Penn Theater
3838 E. Frank Phillips Boulevard,
Bartlesville,
OK
74006
3838 E. Frank Phillips Boulevard,
Bartlesville,
OK
74006
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Contributed by
Lauren Grubb
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
The Penn Theatre was built by Video Independent Theatres, Inc. of Oklahoma City, OK. Larry Blackledge was the architect. When Martin Theatres (later Carmike) purchased the circuit, the Penn was divided down the middle into two auditoriums.
The Penn was closed in the early to mid 1990s and was “renovated” with the purpose of being an “Opry” style performance house. The Opry was short-lived and since then the Penn has stood vacant.
After 1979 and before the addition of chain theaters to Bartlesville’s Washington Park Mall, the Penn and the Eastland were the only two movie theaters in Bartlesville. The Penn was originally a single screen (curved, I believe) and the Eastland was a “Twin” theater.
The Penn’s style was beig-y, simplified modern / moderne.
1985 photo of the Penn Theatre.
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The Penn Theatre is featured in the November 20, 1967, issue of Boxoffice Magazine, in an article with several photos. The Penn’s 700 seats were arranged in a continental style, with no aisles interrupting them. The Boxoffice article says that architect Larry Blackledge “…handled the project for William J. Cavaness & Associates, Oklahoma City architects.”
Larry Blackledge was the son of K.C. Blackledge, president of Video Independent Theatres. Both Cavaness and Blackledge designed other theaters independent of one another.
For sale here. The OP is what’s left of the Opry sign, I imagine.
http://tinyurl.com/nu9ttt
Unless I’m looking at a different website, that real estate site has this building for lease at $2K per month.