Dive Inn Theater
3900 SE 29th Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73115
3900 SE 29th Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73115
1 person
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Cinema tour states: “Used same chairs, fixtures, and equipment as Academy X & AcademiX. Located in the 3900 block of SW 29th Street.”
Comment apparently added or edited 4/21/2006
The SW 3900 block is right across from the Immanuel Conception church
The Academy aka Academy X was located downtown at 7 North Harvey. .
The Chieftan, which DID show porn was at 3450 SW 29th St
Portland is the beginning of the 3700 block.
Tulsa is the 4000 Block. . If it existed, it would have been between these streets.
I am looking at an aerial from 1975 that encompasses the area on SW 29th between Portland and Tulsa. . The entire south side of the street in the 3900 block is an open field. Infact, there is nothing from where Newcastle splits off to Tulsa, that looks like it could have been a motel or cinema…
All right everyone, not to be rude on this but I am going to call bull on this. .
We have several differing locations listed. .Lauren Grubb posts 3900 block of SE 29, which would have been in Del City on the north side of the street (the south side was all Sunnylane cemetery.) She states it was open from 77 to 92. I graduated Del City High school in 77. The only theatre in town was the old Del City on Epperly drive. It showed R rated moves and was bought out by First southern Baptist to prevent the movies. I would have known if there was a porn theatre in Del city!
Seymorecox mentions the ROSEGLO Ballroom, “It was a part of a shabby motel unit” yet the ROSEGLOW ballroom was at 636 SE 29, Just East of Shields. (Between Lindsey and Durland) There was no motel there…
He then goes on to state, “I do know the next night we went Southwest way to the Chieftain Cinema, and am sure I didn’t see the Dive Inn in that area of town”
I could believe the Chieftan, as it did show porno in 75-79 era. There was the cheap low end Airline motel East of it, but I have a friend that ran the restaurant in the early 80’s. . They have no memory, nor do I. .
Missmelbatoast states, “The Dive Inn Theater was definetly located on SE 29th St, near Trosper Park” Well, closer to del city, But there was no motel between Eastern and Bryant where Trosper park is. Between Eastern and Shields was oilfield business, and I do not recall a theatre there or a motel. Checks of telephone directories at the historical society do not support the idea either…
She states, “The only way to get inside the theater was to go through the motel office…Facing the TV were three rows of theater seats, seven chairs to a row. Behind these rows was the elevated hot tub that sat eight people. Off to one corner was a cedar sauna that was also surrounded by thick foilage.”
Most of the motels that did exist, (there was one on SE 29th East of Sunnylane, but it was torn down in the very early 70’s) and utilized the old style strip architecture which was prevalent in the post war mom and pop motels.
Jessiearcher goes on: “This sleazy eastside joint was still in business at least till 1993 because that was my senior year at U.S. Grant High School…That was also the same year when my best friend and I took a couple of girls from Northwest High to this motel. The run down motel had a Spanish flavor with a roof that from afar looked like green terra cotta tile…
For the moment the name of this old hacienda escapes me, but since the tall sign was shaped like a green neon suguarro, the name had to be something along the line of El Pinga Grande. Anyway, it had a Spanish moniker."
Ok, there were three spanish styled motels near 44th and Robinson, Alamo Plaza, Odom Annex courts, and on the south side of the street MELROSE courts. But none required entry through an office. .
UNLESS someone can provide something other than hearsay, I am calling BS on this.
From CardCow comes this postcard and the upper left hand corner shows a coffee shop that was identical to the Dive Inn Theatre (which was built inside a former cafe). Probably the same architect designed both motel units,
View link
Hey,maybe ATLANTA,but not here.
What about Georgia??
This sounds like a theatre in L.A. or New York,if you can really call it a theatre. I guess it has to be on CT.
This is not a photo of the Dive Inn, but it closely resembles what the unit looked like, especially the tall cactus sign -
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/D3848.jpg
This theatre was before my time, but whomsoever owned this raunchy cinema must have raked in millions of dollars, because every guy over forty claims to have patronized (at least once) this tiny screening room.
