Facts

In 1895, the Lumiere brothers produced the first film in history. This film is dedicated to the memory of the Lumiere brothers and the Oakley brothers.

The Oakley Theatre, 1924, stands in the Moorish Deco style before damaged by the Hurricane on September 16, 1928. The building was constructed by brothers Clarence and Lucien Oakley from Illinois. The Depression struck in 1929, just as the theatre reopened. Lucien committed suicide in 1931 due to financial troubles. Ironically, Clarence died one year later to the day. It is believed that their ghosts still wander the playhouse halls (photo and information courtesy of the Lake Worth Playhouse).

Formerly the Oakley Theatre, the Lake Worth Playhouse at 713 Lake Avenue, still has its distinctive pecky cypress beams supporting the ceiling. Pecky cypress is an innovation of the early Twentieth Century and is found in many southern historic structures. The initials “O” and “T” stenciled in an overlapping design stand for the Oakley Theatre (photo and information courtesy of the Lake Worth Playhouse).

Welcome Stranger was featured on opening night at the Oakley Theatre back in 1924.

The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane makes not only the top ten list of deadliest Atlantic hurricanes, but also deadliest American hurricanes. It caused mass devastation in South Florida, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Leeward Islands. This level 5 hurricane killed at least 4,078 people, left thousands homeless, and caused approximately $100 million in damages (which would cost around $1.27 billion today).

According to the paper, “the Oakley, which was the largest single loss in the city, was left almost a total wreck as a result of the hurricane, only the offices in front and the stage having been left standing, when the entire roof of the theater collapsed.”

The following article is about the suicide of Lucien Oakley (special thanks to Anthony Zamboni for providing the article):

FACTS ABOUT THE OAKLEY BROTHERS

Lucien E. Oakley:

• He was born in 1868
• He held the job of undertaker at one point in his life
• He invested $150,000 in the Oakley Theatre
• He commited suicide using a gun on June 30, 1931
• He’s buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Illinois

Clarence Ebert Oakley:

• He was born in 1882
• His wife Leota died in May 1925
• He died of a heart attack a year to the day of his brother’s suicide, on the night of June 29/30, 1932
• He was buried July 4, 1932 at Pinecrest Cemetery in Lake Worth, FL
• He died penniless. His body lies in an unmarked grave