Paris Arts Theatre
18 S. Main Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74103
18 S. Main Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74103
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previous Names: Gayety Theatre, Capitol Theatre, Roxy Theatre, Uptown Theatre, Patria Theatre
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The Gayety Theatre was opened on February 5, 1927, staging vaudeville and screening movies. In the 1930;s it suffered at least five bomb attacks for employing non union workers. In January 1935 it was renamed Roxy Theatre screening exploitation films. On September 1, 1935 it was renamed Capitol Theatre screening Frederic March in “The Eagle and the Hawk”. Vaudeville was added to the program again, but in 1936 it returned to the Roxy Theatre name screening exploitation movies.
On February 15, 1942 it was renamed Uptown Theatre with James Cagney in “The Oklahoma Kid” & Ann Sheridan in “Naughty but Nice”. In 1958 it suffered a minor fire and was closed. It became the Life Temple Church, which occupied the building until 1964. On October 9, 1964 it reopened as the Patria Theatre, screening Spanish language movies. That closed in 1965. On May 13, 1965 it became the Paris Art Theatre screening adult movies. It was closed on August 17, 1967 due to a bomb exploding in the front of the theatre which also damaged the interior. It was later demolished.
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dallasmovietheaters
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c1945 photo -
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/B0437.jpg
This 1957 photo illustrates that the Uptown Theatre had a new paint job that restored the edicafe to its 1930 look. Further up Main Street can be seen the Cozy Theatre.
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/B1690.jpg
Usually the Uptown Theatre kept their display cases loaded with advertising cards and posters. For one reason or another poster baords are empty in this forlorn image -
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/E0081.jpg
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Photo right of this 1910 image, where the “Tulsa” arch joins onto the drug store/hotel, is where the Uptown Theatre would later be built. Lyric Theatre is visible photo left.
Hear an actual Gypsy Rose Lee burlesque routine here -
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as presented on this site -
http://www.unicornmeat.com/
This peppy album plays snappy burlesque tunes,
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Shown here are the type of burleque shows that were presented on the Uptown Theatre stage.
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Demolished.
The Gayety Theatre launched on February 5, 1927 with vaudeville and silent films. The theater was bombed at least five times for using non-union workers in the early 1930s. It was sold twice thereafter.
In January of 1935, the venue was renamed as the Roxy with exploitation films. On September 1, 1935 the venue became the Capitol Theatre with “The Eagle and the Hawk.” The Capitol switched to vaudeville with film for its one-year sublease. The venue returned to the Roxy nameplate in September 1936 playing exploitation films and fourth-run double features. A.M. Cauble took over the theater likely on another one-year sublease at the Roxy hiring union workers in September of 1937. Police showed up and stopped what it termed a strip tease show there in one of its first days of operation.The Roxy booked four wall films including “Marihuana” and “Narcotics.”
The venue closed for a period in the late 1930s and Katherine Brink reopened it as a third-tier double feature house.It failed and was sold at a sheriff’s auction for a meager $2,500. New operator E. “Bud” Claybrook took on the venue reopening it as a 310-seat movie theater on February 15, 1942 called the Uptown Theatre with James Cagney in “The Oklahoma Kid” and Ann Sheridan in “Naughty But Nice” supported by the Disney cartoon, “Donald Duck’s Golf Game.” The Uptown discontinued films not long after a 1958 minor fire. It became a house of worship called Life Temple Church until 1964.
The theatre returned to movie exhibition on October 9, 1964 as the Patria Theatre for Mr. and Mrs. Jose Antonio Ramirez who came to Tulsa from Cuba. They decided to show Spanish language films at the venerable theater. Opening films were Enrique Rambu in “Aventuras de Joselito y Pulgarcito” and Tin-Tan and Lon Chaney in “La Casa del Terror.” That lasted a year closing in 1965.
It was renamed as the Paris Art Theater relaunching on May 13, 1965. Mr. Ramirez was arrested at least twice for indecent exhibition of films. The theater’s last day was August 17, 1967 when the theatre was finally bombed for the last time. The blast destroyed the box office and caused extensive interior damage. The building has since been razed.