Criterion Theater
118 W. Main Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
118 W. Main Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
4 people
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Various interior/exterior views of the Criterion Theatre can be viewed here.
A member of the powerful Paramound Theatre Chain showed, as this house remained first class up to the very end!
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/555
The Criterion got a thoroughly modern look in a 1950s remodeling which Boxoffice featured in a multi-page article in its issue of August 7, 1954. There are several photos, but there is only one small “before” shot among them.
The credits section of the article attributes the design of the project to architect Dietz Lusk Jr., and though it doesn’t specify the firm of Boller & Lusk I think the partnership was still in existence in 1954.
Incidentally, the Boller Brothers Architectural Records in the Western Historical manuscript Collection attribute the original design of the Criterion to Robert Boller, not Carl. By the time the Criterion was built, Carl had already moved to California and Robert was handling the firm’s theater projects in the Midwest.
Here is a entertaining demonstration of a Wurlitzer theater organ (along with photos) that is similar to one played inside the Criterion –
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I actually wrote a paper on the Criterion’s history if anyone is interested. Let me know, and I will send it along to you.
I’ve made a substantial revision of my downtown Okc movies blog post at View link including several additional pics of the Criterion. My personal favorite is the 50' (or so) high Marilyn Monroe outside the Criterion in 1953! A nice auditorium pic is in the post, also.
Fine exterior and interior images of the Criterion can be seen on the Oklahoma Historical Society link. To view antique photos – type in word “criterion”, then search.
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Found on the Oklahoma County Tax Assessor web pages are these antique postcard views of the Criterion Theatre,
c1929 -
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and c1940s -
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SEE Criterion vintage photographs!
SEE a rare auditorium view!
See former employees of this theatre!
Click below link, then enter Barney Hillerman Collection-
http://okhistory.cuadra.com/star/public.html
Here’s a fun site centered around movie trivia related to Oklahoma;
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Click here to view outstanding photo of OKC’s Criterion Theater;
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The Criterion had just about the steepest throw of any theater I’ve seen ever. Two or three balconys…projector aperture plates shaped like cheese wedges. The building seemed to have been built with Vaudeville in mind: Full stage, full flying-set loft. Don’t remember the architectural theme. Saw (first run) “Spirit of St Louis” at the Criterion.
The Cooper Cinerama (street sign emphasized “Cooper”) around the corner was also right across the street from the State Theater. A block west on Reno avenue, in the same block as the Cooper, was the Warner, only theater in OK equipped for CineMiracle (Cooper was a Cinerama installation at one time.)
OKC’s 1920 Criterion Theatre was never known as Cooper. The 1916 Liberty Theatre, located around the corner from the Criterion, ended its days with the name Cooper Cinerama, but was also known as Harbor after a 1948 (Boller Bros) renovation.
And…
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Vintage Criterion Theater images can be located on these sites;
http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/
and
http://www.metrolibrary.org
Criterion Theater 1920-1973, 1900 seats, Publix Theaters, Carl Boller-arch, exterior-Second Empire, lobby & auditorium-French, mezzanine-Art Deco.
Why do people feel compelled to lable every theatre as Art Deco?
The Criterion Theatre has proved quite interesting to me. I have a picture of Don Leon and his Petite Orchestra taken at the Criterion Theatre. The information on the back of the photo is in my fathers (Don Leon’s) handwriting and reads: Criterion, Oklahoma City, 1923/24. You may see this photograph along with a news clipping of a review for the movie “Brass” with Irene Rich. This was a silent movie that came out in 1924. You may see these items at: http://lotsofsites.com/gen/dleonorchestra.shtml
The Criterion Theatre (1921-1973)was designed by Boller Bros in “French DeLuxe” styling. I believe it originally seated around 1650, until orchestra floor capacity was reduced during later remodeling. Publix built their vast theatre chain mainly through acquisition of already established theatres, but the Criterion was one of only a handful of theatres actually built (not acquired) by Paramount Pictures.
Publix also controld the Capitol Theatre on the Southside of OKC.
The Criterion Theatre seated 1425 people.