Capacity 2,100 Phone +1 414-276-5140 | Opened 2 July 1927 Owner Landmark Theatres | |
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Architect Gustave A. Dick
Alex Bauer Address 2230 N Farwell Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA Similar Milwaukee Public Museum, Pabst Theater, Mayfair Mall, Charles Allis Art Museum, Pabst Mansion | ||
Oriental Theatre is located in the East Side neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was built and opened in 1927 as a movie palace. The themes of the decor are East Indian, with no traces of Chinese or Japanese artwork; it is said to be the only movie palace to incorporate East Indian artwork. It was designed by Gustave A. Dick and Alex Bauer and features 2 minaret towers, 3 stained glass chandeliers, several hand drawn murals, 6 bigger-than-life Buddhas, dozens of original draperies, 8 porcelain lions, and hundreds of elephants.
The theater is operated by Landmark Theatres and is officially known as the Oriental Landmark Theatre. It has been showing independent and art films, as well as a few blockbuster Hollywood films. A Kimball theatre organ provides live music for silent films.
The theater is the world record holder for continual showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It has played as a Saturday midnight movie since January 1978.
In 2005, the theater was dubbed one of the "10 Theaters Doing It Right" by Entertainment Weekly.