The Elberta Theatre launched with “Whoso Findeth a Wife” on March 2, 1917. On January 12, 1930, the theatre switched to talkies with “The Virginian.” On September 7, 1934, the theatre changed names to the Capitol Theatre with the film Jean Harlow with “The Girl From Missouri.” Inter mountain Theatres expanded the theatre to 620 seats with a relaunch on August 9, 1942 that added more than 200 new seats.
Launched as the Auto View Drive-In Theatre on May 29, 1949 with the film, “Scudda Ho, Scudda Hay" by operator George Craghead. That name was changed later that summer to the Auto Vu Drive-In Theatre. When the theatre opened for the 1959 season, it had changed to the Canyon Auto-Vu Theatre. In 1961, the theatre was simply the Canyon Drive-In Theatre. The theatre was closed following the 1963 season as competition from the Big See appears to have been a challenge.
In 1932, the 19th Century building that had been home to Rosenbaum Hall and then the R.L. Fishburn & Sons Store from 1894 to 1932 was transformed into what was going to be called theRoxy Theatre. The Fishburn block had held City Hall in earlier years. During the project, Harmon Perry ran out of money and the project stalled.
Nielson Theatre Circuit bought the facility continuing the project and opening it as the New Grand Theatre on Christmas Day 1932. The first film at the venue was “Blonde Venus.” Under new operators, Intermountain Theatres, the theatre was renamed the Roxy Theatre beginning on November 13, 1936. In 1949, the Nielsons were back and refurbished the venue.
The Price Theatre launched October 14, 1937 by the Huish Circuit with the film, “You Can’t Have Everything.” The long running theatre continued past its 80th anniversary in 2017 and is still going.
The Eko Theatre launched December 18, 1912, A March 5, 1925 ad announces a naming contest for the theater as the Eko underwent a refurbishing. The venue relaunched as the Lyric Theatre on March 29, 1925 showing “The Devil’s Cargo,”
New operators took on the location renaming it as the Utah Theatre on September 17, 1938 with Joe E. Brown in “The Gladiator.” The Utah nameplate was discontinued in February of 1949:with bids accepted to refurbish the theatre once again. In 1950, it relaunched as the Crown Theatre. It remained the Crown until closing in 2009.
The Star Theatre launched in 1917 in downtown Price on a 20-year lease. It converted to sound. Under new owners, it was renamed the Carbon Theatre relaunching after a streamline modern refresh on November 28, 1937 with the film, “The Texas Rangers”. It closed as the Carbon briefly after an April 27: 1952 showing of “Oklahoma Annie,” On September 4, 1952 it was taken on by Motor-Vu operator Joe Santi and renamed the New Cinema Theatre showing “Flesh and Fury” with “Colorado Sundown.” In 1955, it was equipped with a widescreen projection to show CinemaScope films.
The Cinema Theatre closed in 1960 and was auction in 1961 to raise funds for back taxes owed. An optometrist moved into the building.
In 1957, Video Independent Theaters and Vumore transformed the Lyric Theatre to the Telemovie Theatre, billed as “the first telemovie service in the world.”
The Long Theatre opened May 31, 1947 with the film “Trail Street.” Historically, the theatre opened as Hollywood’s Golden Era was ending and the TV age was about to begin. An oil boom post-War both was the reason the theatre was established and would help the theatre survive as population increased by almost 90% by decade’s end and added another 60% by the end of the 1950s. But that growth was followed by population declines which were among the reasons the theater’s viability became more challenging. The theatre eventually closed and the town’s population began a descent taking it to around its pre-oil boom size.
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”.
My bad: Reed Walker launched the Big See Drive-In Theatre on May 13, 1961 with a double-feature of “Pillow Talk” and “4D Man.”
The Elberta Theatre launched with “Whoso Findeth a Wife” on March 2, 1917. On January 12, 1930, the theatre switched to talkies with “The Virginian.” On September 7, 1934, the theatre changed names to the Capitol Theatre with the film Jean Harlow with “The Girl From Missouri.” Inter mountain Theatres expanded the theatre to 620 seats with a relaunch on August 9, 1942 that added more than 200 new seats.
Launched as the Auto View Drive-In Theatre on May 29, 1949 with the film, “Scudda Ho, Scudda Hay" by operator George Craghead. That name was changed later that summer to the Auto Vu Drive-In Theatre. When the theatre opened for the 1959 season, it had changed to the Canyon Auto-Vu Theatre. In 1961, the theatre was simply the Canyon Drive-In Theatre. The theatre was closed following the 1963 season as competition from the Big See appears to have been a challenge.
In 1932, the 19th Century building that had been home to Rosenbaum Hall and then the R.L. Fishburn & Sons Store from 1894 to 1932 was transformed into what was going to be called theRoxy Theatre. The Fishburn block had held City Hall in earlier years. During the project, Harmon Perry ran out of money and the project stalled.
Nielson Theatre Circuit bought the facility continuing the project and opening it as the New Grand Theatre on Christmas Day 1932. The first film at the venue was “Blonde Venus.” Under new operators, Intermountain Theatres, the theatre was renamed the Roxy Theatre beginning on November 13, 1936. In 1949, the Nielsons were back and refurbished the venue.
Still advertising 7-days a week in 1977 so possibly out of business in 1978 likely on a 25-year lease.
The Price Theatre launched October 14, 1937 by the Huish Circuit with the film, “You Can’t Have Everything.” The long running theatre continued past its 80th anniversary in 2017 and is still going.
The Eko Theatre launched December 18, 1912, A March 5, 1925 ad announces a naming contest for the theater as the Eko underwent a refurbishing. The venue relaunched as the Lyric Theatre on March 29, 1925 showing “The Devil’s Cargo,”
New operators took on the location renaming it as the Utah Theatre on September 17, 1938 with Joe E. Brown in “The Gladiator.” The Utah nameplate was discontinued in February of 1949:with bids accepted to refurbish the theatre once again. In 1950, it relaunched as the Crown Theatre. It remained the Crown until closing in 2009.
The Star Theatre launched in 1917 in downtown Price on a 20-year lease. It converted to sound. Under new owners, it was renamed the Carbon Theatre relaunching after a streamline modern refresh on November 28, 1937 with the film, “The Texas Rangers”. It closed as the Carbon briefly after an April 27: 1952 showing of “Oklahoma Annie,” On September 4, 1952 it was taken on by Motor-Vu operator Joe Santi and renamed the New Cinema Theatre showing “Flesh and Fury” with “Colorado Sundown.” In 1955, it was equipped with a widescreen projection to show CinemaScope films.
The Cinema Theatre closed in 1960 and was auction in 1961 to raise funds for back taxes owed. An optometrist moved into the building.
Launched March 31, 1950 with “The Fighting Man of the Plains” and a Mighty Mouse cartoon
In 1957, Video Independent Theaters and Vumore transformed the Lyric Theatre to the Telemovie Theatre, billed as “the first telemovie service in the world.”
The Long Theatre opened May 31, 1947 with the film “Trail Street.” Historically, the theatre opened as Hollywood’s Golden Era was ending and the TV age was about to begin. An oil boom post-War both was the reason the theatre was established and would help the theatre survive as population increased by almost 90% by decade’s end and added another 60% by the end of the 1950s. But that growth was followed by population declines which were among the reasons the theater’s viability became more challenging. The theatre eventually closed and the town’s population began a descent taking it to around its pre-oil boom size.
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”.