I used to go watch porno films at this odd little theatre when I was stationed at nearby Tinker Air Force Base.
This sleazy eastside joint was still in business at least till 1993 because that was my senior year at U.S. Grant High School. That was also the same year when my best friend and I took a couple of girls from Northwest High to this motel.
The run down motel had a Spanish flavor with a roof that from afar looked like green terra cotta tile. A closer look revealed what was actually stamped enamelled metal.
Perhaps the exterior had originally been covered with stucco, but all wood lats were fully exposed with gray cement inbetween. This gave the naked complex an ugly striped shell.
One end of the motor court was a closed down gas station. At the other end was the Dive Inn Theater. Connecting these anchoring haciendas was an arched veranda that sheltered a dozen room units.
For the moment the name of this old hacienda escapes me, but since the tall sign was shaped like a green neon suguarro, the name had to be something along the line of El Pinga Grande. Anyway, it had a Spanish moniker.
My buddy and his girl got the room first, so to kill time my date and I shared the small cinema with nine others. It was pretty much as described above. Blue indirect light filtered through thick jungle plants. Wall sconces were shaped like Tiki masks with orange jewel eyes that sparkled. Glow in the dark stars were glued to a dark blue ceiling, and a porn film played on the giant screen TV.
The Dive Inn Theater was definetly located on SE 29th St, near Trosper Park. I am sure of this because I went to this porn house several times.
The only way to get inside the theater was to go through the motel office. The auditorium walls were lined with tropical print leno. The floors were covered with green outdoor carpeting. The giant projection television set showed XXX videos and was flanked by lush tropical foliage that put out a nice earthy scent. Facing the TV were three rows of theater seats, seven chairs to a row. Behind these rows was the elevated hot tub that sat eight people. Off to one corner was a cedar sauna that was also surrounded by thick foilage.
The same porn videos that were playing in the theater were also showing inside the motel rooms via a closed circuit system. Whenever the front desk clerk suspected the vice sqaud or undercover cops were checking out the place the video showing would abruptly switch to a mild sexploitation video like “Getting Into Heaven,” or “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.” This action also helped warn the theater audience to stop any illegal activity that was going on.
The city finally condemned the motel unit as a health hazard and the entire complex was soon torn down.
While visiting a close friend who lived on OKC’s Northwest side, we drove down to the Southeast district to go to the Rose Glow Ballroom to hear a nine piece western swing orchestra. During our drive we happened to pass the Dive Inn Theater.
It was a part of a shabby motel unit. The time of day was just past dusk on a Saturday evening and I was surprised to see that there were cars already parked outside every room door.
The Dive Inn marquee was only a flat letterboard sign mounted atop a two wheel trailer, with a flashing light bulb arrow pointing toward the small side cinema.
Since I grew up in Tulsa, OKC geography is mostly unfamiliar to me. Seems I do remember, however, seeing the Dive Inn on the Southeast side of the city, because we passed it both ways coming and going from the Rose Glow. I do know the next night we went Southwest way to the Chieftain Cinema, and am sure I didn’t see the Dive Inn in that area of town. We never ventured into the Northeast sector during my stay, so it couldn’t have been over there.
By the way, the Rose Glow orchestra was fantastic!
After thinking it over I must add this. Once I noticed this porn cinema as I drove past that old clapboard motel, but seems that I remember seeing it on N.E. 29th St.
I do remember that the cinema was off to one side of the front office, inside an area that looked like it had been a cafe or gift shop. Windows were all painted black. Tickets were probably purchased from the desk clerk.
“Hot tub seating”? Sounds very 1970’s to me.
An interesting “variant” on an adult theater.
Not sure this would actually qualify as a theatre. Built within a grungy motel, the Dive Inn was a tiny video cinema that held a dozen movie chairs, plus hot tub seating.