The Dixie Theatre was a silent movie theatre operating in downtown Cushing around 1916. Walling & Murphee Circuit of Bristow (aka Walmur) bought the Dixie in the 1920s and the Rialto (aka Columbia and the first Paramount) across the street. Walmur changed the Dixie’s name to the American Theatre.
Hiram Dunkin of the Dunkin Theatre took over the location along with the Columbia and converted the American to sound. Dunkin switched the locations of Columbia and the American theaters. The Columbia Theatre became became the Rialto. The American Theatre converted to sound to stay current. It was a third run venue offering very low pricing, two for one admissions and even lower cost matinees during its run.
On July 13, 1940, a projection booth theatre all but destroyed the American Theatre. It was rebuilt relaunching in 1941. It closed during the War though did have some live events and sessions showing war related films. Griffith Amusements took on the American and relaunched it with a grand opening on October 4, 1946. The theatre closed once again ending its cinematic run. The building did find new life with live plays much later.
Cushing’s second Paramount Theatre replaced an earlier Paramount (aka Rialto and Columbia) theater that burned down on April 20, 1931 also at 109 East Broadway. Griffith Amusement replaced the facility with a new Paramount designed by its architect Gates Corrigan. The new Paramount launched with “The Man in Possession” on August 5, 1931. The Paramount went out of business in 1947. It was completely gutted and became a Western Auto hardware store. The building still stands unrecognizable as a former movie house except at its roof line. (Technically, it wasn’t a Paramount theatre and was a Griffith Amusement venue.)
This long-running entertainment venue in downtown Exira opened in July of 1912 as the Exira Picture Show. It was created after the Exira Opera House experimented successfully with motion pictures in 1911 and 1912.
George Prall purchase the operation changing its name to the Picture Palace on December 26: 1912. The Exira Opera House closed a year later as the town supported film over live events. In 1914, the theatre was called the Palace Theatre. Under new operators, the theatre converted to sound. It closed briefly three times during the Depression but continued as the Palace Theatre.
It received a streamline makeover in 1938 but suffered a fire in 1943 badly damaging the building and closing the venue. New operators repaired the venue relaunching it as the Kozy Theatre in 1944. New operators took on the theatre in 1947 and would change the name of the business to the Exira Theatre which closed in 1955 as TV challenged small town theaters nationwide.
Medford’s first full time movie theatre launched on April 12, 1913 as the Alvo Theatre, J.T. Henderson took on the operation in 1923. The Henderson family operated the town’s cinema business for decades converting it to sound in 1929. The venue got a major refresh in 1938 with new seating. The Alvo moniker lasted into the TV age. They Hendersons operated the local cinema as the Mawil Theatre in the 1950s and 1960s. Eventually the theatre closed and became a florist.
John Carnakis built the Virginia Theatre in 1919 and opened the venue in 1920. At its tenth year, it was remodeled relaunching with Western Electric Sound in November 20, 1930 and the film, “The Squealer.”
The original Wigwam Theatre and Penny Arcade launched with 625 seats on November 17, 1909 with both motion pictures and films. Persons of color had their own entry and seating area. In 1911, the Wigwam launched an adjacent Airdome for more comfortable screenings in 1911. The Wigwam Circuit opened four venues in the 1910s in downtown Muskogee including Wigwam #2 in the Barnes Building launching February 12, 1910 and taking over the Lenhart Theatre on March 2, 1912. While the Wigwam Airdome closed after the summer season of 1917, it appears that the Wigwam Theatre to closed in 1921.
Alexander Hinton created the Hinton Theatre launching with a live play on April 18, 1905. On October 25, 1920, its name was changed to the Orpheum Theatre playing the Orpheum Circuit vaudeville which had been playing at the Broadway Theatre. Films became the more prevalent choice for the Orpheum. On October 4, 1928, Vitaphone was installed in the venue for talking films and it was renamed the Ritz Theatre. The first sound film, however, was shown October 10, 1928.
