The Ritz Theatre launched September 10, 1937 with the film, “Slim.” The downtown theatre replaced the Strand Theatre. Owner Ed Rowland decided to move into the larger location in the Diffey Building and closed the Strand on September 6, 1937. In 1955, the Ritz transformed to widescreen CinemaScope projection. The Ritz appears to have folded after October 29, 1962 screening of “The Hustler” likely at the end of a leasing cycle.
F.H. Wozencraft launched the Liberty Theatre during World War I in 1916 and had no competition. But ten years later, an oil boom brought several new theatres – the Rex, Ritz, State and Rialto to town. Outmatched, Wozencraft expanded the Liberty by 400 seats in 1927 and added sound later. But the approach failed and the Liberty Theatre closed September 6, 1930 with a double feature of “Swell Head” and “Call of the West.” The space was converted to a toy store that was open for the Christmas shopping season.
The roots of this venue date back to 1915 when the Jackson Brothers launched the Airdome Theatre in downtown Heavener. The Airdome had a Powers 6-A projector launching May 1, 1915 with Mary Pickford in “White Roses,” Sidney Drew in “Who Was Who in Hogg’s Hollow” and Herbert Prior in “Dick Potter’s Wife.” G.D. Hughes bought the Airdome and converted it to the Liberty Theatre on December 12, 1918. In 1921, the theatre was reversed and expanded. It added sound and during the Depression ran a “Bank Holiday Show” during the banking holiday in 1934 where people could pay whatever admission they could afford.
Hughes upgraded to new projection in 1939 and RCA sound in 1945. But the 41 year streak of the Hughes ended when they sold the theatre to Paul Maxwell on December 31, 1959. But the Maxwell’s run lasted less than a year and the Hughes family was back in 1960.
The University Theatre replaced a silent-era University Theatre that dated back to at least 1918 in Norman. This venue was launched by Griffith Amusements in December of 1930.
The B.H. Rackely Building is a late 19th Century structure that originally housed the city’s Opera House. The building was among the few spared in a major fire on November 19, 1895. It appears to have been taken over by Walter and G.W. Brown who called it Brown’s Opera House and – when motion pictures were coming into fashion – the Browns also launched Brown’s Theatre and the Mystic Theatre dedicated to silent films. With newer movie theaters constructed in downtown Purcell, the opera house hosted live events and basketball games until being converted to the town’s court house in 1922.
Court and other city functions moved elsewhere and eventually Levi Metcalf and K. Lee Williams Theatres purchased the venue and converted it to the moderne Canadian Theatre. The 800-seat venue cost $50,000 to convert and was named after the nearby Canadian River. It opened in December of 1946.
The Canadian survived an arson attack by an 11-year old in August of 1957 that caused extensive damage. Metcalf would launch the Skyvue Drive-In and would be sued by all eight Hollywood studios in 1974 for what they claimed was box office financial fraud. The theatre closed and became an antique mall which – at one point – had the original popcorn popper from the theatre.
The State Theatre launched March 7, 1927 at the height of Seminole’s oil boom with Buster Keaton in “The General” as well as live music from Si Wilk’s Hicksville Band.
The Ritz theatre launched November 26, 1926. An anti-trust lawsuit in 1931 leads to a dispersal and the Ritz ends its cinematic run in March of 1931. It becomes a church later that year and later a restaurant.
The Rialto Theatre opened at the height of the oil boom in Seminole on October 15, 1927 with the films, “Stepping Along” and “Senor Daredevil.” The Rialto closed on June 25, 1949 with “Range Renegades.” The dormant theater was sold to Video Independent Theaters on December 1, 1949 along with the town’s other theaters. VIT sold the Main Street building to the telephone provider who converted the building as their home office.
The Dubinsky circuit opened the Rex Theatre on April 24, 1927 with vaudeville and at the height of the oil boom in Seminole. It closed on January 29, 1940. It was overhauled getting a new front and name becoming the Seminole Theatre relaunching on February 9, 1940 with “Charlie McCarthy: Detective.”
A bit more: W.A. “Lon” Barris purchased the Electric Theatre in 1916 and changed its name to the Barris Theatre relaunching under that name on February 24, 1916 with Charles Dudley in “Neal of the Navy.” On July 20, 1918, Barris closed the Barris and concentrated his theatre efforts to the Barris Theatre in Marionville, Missouri. The town was served by an airdome in 1919. But under new owners, the venue relaunched in 1920 under the name Doug’s Playhouse closing briefly in 1921. It reverted to the Electric Theatre nameplate in 1921.
