Leachman Theatre

I worked at the Leachman from 1969-1974. It was a grand theater. I knew Claud & his wife. She would come to the first matinee of most movies and sit in the balcony. The marque was an upright with ladders built into the building. Changing movies in winter on the north side was quite an experience. The chain was Video-Leachman Theatres and the home office was at Lee & Sheridan in Oklahoma City.

Architect Jack Corgan’s rendering of the proposed Leachman Theatre appeared in Boxoffice’s “Just Off the Boards” feature for March 29, 1947. The theater as built differs somewhat from Corgan’s original design, which included an auditorium the full width of the building that would have seated 1,300.

A later issue of Boxoffice gives the house’s seating capacity as 1,100, but given that the width of the auditorium as built appears to have been reduced by almost a third from the original proposal, that seems a bit exaggerated.

Here are two more 1985 photos:

Photo1

Photo2

1982 photo of teh Leachman Theatre.
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(1954) interior & (1962) exterior views can be viewed by typing in word “leachman” …
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My mother’s maiden name is Leachman and I’m pretty sure Claude Leachman was my grandfather’s cousin. I also worked for the completely awful Carmike Cinemas while a student at OSU in the late 80’s. Around 1990 Carmike was getting ready to vacate the Leachman after using it as their district office. The old place needed some water leak repair before returning it to the owners. I was part of the crew that repainted the the ceiling. I haven’t stepped foot in the place since then but I’m in Stillwater on a regular basis so maybe I’ll have a look.

I must have missed Stillwater on my Route 66 trip this summer. I would have liked to see this theater. Here is a description of some mayhem at the Leachman on August 7, 1956:

Bloody Youth Screams Wild Crazy Threats

Brandishing a long-barreled .22 caliber revolver, a blood-spattered teenager in tee shirt and blue jeans terrorized employees at a late movie last night. The unidentified youth fired one shot at night house manager Keith Eaton, 21, before fleeing. Capt. Glenn Shirley of the Stillwater Police Department told this story:

A boy, described as about 16 years old, argued with Mrs. Yvonne Lacey, a cashier at the Leachman Theater. The boy claimed that Ms. Lacey “shortchanged” him 25 cents. Climbing onto the roof of the theater marquee, the boy screamed into the window of the theater office, apparently to the manager, “You will pay for this.” Then he climbed down and raced three blocks away to Murphy’s Sports Shop where he broke a glass door with a rock and took a .22 caliber revolver and ammunition from a display case. Returning to the theater, he jammed the pistol into Larry Bass, an usher, and commanded him to lead the way to the manager’s office. At the top of the stairs, they were met by Eaton who said the youth fired between his legs, then turned and fled.

I believe the architect of the Leachman was Jack Corgan and Associates of Dallas, Texas who designed many theatres for Video Independent Theatres in those days. Video partnered with local theatreman Claude Leachman in the ownership. Video was purchased by Martin Theatres in 1984 which lated became Carmike Cinemas.