Tulsa Theatre
215 S. Main Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74103
215 S. Main Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74103
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 15 comments
he Tulsa Theatre opened on February 19, 1941 with William Powell in “I Love You Again” & John Hubbard in “Who Killed Aunt Maggie”. It closed at the expiry of a 25-years lease on September 25, 1966 with “Chamber of Horrors” and “Murietta.”
The Tulsa theatre opened on February 19th, 1941. Grand opening ad posted.
I’m sure you’re correct on these issues, Joe. Cosmo was right when he wrote that the Main Street Cinema was actually across the street from the Tulsa Theatre.
Urban legend tells that the destruction of the Tulsa Theatre was the inspiration for this song. Just as Joni Mitchell’s “They Tore Down Paradise” was inspired by the demolition of the Chicago Paradise Theatre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUy3kYCi4xU
The first-quarter theater construction survey in Boxoffice of April 26, 1941, reported that the Griffith circuit had opened its new Tulsa Theatre in Tulsa.
Regarding cosmic ray’s comment of September 1, 2007, I think the Oklahoma Historical Society’s statements about these theaters come from notes accompanying the Griffith circuit’s collection of photos. The claim that the Main Street Theatre was “replaced” by the Tulsa Theatre probably only means that the Tulsa supplanted the Main Street in the circuit’s hierarchy of theaters in the city. The OHS can be faulted for not providing context for the statement, but there might not be much written information to work with in the photo collection.
I haven’t found a source to confirm this, but after seeing the Griffith collection photos of the Tulsa Theatre, and considering the fact that it was a Griffith house from 1941, I’d lay odds that this theater was designed by Jack Corgan and William J. Moore. It has the characteristic look of their work. Plus, Moore was R.E. Griffith’s nephew, and it’s known that Corgan & Moore designed other Griffith houses during this period. I would be surprised if the Tulsa turned out not to be one of their works.
When Tulsa Theatre switched over to screening skin flicks during the 1960’s these were the type film shown. Tame by todays standards, but quite recy back then.
View link
View link
Seems that Oklahoma Historical Society is not too interested in documenting fact, as they remark that the Tulsa Theatre replaced the Main Street Cinema. Vintage images from other sources prove that these two theatres operated in compitition across the street from one another.
The eye pleasing interior motif of the Tulsa Theatre could best be described as Southwestern Moderne.
View vintage exterior/interior photos of the Tulsa Theatre by typing in word “tulsa”,
View link
Regular updates on the Tulsa Lawyer web site causes their photos to constantly change pages. From the Tulsa Lawyer link comes this direct route to a 1950 color postcard of the Tulsa Theatre…
http://tulsalawyer.com/img85.gif
This 1929 photo from the Tulsa Library shows the Gayety Theater, according to the caption. I can’t see it in the picture:
http://tinyurl.com/2ekcpj
There really is no reason to post this 1957 photo other than to prove that the Tulsa Theatre and Main Street Cinema were two seperate movie houses. Midway down the block on photo left can be seen the Tulsa Theatre, across the street on photo right is seen the former Main Street Cinema.
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/B0914.jpg
Web pages do change and here is an updated address for above mentioned site.
This color postcard has a 1950’s view of the old Tulsa Theatre.
Some sources claim that Tulsa Theatre and Main Street Cinema were both the same movie house. This picture postcard destroys that theory, as the former Main Street Cinema sat (photo right) between Crown Drugs and JC Penney’s, and Tulsa Theatre is clearly across the street from that location,
http://tulsalawyer.com/page54.html
The middle postcard has an image of the Majestic Theatre, photo left.
View of a vintage colour picture postcard image – – -
http://tulsalawyer.com/page50.html
Both the exterior and interior of the Tulsa Theater was International in styling. Color scheme was white trimmed in striking scarlet.
For exciting color postcard view of Tulsa Theater see Tulsa Retro Museum pages;
http://www.tulsalawyer.com/page6.htm/