Miller Theatre

Dr. John Walker Parker opened the first silent movie theater for African American patrons in the Nickelodeon era on State Street under the name of the Motion Picture House. It was a short-lived venture but proved that there was a need for a film theater in the community.

The Miller Building on State Street was an important three-story brick commercial and service building in the African American community housing a cafe, hotel rooms, doctors and dentists, and hair stylists/barbers. It also was home to a movie theatre under at least three different operational names all handled in this entry.

The second African American silent movie house was also its longest-running in the silent era. It was the Miller Theatre that operated from 1912 to 1917. At its launch, it was purportedly the only African American silent theater in Arkansas at the outset of World War I.

The Miller was joined briefly by S.W. Ross' Gem Theatre which is also pictured in the Miller Building. It is most likely that the Gem obtained the signage from the former Gem Theatre at 110 Main Street and renamed the Miller Theatre from April 1915 to January 1916 - its operational years - or the building housed two theaters concurrently. The Moving Picture House, predated the Miller Theatre.

After the Miller Building owner’s death, the building was entered into a forced sale in 1917 which ends the Miller Theatre’s operation. The Elgin Theatre began operation thereafter and was acquired by Enterprise Amusement Company of Arkansas. The Elgin Theatre was closed for a refresh by Enterprise and it reopened on October 10, 1920 as the Enterprise Theatre.

In the chilly fall, the Enterprise Theatre’s manager O.S. Strickland advertised a “new stove” which was probably a good idea. The biggest day for the venue was when it showed the African American produced film, “A Man’s Duty” on October 14, 1920 starring Clarence Brooks. Brooks made a personal appearance at the screening. Upon closing, the Enterprise was not replaced by another African American theater until P.K. Miller launched Vester Theatre in the sound era on July 14, 1938. It was the first African American theater in Pine Bluff for 17-plus years.

In 1921, the former Miller/Gem/Elgin/Enterprise was renamed as the Miller Theatre but was only used for fraternal meetings and union meetings in the 1920’s. The Miller Building housing the silent-era theaters, doctors, hotel rooms, barbers, cafe et al has since been razed along with virtually the entire State Street business district.

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