Otto Meister

Otto Meister
Born
Otto L. Meister

1869
DiedJuly 10, 1944(1944-07-10) (aged 74–75)
Other namesO.L. Meister
OccupationTheater owner

Otto L. Meister (1869–July 10, 1944) was a theater owner that operated Nickelodeon theatres in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Beginning in 1911 he operated several movie theaters including the Butterfly Theater.

Career

c. 1900 Meister began operating Otto Meister’s Nickelodeon Theater and Phanta-Phone dime museum.[1] In 1911 he built the Butterfly Theater on the site of the Nickelodeon, which was torn down in 1930 to make room for the Warner theater.[2][3] He partnered with John R. Freuler to create the Central Amusement Company which also controlled the Vaudette, the Atlas and the Climax Theaters in Milwaukee.[4]

The Butterfly opened on September 2, 1911; it became nationally known.[2][1] The theater opened to 1,500 people and showed several movies. A six-piece orchestra played and the Loos Brothers sang a duet called "My Hula Hula Love".[5]

Otto Meister headstone

Meister continued to own theaters in the Milwaukee area and he developed a reputation as being unfair to organized labor. In 1929 he was operating the White House Theatre when someone detonated a stick of dynamite against a wall of the building. Windows were blown out but damage was contained. The perpetrator was never found.[6]

Death

Meister died on July 10, 1944; he was 74 years old.[7] He was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery (Milwaukee).[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Rankin, Jim (2022). "The Butterfly Theatre". Astor Theater. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b Vollmert, Les (1988). Lower East Side Neighborhood Historic Resources Survey (PDF). Milwaukee, Wisconsin: City of Milwaukee Department of City Development. p. 32. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b Widen, Larry (31 May 2023). "Who's Buried in Milwaukee?". Shepherd Express. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  4. ^ Widen, Larry; Anderson, Judi (2007). Silver Screens: A Pictorial History of Milwaukee's Movie Theaters. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Historical Society. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-87020-368-8. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Crowd Blocks Sidewalks". Milwaukee Sentinel. 3 September 1911.
  6. ^ "Dynamite Bomb Used at Theatre in Milwaukee". The Sheboygan Press. Associated Press. 18 March 1929. p. 13. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Obituary for Veteran Showman". The Daily Tribune. 10 July 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 20 April 2024.