Oklahoma Theatre
209 East Main Street,
Norman,
OK
74069
209 East Main Street,
Norman,
OK
74069
1 person
favorited this theater
The Oklahoma Theatre was built to showcase product from B studios that churned out action adventures, potboiler melodramas, and westerns. During the 1950’s the Oklahoma Theatre specialized in outer space and science fiction films which proved to be very popular amongst local teens.
The Oklahoma Theatre exterior was two story, tapestry brick, commercial style with a narrow box office flanked by French paned doors, a dogbone upright sign, and a tracer light box marquee.
The Oklahoma Theatre lobby was small and simple, dominated by an oversize concession stand.
The Oklahoma Theatre auditorium had a single middle isle, dull plaster walls were lined by stacked-cone side lights, cheap stage curtains covered a large screen.
The Oklahoma Theatre closed in the late-1950’s, then was converted to a stationary shop. Today the the building stands vacant, marquee removed, but the upright sign is in place. Heavy steel alleyway exit doors still flank the former theatre.
Contributed by
Ray Bradley
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
1940 exterior images of the Oklahoman Theatre can be viewed on below site. Type in word “theatre”, then hit search…
View link
Casual inspection of 1940s photos reveal that the actual name was Oklahoma Theatre, not Oklahoman.
NYC Radio City Music Hall’s mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ plays OKLAHOMA! score -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot_DeC7g-pM&NR=1
Recent photos from the web site Roadside Oklahoma reveal that the Oklahoma Theatre was installed inside a former bank structure. Seems the theatre did no better than the bank did,
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/471
My dad watched serials at this theater in the 1930’s. He said the owner was gay, and closed or sold the theater after getting badly beaten up by a couple of sailors during the war (Norman had a Naval Air Station at the time).
Here is a modern day view of the former Oklahoma Theatre, now a Rawhide Shop,
View link
A 1926 advertisement for Reproduco Organs lists the Oklahoma Theatre as one of their satisfied customers. Reproducos were very modest “photoplayers” half player piano, half sound effects machine and half pipe organ. (!) Because of their piano roll mechanisms, they were popular in remote areas where a capable musician might not be available to accompany silent pictures day after day after day after day. Reproduco (reportedly) had some of the best musical arrangements around.