Tower Theater
113 W. Broadway Street,
Drumright,
OK
74030
113 W. Broadway Street,
Drumright,
OK
74030
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Griffith Amusement Company
Architects: Jack M. Corgan, William J. Moore Jr., B. Gaylord Noftsger
Firms: Corgan & Moore
Styles: Art Deco
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A true treasure of Art Deco style architecture was the 702-seat Tower Theater. It opened on August 17, 1937 with Kenny Baker in “Mr Dodd Takes the Air”. Exterior and interior decorative detail were well balanced, without losing that special “promise” only an Art Deco style could deliver. It was destroyed by a furnace fire on December 11, 1944.
It was rebuilt, reopening on June 14, 1946 with Barbara Stanwyck in “The Bride Wore Boots”. It was still open in 1965, but has since been demolished.
Contributed by
Mrs. Settinghen
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
View 1937 excellent interior/exterior photos by typing in word “tower”,
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Want to know what the OKC Villa Theatre originally looked like? Then look at this cinema, for the Tower was sister to the Villa (a balcony enabled the Villa to have larger seating capacity).
The original Tower Theatre in Drumright, opened in 1937 by the Griffith Amusement Company, burned on December 11, 1944. Rebuilding was delayed due to wartime shortages. Boxoffice Magazine of March 30, 1946, announced that the opening of the rebuilt Tower was scheduled for April 12 that year.
1937 photo added credit Griffith Amusement Company Collection 21500.63.1, courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society. One comment said it was on the North side of Broadway a half block West of Pennsylvania Avenue. Couldn’t find anything that looked like it or it’s neighbor based on the 1937 photo. No address in subsequent searches.
The actual opening date is August 17, 1937 with Kenny Baker in “Mr. Dodd Takes The Air” along with the Ina Ray Hutton short “Swing, Hutton, Swing”, the Charlie McCarthy and Edger Bergen short “Double Talk”, and the Merrie Melodies cartoon “Sweet Sioux”.
The December 11, 1944 explosion and fire happened exactly 30 minutes after its last show, “Irish Eyes Are Smiling”, have ended at 11:45 PM, with an estimate cost of $75,000 in damages. The entirety of the fire was caused by a gas furnace located in the rear of the building. The manager, Tom Kirkham, also reported that the fire lost all of their furniture from inside his office, as well as damage being reported at the neighboring Howard Hands Auto Parts store. Although the theater was completely burned down, the projection booth was still standing with all of its projection and film being attached. The fire forced the Tower’s movie schedule to move to the Midwest Theatre.
The Tower Theatre reopened on June 14, 1946 with Barbara Stanwyck in “The Bride Wore Boots” along with an unnamed cartoon, a unnamed musical short, and a sportsreel. The Tower Theatre was still open in 1965.