Instead of selling the Wurlitzer piecemeal, Paramount donated the organ to a small church located on either NW 11th or NW 12th, East of Pennsylvania Ave, this fine instrument is still there to this very day.
Look on this site for vintage shots of the Empress Theatre; View link
Above mentioned second drive in was called the EASTSIDE DRIVE-IN. It was a rather nice theatre with an elaborate neon marquee, along with quite colorful lighting effects along side fences.
Recenty while browsing Oklahoma University Library I came across color demolition photos for the Sheridan in the Feb (Valentine) issue of Life Magazine. Altough I can’t remember exactly what year it was, I think it was 1969.
Also in the same issue were color images of the NY Paramount and Atlanta Fox.
For a fleeting second the RKO Chester is quite visible in the background of the Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly musical “ON the TOWN”, while on the el they are singing “Bronx is up and the Battery down”.
With all due respect to the 05/15/04 comment about Lon Chaney making his 1912 stage debut at this theater. Mr. Chaney’s first theatre job was in 1902 as a stage hand at Colorado Springs Opera House. Soon after he acted in a national tour stock company before settling for awhile in Oklahoma City to be near his beautiful 16 year-old sweetheart, Cleva Creighton. Around 1909 he appeared in his first film with Tom Mix at the Bison 101 Studios in Ponca City, OK.
bio View link
and View link
Adult film “FLESH and LACE” must have been quite the controversial boxoffice blockbuster for photos to be made of theatres exhibiting it. Below is a photo of the Sooner Theater (a former WB house), Oklahoma City.
OKC Sooner c1966 - View link
SF Paris c1966 - View link
and View link
From a Roloff posting on the Paramoung page comes this 1957 color picture postcard of Market Street showing several cinemas. Left can be seen the former Pantages Vaudeville Theater that had been converted into a Kress five & dime. Does this building still stand? View link
Also seen on the above color picture postcard view is Kress Variety Store that was formerly the Pantages Vaudeville Theatre. Does this building still stand?
Used inside the four-million-dollar atmospheric Casa Bonita Restuarant were many decorative details salvaged from both the Ritz and Orpheum. Pimk clouds were projected onto a violet plaster sky by the Ritz Brenograph. This fabulous eatery was also a quisi cinema in that the amusement arcade had a miniature kiddie theatre that presented continuous cartoons. View link
and View link
Today the Orpheum kinda sorta still lives inside the (hopefully) temporarily shuttered Casa Bonita Restaurant as many ornate fixtures from both the Orpheum and Ritz were incorporated into this fantastic atmospheric eatery. As part of the amusement arcade Casa Bonita had a kiddie cinema that showed continuous cartoons. View link
and View link
By 1917 real estate this amusement park occupied became much too valuable for only seasonal use. Soon after Orcutt Park was dismantled up scale Mission and Craftsman style homes were built around the romantic lake.
Main entrance c1910 … View link
Lake view… View link
Photo left can be seen rustic stage house of airdrome … View link
Modern day look of Swan Lake with complete history … http://bestoftulsa.com/landmarks/swan_lake.shtml
Cosmic:
Are you sure you aren’t thinking of Governor Marland? Amoungst the vast Marland empire were theatre holdings. His elegant Ponca City villa is pictured here - View link
Here are c1893 photos showing the Lyric Theatre when it was still an upstairs Wild West Opera House. After the show patrons could enjoy a cool treat down in the basement Ice Cream Parlor.
What difference does it make if Video Independent Theatres operated one or a dozan porn theatres? Everyone knows they regularly booked X-rated product into several of their theatres.
Anyway, both the Pix and Reno were closed long before 1968, and before hard-core films came out of the closet,
Nuf sed!
Instead of selling the Wurlitzer piecemeal, Paramount donated the organ to a small church located on either NW 11th or NW 12th, East of Pennsylvania Ave, this fine instrument is still there to this very day.
Look on this site for vintage shots of the Empress Theatre;
View link
This site has a vintage image of the former Empire Theater;
View link
A vintage image can be seen on this fine site;
View link
There are photos of the (ruined) Jewel Theatre on the Cinema Tour
Above mentioned second drive in was called the EASTSIDE DRIVE-IN. It was a rather nice theatre with an elaborate neon marquee, along with quite colorful lighting effects along side fences.
