KCB3Player’s recollection is correct, the Vista was indeed a “weekends only” theater in its final years. And the last ever newspaper listing for it was on Sunday, September 19, 1965, showing an almost year-old Audie Murphy western, APACHE RIFLES, and a two-year old drama, Robert Stack and Joan Crawford in THE CARETAKERS. [Kansas City Star]
Held-up around 6:30pm on Sunday, November 30, 1969, while beginning its evening triple-feature with the Ray Harryhausen effects-film THE VALLEY OF GWANGI, followed later by TRUE GRIT and THE DEVIL’S BRIDE. [“Isis Theater is Robbed/Two Cashiers at Troost Movie Say Youth Armed,” Kansas City Times, Monday, December 1, 1969, pp. 4A]
At approximately 10pm Monday, July 22, 1974—during a triple-feature of THE EXORCIST, SUPERFLY T.N.T., and ROSEMARY’S BABY—the assistant manager and another employee were robbed at the theater’s entrance booth, with the asst. mgr. shot & grazed in the left thigh and struck four times on the head (he was treated at Osteopathic Hospital), and the two locked in his car trunk (police removed the car’s back seat and freed the victims). A ‘Major Studio Sneak Tonite’ commenced normally the following evening however, John Berry’s film CLAUDINE. [“Drive-In Holdup Violence”, Kansas City Times, Wednesday, July 24, 1974, pp. 8A]
Closed for good on Monday, May 14, 1951, with John Drew Barrymore in HIGH LONESOME, John Dall and Peggy Cummins in the film noir classic GUN CRAZY, and the Bowery Boys in 1950’s BLUES BUSTERS (not to be confused with a similar-sounding 1944 film of theirs, BLOCK BUSTERS). [Kansas City Star]
Of the three theaters listed by judyh it appears the Admiral lasted the longest and the Murray went first. The Baltis closed second of the three for good on Sunday, May 23, 1954, with Katharine Hepburn & Humphrey Bogart in the 1951 John Huston film THE AFRICAN QUEEN, John Wayne & Randolph Scott in the 1942 film PITTSBURGH, and Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy in the 1941 film LOOK WHO’S LAUGHING. [Kansas City Star]
Informational advance story on the Plaza’s Sunday closing was in the Star’s Preview supplement, Friday, April 2, 1999, pp. 10, “It’s Curtains for the Plaza Theater.” (The article claimed 1500 seats.)
Closed by Dickinson for good on Sunday, April 4, 1999, with Clint Eastwood in TRUE CRIME, the cannibalism-centered film RAVENOUS, Rankin-Bass' animated version of THE KING AND I, and THE OTHER SISTER. [Kansas City Star]
After several days of a small box ad stating, “5 Incredible Gifts for KC! THE BANNISTER MALL CINEMAS' GRAND OPENING” (with no indication it was a Commonwealth house), it finally opened Friday, December 19, 1980, with Jane Fonda in 9 TO 5 in three auditoriums, Marlon Brando and George C. Scott in THE FORMULA, and Disney’s THE ARISTOCATS. (Local radio station KY-102—now known as KCKC—along with the theater offered a Puerto Vallarta vacation for two in a premiere contest.)
Closed by UA on Thursday, February 4, 1999, with STAR TREK INSURRECTION, RUGRATS, A BUG’S LIFE, DOWN IN THE DELTA, and STEPMOM.
Re-opened Friday, September 3, 1999, as an independently-owned $1.50 house with Brendan Fraser in THE MUMMY, Disney’s TARZAN, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, MUPPETS IN SPACE, Will Smith in WILD WILD WEST, LAKE PLACID, SOUTH PARK: BIGGER LONGER & UNCUT, and BIG DADDY.
Limped along for a month before finally shuttering for good on Sunday, October 3, 1999, with THE HAUNTING, THE MUMMY, Omar Epps in THE WOOD, Disney’s TARZAN, MUPPETS IN SPACE, WILD WILD WEST, BIG DADDY, and THE MATRIX. [Kansas City Star]
Wednesday evening Kansas City Star edition of May 13, 1981, readers noticed a page-center caricature ad of Clark Gable intoning: “Frankly, K.C., you don’t want to miss the Grand Opening of AMC Theatres' newest…THE BANNISTER SQUARE 6…this Friday and Saturday across from Bannister Square Mall…THE BANNISTER SQUARE 6—it’s "Cina-mazing [sic].” (Following day’s Star and opening day ad featured a Woody Allen-type: “My analyst really couldn’t believe it.”).
