Will Rogers Theatre
4322 N. Western Avenue,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73118
4322 N. Western Avenue,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73118
3 people
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Related Websites
Will Rogers Theater Events Center (Official)
Additional Info
Architects: Jack M. Corgan
Functions: Café, Special Events
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
405.604.3015
Nearby Theaters
The Will Rogers Theater was a handsome theater designed by architect Jack Corgan for Griffith Theatres which opened on September 18, 1946 with Fred MacMurray in “Smoky”. It was a dog-leg plan with the smallish lobby opening into a standee area and the auditorium on the right. The lobby featured an oil-on-linen mural by J. Craig Sheppard depicting scenes from Will Roger’s life. The auditorium had a fairly low ceiling of horizontally curved neon coves. There was a tiny stage.
Above the standee area were the projection booth, a cry room and two tiny offices. There was no balcony.
Architecturally, the theatre’s most impressive feature was its concrete, metal and neon vertical sign and curved/triangle marquee.
Contributed by
Will Dunklin
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
Updated:
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Sharp pictures of the Will Rogers Theatre can be seen below.
http://www.agilitynut.com/theatres/ok.html
Best vintage photos of the Will Rogers facade, lobby, and auditorium can be seen on Oklahoma Historical Society pages. Type in word “theatre”, then search.
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Some shots taken in 1995.
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This 1947 photo comes courtesy of LIFE. Though listed as being in Clarmore, it is actually the OKC Will Rogers Theater.
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The Will Rogers was part of an article in Boxoffice back in March 1947:
http://tinyurl.com/yd9f7ug
This site has fine vintage and modern photos of the Will Rogers Theatre,
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/484
I haven’t had much luck finding stuff that has gone missing from earlier comments due to linkrot, but at least I found this page from Boxoffice of March 1, 1947, featuring a couple of interior photos of the Will Rogers Theatre at the bottom of the page.
This opened on September 18th, 1946. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
1946 photo:
https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1552510/m1/1/?q=will%20rogers%20theatre&fbclid=IwAR1iN0W6IDOA9IrjqKkqZcn2WqWco5fftrE8XNlbUwqnU3bf0W3RhF_D7pg
May 31, 1939 Photo:
https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1552686/m1/1/?q=will%20rogers%20theatre&fbclid=IwAR2KJ8k5uvKAC-DIZa4VR1aS_HmOmlpWSzvI7Y0ZqMyGXp1FX7_0-bhCqzo