Academy X Cinema
112 W. Main Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
112 W. Main Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73102
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Olympic Theatre, Strand Theatre, Mondo Adult Theatre
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Located at 112 W. Main Street in downtown Oklahoma City, the Olympic Theatre opened in November 1908. It was renamed Strand Theatre from May 19, 1915, as a five cent cinema, but on rare occasions management would add to the program a vaudeville act or two.
On October 28, 1917, the Strand Theatre changed directions when it switched over to the staging of Grand Opera, at substantially higher prices. By March, 1918, the Strand Theatre had gone back to showing motion pictures, and remained a twenty cents a seat movie theatre until it closed in February 1920. During sweltering summer months the Strand Theatre advertisements had stressed that the interior provided mechanically chilled air, “cool breezes bathe your body in pure comfort”.
From 1920 until 1967, the building was used as retail space. At that time, it was reopened as the Mondo Adult Theatre and on April 12, 1968 became the Academy X Cinema. It was closed and demolished in 1971.
Contributed by
Lauren Grubb, Royce
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
An April 12, 1968, newspaper article reported that the old Mondo Adult Theatre would be renamed Academy Adult Mini Cinema located at 114 W. Mian St. It says seating capacity has been reduced to 150 for better comfort.
Type in word “Criterion” on below site and it will pull up a 1929 photo of that movie palace. Building next to the Criterion, photo left, was the former Olympic Theatre, by that time the space was being used as a cafe.
http://okhistory.cuadra.com/star/public.html
Newspaper research uncover facts about the checkered past of the Olympic Theatre. Grand opening occured November 10, 1908, featuring “Talking~Moving~Pictures”. Later The Olympic specialized in films produced by Humana Talking Pictures of NYC.
It was closed in mid 1919, just before United Artist started next door construction on their giant Criterion Theatre (Paramount had conrol by the time the Criterion opened). Reopened early 1967 as the Mondo Adult Theatre, a loop house. In April, 1968, it was renamed Academy X Cinema. Razed February, 1972
In reference to above comments, almost all OKC downtown theatres, and other fine buildings, were torn down for a dream city that was never to be. This tells all -
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In this 1929 photo, the former Olympia Theatre can be seen left of the Criterion Theatre. At that time is was being used as the Dainty Lunch Counter, with the slogan “All our cooks are mothers”.
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This site has info on the Academy XXX Cinema when it was still known as the Olympic
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/1837
From the book Vanished Splendor II and Doug Loudenback’s fine web site come these antique postcard images of the Criterion, Empress, and Olympic (AKA-Mondo, Academy XXX),
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A 1907 tinted postcard view (photo left) of the Olympic Theatre (AKA-Mondo Adult, Acadamy X) can be seen by typing in “oklahoma city view looking west #136"
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Also, the Empire Theatre is in distant left, Empress Theatre is distant right.
This opened as Academy on April 12th, 1968. Grand opening ad posted.
1908 and 1915 grand opening ads posted.