Rex Theatre

The original Empress Theatre was found in the back of the Stuard Hotel dating back to 1912. Ed Crew took over the Empress Theatre and decided to relocated the venue in the new-build Dawson Building using the 104 N. Main Street entry which had been the Lyric Theatre which had opened by 1914. The New Empress Theatre launched there on December 6, 1920 with Pauline Fredrick in “Madam X” supported by the Waurika Concert Band and a two-reel musical short. The venue remained the New Empress Theatre from 1920 until 1925 when the “New” was dropped. The Empress Theatre closed following the June 14, 1927 showing of “The Unknown Soldier”.

He moved screenings to his NuSho Theatre on N. Main Street while the new New Empress Theatre was being completed. (the NuSho Theatre has its own page on Cinema Treasures) When it was ready, Crew then moved the Empress Theatre to its long-running location on S. Main Street on August 18, 1927.

On January 7, 1928 and after a refresh, O.O. Snipes of Hastings reopened the venue as the Rex Theatre with John Gilbert in “Man, Woman and Sin”. The theatre scuffled with silent exploitation films for two month including “Motherhood” on March 29 and 30, 1928. However, that film burned causing damage to the projection booth and destroying the film.

Snipes was unable to reopen and the theatre went into receivership. The Rex Theatre equipment was sold at a chattel sale that netted just $183 and the purchaser was Ed Crew who used to run the theatre. The venue was used for live events and its last show was on December 6, 1929. It was converted into a bus depot. It is now used as law offices.

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