Thankfully the Coleman was rescued from the clutches of Carmike Cinemas who some how got control of it in the ‘70/'80s. They also had the drivein in Miami. Too bad it is no more.
With the depopulation of western Oklahoma, this is an all too familiar sight. There are some beautiful old theatres setting empty just like this one. Check out the Vesta in Weatherford, the Redlands in Clinton, or the Esquire in Hobart. One bright spot is the resurrection of the Washita Theatre in Cordell!
The Morley is BACK! It looks great. The rest of downtown looks a little rough, but the Morley is AWESOME! Besides Amarillo, Borger may have the only movie theatre in the Texas panhandle.
The Morley’s restoration was taken very seriously. They found the old color schemes and layouts. It looks GREAT!
This one’s bigger than it looks! It has an opera pit. It also has hanging lamps with cherubs on them. I guess they were oil or gas lights??? Others things have certainly been “modernized.” Still it’s a pretty interesting theatre.
It’s my understanding that this one’s being restored as a performing arts/community theatre. My wife and I are experienced performers, and we do fundraisers. We also believe in preserving old theatres whenever possible. Good luck with your restorations.
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You might contact the people in Syracuse at the Northrup for ideas. As far as excellent restoration work, contact the Washita in Cordell, OK, the Morley in Borger, TX, or The Liberty in Carnegie, OK. These people have resurrected their theatres and they look great! Good luck!
This theatre is an eye-catcher. My wife and I have been all over Oklahoma, Kansas, eastern Colorado, and Northern Texas researching old movie theatres and drive-ins. This one’s on our list for this summer. I’ll post as soon as we get to visit it.
This “working” theatre is for sale! It’s a package deal with the downtown theatre, The Capitol. A kind of two for one! The Capitol is in EXCELLENT shape. The current owners bought them after their long-time owners retired. I don’t know the details; however, anyone interested should contact the Springfield Chamber of Commerce. It’s a shame that these two are sitting silently now. I know they are being sorely missed.
This is a little theatre, but it’s in nice shape. I didn’t realize it was connected to Jones Theaters, too. I know the Hornbeck, right around the corner, is a Jones’s discounter. How does Carmike fit into the picture? Is Johnny Jones, owner of the Rialto in Alva, related to these Jones’s? Thanks for the info.
My wife and I have been all over the state researching and sometimes performing in old theatres. We just love them.
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This is a beautiful theatre located in downtown Woodward. Too bad it doesn’t still show movies. They built a 3-plex next to what used to be their drive-in. The drivein’s long gone, and the 3-plex isn’t very interesting; however, the Woodward is grand! Thankfully, it’s been preserved.
This theatre is AWESOME! The owner is currently restoring it, and he is doing a great job! My wife and I met John, Daniel, and the rest of the staff Saturday night. The detail in this theatre is truly spectacular. It’s currently a two-screener because the balcony has been enclosed; however, they are restoring it as we speak. This one’s worth the drive. We live in Stillwater, so it was a little bit of a drive for us. I know there are theatre lovers throughout the state, and believe me, this one’s worth the trip! If you are interested, call them. They have the whole theatre’s history and are happy to share it with you.
I spoke to the owners, and they’re aren’t planning on reopening this drive-in this comming summer. They’re going to use it for parking as they expand their “Monster-plex” next door! What a crime! I encourage drive-in lovers everywhere to speak up. Drive-ins are a piece of Americana. They deserve to be saved! We only have 7 left in the entire state of Oklahoma.
With the closure of the Ritz, this is the only theatre left in downtown Shawnee. My wife and I visited the Hornbeck this summmer, and it’s still a discounter. This is a fun little theatre located in the heart of oklahoma. Check it out!
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!
This one even has the tree-lined driveway leading up to it! Fun! With the closure of the Washita downtown, I’m so glad this one has survived. This one’s worth the drive! Check it out.
This one’s huge! My wife and I discovered this one this summer. Again, if you love Drive-ins, don’t miss it! This one’s not as fancy as the Beacon in Guthrie, but it’s fun.
During the summer, my wife and I attend this one every week if possible. This is the best Drive-in around. It’s like stepping into the past. It’s clean, well maintained, and simply a blast! Don’t miss this one if you love Drive-ins.
This was a great little theatre. The owners even invented a little history calling it a “rare” stacked twin. Actually, it had an enclosed balcony making it a double screener. As of a few years ago it was in great shape. I saw the “Mummy Returns” there so it hasn’t been closed too long.
This theatre is awesome! My wife and I visited it this past summer. We live in Stillwater, and sadly, we have only a Carmike Monsterplex in our town. Our classic theatre is intact; however, it’s now a furniture store. If you like classic, downtown movie theatres, check out the Rialto in Alva, the Orpheum in Okmulgee, or the Liberty in Carnegie. The coolest Drive-in left is in Guthrie. It’s called the Beacon. My wife, Cindy, and I have traveled all over Oklahoma, Kansas, eastern Colorado, and the Texas Panhandle researching old movie theatres. The Washita is one of the best!
Brent Clark
Is the restoration complete? Is this a working movie theatre again?
I called the current owners. This is still a movie theatre, too. And they are restoring it little by little.
Thankfully the Coleman was rescued from the clutches of Carmike Cinemas who some how got control of it in the ‘70/'80s. They also had the drivein in Miami. Too bad it is no more.
