Not exactly sure when my Grandfather, R. Lewis Barton, bought the Midwest but it must have been shortly before 1966. I know we raided the old palace of many treasures before it was torn down including a huge square grand piano, lots of plaster statuary, Chinese pots, huge medieval looking chairs,and antique tapestries. I never watched a film there but my dad took me there one day it was closed, I was 13, and I found the upper balcony terrifying because of the very steep slope. We explored the basements and found many old broadsheets that would be worth a fortune today. I had always thought that the Midwest closed in 1966.
In the late 50’s and early 60’s this theater was managed by “Rusty” Steel. My father & I organized the 4th of July fireworks there for at least 3 years running. I loved firing the big mortar bombs. One year a spark from one of the big overhead shots landed in a box of smaller fireworks and we had an exciting finish.
Pat: Wow, You remember the Roman Candle boats? Amazing the memories we share. I seem to recall we played marbles in the alley behind the Redskin Cafe and had a few innings of sandlot baseball in an empty lot nearby. We always called it “Ed & Bessies” Cafe and after I got married in 1971 My granddad set it up so my young wife and I could eat one meal a week free there. As you say they had the BEST biscuits ever. We always came in the back door through the kitchen and almost never by the front. I was allowed to operate the french fry cutter they kept on the wall back there when I was about 8. It was great fun to put a potato in the machine, pull the lever down hard and watch the potato slices come out the bottom. How I miss those days. One time we found a dead bird in the alley and you told me not to touch it because it had lice. That memory is one that has stuck with me.
Hi RPT
This is Hal, the eldest of the Combs boys. We MUST have met as I too grew up in and around the Barton Theaters. Many fond memories of playing in the candy store room attached to the office and once, when I was 6, my dad, Harold, let me climb with him to the roof of the Redskin to fix the old swamp coolers that provided “Chilled Air”. The way to the roof was behind the screen on the back wall where there were iron bars placed into the brick wall to act as steps. It was a long way up for a 6 yr old.
I too remember that crazy go-cart. It was FAR TOO FAST for riding around the gravel drive out on the 160 acres on south Western. I’m glad it went to someone who could use it.
One memory from when I was young was a man with a wooden leg who worked the concession stand at either the Redskin or the Knob Hill. He would use an ice pick to brek up the big chunks in the ice machine then, if kids were watching, ram the ice pick into his leg through his trousers. It always caused a stir.
@ Gridleak, this is Harold Barton Combs and I’d like to get in touch with you regarding your memories of Barton Theaters and my family. My email address is
All three Continental Theatres (Tulsa, OKC, Denver) were built by my grandfather R.L. Barton who owned Barton Theaters. It was his attempt to bring back audiences by providing a “classy” movie experience. My father served as the original manager for the first Continental in OKC and had to wear a Tuxedo eveny evening. The concession served juices not sodas and imported candy not popcorn to try and enhance the upper class experience. It was designed with state-of-the-art equipment and featured a cinerama screen composed of hundreds of vertical strips of reflective material set on a curve to precisely reflect the picture onto the audience. I watched it being built and went to the grand opening. The booth in the OKC Continental had a door that oppened into the auditorium about 12 feet above floor level so that the huge 70mm film cans could be moved to/from the booth.
All three Continental Theatres (Tulsa, OKC, Denver) were built by my grandfather R.L. Barton who owned Barton Theaters. BTW: he was not an oil man but made his fortune in real estate. It was his attempt to bring back audiences by providing a “classy” movie experience. My father served as the original manager for the first Continental in OKC and had to wear a Tuxedo eveny evening. The concession served juices and imported candy (not popcorn) to try and enhance the upper class experience. It was designed with state-of-the-art equipment and featured a cinerama screen composed of hundreds of vertical strips of reflective material set on a curve to precisely reflect the picture onto the audience. I watched it being built and went to the grand opening. The booth in the OKC Continental had a door that oppened into the auditorium about 12 feet above floor level so that the huge 70mm film cans could be moved to/from the booth.
My grandfather bought the Midwest in the early 60’s and we (my family) removed most of the Italian tapestries, statuary, and other ornaments including two huge oriental rugs and a square grand piano. My father still has some of these items in California. I never saw a film at the Midwest but remember the extremly steep upper balcony (it gave me the creeps) and the old broad sheets stored in the catacombs under the building. I wish we had saved those as well.
