Cozy Theatre
8 N. Main Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74103
8 N. Main Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74103
No one has favorited this theater yet
Showing 16 comments
The Lyric Theatre, an early Tulsa nickelodeon-era movie theaters, opened in 1907 and spawned a sequel here at Third and Main called Lyric Theatre No. 2. It appears to have launched in May of 1910 playing triple features of photoplay. The Lyric No. 2 likely caused confusion and became the Majestic Theatre on August 20, 1910 still with motion pictures. The theater was closed for a refresh and relaunched as the Cozy Theatre has a Grand Opening on February 23, 1911. The Cozy had a 50-year run as a movie theater - a great run. Blamed on transients trying to stay warm, the building was destroyed by a December 1978 fire. Demolition occurred in January of 1979 taking the neighboring Terry’s Books and Brady Hotel with it.
1930s photo added credit and copyright Oklahoma Historical Society© via link below. Address was 8 N. Main Street per the link and other sources as well. It had a fire on December 29, 1978, photos I will add shortly.
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/oklahoma/historical-photos-ok/
Closed suddenly on Sunday, January 19, 1930, with Ramon Novarro in the silent film THE PAGAN. Daily re-opening newspaper ads began more than a year later on Sunday, February 22, 1931 (“New Cozy Theater/Watch for the Opening Date/All Talking Programs”). Re-opened with a de Forest sound system (“Best Sound in Town”) on Saturday, February 28 with the almost year-old MONTANA MOON starring Joan Crawford. [Tulsa Tribune]
If I can upload the actual article and striking B&W picture soon it will explain itself but… Several of the single-screen B-picture theatres of Tulsa all closed around September 1960 for some reason (perhaps simple urban decay). A Tulsa Tribune story, “Final Curtain Falls at Cozy/Nearly Half Century of Screening Ends,” pp. 30, featured a same-day interview with the Cozy’s owner, 65 year-old Ben Wright (looking in the distance with the Cozy’s now-blank marquee behind him), lists the address as 2 Main Street instead of 8 Main, and closed on Tuesday, September 13, 1960, the final double-feature being Brigette Bardot in BABETTE GOES TO WAR, and Alec Guinness & Burl Ives in OUR MAN IN HAVANA.
From Boxoffice magazine, January 1938:
Tulsa, Okla.-E.J. Baker got tired as the feature unwound at the Cozy Theater here and decided to go to bed. This he proceeded to do by removing his trousers and curling up in a seat where for a time he passed unnoticed. During a break in the show, he was arrested on a drunk charge.
To view vintage exterior/interior images type in word ‘cozy’,
View link
You can have a lot of fun on this link by typing in words such as ‘drawing’, ‘architecture’, ‘theatre’, and other theatrical terms …
;pert ;pnnu dysoter;;
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/B5547.jpg
Besides the Cozy and Uptown, other theatres can be seen in the (04/28/07) posted photo. Photo center, at the bottom of the viaduct can be seen the Lyric Theatre. Photo left, the Grand Theatre can be seen next to the Bliss Hotel.
When this c1970 shot was snapped the Cozy Theatre was already falling into ruin, blade sign and boxoffice long since removed -
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/E0070.jpg
A c1930s rooftop view of the Cozy Theatre. On the opposite end of the same bridge sat the Uptown Theatre.
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/B1378.jpg
Melba:
A very accurate description of the old Cozy Theatre. Due to the floor slope the entire interior was a “form follows function” step pattern. In keeping with this scheme auditorium isles on both the main floor and balcony ran along side walls.
Because multiple railroad tracks ran underneath this structure it was not so much torn down as it was dismantled. Wrecking crews had to take the building apart piece by piece, reversing the process it took to build it.
While visiting a dear friend in Tulsa a few years back, his beloved great uncle told us all about the Cozy Theatre.
Decorated inside/out in Southwestern styling with earth tone colors, unglazed red tile, and rough stucco, the clean Cozy Theatre was popular amoung both white and black audiences. A T-shape lobby flaired out into a wide standee. Lighting fixtures were composed of hammered iron and amber tulip glass.
Auditorium sidelights gave off an amber glow that was warm and comforting. Because of its steep slope, main floor seating was stadium type, but there was also a good size balcony that was a “make out” spot for teenagers. An oversized movie screen had to be placed exactly at the right sight line in order to keep balcony rails from blocking rear seat views. Rough wood beams supported a stepped ceiling, silk and velvet tapestry dressed sidewalls, while amber valour drapes defined the stage.
Rows of tracks ran beneath the Cozy Building and during it last years the shuttered theatre became home to rail tramps. Many years passed before a wrecking crew finally came to tear down this dilapidated, but still lovely little movie house.
The Cozy may have had a Reproduco player piano/organ combination unit for silent films. These were popular with many theaters of this size.
1945 aerial view of Cozy Theatre, photo right center;
View link
Also in this view are the Brady, Grand Newsreel, and Uptown Burlesque.
For easier navigation here is a more direct path to Cozy Theater images-
View link
A good (even if it is small) photo of the COZY can be found here;
www.yellowpadinc.com
The COZY Theater was situated on an overpass which arched steeply above railroad tracks. Like the Uptown Theater, located atop the same viaduct, the Cozy’s long auditorium had a steeply sloped floor in order to accommodate ground level, rear exit doors.