Opened Friday, May 15, 1981, with HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, Oliver Stone’s THE HAND, TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT, THE JAZZ SINGER, THE COMPETITION, and a double-feature of 10 and CADDYSHACK. (and a local AMC sister theater, the Brywood, “went dollar” the same day).
Closed permanently without ever having been a discount house on Thursday, April 29, 1999, with Eddie Griffin in FOOLISH, LOST & FOUND, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence in LIFE, THE MATRIX, DOUG’S 1ST MOVIE, and BABY GENIUSES. [Kansas City Star]
Closed as the Cameo by Commonwealth on Sunday, January 2, 1977, showing a Rudy Ray Moore (Rudolph Frank Moore)/‘Dolemite’ double-feature of 1976’s THE HUMAN TORNADO and his self-titled debut from 1975, DOLEMITE. (Kansas City Star)
Closed for good on Sunday, November 23, 1952, showing Gregory Peck in a year and half old movie, ONLY THE VALIANT, and a retitled film from 1947, Barbara Stanwyck in MAN KILLER aka THE OTHER LOVE. (Kansas City Star)
Just for the record: theater has been upgraded by B&B, recliner seats, etc.: http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/cityscape/article115106718.html
Man, when they closed a theatre in this town, they covered it—on page 1! (“Tulsa’s Continental Theater Has Its Last Picture Show/Site Yielding to Office Complex,” Monday, March 16, 1981, Tulsa World).
Opened on the day of the second “Watts Riots,” Wednesday, March 16, 1966, with a five month-old movie, Carol Reed’s film of Irving Stone’s book, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY in an invitation only premiere for the Tulsa Psychiatric Foundation (public seats the next day.)
Closed for good practically on its 15th birthday (kennyjrz memory is correct) with TV producer Jerry Leider’s troubled feature remake of THE JAZZ SINGER, on Sunday, March 15, 1981. Manager Van Lee Lowe was already contending with reduced staff (“Another girl quit Thursday.”) when the curtain finally went down (“This is a shame…”).
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.
The News Journal’s telephone contact person must have misheard the over-the-phone spelling of Raquel Welch’s name when they were transcribing the requested ad copy…
Began its porn period phase (“Under New Management”) on Friday, July 7, 1978, with THE OPENING OF MISTY BEETHOVEN and BABARA BROADCAST after several weeks of being closed. (Tulsa World)
The closing had its own same-day Tulsa World story, Tuesday, July 4, 1978 (“Brook Theatre Marquee Going Blank”, pp. A20), which noted some earlier local censorship trouble when they tried to exhibit Antonioni’s 1968 classic BLOW-UP. The sendoff: Jimmy Osmond in THE GREAT BRAIN adapted from John D. Fitzgerald’s childrens book series.
Became a UA bargain house in September 1985. Purchased by Hollywood Theatres in the mid-nineties who alternated the price between $1-$2 admission. Shut down for good on Monday, December 26, 2005. Showing at expiration: the race horse drama DREAMER; ZATHURA; GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN'; JARHEAD; Meryl Streep in PRIME; NORTH COUNTRY (Tulsa World).
Closed as the Annex 7 on Sunday, May 10, 1998. Owner Hollywood Theatres was instead trumpeting their Promenade Mall Palace 12 location opening five days later. The final marquees: Jackie Chan in MR. NICE GUY; DANGEROUS BEAUTY; THE BIG LEBOWSKI; AS GOOD AS IT GETS; THE APOSTLE, MY GIANT; PRIMARY COLORS.
Closed by UA on the same day as the Spectrum Twin, Monday, September 4, 1989, showing in one auditorium Sylvester Stallone in LOCK UP, and in the other, the James Bond film LICENCE TO KILL. (Tulsa World)
Closed alongside the Boman Twin by UA on Monday, September 4, 1989, showing in one auditorium a double-feature of STAR TREK V and “Ind. Jones 3” [sic; referring to INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE] and in the other, the controversial John Belushi biopic WIRED. (Tulsa World)
Another chase scene whizzing past the Los Angeles is in the 1972 adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh’s book THE NEW CENTURIONS, when Stacy Keach is hanging from the driver’s side door of a moving car. More “Adult Entertainment” fare appears to have been featured at that time: the 1968 British “X-Certificate” import BABY LOVE, and future SNL contributor Nelson Lyon’s experimental film TELEPHONE BOOK.
