Saenger Theatre
207 W. Second Avenue,
Pine Bluff,
AR
71601
207 W. Second Avenue,
Pine Bluff,
AR
71601
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Opened on November 17, 1924, the Saenger Theatre in Pine Bluff could seat 1,500. It was designed by Emile Weil. The Saenger Theatre operated as a movie theater into the 1970’s, and then hosted both live entertainment and classic movie screenings.
It was closed by fall of 2010.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 36 comments)
1984 photo of the Saenger Theatre.
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Another angle in the same year 1984.
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According to this link posted by SiliconSam on the Strand page the Saenger originally opened as the Hauber Theatre.
http://pbjclibrary.state.ar.us/rotary/Hauber/
If I am reading it right the Sainger should have an AKA Hauber Theatre.
2nd paragraph here says the same thing….
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And here too….
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The Saenger website claims “The Saenger was built in 1924 after the Hauber Theatre, a store-turned-theater burned shortly after it was remodeling in 1922”. Did both theaters occupy the same building or did one building replace the other?
The 2nd link I posted says Hauber sold to Bohlinger Amusements in 1920, then 2 months later sold to Saenger. So it appears to already have been Saenger when it burned in 1922. Very possible a 1922 building on the same lot, but it doesn’t mentioned the building was razed.
This one is a little confusing, the Historical Society magazine mentions that the Hauber Theatre later became the Saenger Theatre but it doesn’t emntion before or after a fire or if the Saenger built a new building.
Take the 2 links I posted and it shows that the Hauber became Saenger sometime late in 1920. Burned in 1922, when Hauber no longer owned it, and was rebuilt by Saenger. Granted, it doesn’t say where or how much it was rebuilt. Since the rebuilding had an architect Emile Weil, I am going to assume from the ground up.
Cost for rebuild was estimated at $30,000 before the fire, then was finally rebuilt after the fire at a cost of $200,000. From reading the articles, it burned while in the process of rebuilding or remodeling.
I was in Pine Bluff last February and I was blown away by the ghost-town it had become. I remember seeing movies in the Saenger and it was just an amazing place! I’m a photographer and I planned to capture the historic buildings as they stood against time….when I saw them, I found myself hoping to document their existence before they’re gone—which, given what I saw, is not far in the future. I was never there when the Hotel Pines was open but I have always been drawn to it—I remember stretching and straining to look through the boarded up/dirty windows just hoping to see what was inside. While I was there, I was allowed into the Hotel and I wanted to bawl! I shot several photos of it just to have some record of its existence. It is so sad that these places are being left to decay and be demolished because they don’t fit into our “Wal Mart and strip mall” world today.
I’ve tried to contact the owners of these old buildings to no avail. It really bothers me that they’ve become pawns in some petty “pissin' contest” between two immature ex-school rivals! How pathetic! They need to pull theirs heads out…….and realize there’s not just a “big” picture here, there’s a HUGE picture. They’re not playing Monopoly—they’re playing with history and, if they cause these places to be lost forever, history will NOT be kind to them when their stories are told in the future. I’d like to try to help save these places (and some others around Arkansas) so, any ideas………….
The person who is mentioned here, Moon, NEVER bought the theater. Ever. It is still owned by Old Town Theatres Centre, Inc., a 501 c 3 corporation who are doing every thing they can to try and raise money to begin at the very least much needed repairs. Moon was indeed interested in getting ahold of the theater, but he never did – not even for a single day.
We are trying to Save the Saenger in Pine Bluff, Ar. Please go to Save Saenger on Facebook and perhaps donate to the cause..