Concord Theatre

Jones & Juby opened their new $10,000 theatre, the Empress Theatre, on Main Street in Beggs, Oklahoma. They launched with a policy of vaudeville and motion pictures on August 16, 1919 with the Empress Orchestra in place. The town had an agricultural industry that found a high percentage of African-American residents. Two box offices were created at the Empress Theatre; one box office was for African-American patrons who were seated in the rear of the theatre and the other was for White patrons who got the better seating.

The Empress Theatre was in the right place at the right time. As the modern, new-build facility, it was superior to the aging Grand Theatre turned Liberty Theatre. Beggs would become a classic oil boom town with the population almost tripling when oil was found just west of town in the 1920’s. The Empress Theatre vanquished the Liberty Theatre which closed late in 1922. But the “bust” would take its toll on the town soon thereafter.

Population cratered by 35% by 1930 and the Empress Theatre went through three owner changes in quick succession that year. Mrs. C.H. White was one owner and the gas company came out and shut off her gas just hours prior to showtime to show their disapproval of her ownership. That led to White closing the theatre and suing the gas company.

G.L. Sandlin of the Concord Theatre in Henryetta took over the venue and transitioned it to DeForest Phonofilm sound on May 16, 1930 as the Concord Theatre. The Concord Theatre crash-landed and was moved to Preston, Oklahoma less than two years later in March of 1932. The State Theatre would come along six years later to provide cinematic operations to the town.

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