Frank Love was the architect of the new Aztec Theater in downtown Vinita. The Spanish architecture of the town’s second Aztec Theater was Spanish at launch designed to look like Adobe dwellings of the past. Love had also been the architect on the remodeling of the nearby Lyric Theatre. The new Aztec launched December 19: 1935 with Will Rogers in “In Old Kentucky”.
Launched as the Electric Theatre April 10, 1911, the venue converted to sound on June 12, 1930. Simmons and McAllister bought the theatre rebranding it as the Plaza Theatre on November 2, 1930. On January 18, 1943, a fire closed the facility relaunching May 12, 1943 as the New Plaza Theatre.
Closed on June 14, 1953 with “Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation” and “Never Wave at a WAC.” Owner Isaac Brotman said vandals and hoodlums forced him to close the theatre.
Vincent Trainor launched the Superba Theatre in 1918. In the 1920s, the theatre changed names to the Holly Theatre. As theatres converted to sound, the owners of the Holly were charged with setting fire to their own theatre though the fire only damaged the building. The Holly got new owners, was repaired, and equipped for sound in the rebranding as the Ramsey Theatre in January of 1936.
During the early days of television, the theatre reduced to just Friday-only operation before closing in 1952. The theatre relaunched as the Ramsey Cinema with widescreen presentation on June 3, 1960. In September and October of 2001, the theatre was closed while it added a second screen becoming a twin-screen operation on November 16, 2001.
Dropped by Regal at end of lease in 2019, the location became the third location for Fun in DFW and was renamed the Fun Movie Grill MacArthur Marketplace at relaunch on June 22, 2019.
Ivan H. Harris of the Harris-Voeller Circuit bought the Rialto Theatre in April of 1935. They enlarged the theatre relaunching it as the Voris Theatre on November 22, 1935
The Ritz Theatre launched September 10, 1937 with the film, “Slim.” The downtown theatre replaced the Strand Theatre. Owner Ed Rowland decided to move into the larger location in the Diffey Building and closed the Strand on September 6, 1937. In 1955, the Ritz transformed to widescreen CinemaScope projection. The Ritz appears to have folded after October 29, 1962 screening of “The Hustler” likely at the end of a leasing cycle.
F.H. Wozencraft launched the Liberty Theatre during World War I in 1916 and had no competition. But ten years later, an oil boom brought several new theatres – the Rex, Ritz, State and Rialto to town. Outmatched, Wozencraft expanded the Liberty by 400 seats in 1927 and added sound later. But the approach failed and the Liberty Theatre closed September 6, 1930 with a double feature of “Swell Head” and “Call of the West.” The space was converted to a toy store that was open for the Christmas shopping season.
The local paper during the silent era mentions the Electric Theatre opening in 1915, the Lyric Theatre and the Joy Theatre but no Adair Theatre.
The roots of this venue date back to 1915 when the Jackson Brothers launched the Airdome Theatre in downtown Heavener. The Airdome had a Powers 6-A projector launching May 1, 1915 with Mary Pickford in “White Roses,” Sidney Drew in “Who Was Who in Hogg’s Hollow” and Herbert Prior in “Dick Potter’s Wife.” G.D. Hughes bought the Airdome and converted it to the Liberty Theatre on December 12, 1918. In 1921, the theatre was reversed and expanded. It added sound and during the Depression ran a “Bank Holiday Show” during the banking holiday in 1934 where people could pay whatever admission they could afford.
Hughes upgraded to new projection in 1939 and RCA sound in 1945. But the 41 year streak of the Hughes ended when they sold the theatre to Paul Maxwell on December 31, 1959. But the Maxwell’s run lasted less than a year and the Hughes family was back in 1960.
The University Theatre replaced a silent-era University Theatre that dated back to at least 1918 in Norman. This venue was launched by Griffith Amusements in December of 1930.
Advertised as the Okla Drive-In Theatre from 1957 and into the 1960s likely until closing.
Still open and advertising in 1977
The B.H. Rackely Building is a late 19th Century structure that originally housed the city’s Opera House. The building was among the few spared in a major fire on November 19, 1895. It appears to have been taken over by Walter and G.W. Brown who called it Brown’s Opera House and – when motion pictures were coming into fashion – the Browns also launched Brown’s Theatre and the Mystic Theatre dedicated to silent films. With newer movie theaters constructed in downtown Purcell, the opera house hosted live events and basketball games until being converted to the town’s court house in 1922.
