Roxy Theatre

W. Main Street and 5th Street,
Barnsdall, OK 74002

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dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on November 3, 2020 at 12:58 pm

This is likely two different theatres. C.A. Runyon launched the Runyon Theatre in 1915. During the Depression, the theatre closed twice reopening in 1930 and 1932. Runyon retired at the end of May 1939 with a show consisting of movies and live acts until midnight on his final night. Walter J. Logan took over the venue in 1939 renaming it the Barnsdall Theatre.

After ten years of operation, Logan departed and new operators used the name of the Roxy Theatre in the Fall of 1950. The reason that the Roxy had a short run is that it was leveled by a May 4, 1953 fire. That likely ends this theater’s run.

It appears to have been replaced by the Thompson Theatre which was active from 1954/5 to early in 1961 closing and reopening by Gene Thompson and Bill Petty months later in 1961. The theatre was still active late in 1969 as the Thompson Theatre.

KJCFilmLover
KJCFilmLover on October 6, 2020 at 5:26 pm

This cinema was still the Barnsdall in 1958, when Universal played the David Niven, My Man Godfrey there.

Chris1982
Chris1982 on March 26, 2016 at 11:12 pm

Evidently the Name Roxy was short lived, by 1951 it is listed as the Barnsdall Theatre with 600 seats. So Roxy should be an AKA. The Theatre was located at the corner of W. Main at 5th Street.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 26, 2016 at 3:13 am

Listing a theater under its final name is standard at Cinema Treasures, unless the house only operated for a short time under the later name. If this theater’s run as the Roxy was brief, then more people are apt to remember it as the Barnsdall, but if it operated as the Roxy for at least a few years then the listing name should probably be changed. I haven’t checked the FDY’s to see how long after 1950 it was open.

Chris1982
Chris1982 on March 26, 2016 at 2:16 am

Joe Vogel, are you saying this theatre should be listed as the Roxy Theatre since that was the last operating name, with Bamsdall Theatre and Runyon Theatre as AKA’s?

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 25, 2016 at 3:23 am

The Barnsdall Theatre was renamed the Roxy Theatre in 1950, as reported in the September 2 issue of Boxoffice. The house had recently been purchased by the Tidwell brothers, who were renovating and redecorating inside and out.

This dying web page has a small section with a few paragraphs about the theater. It was originally opened as the Airdome Theatre, sometime early in the silent movie era. It closed in the 1950s, but was briefly reopened in the 1990s. The page used to have two photos of the theater, but all the links are broken and they no longer display.

raybradley
raybradley on March 6, 2011 at 1:26 pm

Perusing google maps, the Barnsdall Theatre is an attractive three story structure located on main & 5th. An extremely long auditorium runs along 5th St., but shows no evidence of having a balcony.
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