AcademiX Cinema
17 N. Harvey Avenue,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73103
17 N. Harvey Avenue,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73103
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Off topic, but, Oklahomo Cowboy, I cannot begin to understand how connection to my stuff (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com) would be faster using dial-up since most of my articles are so graphics-intense. Are you sure about that … I’m wondering if it was a one-time blip or something.
Thanks,
Doug
Advertisements in old issues of City Key Magazine show this cinema went under the name X-cite during its last couple of years in business.
Architectural color drawings and a history of the (doomed) urban renewal project can be found here. For some odd reason the below site works best using dial up connection;
View link
AcademiX was a reverse cinema, meaning; from the lobby one entered the 150 seat auditorium from either side of the movie screen, and faced the projection booth. Restrooms were located beneath the booth, and rear emergency exit (alarmed) doors were located here.
Could they have come up with a more imbecilic theatre name?
Forty years ago local and Federal agencies combined forces to conceive a colossal urban renewal project that was intended to transform Oklahoma City’s aging downtown area into the nations showcase retail and luxury condominium district. Famed architect I.M. Pie was commissioned to create utopian plans for an extravagant, futuristic, enclosed downtown mall.
A high rise Sheraton Hotel, the Myriad Convention Center, and a couple of urbane skyscrapers were erected before it was soon realized that this was a prohibitively expensive scheme.
Unfortunately four priceless movie palaces and nine smaller theatres (along with other gorgeous structures) were razed to make way for a project that could have never been fullfilled. A sad loss.
I wonder if they were using “urban renewal” as an excuse to close these theaters. They might have overlooked the nudity in the burlesque stage shows, but frowned on the sexual content of porn films.
Another victim of urban renewal, the entire block where the storefront AcademiX stood was razed to make way for an office complex that was never built. Today this area is a parking lot.
OKC porn theatres were sometimes harassed by law enforcement. However, during the first half of the last century burlesque stage shows were seldom raided, no matter how raunchy the act.
Or to add on the above comment: Sounds to me that they had to move locations because of being raided perhaps. (Being a Bible Best state, this would not suprise me in the least.) Get raided & forced to shut up shop, then move to a new location until it happens again.
It seems that the Academy X Cinema closed in 1972. The furnishings were brought to another location and used for the AcademiX Theater. When that closed in 1977, the furnishings were removed and used at another location for another adult theater called the Dive Inn Theater. I guess that would be considered one persons idea of recycling. :)
Over on Cinematour, they list this theater as AcademiX Cinema. The only description given is: “Used chairs, fixtures, and projectors brought over from Academy X”. It sounds to me like one porn theater closed and they brought the furnishings over to operate this theater.
Girls, girls, you’re both pretty. So does anyone have any actual info on this theater?
The only one that rants and raves on this website is you fella. You pretend to have superior knowledge of theatres. The reality is; you have nothing. I have never heard of the Falcon Gay Guides. Perhaps I could borrow your copy to acquaint myself with it.
“mikemovie”’s “knowledge” of theatres seems limited to those that he probably found listed in the Falcon Gay Guides. If he knows so much about this venue, I suggest that he provide Cinema Treasures with the seating capacity, architect, and style, instead of his usuual ranting and raving.
Way to go Mike. Maybe you can give the “newbie” some pointers. LOL
“mikemovies,” even though I do have a “superior knowledge” of theatres, there may have been as many as 30,000 cinemas just in the USA alone, so there had to be some that escaped my notice. My question is not unreasonable, since Academy was a popular name for theatres, and there might well have been at least one in Oklahoma City at some time or another.
Very illuminating fella. haha Perhaps your superior knowledge of theatres that you claim to have should have told you this was a short lived adult theatre opening in 1972 and being demolished in 1977.
Was it a purpose-built theatre or just a conversion of a commercial building? If it was an actual theatre, it might have been a mainstream cinema before turning “adult,” in which case it could have had a longer history than the limited information suggests.