Viewable in a couple of scene establishing shots in the Season 12/1980 Hawaii Five-0 episode, “For Old Time’s Sake.” The place must have already descended to its itch-house period; I don’t have access to expensive zoom software, but based on the word length and letter formations on the marquee, my guess is the Queen was showing at the time of filming two films from 1975: the cabin-crisis XXX-er WINTER HEAT, and director Wes Craven’s sole erotic venture, FIREWORKS WOMAN.
Appears quickly in separate footage in the Season 12/1979 Hawaii Five-O episode “A Lion in the Streets,” during the opening credits, and appears to be showing Mark Robson’s 1968 film of Jacqueline Susann’s VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. There is no double-marquee, so this could not be the Waikiki 1 & 2; perhaps some previous stock footage not used until then (5-0 aficionados can confirm if the shot is re-used in another show.).
Originally a Farris Shanbour/Oklahoma Cinema Theatres project—his largest to that time—but he died a month or two before its opening, and the ownership for this one was sold to Commonwealth. Some of the veteran IATSE projectionists from Shanbour’s North Park Theatre transferred here. Oddly, although neither company had had anything to do with one another until then, both chains dressed their lower staff in the exact same black and red polyester-fiber uniforms.
The Almonte Mall itself has always been an small, standard, unpretentious one-block strip mall in a comfortably working-/middle-class-part of town a half-mile from the interstate and 2 miles from the airport, which may partly have decided its construction. Dow 100-level industries and billion-dollar-level real-estate developers at that time however did not run to establish factories and mansions in far southwest OKC so why the Almonte 6 was built there—knowing full well that both the cable TV and home-video/VCR revolutions were about to occur with no huge population spike predicted for the nearby area and not even placed at a particularly high-traffic intersection (the 2-miles-away SW 74th & Penn crossing has always been more of a local headache)—was never revealed.
There was a community rumor the ushers here were particularly on the lookout for auditorium jumpers.
The largest auditorium, directly behind the front lobby, had 70mm capability although it was hardly ever used for the life of the theatre. 2010 with Roy Scheider was exhibited here in that format on its December 1984 U.S. opening day.
KCB3Player’s recollection is correct, the Vista was indeed a “weekends only” theater in its final years. And the last ever newspaper listing for it was on Sunday, September 19, 1965, showing an almost year-old Audie Murphy western, APACHE RIFLES, and a two-year old drama, Robert Stack and Joan Crawford in THE CARETAKERS. [Kansas City Star]
Held-up around 6:30pm on Sunday, November 30, 1969, while beginning its evening triple-feature with the Ray Harryhausen effects-film THE VALLEY OF GWANGI, followed later by TRUE GRIT and THE DEVIL’S BRIDE. [“Isis Theater is Robbed/Two Cashiers at Troost Movie Say Youth Armed,” Kansas City Times, Monday, December 1, 1969, pp. 4A]
At approximately 10pm Monday, July 22, 1974—during a triple-feature of THE EXORCIST, SUPERFLY T.N.T., and ROSEMARY’S BABY—the assistant manager and another employee were robbed at the theater’s entrance booth, with the asst. mgr. shot & grazed in the left thigh and struck four times on the head (he was treated at Osteopathic Hospital), and the two locked in his car trunk (police removed the car’s back seat and freed the victims). A ‘Major Studio Sneak Tonite’ commenced normally the following evening however, John Berry’s film CLAUDINE. [“Drive-In Holdup Violence”, Kansas City Times, Wednesday, July 24, 1974, pp. 8A]
Closed for good on Monday, May 14, 1951, with John Drew Barrymore in HIGH LONESOME, John Dall and Peggy Cummins in the film noir classic GUN CRAZY, and the Bowery Boys in 1950’s BLUES BUSTERS (not to be confused with a similar-sounding 1944 film of theirs, BLOCK BUSTERS). [Kansas City Star]
Of the three theaters listed by judyh it appears the Admiral lasted the longest and the Murray went first. The Baltis closed second of the three for good on Sunday, May 23, 1954, with Katharine Hepburn & Humphrey Bogart in the 1951 John Huston film THE AFRICAN QUEEN, John Wayne & Randolph Scott in the 1942 film PITTSBURGH, and Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy in the 1941 film LOOK WHO’S LAUGHING. [Kansas City Star]
Informational advance story on the Plaza’s Sunday closing was in the Star’s Preview supplement, Friday, April 2, 1999, pp. 10, “It’s Curtains for the Plaza Theater.” (The article claimed 1500 seats.)
