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Busby Theater

McAlester, OK

Washington Avenue and Second Street

, McAlester, OK 74501 United States

(map)

Status:	Closed/Demolished
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Art Nouveau, Beaux-Arts

Function:	Unknown
Seats:	400
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Parr & Parr

The Busby Theater was designed in 1908 by local architects Parr & Parr. It supposedly featured an interior with a Beaux-Arts/Art Nouveau design that was an imitation of the St. Louis American Theater.

Contributed by Lauren Grubb

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I can't find any mention of this theater ever being a movie theater, but It is a historic building. The Busby Theater was built in 1907 by Colonel William Busby for stage plays and comedies. Built at a cost of $175,000, it had a main floor and two balconies. Seating is given as 850 which seems kind of low when you consider how large this building was. In 1932 the Church of Christ purchased the Busby Theater for $20,000. It was in poor condition after sitting vacant for a few years. That would indicate to me that this theater closed before 1930.

It took the Church three years to renovate the building. When the Church finally opened in 1935, an article appeared in several gospel papers entitled "From Comedy to Christ". The article read in part, "In the city of McAlester, Oklahoma, there is an imposing theater structure, located on a downtown corner. Abandoned for the lack of patronage sufficient to make it a paying investment in this day of the modern theatrical performance, this imposing edifice stood for a number of years as a tax burden to its owners".

In 1979 the Church moved to a new building on South Main. That same year the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Around 1983, the Busby Theater building was demolished.

Busby Theatre (added 1979 - Building - #79002022)
Also known as Church of Christ
Washington Ave. and 2nd St., McAlester
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Unknown
Architectural Style: No Style Listed
Area of Significance: Architecture, Performing Arts
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Religion
Current Sub-function: Religious Structure

posted by Lost Memory on Jul 8, 2005 at 4:33am

There is a 1910 postcard picture of the Busby Theater here:
http://www.moodyscollectibles.com/pixfiles/618.jpg

posted by Lost Memory on Jul 8, 2005 at 7:42am

The Busby Theater did feature sound movies in the late 1920's and early 1930's, then switched over to live burlesque stage shows. It didn't take too long for hootchy novelty acts to wear off, and burlesque was quickly dropped. Poor attenance may have partly been due to the fact that the Busby was situated atop a steep hill.

posted by ___ on Sep 7, 2005 at 1:08pm

LOOK! into photo pages on these web sites to see clear interior and exterior photographs of the BUSBY Theater, plus the Okla and V;
http://www.mcalester.libok.us/
http://www.dancingrabbitgallery.com
WHAT FUN!!!

posted by ___ on Oct 23, 2005 at 4:41pm

DIDN'T WORK because silly me gave wrong web address. . .try;
http://www.mcalester.lib.ok.us/

posted by ___ on Oct 23, 2005 at 4:42pm

Click here to see cover of Busby Theater Grand Opening Program , Friday, March 13, 1908:
http://mcalesterphotos.com/4DACTION/mp_mpc_Get_Rec/4443/View/@@/2/1081

posted by ___ on Nov 4, 2005 at 1:24pm

Check out these other McAlester theatre photos. . .
1898 PALACE-
http://mcalesterphotos.com/4DACTION/mp_mpc_Get_Rec/4088/View/@@/2/793
FORUM (aprox c1907)-
http://mcalesterphotos.com/4DACTION/mp_mpc_Get_Rec/4790/View/@@/2/1369
1927 PALACE (AKA-Grand, Okla)-
http://mcalesterphotos.com/4DACTION/mp_mpc_Get_Rec/4144/View/@@/2/838
CHIEF-
http://mcalesterphotos.com?4DACTION/mp_mpc_Get_Rec/459/View/@@/2/145

