Oklahoma Theatre
209 East Main Street,
Norman,
OK
74069
209 East Main Street,
Norman,
OK
74069
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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.
Here is a modern day view of the former Oklahoma Theatre, now a Rawhide Shop,
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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).
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
NYC Radio City Music Hall’s mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ plays OKLAHOMA! score -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot_DeC7g-pM&NR=1
Casual inspection of 1940s photos reveal that the actual name was Oklahoma Theatre, not Oklahoman.
1940 exterior images of the Oklahoman Theatre can be viewed on below site. Type in word “theatre”, then hit search…
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