Village Cinema I & II
40 S. Garnett Road,
Tulsa,
OK
74128
40 S. Garnett Road,
Tulsa,
OK
74128
3 people
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The Village Theatre was announced for the Wagon Wheel Shopping Center at Garnett Road and Admiral Place in 1966 during the luxury suburban theater era of movie exhibition . Alex Blue and J.B. Robb, Jr. had the venue built to the plans of Murray, Jones, Murray Architects of Tulsa. Blue sold the Admiral Twin Drive-In to General Cinema Corp. that year. The original plan for the Village showed a one-screen, 780-seat theater that could be twinned later if the need arose. Apparently it did. The projection booth was equipped for 35mm and 70mm at opening. Wagon Wheel was anchored by a Safeway grocery store and a TGY variety store.
The Village opened with “To Sir with Love” on October 20, 1967. Blue and Robb would sell the Village to General Cinema on April 15, 1970. GCC would change the name of the venue to the Village Cinema. It would then close the venue on September 11, 1972 to twin the complex. It re-emerged as the Village Cinema I & II. In 1979, GCC downgraded the venue to a sub-run, discount house with all seats $1.25 and ending in the 1980s at $1 a seat. The GCC Village closed on August 2, 1987 at the end of a 20-year leasing period with “Platoon” and “Crocodile Dundee.”
The Village Cinema’s contents were auctioned off on January 4, 1990 including its Creators poppers and all 713 theater seats.
Closed in 1987.
Taken over by General Cinema in 1970.
Opened on October 20th, 1967. Grand opening ad posted.
Almost instantaneously after posting the photos and description I learned from a family member that the Bakery has also vacated the building and it sits empty for now.
This link reports that the Village Cinema was a member of GCC,
http://tulsatvmemories.com/gccvill.html
Lettering makes it look like a GCC theatre.
It is true the Village Cinema originally opened as a modern, single screen theatre, with an imaginative contemporary decor. Lobby furniture was of black leather and chrome. Restrooms walls were veneered in refelctive black glass. Auditorium seating offered ample leg room, and a beveled shadow box framed a massive silver screen.
Designed by Alex Blue, the 1968 Village Cinema originally opened as a single screen, first run movie house. Seating capacity was (aprox) 1000. Sometime during the 1970s a wall was constructed down the middle of the auditorium and it became a twin cinema.
Village Architect was Alex Blue.