posted by ___ on Nov 4, 2005 at 3:48pm

posted by Okie Medley on Feb 20, 2006 at 3:28pm

Two views that blended together above. . .
BUSBY THEATER 1908-1983
http://mcalesterphotos.com/4DACTION/mp_mpc_Get_Rec/3992/View/@@/2/181
http://mcalesterphotos.com/4DACTION/mp_mpc_Get_Rec/3795/View/@@/2/703

posted by Okie Medley on Feb 20, 2006 at 3:37pm

Here is another interesting birds eye view of the Busby Theatre-

http://mcalesterphotos.com/4DACTION/mp_mpc_Get_Rec/3995/View/@@/2/703

Also in this image can be seen McAlester's Scottish Rite Masonic Temple which still maintains it's original 1930 Kimball Organ with over 3100 pipes.

posted by Okie Medley on Feb 20, 2006 at 9:23pm

This color photo shows the beautiful Scottish Rite facade. The interior motif is Egyptian. Guided tours are offered for those interested in the giant Kimball concert organ.
http://www.travelok.com/graphics/media/pressRelease/Rite.jpg

posted by Okie Medley on May 21, 2006 at 8:17am

During its burlesque era the Busby Theatre most likely staged these types of strip-tease acts,
[url=http://www.burlesquehistory.com/index.html]

]www.burlesquehistory.com/index.html[/url]
http://www.anatomyofburlesque.com/
with this style of bump & grind rhythm music,
http://www.shop.com/op/~Take_It_Off!_Striptease_Classics-prod-23722955-31743032?sourceid=3

posted by Seymour Cox on Mar 11, 2007 at 4:16pm

Here is an updated link to listen to burlesque music . . .
http://www.amazon.com/Take-Off-Strip-Tease-Classics/dp/B0000033ZA

posted by Seymour Cox on Nov 10, 2007 at 2:44pm

Inspection of this vintage snapshot indicates a wall poster advertising a movie "Queen of the Sea", featuring Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman, 1918. If so, then the Busby
Theatre most certainly did persent film entertainment . . .
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellenmc/2648909484/

posted by Seymour Cox on Oct 10, 2009 at 2:10pm

The Busby is one of three theaters listed for McAlester in the 1925 Film Daily Yearbook. The other two were the Rialto and the McAlester theater. I guess the Busby did show movies.

posted by Lost Memory on Oct 10, 2009 at 2:51pm

A photo of the former Busby Hotel where many famed vaudeville folk once slept (Building was converted long ago into Pittsburg County Courthouse).
The Busby Theatre sat directly behind the hotel.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/reweston-sat/3369792063/
Animal acts had to stay at the Aldridge Hotel because there were holding cages located in the vast basement.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imarcc/2748053515/

posted by Cosmic Ray on Oct 11, 2009 at 1:00pm

Here is a 1907 postcard view of the Busby Hotel. The horsedrawn bus was a free shuttle between the hotel and train depots. The theatre had not yet been built.
http://mcalesterphotos.com/4DACTION/mp_mpc_Get_Rec/6770/View/new/5/1

posted by Seymour Cox on Oct 17, 2009 at 10:02am

And what is the SKYVIEW playing for the JULY 4th weekeend? a striple feature with SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL P.T.109 and the third feature is PALM SPRINGS WEEKEND. now that is one mixed up triple feature.

posted by Seymour Cox on Oct 17, 2009 at 10:47am

How did that 10/17/09 Skyline comment post under my name?

posted by Seymour Cox on Oct 17, 2009 at 11:53am

posted by Cosmic Ray on Oct 17, 2009 at 10:49pm

During the brief period when the Busby Theatre staged burlesques shows this was the type routine that strip queens performed.
http://www.burlesqueguide.net/betty_rowland_burlesque_striptease_videos.html

posted by Miss Melba Toast on Oct 24, 2009 at 11:38am

Busby Theatre & Opwera House
204 E. Washington Ave.
McAlester, Ok. 74501

posted by Chuck1231 on Nov 20, 2009 at 9:49pm

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