Admiral Twin Drive-In
7355 E. Easton Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74115
7355 E. Easton Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74115
8 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Select Cinemas (Official)
Additional Info
Operated by: Select Cinemas
Previously operated by: General Cinema Corp.
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Previous Names: Modernaire Drive-In, Admiral Drive-In
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
918.392.9959
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Sep 10, 2010 — Admiral Twin Drive-In Screens May Be Rebuilt
- Sep 4, 2010 — Admiral Twin Drive-In Consumed by Fire
- Jun 13, 2005 — Tulsa's Admiral Twin Drive-In Wins Hampton Inn Contest
Opened on May 24, 1951 with Rod Cameron in “Oh! Susannah” as the Modernaire Drive-In with a capacity of 700 cars. On June 19, 1952 it was renamed Admiral Drive-In. It was originally a single screen but a second screen was added in May 1955 increasing the car capacity to 1,350. In 1966 it was taken over by General Cinema.
At the time of the twinning it took on the name of the Admiral Twin Drive-In.
The west screen features pole speakers and radio while the east screen is radio sound only. The drive-in plays double bills on both screens.
The drive-in was destroyed by a fire on September 2, 2010. Funds were raised to rebuild the screens, and the Admiral Twin Drive-In re-opened on June 15, 2012.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 36 comments)
Is it known how the fire started?
The screen was an uninsurable, wooden tinderbox. The cause of the fire was accidental as the fire marshall ruled out arson, lightning, or electricity.
Was it only the screen that caught fire?
If Blue bought this in 1953, then it was a couple of years before he twinned it. From the May 7, 1955 Motion Picture Herald:
The Admiral drive-in, Tulsa, will become the first drive-in in the state to operate a “double screen” effective early this month, Alex Blue, co-owner and operator announced. Blue said the theatre had duplicated its present accommodations to the rear of the existing outdoor movie screen and that the new facilities will open within the next few weeks. Capacity of the theater will be 1,350 automobiles, making it one of the largest in the southwest.
Opened on 24/5/1951 with a Donald Duck cartoon(not named) and “Oh Susanna”. Name changed to Admiral Drive-in on 19/6/1952, opening with 2 cartoons and “The battle at Apache Pass”. The drive-in was used as a location for the movie “The outsiders”.
Also opened with news.
The next ownership change came in 1966, per this May 30 note in BoxOffice: “Recently General Cinema Corp. of Boston, Mass., purchased the Admiral Twin Drive-In in Tulsa from Alex Blue and Hank Robb”.
There’s an excellent article, with plenty of photos, in today’s Tulsa World marking the 10th anniversary of the Admiral Twin’s screen-destroying fire.
A 1955 topo map shows the drive-in as a single screen occupying the west half of the property.
The new screen was added and the eastern half of the property was then developed. So, the western area is the original drive-in with the eastern half added in 1955.
The old marquee stood on Admiral for years before being torn down sometime in the 1970s, long after I-244 cut off the drive-in from the street.
However, you can still see the base of the marquee and part of the original entrance road located on the west side of Crown Liquor Store on Admiral.