Oasis Theatre
2626 W. Center Street,
Milwaukee,
WI
53206
2626 W. Center Street,
Milwaukee,
WI
53206
1 person
favorited this theater
Opened as the Savoy Theatre in 1914 on Center Street between 26th and 27th Streets, this theater was renamed the Oasis by the 60s.
In the late 60s, the Black Panthers protested the Oasis, for what it felt was the movie house’s racist policies towards African-American patrons. The Oasis closed in 1975. The former theater most recently housed a bar but is currently vacant.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
Does anyone know if this theater’s name meant it was at some point redesigned in Egyptian style?
Jim Rankin is the Milwauke expert maybe he would know something about this theatre.
Located at the busy intersections of 27th Street, Center Street, and Fond du Lac Avenue, the SAVOY THEATRE was a very popular movie house. For many years the Savoy was part of the Saxe circuit and even in the 50s long after the heyday of the Saxe Theaters, the Savoy would be listed in The Milwaukee Sentinel as Saxe’s Savoy
In the 40s and 50s the Savoy changed its programs trice a week, on Fridays and on Tuesdays. The Savoy often had original programing of films showing independent releases and British imports not shown in the chain theaters. When the remodelled Savoy became the Oasis in the 60s, the programing became similar to that of other theaters. During its final days it regularly featured Kung Fu films.
The OASIS never had an Egyptian decor; the reason for the name is unknown. It was a typical box beams-and-pilasters decor, that was not materially remodeled when it changed names. It is in a decaying neighborhood and now is a tavern/bar.
The Film Daily Yearbok, 1941 gives a seating capacity of 800 for the Savoy Theater. In the 1950 edition it had reduced slightly to 761.
This building is currently not in use.
A Barton theater organ was installed in the Savoy Theater in 1926.
Small photo in Boxoffice magazine, May 12, 1958:
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(Top right.)
opening announcement
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