Closed by Dickinson for good on Sunday, April 4, 1999, with Clint Eastwood in TRUE CRIME, the cannibalism-centered film RAVENOUS, Rankin-Bass' animated version of THE KING AND I, and THE OTHER SISTER. [Kansas City Star]
After several days of a small box ad stating, “5 Incredible Gifts for KC! THE BANNISTER MALL CINEMAS' GRAND OPENING” (with no indication it was a Commonwealth house), it finally opened Friday, December 19, 1980, with Jane Fonda in 9 TO 5 in three auditoriums, Marlon Brando and George C. Scott in THE FORMULA, and Disney’s THE ARISTOCATS. (Local radio station KY-102—now known as KCKC—along with the theater offered a Puerto Vallarta vacation for two in a premiere contest.)
Closed by UA on Thursday, February 4, 1999, with STAR TREK INSURRECTION, RUGRATS, A BUG’S LIFE, DOWN IN THE DELTA, and STEPMOM.
Re-opened Friday, September 3, 1999, as an independently-owned $1.50 house with Brendan Fraser in THE MUMMY, Disney’s TARZAN, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, MUPPETS IN SPACE, Will Smith in WILD WILD WEST, LAKE PLACID, SOUTH PARK: BIGGER LONGER & UNCUT, and BIG DADDY.
Limped along for a month before finally shuttering for good on Sunday, October 3, 1999, with THE HAUNTING, THE MUMMY, Omar Epps in THE WOOD, Disney’s TARZAN, MUPPETS IN SPACE, WILD WILD WEST, BIG DADDY, and THE MATRIX. [Kansas City Star]
Wednesday evening Kansas City Star edition of May 13, 1981, readers noticed a page-center caricature ad of Clark Gable intoning: “Frankly, K.C., you don’t want to miss the Grand Opening of AMC Theatres' newest…THE BANNISTER SQUARE 6…this Friday and Saturday across from Bannister Square Mall…THE BANNISTER SQUARE 6—it’s "Cina-mazing [sic].” (Following day’s Star and opening day ad featured a Woody Allen-type: “My analyst really couldn’t believe it.”).
Opened Friday, May 15, 1981, with HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, Oliver Stone’s THE HAND, TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT, THE JAZZ SINGER, THE COMPETITION, and a double-feature of 10 and CADDYSHACK. (and a local AMC sister theater, the Brywood, “went dollar” the same day).
Closed permanently without ever having been a discount house on Thursday, April 29, 1999, with Eddie Griffin in FOOLISH, LOST & FOUND, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence in LIFE, THE MATRIX, DOUG’S 1ST MOVIE, and BABY GENIUSES. [Kansas City Star]
Closed as the Cameo by Commonwealth on Sunday, January 2, 1977, showing a Rudy Ray Moore (Rudolph Frank Moore)/‘Dolemite’ double-feature of 1976’s THE HUMAN TORNADO and his self-titled debut from 1975, DOLEMITE. (Kansas City Star)
Closed for good on Sunday, November 23, 1952, showing Gregory Peck in a year and half old movie, ONLY THE VALIANT, and a retitled film from 1947, Barbara Stanwyck in MAN KILLER aka THE OTHER LOVE. (Kansas City Star)
Just for the record: theater has been upgraded by B&B, recliner seats, etc.: http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/cityscape/article115106718.html
Man, when they closed a theatre in this town, they covered it—on page 1! (“Tulsa’s Continental Theater Has Its Last Picture Show/Site Yielding to Office Complex,” Monday, March 16, 1981, Tulsa World).
Opened on the day of the second “Watts Riots,” Wednesday, March 16, 1966, with a five month-old movie, Carol Reed’s film of Irving Stone’s book, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY in an invitation only premiere for the Tulsa Psychiatric Foundation (public seats the next day.)
Closed for good practically on its 15th birthday (kennyjrz memory is correct) with TV producer Jerry Leider’s troubled feature remake of THE JAZZ SINGER, on Sunday, March 15, 1981. Manager Van Lee Lowe was already contending with reduced staff (“Another girl quit Thursday.”) when the curtain finally went down (“This is a shame…”).
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.