Architects Corgan and Moore gave the Ritz a major streamlined moderne makeover including Art Deco fountain in 1938. The theatre would have a 70-plus year run before closing and being demolished.
If the trade press is accurate, this was the location of of the Gem Theatre that launched in March of 1934 by V.E. Hamm. The theatre was totally unrelated to the 1908 Gem Theatre except that both were independently owned. Hamm’s Gem would bring suit against the operator of the Broadway, Ritz and Yale when the Yale lowered prices to counter the new Gem’s low admission prices. It also complained that the Bank Night that was shared by those three theaters was akin to a lottery. Hamm’s suits were dismissed and the theatre got new ownership and switched to the Roxy nameplate.
The competitor, P&M, then added the venue to its portfolio under the Roxy Theatre nameplate. The theatre was destroyed by fire in 1945. The operator wanted to rebuild quickly but war shortages slowed the plans. With the larger and aging nearby Lyric Theatre reaching its 40th anniversary, P&M decided that the New Roxy Theatre would supplant the Lyric after the War.
The new Roxy was constructed at 220 W. Okmulgee Avenue (which the local paper says was the site of the original Roxy Theatre, BTW) in 1947 before running into some delays including brick shortages delaying the New Roxy’s opening to 1948. The Lyric closed at the end of February of 1949 and its interior was dismantled to create a storage facility. The New Roxy continued into the 21st Century and has its own Cinema Treasures listing.
Located at 314 West Broadway in the Runyan Building, operator Dan Myers launched the Strand Theatre with a charity screening of Edna May starring in “Salvation Joan” on December 8, 1916. The Strand closed likely after a five-year lease expired in 1921 and was replaced by a cigar store and Pierce’s Fountain Lunch in 1922.
The Grand Theatre launched September 23, 1909 with short films from Pathé, Selig and Biograph as well as vaudeville acts interspersed. Oklahoma Governor Charles N. Haskell and Muskogee Mayor McGarr were on hand. It converted to sound films and had a 60-year lifecycle.
he Lenhart Moving Picture Theatre launched March 8, 1909 playing Edison films and seating 360 patrons. Illustrated songs with never an immoral film were among the promises made by management.
The Lenhart Theatre closed February 28, 1912 and was briefly replaced by Wigwam Theatre #4 on March 2, 1912. Wigwam #4 closed shortly thereafter and the Chicago Drug Company moved across the street to the theatre location.
The Lyric Theatre launched in downtown Muskogee on May 14, 1906 likely on a 20-year lease. The Lyric converted to sound to stay current and like renewed another 20-year lease.
With the theatre’s 40th anniversary came details for a new theatre. The Roxy Theatre was the heir apparent to the Lyric after the War. The Roxy was constructed in 1947 before running into some delays including brick shortages before launching in 1948.
The Lyric was downgraded to sub-run discount status briefly. The local paper reports that the Lyric Theatre closed after showings on February 26, 1949 and its interior was dismantled to create a storage facility.
The P&M drive in was built by Proctor and Marsh Circuit in 1947 and launched in 1948 on a ten-year lease. A competing drive-in, the 64, was also built in 1947 and opened in 1948. The 64 Drive-In was bought out becoming part of the same portfolio as the other local theaters including the P&M. The P&M closed August 27, 1958 after a final showing of “The Ten Commandments.” A new ozoner, the Sunset Drive-In, then opened to compete with the 64 Drive-In.
The Yale Electric Theatre launched in the Ayres Building at 208 Broadway Street on January 29, 1908 with Edison motion pictures and a mirrored screen. It showed three reels of movies followed by a vaudeville show. Its name was shorted to the Yale Theatre. The audience demand was greater than the Yale’s size as people loved the movies and the larger, New Yale opened on September 16, 1911. The New Yale took advantage of the new Surety Building skyscraper location one block away from the previous location.
