State Theatre
20 N. Robinson Avenue,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
20 N. Robinson Avenue,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
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Additional Info
Architects: W.T. Vahlberg
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Mar 17, 2013 — “South Pacific” 55th Anniversary – The Roadshow Engagements
- Dec 9, 2012 — Happy 50th, “Lawrence of Arabia”
- Oct 18, 2011 — Happy 50th, "West Side Story"
- Oct 24, 2010 — "The Alamo"...Happy 50th!
- Oct 13, 2010 — Happy 55th, Todd-AO & "Oklahoma!"
- Oct 30, 2009 — Happy 50th, "Sleeping Beauty"
Opened on March 5, 1937 with Grace Moore in “When You’re in Love”. The State Theatre was one of only a handful of theatres built to exclusively showcase Columbia Pictures. In fact, within the State’s logo design was the prominent slogan “HOME TO COLUMBIA PICTURES!”.
Architect W.T Vahlberg designed the State Theatre in a Streamline/Moderne style. At the far end of a Hollywood chic lobby was a dramatic, sunken lounge.
The auditorium carried a rust colour scheme, featured stadium style seating with gradual floor rake that became quite steep near the rear of the house, resulting in excellent sight lines. Gorgeous, heavy drapes adorned a fully curved screen. Indirect lighting throughout the interior bathed the space in soft hues.
Short sighted urban development caused the State Theatre to be razed in late-December 1971, a sad loss to downtown Oklahoma City.
Contributed by
Jeff Chapman
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Recent comments (view all 32 comments)
1971 Pic of State Finale added to Photo Section
1937 grand opening ad in photo section.
1930’s Pic of North Robinson Street with State Theater added to Photo Section.
Oops, technology glitch earlier uploaded wrong photo’s..these are correct State Theater Photo’s in Pic Section.
The last ever active listing for this theater was Tuesday, September 7, 1971, when it was showing MGM’s screen adaptation of John Herbert’s prison-set play FORTUNE AND MEN’S EYES. The next two day’s ads state “Temporarily Closed due to Storm Damage—OPEN SOON.” It never reopened. [Oklahoma Journal]
Yeah, the steep seating was way tooo comfortable for the period…My buddy and I spent late hours on a Fri. nite and would go the to State on Sat. afternoon but, fell asleep in those seats often after a fun nite…It wAS A FIRST CLASS theater with the most comfortable seating of any theater at that time in OKC….Thanks
Pic added to photo section of 1953 fire.
Pic added to Photo section of State Theater showing of 1937’s “DEAD END”
This opened on March 5th, 1937.
The State Theatre did had a very unique history because of its “movie studio focus” and not on placing a top hit one after another.
The State Theatre at first primarily showed Columbia films (yes because of its slogan), but would also add films by RKO, United Artists, and Selznick into its lineup during World War II. By the end of World War II, the State Theatre primarily showed RKO movies (including titles by its predecessor Liberty Films) despite the State Theatre being independently-operated and not owned by the chain, but the State Theatre would eventually bring back its original Columbia formula in 1949.
It continued into the 1950s alongside its CinemaScope installation during its boom, but it wasn’t until 1956 when the State Theatre tossed the table. The State Theatre then primarily screened United Artists films, and one of those titles ran at the State is the smash “Around The World In 80 Days” that same year. Another smash that ran during its time with UA is “West Side Story” in the Summer of 1962.
Finally in the mid-1960s, the State Theatre began showing MGM films until its closure on September 7, 1971 with “Fortune And Men’s Eyes” due to storm damage.