In doing Capitol Hill research, I found a quite a number of Oklahoman ads for the Capri at 2510 S. Robinson, the earliest of which ads (the 1st was 4/4/1967) identify it as the former Capitol Theater. All ads were adult fare. The last mention of the Capri (or, for that matter, the same address on Robinson) was a 2/17/1968 Oklahoman article which said that the owner had been charged with exhibiting obscene movies for presenting the movie, “Whip’s Women” – a fellow named Whip was apparently the movie’s central character. I was unable to locate an article on the disposition of the charge.
I’m presently researching an article on Capitol Hill, including, of course, its theaters. Here’s a photo I took of the Yale about a week ago … View link
The original owner was Sam Caporal and I know one of his sons, another Sam Caporal who built some other Okc theaters, also. I coincidentally bumped into him at a 7-11 this afternoon and told him what I was doing (Capitol Hill research) … I asked him when the Yale opened and he said 1904. I’m hoping to get some good pics from him in a few days.
The Ritz reopened as the Miracle Theater, a local stage production group, in October 1958. The last act for the successor theater, however, seems to have occurred in October or November 1960.
Off topic, but, Oklahomo Cowboy, I cannot begin to understand how connection to my stuff (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com) would be faster using dial-up since most of my articles are so graphics-intense. Are you sure about that … I’m wondering if it was a one-time blip or something.
I’ve made a substantial revision of my downtown Okc movies blog post at View link including several additional pics of the Criterion. My personal favorite is the 50' (or so) high Marilyn Monroe outside the Criterion in 1953! A nice auditorium pic is in the post, also.
Actually, the Centre wasn’t razed but it did become the kernel for the much larger Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The picture here shows the final 2002 product: http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/okc24.htm and the picture here shows the earlier form: View link
In the project, many of the fixtures, stairways, etc. of the original art deco Center were restored.
In doing Capitol Hill research, I found a quite a number of Oklahoman ads for the Capri at 2510 S. Robinson, the earliest of which ads (the 1st was 4/4/1967) identify it as the former Capitol Theater. All ads were adult fare. The last mention of the Capri (or, for that matter, the same address on Robinson) was a 2/17/1968 Oklahoman article which said that the owner had been charged with exhibiting obscene movies for presenting the movie, “Whip’s Women” – a fellow named Whip was apparently the movie’s central character. I was unable to locate an article on the disposition of the charge.
I didn’t word that correctly. The father, not the son, built several Oklahoma City theaters.
I’m presently researching an article on Capitol Hill, including, of course, its theaters. Here’s a photo I took of the Yale about a week ago … View link
The original owner was Sam Caporal and I know one of his sons, another Sam Caporal who built some other Okc theaters, also. I coincidentally bumped into him at a 7-11 this afternoon and told him what I was doing (Capitol Hill research) … I asked him when the Yale opened and he said 1904. I’m hoping to get some good pics from him in a few days.
The Ritz reopened as the Miracle Theater, a local stage production group, in October 1958. The last act for the successor theater, however, seems to have occurred in October or November 1960.
Off topic, but, Oklahomo Cowboy, I cannot begin to understand how connection to my stuff (http://dougdawg.blogspot.com) would be faster using dial-up since most of my articles are so graphics-intense. Are you sure about that … I’m wondering if it was a one-time blip or something.
Thanks,
Doug
I’ve made a substantial revision of my downtown Okc movies blog post at View link including several additional pics of the Criterion. My personal favorite is the 50' (or so) high Marilyn Monroe outside the Criterion in 1953! A nice auditorium pic is in the post, also.
Actually, the Centre wasn’t razed but it did become the kernel for the much larger Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The picture here shows the final 2002 product: http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtown/okc24.htm and the picture here shows the earlier form: View link
In the project, many of the fixtures, stairways, etc. of the original art deco Center were restored.