Centre Theatre for the Arts

110 S. Bickford Avenue,
El Reno, OK 73036

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dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on May 21, 2022 at 5:03 am

The Centre launched February 29, 1945 with “Tonight and Every Night” supported by a cartoon, a newsreel, and the short subject, “Choo-Choo Baby.”

Lauren Durbin
Lauren Durbin on July 2, 2011 at 4:10 pm

We could probably safely change the name of this theater to Centre Theatre. Oklahoma weather can rarely be praised for encouraging historical preservation, but this is definitely an exception. The facade blowing off this old closed-down theater was probably the best thing that could have happened to it. The work done is stunning in person.

lrostochil
lrostochil on June 10, 2011 at 1:01 pm

The Centre Theater has been fully restored. Here’s a photo of what it looks like now (June 2011):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25726169@N03/5818667248/in/photostream

atmos
atmos on June 9, 2011 at 9:33 am

The Centre Theatre opened 1 December 1944.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on August 4, 2010 at 8:15 pm

Thanks Jerry,Add more stories if you can!

jerlar
jerlar on July 22, 2010 at 11:40 pm

I worked at the Centre/Cinema Theatre from 1968 until 1991. Have a lot of wonderful memories of fun events and great friends during that time. From 1969 until 1991 the theatre was managed by Curtis and Geraldine Bullington, very good friends of mine. I worked in the projection booth, box office, concession booth, as well as tore tickets and janitoral work. I also worked during that same time at the old Squaw drive inn. The screen tower is still standing, and the last time I was there, the old projection booth and concession stand was still standing as well. It was definitely a wonderful time being there all those years.

Jerry Dyer

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on July 13, 2010 at 7:04 pm

Nice theatre,could use a little paint.

raybradley
raybradley on July 13, 2010 at 6:45 pm

Nice color shots can be seen on this interesting site …
Trolly Town Music Hall (nee-Centre), 110 S. Bickford, El Reno, OK.
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/351

MrAtomic
MrAtomic on May 1, 2010 at 12:19 pm

The structural engineer checked the building out a couple of days ago. It is still sound so the restoration work should continue.

MrAtomic
MrAtomic on May 1, 2010 at 12:13 pm

I also took some photos of the abandoned Squaw Drive-In in El Reno. They are located at View link

MrAtomic
MrAtomic on May 1, 2010 at 12:11 pm

I took quite a few pictures of the facade crash aftermath and cleanup. They can be seen at View link

Lauren Durbin
Lauren Durbin on April 30, 2010 at 11:47 pm

Mother nature is helping the restoration effort. Its nice to see that the original design is still present under the ugly facade.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on April 29, 2010 at 10:19 pm

This theater suffered wind damage on April 29, 2010; article with picture here: View link

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 9, 2009 at 11:38 pm

The Centre Theatre was scheduled to open on December 1, 1944, and was one of the few new theaters to be completed in the U.S. during WWII. The issue of Boxoffice Magazine published the following day featured a rendering of the Centre’s handsome Art Moderne exterior as the front plate of the magazine’s Modern Theatre section.

An article in the magazine included a small reproduction of architect Jack Corgan’s original floor plans, and one of his sectional drawings of the house showing some nice scroll-work on the side wall. The Centre was of reinforced concrete construction, featured a section of stadium seating, and took three years to complete due to wartime shortages of manpower and materials.

Architect Corgan worked on the design and on getting priorities for building materials in his spare time, as he was drafted shortly after receiving the project and served as a flight instructor in the Army until late 1944.

The Centre was owned by Griffith-Consolidated Theatres, Inc., and was a replacement for a theater on the same site which had been destroyed by fire.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 26, 2008 at 12:23 pm

This was on the Best Western hotel site:

Trolley-Town Music Hall
This remodeled cinema theater houses live bands with performances in classic and new country, bluegrass and gospel. Open every 2nd and 4th Saturday from 7:30 – 9:30pm. Call 405-262-8864 for more information.
110 S. Bickford., El Reno, OK 12345

Don Lewis
Don Lewis on December 26, 2008 at 12:11 pm

A 1987 view of the location of the former Centre Theater. Words fail me in describing how UGLY the “Cinema” is compared to its former self as the Centre. Leveling it would have been more dignified than this deplorable re-do.

Don..

seymourcox
seymourcox on October 7, 2007 at 9:38 pm

See a vintage exterior photo by typing in word ‘Centre’ …
View link

missmelbatoast
missmelbatoast on December 9, 2006 at 5:56 pm

Original name of the Tiffany Cinema was the Centre Theatre.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 18, 2006 at 11:27 am

Here is a photo I took in July 2006:
http://tinyurl.com/ycwvcg

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 26, 2006 at 5:35 pm

That was the Tiffany that we saw, then. There was a cafe with good food across the street, near a nostalgia store.

raybradley
raybradley on August 26, 2006 at 4:29 pm

This web page contains two photos of downtown El Reno, click on either one for a supersize view. Rightside of the first image has a good view of the Tiffany Cinema. The second image has an image of the Ashbrook Store, housed in the former El Caro Theatre, which was a sister house to Okmulgee’s Inca Theatre.
View link

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 30, 2006 at 3:18 pm

I drove past a theater in El Reno last week that was simply marked “Cinema” in script. The theater was closed. I’m not sure if this is the same theater, but I do have a picture that I can post when I get back home.