Court and other city functions moved elsewhere and eventually Levi Metcalf and K. Lee Williams Theatres purchased the venue and converted it to the moderne Canadian Theatre. The 800-seat venue cost $50,000 to convert and was named after the nearby Canadian River. It opened in December of 1946.
The Canadian survived an arson attack by an 11-year old in August of 1957 that caused extensive damage. Metcalf would launch the Skyvue Drive-In and would be sued by all eight Hollywood studios in 1974 for what they claimed was box office financial fraud. The theatre closed and became an antique mall which – at one point – had the original popcorn popper from the theatre.
The State Theatre launched March 7, 1927 at the height of Seminole’s oil boom with Buster Keaton in “The General” as well as live music from Si Wilk’s Hicksville Band.
The Ritz theatre launched November 26, 1926. An anti-trust lawsuit in 1931 leads to a dispersal and the Ritz ends its cinematic run in March of 1931. It becomes a church later that year and later a restaurant.
The Rialto Theatre opened at the height of the oil boom in Seminole on October 15, 1927 with the films, “Stepping Along” and “Senor Daredevil.” The Rialto closed on June 25, 1949 with “Range Renegades.” The dormant theater was sold to Video Independent Theaters on December 1, 1949 along with the town’s other theaters. VIT sold the Main Street building to the telephone provider who converted the building as their home office.
The Dubinsky circuit opened the Rex Theatre on April 24, 1927 with vaudeville and at the height of the oil boom in Seminole. It closed on January 29, 1940. It was overhauled getting a new front and name becoming the Seminole Theatre relaunching on February 9, 1940 with “Charlie McCarthy: Detective.”
A bit more: W.A. “Lon” Barris purchased the Electric Theatre in 1916 and changed its name to the Barris Theatre relaunching under that name on February 24, 1916 with Charles Dudley in “Neal of the Navy.” On July 20, 1918, Barris closed the Barris and concentrated his theatre efforts to the Barris Theatre in Marionville, Missouri. The town was served by an airdome in 1919. But under new owners, the venue relaunched in 1920 under the name Doug’s Playhouse closing briefly in 1921. It reverted to the Electric Theatre nameplate in 1921.
Frank Love was the architect of the new Aztec Theater in downtown Vinita. The Spanish architecture of the town’s second Aztec Theater was Spanish at launch designed to look like Adobe dwellings of the past. Love had also been the architect on the remodeling of the nearby Lyric Theatre. The new Aztec launched December 19: 1935 with Will Rogers in “In Old Kentucky”.
Launched as the Electric Theatre April 10, 1911, the venue converted to sound on June 12, 1930. Simmons and McAllister bought the theatre rebranding it as the Plaza Theatre on November 2, 1930. On January 18, 1943, a fire closed the facility relaunching May 12, 1943 as the New Plaza Theatre.
UA closed the theatre on June 12, 1997 with “Buddy” and “Liar, Liar.”
Closed on June 14, 1953 with “Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation” and “Never Wave at a WAC.” Owner Isaac Brotman said vandals and hoodlums forced him to close the theatre.
Vincent Trainor launched the Superba Theatre in 1918. In the 1920s, the theatre changed names to the Holly Theatre. As theatres converted to sound, the owners of the Holly were charged with setting fire to their own theatre though the fire only damaged the building. The Holly got new owners, was repaired, and equipped for sound in the rebranding as the Ramsey Theatre in January of 1936.
During the early days of television, the theatre reduced to just Friday-only operation before closing in 1952. The theatre relaunched as the Ramsey Cinema with widescreen presentation on June 3, 1960. In September and October of 2001, the theatre was closed while it added a second screen becoming a twin-screen operation on November 16, 2001.
Closed May 9, 2019 with Shazam, Ugly Dolls, La Llorona and Avengers: Endgame.
Dropped by Regal at end of lease in 2019, the location became the third location for Fun in DFW and was renamed the Fun Movie Grill MacArthur Marketplace at relaunch on June 22, 2019.
Closed with “This is My Alaska” on January 20, 1970. It was demolished in February of 1970.
Appears to have opened as the Cyko Theatre in 1914. It was renamed the American Theatre in 1919. Vitaphone was installed in 1929 for sound films.
The Mohawk sign was featured in the local Cassia County Historical Society Museum beginning in the 1980s after it was found in storage.
Ivan H. Harris of the Harris-Voeller Circuit bought the Rialto Theatre in April of 1935. They enlarged the theatre relaunching it as the Voris Theatre on November 22, 1935
January 4, 1915 grand opening ad of the Orpheum in photos.