The previous Yale Theatre became the Velvet Pool Hall. But on July 15, 1915, the previous Yale Theatre was reacquired and remodeled by the original operator of the Yale Theatre Circuit, L. Brophy. It became a sub-run discount operation which had periods of inactivity but used the name the Yale Theatre (sometimes referred to as the “Old” Yale Theatre with the competing theatre listed as the New Yale Theatre). Meanwhile, the New Yale was remodeled and under Texas Enterprises Circuit operation, it changed its name to the Palace Theatre on October 10, 1920. The Circuit played Paramount films.
The previous Yale Theatre which had been dormant was put back into operation a third time at 208 Broadway as a discounted sub-run location. Meanwhile, the Palace converted to sound under Robb & Rowley to stay current in 1928. R&R would also purchase the Broadway and Yale theaters converted each to sound. There appear to be no further listings for the Yale following an October 3, 1936 showing of John Wayne in “King of the Pecos.”
The New Yale Theatre opened on Broadway Street near Third Street at 305 West Broadway in downtown Muskogee on September 16, 1911. It took advantage of the new Surety Building skyscraper location one block away from the previous location. And it followed the lead of its predecessor, Yale Theatre, with a mirrored screen and three reels of films followed by a vaudeville show.
The New Yale was remodeled in 1916 and would become a Dubinsky Brothers location. Texas Enterprises Circuit bought the New Yale Theatre on October 1, 1920 and changed its name to the Palace Theatre on October 10, 1920. The Circuit played Paramount films. The previous Yale Theatre was put back into operation at 208 Broadway as a discounted sub-run location. Meanwhile, the Palace converted to sound under Robb & Rowley to stay current.
The Dixie Theatre was a silent movie theatre operating in downtown Cushing around 1916. Walling & Murphee Circuit of Bristow (aka Walmur) bought the Dixie in the 1920s and the Rialto (aka Columbia and the first Paramount) across the street. Walmur changed the Dixie’s name to the American Theatre.
Hiram Dunkin of the Dunkin Theatre took over the location along with the Columbia and converted the American to sound. Dunkin switched the locations of Columbia and the American theaters. The Columbia Theatre became became the Rialto. The American Theatre converted to sound to stay current. It was a third run venue offering very low pricing, two for one admissions and even lower cost matinees during its run.
On July 13, 1940, a projection booth theatre all but destroyed the American Theatre. It was rebuilt relaunching in 1941. It closed during the War though did have some live events and sessions showing war related films. Griffith Amusements took on the American and relaunched it with a grand opening on October 4, 1946. The theatre closed once again ending its cinematic run. The building did find new life with live plays much later.
Restoring and received a grant with a deadline to reopen of Jan. 1, 2020.
Cushing’s second Paramount Theatre replaced an earlier Paramount (aka Rialto and Columbia) theater that burned down on April 20, 1931 also at 109 East Broadway. Griffith Amusement replaced the facility with a new Paramount designed by its architect Gates Corrigan. The new Paramount launched with “The Man in Possession” on August 5, 1931. The Paramount went out of business in 1947. It was completely gutted and became a Western Auto hardware store. The building still stands unrecognizable as a former movie house except at its roof line. (Technically, it wasn’t a Paramount theatre and was a Griffith Amusement venue.)
Destroyed by fire in December of 1923, the Grand was at 103 North Harrison in downtown Cushing.
Opened in 1949
Launched as a silent theatre on September, 1926, operators added vitaphone and Movietone sysyrms for talkies in May of 1929,
This long-running entertainment venue in downtown Exira opened in July of 1912 as the Exira Picture Show. It was created after the Exira Opera House experimented successfully with motion pictures in 1911 and 1912.
George Prall purchase the operation changing its name to the Picture Palace on December 26: 1912. The Exira Opera House closed a year later as the town supported film over live events. In 1914, the theatre was called the Palace Theatre. Under new operators, the theatre converted to sound. It closed briefly three times during the Depression but continued as the Palace Theatre.
