Dollhouse Cinema
Town Square,
Altus,
OK
73521
Town Square,
Altus,
OK
73521
1 person
favorited this theater
Opened in 1920 as the Wigwam Theatre, it later became the Paramount Theatre.
After the upstart The Movies 1 & 2 opened in 1969, Video Independent Theatres (a subsidiary of RKO) remodeled their long shuttered Paramount Theatre downtown, and reopened it under a new name, Dollhouse Cinema.
This was a cute theatre, with a nice size balcony, that was redecorated in typical 1970 styling; new tufted drapes covered auditorium walls, spotlights highlighted heavy stage curtains, fiberglass chairs were more comfortable than original metal seats, and a dropped panel ceiling improved acoustics.
Superior film booking helped the Dollhouse Cinema to be stiff compitition for The Movies 1 & 2. When the twin Movies closed, the Dollhouse’s purpose was fulfilled and followed soon after. It was demolished in early-2011.
Contributed by
Myrna Louise, Cactus Jack
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Recent comments (view all 20 comments)
Research reveals that the Plaza and Dollhouse were not in the same location. The old Paramount was remodeled into the Dollhouse Cinema around 1970.
This link has clear vintage exterior/interior images of the RKO Delta -
View link
The recently demolished Dollhouse Cinema sat on the rightside of the five story structure on W. Commerce off Hudson.
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There is a lot of contradictory information on this page. Cosmic Ray lists a link to the Delta Theatre on Roadside Oklahoma that states the Dollhouse opened as the Delta Theatre, in the header it says that this opened as the Wigwam and later the Paramount Theatre. Which is correct? Also the Roadside Oklahoma states the address was 107 N. Hudson which would make the Google link that Cosmic Ray the wrong location, which is correct? That space looks far to narrow to have been the site of a theatre when comparing photos of the Delta Theatre.
Go to link below and type in “altus paramount”. Compare the two buildings on either side of the Paramount Theatre photo, then you will see that the vacant lot seen above is the exact location of the Dollhouse (AKA-Wigwam, Paramount) Cinema.
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Ray, on your August 13, 2007 post you state that the former RKO Delta Theatre was the Dollhouse, now you are saying that the former Paramount aka Wigwasm was the Dollhouse. The Roadside Oklahoma says that the Delta became the Dollhouse. Which is correct?
Oh my God, I made a mistake four years ago … BFD!
BFD, I wasn’t referring to a mistake, I was simply asking was the Dollhouse the former RKO Delta or was it the former Paramount. Roadside Oklahoma says it was the Delta, you said it was the Delta and then say it was the former Paramount. Would just like to clarify which was which so that the header can reflect the correct information.
All I know is what Joe Vogel wrote last month about the Delta Theatre. He says that the Delta burned down in 1954, and was never rebuilt.
Empty space pictured above was the STATE THEATER, North side of city square. It burned down. The PLAZA is on the West side, The DELTA was on the South side and the RITZ was on the East. The ALTUS DRIVE-IN was just East of the city. i grew up there and worked at the PLAZA and the STATE during the 50s.