Downtown Movies Extreme Makeover

[Doug Loudenback]

In August 2006, I did my original, "Let's Go Downtown To The Movies" post. While I've tinkered with it since then, not until today did it get an "extreme makeover," so to speak. Many "re-scans" to improve earlier images' quality and many new images altogether.

The least of the change is to add several new "Harkins" pics at the end, taken mid-afternoon today. Here they are ... click on the links for larger (1024 px wide) views.

From Mickey Mantle Looking South Across Reno
Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49..._9_24_07_1.jpg



From Centennial Fountain Looking South
Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49..._9_24_07_4.jpg



From Bricktown Canal Looking Southwest
Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49..._9_24_07_5.jpg



Looking Southeast At The Harkins
Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49..._9_24_07_2.jpg



Looking North At The Centennial Fountain
Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49..._9_24_07_3.jpg



Looking Northwest Toward Downtown
Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49..._9_22_07_6.jpg



Zooming In
Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49..._22_07_6_2.jpg



But, the real "heart" of the revision are the several vintage pics which are new with this revision.

For example ...

Anthony Quinn in 1947 World Premier at the Midwest Theater
Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...dwest_1947.jpg



Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...est_1947_2.jpg



The Criterion
Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49..._criterion.jpg



And, I thought it would be fun to see what movies were playing downtown when I was born at St. Anthonys ... guess some of these movies help to explain parts of my personality!

Larger view: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...ads_7_1943.jpg



There's lots more at: Doug Dawgz Blog: Let's Go Downtown To The Movies

[Doug Loudenback]

I've again done a major expansion of the "Let's Go Downtown to the Movies" article at Doug Dawgz Blog: Let's Go Downtown To The Movies .

The main expansion is to focus on those theaters that are really ancient and would only have been seen by living persons if they're about 80-100 years old! No, I'm not that old (yet)!

A good bit of text has been added, not included here. Some of the new images shown are also shown below. The article also includes vintage movie ads during the 1920s.

The Folly

Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...y_1907_vsp.jpg



In the 1940s
Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...histlestop.jpg



The Metropolitan
Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...olitan_vsp.jpg



Dreamland (later the Capitol)
Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...ricphotos2.jpg



In the 1920s as the Capitol
Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...histlestop.jpg



Focusing in ...
Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...histlestop.jpg



The Empress
In 1923 ... Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...press_1923.jpg



In 1926 ... Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...s_111wmainsjpg



The Majestic & The Folly
Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...tic_1910s3.jpg



Larger: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...1910s3crop.jpg



There are still a few really old theaters I've not yet done (e.g., Isis, Palace, Lyric) but I'll get around to that later.

Enjoy!

[yukong]

You know Doug...every time I see photos of these old theaters I get both sick and angry. Imagine what we would have downtown if they had saved just one of these palaces? Imagine what we would have if the Criterion was still here. Or the Midwest. Restored back to their grandeur. I remember as a kid driving past the Criterion and thinking what a wonderful place that must be. I never was in it as I recall, but I remember it vaguely. Most major cities still have at least one of the old movie houses. San Antonio has one. It is beautiful. When I was in Seattle, they had saved and restored the old Paramount Theater. It was beautiful.

Our city leaders of the late 60s, early 70s were crazy for what they did to downtown. Destroying some of the great history. And if some had their way, we would have lost the Skirvin and the Colcord. We should have saved the Biltmore too.

Reminds me of the Joni Mitchell song, Big Yellow Taxi. On and on it seems to go...and you don't know what you've got till it's gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

[metro]

Thanks for the pics Doug! It's a shame we lost so much of our downtown character thanks to good old boy system Urban Renewal. It's a shame we still let them make bad decisions for us.

[DelCamino]

It is too bad that we lost a lot of buildings with great character. To continue to rag on Urban Renewal tho, doesn't do anything in moving us along towards a greater city. And, while there were obvious mistakes with the scope of the project, the plan wasn't all bad: we did get many good things out of it - the Myriad Convention Center, Liberty (Chase) Tower, a much need north/south thoroughfare in EK Gaylord Blvd, and the elimination of the jogs in the streets that created traffic gridlock.

While that era's decisions is debateable, I'm not aware of any bad decisions they are making today. The end products coming out of the ground today, as a result of OCURA are good, quality developments and are not bad.

[OKCMallen]

Those are gorgeous;l thanks Doug!

[flintysooner]

I remember going to the Criterion in the mid to late 60's. By that time it was well past any glory and was a venue for what passed for porn in those days. I do seem to recall maybe some kind of live transvestite show, too, but the details remain hidden.

We were definitely too young to be admitted legally but we had fake ids of some kind and the fellow taking the money didn't seem to care too much. I remember these two big dogs in the lobby. Everything was very shabby but even then you could appreciate what the place must have been like in earlier days.

Another time when I was a litlte older, in 1969 or 1970, a coworker and I slipped off from work to see the The Stewardesses. It was a 3D move and I think it was X-rated. I cannot remember the theater anymore but it was maybe the Midwest or the State - not sure. We had to get these special plastic glasses to see the 3D. We were afraid someone would see us and wore jackets and turned up the collars in a pitifully ineffective effort at disguise.

The theater was in better shape than the Criterion but it, too, was worn and I suspected it would not long remain a theater. And I think it was destroyed not long afterwards.

Actually I think destruction was better than the slow descent into dereliction and decay.

But I'm glad that I was able to at least see some of the old grand theaters.

[metro]

It is too bad that we lost a lot of buildings with great character. To continue to rag on Urban Renewal tho, doesn't do anything in moving us along towards a greater city. And, while there were obvious mistakes with the scope of the project, the plan wasn't all bad: we did get many good things out of it - the Myriad Convention Center, Liberty (Chase) Tower, a much need north/south thoroughfare in EK Gaylord Blvd, and the elimination of the jogs in the streets that created traffic gridlock.

While that era's decisions is debateable, I'm not aware of any bad decisions they are making today. The end products coming out of the ground today, as a result of OCURA are good, quality developments and are not bad.

See "The Hill at Bricktown" although it's not in Bricktown, Legacy Summit at Arts Central, and Overholser Green.

[DelCamino]

See "The Hill at Bricktown" although it's not in Bricktown, Legacy Summit at Arts Central, and Overholser Green.

I disagree. I was at the presentation meeting held by OCURA, and while The Hill may not have been what some people believed was the best presentation, it isn't a 'bad' product. It's serving the stated need for that type of downtown residence and is actually coming out of the ground. The proposal many liked, including myself, by McDermitt and company was good too, but in light of the delay in construction with their Triangle projects (that have been discussed of late on this forum), it's not clear that would have happend.

Legacy - yeah, it could have been better designed, but I'll take what is now there over a vacant field for the past 30 years. Also, there weren't any other proposals for that project except for Henderson's.

And I sat on the citizens recommending committee for the Mercy site project. There's nothing at all wrong with Overholser Green. It was no contest when compaired to the Ellard project - their financial numbers didn't work, they couldn't answer the questions about such when asked, the the project itself overall, was inferior to the Wiggin proposal.