Movie Trivia

[Doug Loudenback]

OK. I'm working on a new blog article, not a major article but hopefully an interesting one. (Yes, I know that I said I'd be turning to a new major article on Capitol Hill ... but that's going to be a huge task which will probably wind up being 50-75 pages or more and I'm not quite ready to start it just yet).

So, for now, let's see how old you are as well as how good your memory might be, as to what new topic might be. Of course, young pups are welcome to make a stab at the answers, as well, clueless though they might be. (Yes, that's a not-too-veiled condescending throwing down of the gauntlet.)

Here are two questions that give round-about-hints about the the topic's identity (and I've probably made the questions too easy ... if you get #1 and #2, you'll know the answer to #3) as well as the 3rd and ultimate question :

1. What is the longest running movie, playing in the same theater, that ever played in Oklahoma City, and,
   
2. How many weeks did it run?
   
3. What is the blog article's topic? (the ultimate question)
   

As to where the movie played and what it was NOT, here are two last hints: (1) The movie referenced was NOT in any of the May 3, 1967, movie ads in the Oklahoman page below, even though the theater was. (2) The movie, and the topic of the article either pre-or-post dates the movie ads below by about 1-2 years.



No prizes will be given other than bouquets of self-esteem for even partially correct replies. Hey, everyone needs self-respect, don't they?

I'll post the answers in a day or two -- or sooner IF ONE PERSON GIVES CORRECT ANSWERS TO EACH AND ALL OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS IN THE SAME REPLY.

To be considered the "winner," ALL 3 ITEMS must be answered IN THE SAME REPLY, e.g.,

1. Question 1: The Ten Commandments
2. Question 2: 8 weeks
3. The Topic: Criterion Theater

Partially correct or incomplete answers will be disregarded for ultimate winner purposes. You can make as many replies as you want, but don't forget to include ALL 3 ITEMS in the same reply.

Go for it ... give it your best shot(s)!

[FRISKY]

1. The Sound Of Music.
2. 82 weeks.
3. Tower Theater.

[Doug Loudenback]

1. The Sound Of Music.
2. 82 weeks.
3. Tower Theater.

Da-umm! 1st reply gets it correct. The Sound of Music opened 4/7/1965 and closed 11/1/1966, which is 573 days, 81.86 weeks, 82 with rounding (one more day and it would have been an even 82).

The 1st movie shown:





I took a few pics yesterday showing the progress on the signage. Lookin' good. (click pics for larger)

[metro]

Thanks for the pics Doug!!

[Platemaker]

Is the tagging next to the 'o' new?? That really p!$$#$ me off!

[papaOU]

Is the tagging next to the 'o' new?? That really p!$$#$ me off!

As it does me. Of course these people have no regard for human life, much less unattended property. We are becoming a minority it seems because in many cities this is considered "art." Yeah! Like the pictures and sayings on toilet walls!! %@#$&

[papaOU]

Doug, How long did Gone With the Wind run at the Cooper? Other than Cleopatra, it was the only other film shown there. To get tickets for Cleopatra you had to pick them up in advance. We purchased ours at the Sears on N.W.23. Wonder if some local promoter or ticket agency was responsible?

[Doug Loudenback]

Is the tagging next to the 'o' new?? That really p!$$#$ me off!

Yes, sad to say. The photo below was taken on May 28, 2009, and the stuff is not present. Click the image for a larger view.



The bastards waited until it was painted to relieve themselves of their bodily fluids and/or the content of their minds, as the case may be.

[Doug Loudenback]

Doug, How long did Gone With the Wind run at the Cooper? Other than Cleopatra, it was the only other film shown there. To get tickets for Cleopatra you had to pick them up in advance. We purchased ours at the Sears on N.W.23. Wonder if some local promoter or ticket agency was responsible?

Do you mean the Cooper (downtown) or the Tower (NW 23rd)? If you mean the Cooper, there were plenty of films shown there other than Gone With The Wind (if it played there, I've checked). I can check to see where GWTW played but in its initial release and later "re-releases" but I'm sure that it was at more than one theater -- maybe not the original release, though. I've not checked.

Cleopatra's 1st showing was at the Tower. It's part of the research I'm working on ... click for more ...



I don't know how long it ran ... my research isn't done.

[FRISKY]

Da-umm! 1st reply gets it correct. The Sound of Music opened 4/7/1965 and closed 11/1/1966, which is 573 days, 81.86 weeks, 82 with rounding (one more day and it would have been an even 82).

My first thought was Rocky Horror Picture Show.

[gen70]

My first thought was Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Me too.

[papaOU]

My first thought was Rocky Horror Picture Show.

That was at the May wasn't it? Later at the Will Rogers on Western.

[Prunepicker]

Doug, How long did Gone With the Wind run at the Cooper? Other than
Cleopatra, it was the only other film shown there.

That's not true. I saw other movies at the Cooper. 2001 was shown there
as a first run.

[USG '60]

That's not true. I saw other movies at the Cooper. 2001 was shown there
as a first run.

I was thinking it was where I saw Patton.

Doug, how long did Spartacus play at the Critereon? Over a year, wasn't it?

