Skyview Drive-In
1133 NE 23rd Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73111
1133 NE 23rd Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73111
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Jack Hunter
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Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
I was looking through a book about Route 66, called just Along Route 66, came upon a page dedicated to the Skyview, and found my way to this listing for the theater. You can see a vintage photo of the Skyview here:
http://www.agilitynut.com/driveins/ok.html
I’ll add some data from the entry on the Skyview in the Route 66 book-it’s by Quinta Scott.
Sam Kapriolotis, a Greek immigrant, was briefly raised in New York City around 1900, then his dad and brother went back to Greece. Sam stayed, adopted the new last name of Caporal, after his favorite cigarette brand, made his way west to Oklahoma City, and opened a movie theater in 1916. 32 years later, in 1948, he and his three sons built the Skyview. Architect David Baldwin designed the structure, made of reinforced concrete and built using slip-form construction. The screen tower was formed in six days, with five windows on each of the eight rows. The Caporals put lights behind the quatrefoil-shaped windows to light them up like golden stars at night.
Interesting…do any of those books say the Skyview was on 66? It was somewhat close, but really on US62 and 277. Nevertheless, a great example of a drive-in of that era. I have no idea when it was expanded, but the screen was widened from what is seen in that old postcard. I remember the large screen and other ruins of it were still there when I went looking for it in the late 1980’s. Must have been an experience to have gone there in its heyday!
1985 Photo of the Skyview Drive-In Theatre.
View link
This is another 1985 photo.
This site has photos of hundreds of Oklahoma theatres. View 1949 Skyview photo by typing in word “drive-in”,
View link
Didn’t #@*# work. Dadgummit, try this one instead –
View link
Was the location for the Skyview on the northeast corner of Coltrane and NE 23rd? From an aerial view it looks very much like it. But, if you enter 1133 NE 23 on Mapquest, it puts the location way back west near Kelley. I’ve also seen a map that places it off Sunnylane…? Thanks!
The old Skyview Drive-In has returned to wilderness country,
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/153
The Cinema photos on Road Side Oklahoma is no longer working. See the home for more info.
Shown here is a vintage color picture postcard view of the Skyview Drive-In
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oklahoma-City-OK-Skyvew-Drive-In-Theatre-Postcard-Print-/300466068506?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f52c5c1a