamland Theatre entering into receivership in April 3, 1922 and a variety of failed legal suits brought by the Williams during the ordeal of building the new Dreamland Theatre. But the new Dreamland Theatre was completed in September of 1922 and in business just a little more than a year after the fire. It also housed a hotel with rooms on its second floor.

But the Williams’ fortunes had faded along with Loula’s health and the Dreamland Theatre was sold to new operators in 1927. Loula Williams passed away soon thereafter, in part said reports, due to the “financial hill” she faced in rebuilding the theatre. The Dreamland Theatre and former Royal Garden Theatre turned Rex Theatre would become long-running White-owned movie houses operated by Bijou Entertainment Inc. though still catering toward African -American audiences.

The Dreamland Theatre was converted to sound films by Bijou Entertainment to remain viable. During the Dreamland Theatre’s run, the theatre would receive competition from African -American-owned and operated theatres including the Regal Theatre (1944 to 1949), New Regal Theatre / Ace Theatre (launching in 1951), and the Peoria Theatre (opening November 1947).

Bijou Entertainment closed the Dreamland Theatre on February 17, 1952 with David Brian in “Breakthrough” and Buddy Ebsen in “Under Mexicali Stars". After three years of vacancy, the venue returned to African-American-control operating as a live events venue called - variously - the Dreamland Hall, the Dreamland Emporium and the Dreamland Arena. On January 25, 1957, it was renamed the Dreamland Playhouse with live stage plays and other special events. These events appear to have ceased in 1963.

By the mid-1960’s, the area was in economic retreat and vacancies were common. The City of Tulsa would obviously not consider burning down the Dreamland Theatre and the surrounding area. That had already been done once. The Dreamland Theatre’s building was simply auctioned off on April 5, 1967 and later knocked over in the name of urban renewal. The very rear of the former Williams' building is virtually touching what would become Interstate 244 - a roadway placed to carve up the Greenwood District and provide as much inconvenience and noise as the area could sustain.

The same playbook was used to bulldoze the former Rex Theatre - the theatre for African-American patrons that lasted the longest into 1967. The former Rex Theatre had turned into the vibrant Greater New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ when urban renewal took it over and auctioned it off in 1971. The building would be bulldozed later in the decade.

The Dreamland Theatre’s legacy carried on, however, as seen with the 2021 HBO production, “Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street”, and the creation of the arts space, Dreamland Tulsa, near where the theatre once stood on Greenwood that was operational in the 2020’s.

Get Movie Tickets & Showtimes

Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.