Empress Theatre

Osawatomie, KS 66064

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Previous Names: Majestic Theatre

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Opened in 1910, the Majestic Theatre is listed in the April 21, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World with this brief comment. “Osawatomie Kan. - Thomas M. Henneberry has purchased and taken charge of the Majestic Theatre.” Henneberry is listed in the April 14, 1917 issue as being the manager of the Empress Theatre in Paola Kansas. In 1917 he renamed the Majestic Theatre the Empress Theatre and it closed in 1921 when a New Empress Theatre was built.

Contributed by Will Dunklin

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 18, 2015 at 9:20 am

A house called the Majestic Theatre was being mentioned The Osawatomie Graphic at least as early as 1910, but in 1917 it was renamed the Empress Theatre, and then a New Empress Theatre was built in 1921. I’ve found nothing about what then became of the old Majestic/Empress.

The 1927 FDY lists two theaters at Osawatomie: The 295-seat Empress and the 250-seat Peoples. In 1935, a house called the Zephyr Theatre opened in Osawatomie. Later that year the Zephyr was renamed the Kansan. There is always the possibility that the Majestic became the Peoples, and then maybe the Zephyr/Kansan as well, but I haven’t been able to establish a connection. For now I’d have to say that the Majestic/first Empress might have closed permanently in 1921.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 19, 2015 at 8:21 pm

It was Thomas Henneberry who renamed the Majestic the Empress Theatre in 1917. In addition to the Empress Theatres at Osawatomie and at Paola, he also had an Empress Theatre at Eastland, Texas, which he sold in 1919.

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