Not exactly sure when my Grandfather, R. Lewis Barton, bought the Midwest but it must have been shortly before 1966. I know we raided the old palace of many treasures before it was torn down including a huge square grand piano, lots of plaster statuary, Chinese pots, huge medieval looking chairs,and antique tapestries. I never watched a film there but my dad took me there one day it was closed, I was 13, and I found the upper balcony terrifying because of the very steep slope. We explored the basements and found many old broadsheets that would be worth a fortune today. I had always thought that the Midwest closed in 1966.
In the late 50’s and early 60’s this theater was managed by “Rusty” Steel. My father & I organized the 4th of July fireworks there for at least 3 years running. I loved firing the big mortar bombs. One year a spark from one of the big overhead shots landed in a box of smaller fireworks and we had an exciting finish.
Pat: Wow, You remember the Roman Candle boats? Amazing the memories we share. I seem to recall we played marbles in the alley behind the Redskin Cafe and had a few innings of sandlot baseball in an empty lot nearby. We always called it “Ed & Bessies” Cafe and after I got married in 1971 My granddad set it up so my young wife and I could eat one meal a week free there. As you say they had the BEST biscuits ever. We always came in the back door through the kitchen and almost never by the front. I was allowed to operate the french fry cutter they kept on the wall back there when I was about 8. It was great fun to put a potato in the machine, pull the lever down hard and watch the potato slices come out the bottom. How I miss those days. One time we found a dead bird in the alley and you told me not to touch it because it had lice. That memory is one that has stuck with me.
Hi RPT
This is Hal, the eldest of the Combs boys. We MUST have met as I too grew up in and around the Barton Theaters. Many fond memories of playing in the candy store room attached to the office and once, when I was 6, my dad, Harold, let me climb with him to the roof of the Redskin to fix the old swamp coolers that provided “Chilled Air”. The way to the roof was behind the screen on the back wall where there were iron bars placed into the brick wall to act as steps. It was a long way up for a 6 yr old.
I too remember that crazy go-cart. It was FAR TOO FAST for riding around the gravel drive out on the 160 acres on south Western. I’m glad it went to someone who could use it.
One memory from when I was young was a man with a wooden leg who worked the concession stand at either the Redskin or the Knob Hill. He would use an ice pick to brek up the big chunks in the ice machine then, if kids were watching, ram the ice pick into his leg through his trousers. It always caused a stir.
@ Gridleak, this is Harold Barton Combs and I’d like to get in touch with you regarding your memories of Barton Theaters and my family. My email address is
All three Continental Theatres (Tulsa, OKC, Denver) were built by my grandfather R.L. Barton who owned Barton Theaters. It was his attempt to bring back audiences by providing a “classy” movie experience. My father served as the original manager for the first Continental in OKC and had to wear a Tuxedo eveny evening. The concession served juices not sodas and imported candy not popcorn to try and enhance the upper class experience. It was designed with state-of-the-art equipment and featured a cinerama screen composed of hundreds of vertical strips of reflective material set on a curve to precisely reflect the picture onto the audience. I watched it being built and went to the grand opening. The booth in the OKC Continental had a door that oppened into the auditorium about 12 feet above floor level so that the huge 70mm film cans could be moved to/from the booth.
All three Continental Theatres (Tulsa, OKC, Denver) were built by my grandfather R.L. Barton who owned Barton Theaters. BTW: he was not an oil man but made his fortune in real estate. It was his attempt to bring back audiences by providing a “classy” movie experience. My father served as the original manager for the first Continental in OKC and had to wear a Tuxedo eveny evening. The concession served juices and imported candy (not popcorn) to try and enhance the upper class experience. It was designed with state-of-the-art equipment and featured a cinerama screen composed of hundreds of vertical strips of reflective material set on a curve to precisely reflect the picture onto the audience. I watched it being built and went to the grand opening. The booth in the OKC Continental had a door that oppened into the auditorium about 12 feet above floor level so that the huge 70mm film cans could be moved to/from the booth.
My grandfather bought the Midwest in the early 60’s and we (my family) removed most of the Italian tapestries, statuary, and other ornaments including two huge oriental rugs and a square grand piano. My father still has some of these items in California. I never saw a film at the Midwest but remember the extremly steep upper balcony (it gave me the creeps) and the old broad sheets stored in the catacombs under the building. I wish we had saved those as well.