Recenty while browsing Oklahoma University Library I came across color demolition photos for the Sheridan in the Feb (Valentine) issue of Life Magazine. Altough I can’t remember exactly what year it was, I think it was 1969.
Also in the same issue were color images of the NY Paramount and Atlanta Fox.
For a fleeting second the RKO Chester is quite visible in the background of the Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly musical “ON the TOWN”, while on the el they are singing “Bronx is up and the Battery down”.
Hear an actual Gypsy Rose Lee burlesque routine here -
View link
as presented on this site -
http://www.unicornmeat.com/
Hear an actual Gypsy Rose Lee burlesque routine -
View link
as presented on this site -
http://www.unicornmeat.com/
Listen to an actual Gypsy Rose Lee strip routine -
View link
as presented on these pages -
http://www.unicornmeat.com/
Listen on this site to an actual Gypsy Rose Lee strip routine -
View link
provided on this site -
http://www.unicornmeat.com/
With all due respect to the 05/15/04 comment about Lon Chaney making his 1912 stage debut at this theater. Mr. Chaney’s first theatre job was in 1902 as a stage hand at Colorado Springs Opera House. Soon after he acted in a national tour stock company before settling for awhile in Oklahoma City to be near his beautiful 16 year-old sweetheart, Cleva Creighton. Around 1909 he appeared in his first film with Tom Mix at the Bison 101 Studios in Ponca City, OK.
bio
View link
and
View link
Adult film “FLESH and LACE” must have been quite the controversial boxoffice blockbuster for photos to be made of theatres exhibiting it. Below is a photo of the Sooner Theater (a former WB house), Oklahoma City.
OKC Sooner c1966 -
View link
SF Paris c1966 -
View link
and
View link
From a Roloff posting on the Paramoung page comes this 1957 color picture postcard of Market Street showing several cinemas. Left can be seen the former Pantages Vaudeville Theater that had been converted into a Kress five & dime. Does this building still stand?
View link
Also seen on the above color picture postcard view is Kress Variety Store that was formerly the Pantages Vaudeville Theatre. Does this building still stand?
Used inside the four-million-dollar atmospheric Casa Bonita Restuarant were many decorative details salvaged from both the Ritz and Orpheum. Pimk clouds were projected onto a violet plaster sky by the Ritz Brenograph. This fabulous eatery was also a quisi cinema in that the amusement arcade had a miniature kiddie theatre that presented continuous cartoons.
View link
and
View link
Today the Orpheum kinda sorta still lives inside the (hopefully) temporarily shuttered Casa Bonita Restaurant as many ornate fixtures from both the Orpheum and Ritz were incorporated into this fantastic atmospheric eatery. As part of the amusement arcade Casa Bonita had a kiddie cinema that showed continuous cartoons. View link
and
View link
By 1917 real estate this amusement park occupied became much too valuable for only seasonal use. Soon after Orcutt Park was dismantled up scale Mission and Craftsman style homes were built around the romantic lake.
Main entrance c1910 …
View link
Lake view…
View link
Photo left can be seen rustic stage house of airdrome …
View link
Modern day look of Swan Lake with complete history …
http://bestoftulsa.com/landmarks/swan_lake.shtml
In that 1928 auditorium view notice the handsome uniformed usher gaurding (under the neon clock) exit doors.
Here is a 1930 view of the Elgin Hotel, long before ground floor convertion into the Midtown Adult Cinema,
View link
Cosmic:
Are you sure you aren’t thinking of Governor Marland? Amoungst the vast Marland empire were theatre holdings. His elegant Ponca City villa is pictured here -
View link
Here are c1893 photos showing the Lyric Theatre when it was still an upstairs Wild West Opera House. After the show patrons could enjoy a cool treat down in the basement Ice Cream Parlor.
View link
and
View link
This is stricly a guess, but it probably wasn’t until after the disastrous fire that the theatre expanded to occupy the entire building interior.
Click title to see Belle Starr image,
View link
What difference does it make if Video Independent Theatres operated one or a dozan porn theatres? Everyone knows they regularly booked X-rated product into several of their theatres.
Anyway, both the Pix and Reno were closed long before 1968, and before hard-core films came out of the closet,
Nuf sed!
Vintage construction shots of Twilight Gardens can be seen by typing in word ‘twilight.
View link