Located in downtown Little Rock, the Kempner Theater (sometimes spelled "Theatre") was opened in 1910 as an "opera house" to distinguish such venues in small-town America from burlesque, which was considered a lower form of entertainment. The theater building, at 516 S. Louisiana St., was constructed in 1910 by brothers Dave and Ike Kempner, who were the owners of shoe and department stores in downtown Little Rock. With the coming of movies, the theater was remodeled in 1921 and again in 1929, when the name was changed to the Arkansas Theater. At the time of its closure in 1977, the former Kempner Opera House was the last movie theater remaining in downtown Little Rock.

Isaac "Ike" Kempner (1871–1931) was born in North Little Rock. His younger brother, David Warren Kempner (1877–1962) was

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