The Oriental Theatre | Milwaukee Film Historic Cinemas — Attraction in Milwaukee

The last of the original "movie palaces" that cities like Milwaukee used to have in the days when going to see a motion picture was the pinnacle of high society. This location has been lovingly modernized and updated throughout the years by a variety of owners, most recently the Milwaukee Film organization that puts on an annual film festival, focusing on independent and documentary films. I'll never forget the energy in the air watching 'Fahrenheit 9/11" here!

That works since that's the type of movies that you tend to see at this location. My recent visits here have included CatVideoFest 2020 and the Oscar Nominated Documentary shorts. Upgrades include updated bathrooms, digital projection and some new seats in some of the auditoriums, which were much needed as Landmark was beginning to let this glorious location go a bit too much.

Unfortunately there is still a lot of work needed. There is no stadium seating in any of the auditoriums which means that you can still get stuck behind a guy with a massive head and spend your evening looking around his ginormous cranium. Also, the balcony section has been neglected for far too long, it's time to update it or...

The Oriental Theater is a legend unto itself. Always beautiful and unique, despite its multiple bastardizations, one must give props to the way the alterations are hidden. The three theaters are TINY! The seats are set in such a way that you're always trying to look around the person in front of you's head. It would be considerably better if the seats were staggered just slightly. The theater has a snack/bar area but it's just kind of dropped into the lobby. There is no set crowd control so it's difficult to get served or to just maneuver your way into your designated doorway. Another difficulty is the staff. Many of them are volunteers and are only compensated by getting to view free films. Not a bad deal but who knows what kind of training they are provided before starting. Questions are answered incorrectly. You get stopped trying to re-enter the lobby area after using the rest room. A two person ticket, if printed online, is only one piece of paper and you'll get hassled if you happen to be the individual who doesn't have it. The Oriental is what it is... and since it's the only venue in town to see indie/art films you just accept it...

Amazing historic theatre featuring many of its original details, which includes Indian, Moorish, Islamic and Byzantine architectural styles. Its design shows the amazing work of it original artists.

The Oriental Theatre was built in 1927 as a single auditorium originally seating over 1,400 guests, but currently it's divided into 3 separate smaller theatres. The Abele Cinema (in center) is the closest you'll get to the original grandeur of a bygone era, but the back rows of the lower level have been removed to accommodate two smaller 220-seat cinemas on each side. Also, the balcony was closed off, so I'm not sure it's ever open for movie seating.

Some of the modern updates include 4K digital projection with Dolby Vision 3D; and 35mm and 70mm film projection with 8-channel Dolby Digital Sound in the Abele Cinema.

The Theatre's main lobby, restrooms, and concession stand are all wheelchair-accessible, and all three of its auditoriums have reserved seating for guests who use wheelchairs.

In addition, all three of its cinemas are equipped with hearing loop technology, enabling any patrons with T-coil hearing aids to receive audio signals directly to...