Esquire Theater
463 S. Main Street,
Hobart,
OK
73651
463 S. Main Street,
Hobart,
OK
73651
3 people
favorited this theater
Listed in editions of Film Daily Yearbook from at least 1941 through to 1950 and beyond as the Kiowa Theater (sometimes spelt Kiawo Theater).
Contributed by
Todd Scott
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
The Esquire, a one-screen theatre opened at the tail end of the silent film era, was converted to two screens in 1970. It was the first small town theatre in Oklahoma to be converted to two screens.
My wife and I visited The Esquire this past summer. It looks like a bomb went off inside it! It’s completely gutted! The only thing left is its marquis. I attended this theatre when I was a child, and its current state is truly disheartening. What a waste!
Another Hobart theatre, the OKLAHOMAN, is mentioned in the following link about stage scenery supply companies-
http://digital.lib.umn.edu/scenery/index.html
To view 1936 exterior photo of the Esquire Theatre, when it was still known as Kiowa, enter site below, type in word “theatre”, then enter. Images of the Oklahoman Theatre will also pop up.
View link
After looking at interior/exterior photos I can’t help but wonder if Harold Gemino was architect of this cinema. The facade and rustic, exposed beam auditorium are so similar to his Sooner Theatre, Norman, OK.
Notice how the Kiowas marquee touts “Western Electric Sound”, which translate to “sound on film.” My grampy told me how quickly moviegoers tired of Vitaphone disk sound, and alert theatre owners began to ballyhoo sound on film systems.
1981 photo of the Esquire Theatre. The address for the Esquire is 463 S. Main St. The theatre is still standing but vacant.
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Here is a close shot of the marquee:
http://tinyurl.com/yh557p9