Palace Theatre
412 W. Will Rogers Boulevard,
Claremore,
OK
74017
412 W. Will Rogers Boulevard,
Claremore,
OK
74017
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Griffith Amusement Company, Robb & Rowley-United Inc.
Functions: Retail
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Well, golly gee, how does one write about a movie house like the Palace Theatre? Truthfulness is best, so they say, so here it is; a more shabby, more drab cinema never existed. Fact is the Palace Theatre, which opened on November 14, 1909, was no more than a former nickelodeon that still offered penny nights well into the 1930’s. When a spruce up finally did occur in 1936 not enough money was budgeted to much upgrade the run down structure.
Some old timers say there were too many theatres like the Palace Theatre in Griffith Bros. theatre chain. A lingering rumor repeats that Griffith took more out of their theatres than they returned to the communities in which they served.
Feel free to express your opinion here.
The Palace Theatre was closed on October 25, 1947 with William Boyd in “Fools Gold”. It went over to retail use in 1955.
Contributed by
Levi
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
And feel free to inspect exhibit A. Type in word “palace” to look at 1930s images,
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Have you looked at those photos of the Hodenville Liberty Theatre? To do so type in ‘liberty".
Claremore, Oklahoma, is an interesting place.
This was Will Rogers birth place, hometown, and where he is entombed.
Claremore is the setting for two Broadway plays that were also made into Hollywood films; “OKLAHOMA!”, and “Dark at the Top of the Stairs”.
Oklahoma Military Academy is located here.
Sharp vintage photoe of the former Palace Theatre can be found on this site;
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/284
Today the former Palace Theatre has been converted into Ann & Barbara’s Interiors, 412 W. Will Rogers.
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They should have saved the Theatre it being the Birthplace of Will Rogers.Could have done wonders with Tie-ins on his life and Films.but I guess an Interiors store was needed.I hate Stories like this.Where are the Locals.The little town of Harlem,Ga, Saved the Columbia Theatre and use it for Oliver Hardy tie ins.Hardy was Born in Harlem.Shortsighted people,
The Palace Theatre opened November 14, 1909 with 2,000 feet of film. In 1923, it was downgraded to weekend-only operation. It was sold by L.W. Brophy’s Yale Entertainment along with the Yale also in Claremore, the Grand and Lyric in Vinta, and the Yale in Muskogee to Robb & Rowley (R&R) in March of 1925.
The Palace closed in 1929 for films and 1930 with events without converting to sound. The Griffith Bros. Amusement Circuit took on the boarded-up venue after a major refresh relaunching with Oakley Leachman in charge on July 6, 1934 with Ken Maynard in “Wheels of Destiny” supported by Evlyn Knapp in “The Perils of Pauline” serial.
The theatre was again downgraded to weekend operation only in the 1940s closing for films on October 25, 1947 with Bill Boyd in “Fool’s Gold” supported by the serial, “The Mysterious Mr. M” and a cartoon. The theater hung around with some trade screenings and church services over the next year or so. In 1952, the Palace marquee was removed and, in 1955, the Ranch and Home Store took over the neighboring building and converting it to retail.