It received a streamline makeover in 1938 but suffered a fire in 1943 badly damaging the building and closing the venue. New operators repaired the venue relaunching it as the Kozy Theatre in 1944. New operators took on the theatre in 1947 and would change the name of the business to the Exira Theatre which closed in 1955 as TV challenged small town theaters nationwide.
Medford’s first full time movie theatre launched on April 12, 1913 as the Alvo Theatre, J.T. Henderson took on the operation in 1923. The Henderson family operated the town’s cinema business for decades converting it to sound in 1929. The venue got a major refresh in 1938 with new seating. The Alvo moniker lasted into the TV age. They Hendersons operated the local cinema as the Mawil Theatre in the 1950s and 1960s. Eventually the theatre closed and became a florist.
Also known as the Carlton Theatre
The long-running Carlton Theatre closed in 1959 and was refreshed becoming the Ritz Theatre in March of 1959.
Architect of the theatre was J.C. Wood of Salt Lake City. First film was Zane Grey’s “Desert Gold” and the comedy short “The Grocery Clerk”
Newspaper ads begin in 1918 and cease July 13, 1957
I would assume that this was the Liberty Theatre launching December 15, 1917 converted to sound in 1930 and renamed the Harmony Theatre.
John Carnakis built the Virginia Theatre in 1919 and opened the venue in 1920. At its tenth year, it was remodeled relaunching with Western Electric Sound in November 20, 1930 and the film, “The Squealer.”
The original Wigwam Theatre and Penny Arcade launched with 625 seats on November 17, 1909 with both motion pictures and films. Persons of color had their own entry and seating area. In 1911, the Wigwam launched an adjacent Airdome for more comfortable screenings in 1911. The Wigwam Circuit opened four venues in the 1910s in downtown Muskogee including Wigwam #2 in the Barnes Building launching February 12, 1910 and taking over the Lenhart Theatre on March 2, 1912. While the Wigwam Airdome closed after the summer season of 1917, it appears that the Wigwam Theatre to closed in 1921.
The theatre closed in the mid 1950s.
Alexander Hinton created the Hinton Theatre launching with a live play on April 18, 1905. On October 25, 1920, its name was changed to the Orpheum Theatre playing the Orpheum Circuit vaudeville which had been playing at the Broadway Theatre. Films became the more prevalent choice for the Orpheum. On October 4, 1928, Vitaphone was installed in the venue for talking films and it was renamed the Ritz Theatre. The first sound film, however, was shown October 10, 1928.
Architects Corgan and Moore gave the Ritz a major streamlined moderne makeover including Art Deco fountain in 1938. The theatre would have a 70-plus year run before closing and being demolished.
If the trade press is accurate, this was the location of of the Gem Theatre that launched in March of 1934 by V.E. Hamm. The theatre was totally unrelated to the 1908 Gem Theatre except that both were independently owned. Hamm’s Gem would bring suit against the operator of the Broadway, Ritz and Yale when the Yale lowered prices to counter the new Gem’s low admission prices. It also complained that the Bank Night that was shared by those three theaters was akin to a lottery. Hamm’s suits were dismissed and the theatre got new ownership and switched to the Roxy nameplate.
The competitor, P&M, then added the venue to its portfolio under the Roxy Theatre nameplate. The theatre was destroyed by fire in 1945. The operator wanted to rebuild quickly but war shortages slowed the plans. With the larger and aging nearby Lyric Theatre reaching its 40th anniversary, P&M decided that the New Roxy Theatre would supplant the Lyric after the War.
The new Roxy was constructed at 220 W. Okmulgee Avenue (which the local paper says was the site of the original Roxy Theatre, BTW) in 1947 before running into some delays including brick shortages delaying the New Roxy’s opening to 1948. The Lyric closed at the end of February of 1949 and its interior was dismantled to create a storage facility. The New Roxy continued into the 21st Century and has its own Cinema Treasures listing.
