Ritz Theater
117 W. Main Street,
Ada,
OK
74820
117 W. Main Street,
Ada,
OK
74820
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing all 7 comments
Above statement should have read “right of Subway”.
Sorry!
Left of Subway Sandwich Shop (former Ada Theatre) can be seen the Ritz, marquee now covered over with gray sheet metal,
View link
The August 26, 1939, issue of Boxoffice reported that the remodeled Ritz was set to reopen that week.
The obituary of Foster McSwain published in Boxoffice, May 19, 1969, said that he had built the Ritz and Kiva theaters some time after building the McSwain, but didn’t give the years of their opening. McSwain operated theaters in Ada in partnership with Griffith United Theatres, later Video Independent Theatres.
It was at the Ada Ritz Theatre where Paramount Pictures held their gala world premier showing of “FANCY PANTS”, staring Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, and Bruce Cabot.
The Ritz was operated by Video Independent Theaters, Inc. of Oklahoma City in the early sixties.
Below site has good 1939 photos of the Ritz Theatre. Auditorium views exactly match above 2/6/06 description. In search area type in word “ritz”, then enter.
View link
In 1971 Sol Flowers, a former stagehand, took me on tour of the long shuttered Ritz Theater. A dollhouse theater, the Ritz had two seperate balconies, not one over the other as is usual, but side by side with a projection booth deviding them. The tiny stage (where once upon a time Republic stars Gene Autry, Andy Devine, Fred Hamilton, Roy Rogers and Trigger made personal appearances) still had all rigging, scenery, and drapes. In the basement were found dusty dressing rooms, with round mirrors surrounded by light bulbs.