With the depopulation of western Oklahoma, this is an all too familiar sight. There are some beautiful old theatres setting empty just like this one. Check out the Vesta in Weatherford, the Redlands in Clinton, or the Esquire in Hobart. One bright spot is the resurrection of the Washita Theatre in Cordell!
This one’s on my list for this summer, too! I’ll post as soon as I visit. I’ve looked in the windows, but I haven’t been inside yet.
The Morley is BACK! It looks great. The rest of downtown looks a little rough, but the Morley is AWESOME! Besides Amarillo, Borger may have the only movie theatre in the Texas panhandle.
The Morley’s restoration was taken very seriously. They found the old color schemes and layouts. It looks GREAT!
This one’s bigger than it looks! It has an opera pit. It also has hanging lamps with cherubs on them. I guess they were oil or gas lights??? Others things have certainly been “modernized.” Still it’s a pretty interesting theatre.
It’s my understanding that this one’s being restored as a performing arts/community theatre. My wife and I are experienced performers, and we do fundraisers. We also believe in preserving old theatres whenever possible. Good luck with your restorations.
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You might contact the people in Syracuse at the Northrup for ideas. As far as excellent restoration work, contact the Washita in Cordell, OK, the Morley in Borger, TX, or The Liberty in Carnegie, OK. These people have resurrected their theatres and they look great! Good luck!
This theatre is an eye-catcher. My wife and I have been all over Oklahoma, Kansas, eastern Colorado, and Northern Texas researching old movie theatres and drive-ins. This one’s on our list for this summer. I’ll post as soon as we get to visit it.
This “working” theatre is for sale! It’s a package deal with the downtown theatre, The Capitol. A kind of two for one! The Capitol is in EXCELLENT shape. The current owners bought them after their long-time owners retired. I don’t know the details; however, anyone interested should contact the Springfield Chamber of Commerce. It’s a shame that these two are sitting silently now. I know they are being sorely missed.
This is a little theatre, but it’s in nice shape. I didn’t realize it was connected to Jones Theaters, too. I know the Hornbeck, right around the corner, is a Jones’s discounter. How does Carmike fit into the picture? Is Johnny Jones, owner of the Rialto in Alva, related to these Jones’s? Thanks for the info.
My wife and I have been all over the state researching and sometimes performing in old theatres. We just love them.
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This one’s down on Agnew St in Cowtown. It sits across the street from Langston’s in OKC, if that helps. I don’t know the address.
This is a beautiful theatre located in downtown Woodward. Too bad it doesn’t still show movies. They built a 3-plex next to what used to be their drive-in. The drivein’s long gone, and the 3-plex isn’t very interesting; however, the Woodward is grand! Thankfully, it’s been preserved.
This theatre is AWESOME! The owner is currently restoring it, and he is doing a great job! My wife and I met John, Daniel, and the rest of the staff Saturday night. The detail in this theatre is truly spectacular. It’s currently a two-screener because the balcony has been enclosed; however, they are restoring it as we speak. This one’s worth the drive. We live in Stillwater, so it was a little bit of a drive for us. I know there are theatre lovers throughout the state, and believe me, this one’s worth the trip! If you are interested, call them. They have the whole theatre’s history and are happy to share it with you.
I spoke to the owners, and they’re aren’t planning on reopening this drive-in this comming summer. They’re going to use it for parking as they expand their “Monster-plex” next door! What a crime! I encourage drive-in lovers everywhere to speak up. Drive-ins are a piece of Americana. They deserve to be saved! We only have 7 left in the entire state of Oklahoma.
With the closure of the Ritz, this is the only theatre left in downtown Shawnee. My wife and I visited the Hornbeck this summmer, and it’s still a discounter. This is a fun little theatre located in the heart of oklahoma. Check it out!
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!
Great restoration work! This is my father’s home town theatre, but I hadn’t been to it in years until recently. Wow! Impressive!
This one even has the tree-lined driveway leading up to it! Fun! With the closure of the Washita downtown, I’m so glad this one has survived. This one’s worth the drive! Check it out.
This one’s huge! My wife and I discovered this one this summer. Again, if you love Drive-ins, don’t miss it! This one’s not as fancy as the Beacon in Guthrie, but it’s fun.
During the summer, my wife and I attend this one every week if possible. This is the best Drive-in around. It’s like stepping into the past. It’s clean, well maintained, and simply a blast! Don’t miss this one if you love Drive-ins.
This was a great little theatre. The owners even invented a little history calling it a “rare” stacked twin. Actually, it had an enclosed balcony making it a double screener. As of a few years ago it was in great shape. I saw the “Mummy Returns” there so it hasn’t been closed too long.
This theatre is awesome! My wife and I visited it this past summer. We live in Stillwater, and sadly, we have only a Carmike Monsterplex in our town. Our classic theatre is intact; however, it’s now a furniture store. If you like classic, downtown movie theatres, check out the Rialto in Alva, the Orpheum in Okmulgee, or the Liberty in Carnegie. The coolest Drive-in left is in Guthrie. It’s called the Beacon. My wife, Cindy, and I have traveled all over Oklahoma, Kansas, eastern Colorado, and the Texas Panhandle researching old movie theatres. The Washita is one of the best!
Brent Clark