Located at 314 West Broadway in the Runyan Building, operator Dan Myers launched the Strand Theatre with a charity screening of Edna May starring in “Salvation Joan” on December 8, 1916. The Strand closed likely after a five-year lease expired in 1921 and was replaced by a cigar store and Pierce’s Fountain Lunch in 1922.
The Grand Theatre launched September 23, 1909 with short films from Pathé, Selig and Biograph as well as vaudeville acts interspersed. Oklahoma Governor Charles N. Haskell and Muskogee Mayor McGarr were on hand. It converted to sound films and had a 60-year lifecycle.
he Lenhart Moving Picture Theatre launched March 8, 1909 playing Edison films and seating 360 patrons. Illustrated songs with never an immoral film were among the promises made by management.
The Lenhart Theatre closed February 28, 1912 and was briefly replaced by Wigwam Theatre #4 on March 2, 1912. Wigwam #4 closed shortly thereafter and the Chicago Drug Company moved across the street to the theatre location.
The Lyric Theatre launched in downtown Muskogee on May 14, 1906 likely on a 20-year lease. The Lyric converted to sound to stay current and like renewed another 20-year lease.
With the theatre’s 40th anniversary came details for a new theatre. The Roxy Theatre was the heir apparent to the Lyric after the War. The Roxy was constructed in 1947 before running into some delays including brick shortages before launching in 1948.
The Lyric was downgraded to sub-run discount status briefly. The local paper reports that the Lyric Theatre closed after showings on February 26, 1949 and its interior was dismantled to create a storage facility.
The P&M drive in was built by Proctor and Marsh Circuit in 1947 and launched in 1948 on a ten-year lease. A competing drive-in, the 64, was also built in 1947 and opened in 1948. The 64 Drive-In was bought out becoming part of the same portfolio as the other local theaters including the P&M. The P&M closed August 27, 1958 after a final showing of “The Ten Commandments.” A new ozoner, the Sunset Drive-In, then opened to compete with the 64 Drive-In.
The Yale Electric Theatre launched in the Ayres Building at 208 Broadway Street on January 29, 1908 with Edison motion pictures and a mirrored screen. It showed three reels of movies followed by a vaudeville show. Its name was shorted to the Yale Theatre. The audience demand was greater than the Yale’s size as people loved the movies and the larger, New Yale opened on September 16, 1911. The New Yale took advantage of the new Surety Building skyscraper location one block away from the previous location.
The previous Yale Theatre became the Velvet Pool Hall. But on July 15, 1915, the previous Yale Theatre was reacquired and remodeled by the original operator of the Yale Theatre Circuit, L. Brophy. It became a sub-run discount operation which had periods of inactivity but used the name the Yale Theatre (sometimes referred to as the “Old” Yale Theatre with the competing theatre listed as the New Yale Theatre). Meanwhile, the New Yale was remodeled and under Texas Enterprises Circuit operation, it changed its name to the Palace Theatre on October 10, 1920. The Circuit played Paramount films.
The previous Yale Theatre which had been dormant was put back into operation a third time at 208 Broadway as a discounted sub-run location. Meanwhile, the Palace converted to sound under Robb & Rowley to stay current in 1928. R&R would also purchase the Broadway and Yale theaters converted each to sound. There appear to be no further listings for the Yale following an October 3, 1936 showing of John Wayne in “King of the Pecos.”
The New Yale Theatre opened on Broadway Street near Third Street at 305 West Broadway in downtown Muskogee on September 16, 1911. It took advantage of the new Surety Building skyscraper location one block away from the previous location. And it followed the lead of its predecessor, Yale Theatre, with a mirrored screen and three reels of films followed by a vaudeville show.
The New Yale was remodeled in 1916 and would become a Dubinsky Brothers location. Texas Enterprises Circuit bought the New Yale Theatre on October 1, 1920 and changed its name to the Palace Theatre on October 10, 1920. The Circuit played Paramount films. The previous Yale Theatre was put back into operation at 208 Broadway as a discounted sub-run location. Meanwhile, the Palace converted to sound under Robb & Rowley to stay current.