Orpheo Theatre

The Rob Roy Castle (Playhouse / Theatre) dates back to the late-19th Century in downtown Pine Bluff. Operating in 1895, the live venue was joined the next year by the long running and large Simpson & Webb furniture store providing major foot traffic at West Second Avenue and Pine Street in bustling downtown Pine Bluff.

John E. Ryan operated the Rob Roy Castle Theatre until placing an advertisement in the trade publication, Billboard, late in 1907 offering the venue for sale as the only “up to date” movie house in Pine Bluff. The advertisement worked, as Hunt and Thompson took on the venue on December 22, 1907 and renamed it as the Olympic Theatre programming vaudeville. First night acts included the original “Buster Brown” child actor and short Olympascope novelty films.

Harrie Wilmont reopened the former Olympic Theatre as the Orpheo Theatre on February 16, 1908 showing moving pictures and illustrated songs which were used to fill time while the single projector’s film was rewound and the next film threaded. Vaudeville - a major part of the Olympic’s programming in its very brief run - was dropped. The Olympic operators rethought that, and would add live vaudeville to provide variety in its programming.

J.B. Simon opened the Best Theatre as a photoplay house. He then acquired the Orpheo Theatre. But his run would be challenged. As was the case in cities around the United States, a major company came in to try and control all of the local movie theatres.

In this case, Saenger Amusement of New Orleans closed a deal to acquire the Orpheo Theatre and the Best Theatre from J.B. Simon in a deal announced in June of 1920 effective June 12, 1920. Otto C. Hauber’s Hauber Theatre was the venue outside of the Saenger agreement though the circuit would soon acquire it, as well. To reduce costs, the Orpheo Theatre dropped vaudeville altogether in 1920 to focus on movies.

F.C. Berbig opened the Berbig Community Theatre across the street from the Orpheo Theatre on May 19, 1922 “dedicated to the great silent art (of the) motion picture”. At that point, Saenger didn’t think much of the Orpheo Theatre or Hauber Theatre and refurbished the Hauber Theatre across Pine Street also on Second Avenue.

The Hauber Theatre relaunched as the Saenger Theatre on July 27, 1922 trying to blunt the new Berbig Community. But the Saenger Theatre (former Hauber) burned down on November 11, 1922. Saenger Amusement built a spectacular Saenger Theatre to replace its Hauber/Saenger that would effectively end the Orpheo Theatre. In fact, the older movie houses of the Second Avenue Pine Bluff Theater district simply faded away.

The Orpheo Theatre discontinued listings after a March 6, 1923 showing of Constance Talmadge in “Good Night, Paul” supported by scenes of Mardi Gras 1923 in New Orleans from just three weeks earlier. Saenger’s eponymous theatre would open in November of 1924 making folks forget all about the Orpheo Theatre despite a nearly 30-year entertainment run under various names.

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