[papaOU]

Okay! Okay! Okay! It seemed to me that GWTW was the only film showing at the Cooper.

Maybe it's because my Mother talked into going with her and being a young lad, after the scene with all the Confederate wounded in the rail yard the movie began to suck really quick.

[Doug Loudenback]

I'll try to respond to above posts in a single reply:

Gone With The Wind: In 1954, MGM re-engineered the movie to make it wide-screen and made the movie available for its 5th general release. This version opened at the Warner in July 1954. At the Cooper, the movie opened on 11/1/1967 and ended 7/14/1968.

Spartacus: It opened at the remodeled Criterion in April 1961 and played for several months. It was playing as late as October 1961 and was done by December (when another movie was playing) but I couldn't find the exact end date.

Cleopatra: It opened early November 1963 at the Tower and ran through at least April 1964; may have been longer; by August 12, 1964, The Unsinkable Molly Brown was playing

Patton: According to IMDB, the movie was released April 2, 1970. I could find no ads for the movie until June 24, 1970, when Patton opened at the Westwood, 5956 NW 23 and ran there for many months. If it played at a downtown theater after its release, I could not find it.

Movies at the Cooper beginning 1961

1961: Ben Hur played for 29 weeks ending January 1961
Cooper was remodeled to become a Cinerama theater
1961: South Sea Adventure, January-June (Cinerama)
1961: Search For Paradise beginning in late June (Cinerama)
1961: This Is Cinerama beginning in October (Cinerama)
1962: Cinerama Holiday beginning in January ending in February (Cinerama)
1962: Seven Wonders of the World beginning in February (Cinerama)
1962: Windjammer beginning in April (Cinerama)
The Cooper then closed with an announcement that it would reopen in late summer 1962.
1962: Wonderful world of Brothers Grim beginning August 1962 (Cinerama)
1962: Best of Cinerama beginning November 1962 (Cinerama)
The Cooper then closed again but reopened in April 1963
1963: How The West Was Won beginning April 1963 ending November 1963 (Cinerama)
The Cooper closed again but reopened in 1964.
1964: Becket opened August 1964 (non-Cinerama, I think)
1965: Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines - not sure when it opened by it was showing by June - (non-Cinerama, I think)
1965: How The West Was Won opened October (Cinerama)
1965: Battle of the Bulge opened December 1965 and ran at least through April 1966(Cinerama)
1966: Dr. Zhivago opened June 1966 (non-Cinerama)
1967: Gran Prix opened February 1967 (non-Cinerama)
1967: Gone With The Wind opened November 1, 1967, ended July 14, 1968 (non-Cinerama)
1968: 2001 Space Odyssey opened July 1968 ended in February 1969 (Cinerama)
1969: The Shoes of the Fisherman opened March 1969 (non-Cinerama)
1969: Krakatoa, East of Java -- unsure of dates but it was playing in August
1969 seems to mark the end of classy movies at the Cooper. The few others I found between 1970 and 1975 (when the Cooper closed) are shown below.
1970: Equinox started May 1970 (non-Cinerama) and opened in 3 drive-ins at the same time (Sooner Twin, Winchester, Cinema 70)
1970: The Liberation of L.B. Jones in June 1970
1971: Honky and Let Him Go (both R) in November
1972: Slaughter (R) in August 1972 (non-Cinerama)

[Prunepicker]

The Cooper also took a stab at having midnight movies. The Centre was the
most successful in the early 70's.

The Cooper was a classy place, especially with that staircase to the right as
you walked in.

[Prunepicker]

The Continental was another great theater. Very high class (they served
orange juice). Every movie had an intermission.

[papaOU]

The Cooper also took a stab at having midnight movies. The Centre was the
most successful in the early 70's.

The Cooper was a classy place, especially with that staircase to the right as
you walked in.

Saw "The Strawberry Statement" as a midnight show at the Centre. Had seen it many times before but this crowd got really radical during the gymnasium scene which led to the ending.

Seems like I also saw Zachariah at the Center.

[gen70]

I saw "Lenny Bruce" at the Center. I did some electrical work at the Center and was all over the bld.. It was quite a place.

[gen70]

I'am glad it's still there and in use.

[Prunepicker]

I'am glad it's still there and in use.

It's now a very nice art museum.

[wheltzel]

My, how times change....

Wasn't the Cooper one of the Cinerama theatres? Never went there, but vividly remember putting on my very first "suit of clothes" (as Grandad used to call it) to attend the Continental for "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and "The Bible." Darn shame I was too young to appreciate the Cinerama technology. WIIIIIIDE screen and bigtime sound system.

Not to mention the intermission, clean floors and immaculate auditorium made quite an impact on this kid, whose main point of reference was the old Skytrain or Del City theatres. What? My feet arent sticking and there's no old crusty black wads of gum on the seat bottoms?

Can you IMAGINE, putting on a coat and tie to go to the movies today??

[papaOU]

I saw "Lenny Bruce" at the Center. I did some electrical work at the Center and was all over the bld.. It was quite a place.

Here is a little trivia question.

On Lenny Bruce's final live appearance, can you name the band that opened for him?

[rondvu]

I liked the newspaper adds for the movies. Is there a way to make it more sharp so you can see the theaters location and address's?