The News Journal’s telephone contact person must have misheard the over-the-phone spelling of Raquel Welch’s name when they were transcribing the requested ad copy…
Began its porn period phase (“Under New Management”) on Friday, July 7, 1978, with THE OPENING OF MISTY BEETHOVEN and BABARA BROADCAST after several weeks of being closed. (Tulsa World)
The closing had its own same-day Tulsa World story, Tuesday, July 4, 1978 (“Brook Theatre Marquee Going Blank”, pp. A20), which noted some earlier local censorship trouble when they tried to exhibit Antonioni’s 1968 classic BLOW-UP. The sendoff: Jimmy Osmond in THE GREAT BRAIN adapted from John D. Fitzgerald’s childrens book series.
Became a UA bargain house in September 1985. Purchased by Hollywood Theatres in the mid-nineties who alternated the price between $1-$2 admission. Shut down for good on Monday, December 26, 2005. Showing at expiration: the race horse drama DREAMER; ZATHURA; GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN'; JARHEAD; Meryl Streep in PRIME; NORTH COUNTRY (Tulsa World).
Closed as the Annex 7 on Sunday, May 10, 1998. Owner Hollywood Theatres was instead trumpeting their Promenade Mall Palace 12 location opening five days later. The final marquees: Jackie Chan in MR. NICE GUY; DANGEROUS BEAUTY; THE BIG LEBOWSKI; AS GOOD AS IT GETS; THE APOSTLE, MY GIANT; PRIMARY COLORS.
Closed by UA on the same day as the Spectrum Twin, Monday, September 4, 1989, showing in one auditorium Sylvester Stallone in LOCK UP, and in the other, the James Bond film LICENCE TO KILL. (Tulsa World)
Closed alongside the Boman Twin by UA on Monday, September 4, 1989, showing in one auditorium a double-feature of STAR TREK V and “Ind. Jones 3” [sic; referring to INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE] and in the other, the controversial John Belushi biopic WIRED. (Tulsa World)
Michael Caine must have been amused to find out his part in HURRY SUNDOWN was taken by Michael Parks lol.
Another chase scene whizzing past the Los Angeles is in the 1972 adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh’s book THE NEW CENTURIONS, when Stacy Keach is hanging from the driver’s side door of a moving car. More “Adult Entertainment” fare appears to have been featured at that time: the 1968 British “X-Certificate” import BABY LOVE, and future SNL contributor Nelson Lyon’s experimental film TELEPHONE BOOK.
Viewable in a couple of scene establishing shots in the Season 12/1980 Hawaii Five-0 episode, “For Old Time’s Sake.” The place must have already descended to its itch-house period; I don’t have access to expensive zoom software, but based on the word length and letter formations on the marquee, my guess is the Queen was showing at the time of filming two films from 1975: the cabin-crisis XXX-er WINTER HEAT, and director Wes Craven’s sole erotic venture, FIREWORKS WOMAN.
Appears quickly in separate footage in the Season 12/1979 Hawaii Five-O episode “A Lion in the Streets,” during the opening credits, and appears to be showing Mark Robson’s 1968 film of Jacqueline Susann’s VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. There is no double-marquee, so this could not be the Waikiki 1 & 2; perhaps some previous stock footage not used until then (5-0 aficionados can confirm if the shot is re-used in another show.).
More Almonte 6 miscellanea:
Originally a Farris Shanbour/Oklahoma Cinema Theatres project—his largest to that time—but he died a month or two before its opening, and the ownership for this one was sold to Commonwealth. Some of the veteran IATSE projectionists from Shanbour’s North Park Theatre transferred here. Oddly, although neither company had had anything to do with one another until then, both chains dressed their lower staff in the exact same black and red polyester-fiber uniforms.
The Almonte Mall itself has always been an small, standard, unpretentious one-block strip mall in a comfortably working-/middle-class-part of town a half-mile from the interstate and 2 miles from the airport, which may partly have decided its construction. Dow 100-level industries and billion-dollar-level real-estate developers at that time however did not run to establish factories and mansions in far southwest OKC so why the Almonte 6 was built there—knowing full well that both the cable TV and home-video/VCR revolutions were about to occur with no huge population spike predicted for the nearby area and not even placed at a particularly high-traffic intersection (the 2-miles-away SW 74th & Penn crossing has always been more of a local headache)—was never revealed.
There was a community rumor the ushers here were particularly on the lookout for auditorium jumpers.
The largest auditorium, directly behind the front lobby, had 70mm capability although it was hardly ever used for the life of the theatre. 2010 with Roy Scheider was exhibited here in that format on its December 1984 U.S. opening day.