question: mwc theatres timeline

[Bazooka Joe]

me and my sister were having a discussion. i insisted that at one time, midwest city had 10 screens: 5 at heritage plaza, 3 inside the mall, and 2 at apollo. although i can not recall if all 10 of these screens were all first run. from my recollection, the 8 with the heritage moniker were first run at the time when apollo was budget.

she insists that apollo closed it doors before heritage 5 opened.

i do recall seeing "top gun" and "transformers-the movie" (both released in 1986) both at heritage 5 while i also have memories of seeing "national lampoons-european vacation", "pee wee's big adventure" & "back to the future" (all released in 1985) all at apollo.

she believes that sometime between 1985 and 1986 apollo theatre closed it doors, thus from her perspective, mwc went from having 5 theatres (mall + apollo) to 8 theatres (mall + heritage 5)..but never 10 screens at any given timeline.

i have a fuzzy memory, but i think i remember "return of the jedi" playing at heritage 5, which if that memory is correct would prove me correct as that film came out in 1983.

so who is right? was all 10 screens in coexistence at the same time?? (even if it was for a short time)

was apollo ever a budget theatre? or did it close it doors still billed as a first run theatre?

i do remember towards the end of heritage 5, that they went to becoming a budget theatre. some of the last movies i remember seeing at heritage 5 were "lord of the ring" and jim carrey's "the grinch".

[so1rfan]

A look at the December 17, 1987 Daily Oklahoman has ads for the Apollo Twin showing Eddie Murphy's Raw, Heritage Plaza Five showing Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Heritage Mall 3 showing Leonard Part 6. All first run movies at the same time.

Found another article that stated Heritage Plaza opened March 21, 1986.

[dances with cameras]

It seems I remember them all being open at the same time, at least for a short while. However, the Apollo, (which I frequented when I was in junior high), started to become sorta run-down around the same time that the Heritage 5 was getting better movies. I was pretty cool having the theatre in HPM though, especially when you couldn't drive yet. La Pizza and then a movie--man that was livin'...

[Bimmerdude]

Hahaha...I remember going to the Apollo to go see Soul Man. Memories.

[dmoor82]

3 at one time now NONE! that sux!

[bombermwc]

I'll second that. We need at least a 10 screen-er like Hollywood in Norman. Stick that sucker over part of the old craptastic mall.

[rondvu]

I can remember Soldier Creek drive in at the corner of NE 15th and Douglas as well as the Sooner Twin at NE 29th and Sooner Rd. I was told (this was before my time) that on Adair Blvd, approximately where the Autumn House sits was a drive in called The Tinker drive in.

[UnclePete]

Seems like I remember a drive-in at SE 15th and Douglas Blvd and seems like the name was The Bomber, and the only other movie in town was "downtown" near the strip called the Skytrain.

I can remember Soldier Creek drive in at the corner of NE 15th and Douglas as well as the Sooner Twin at NE 29th and Sooner Rd. I was told (this was before my time) that on Adair Blvd, approximately where the Autumn House sits was a drive in called The Tinker drive in.

[soonerfaithful]

Wasn't the SkyTrain on it's last legs when Apollo opened? First movie I saw was with my grandfather at SkyTrain. The day I was introduced to a John Wayne movie, True Grit.

[plmccordj]

I hope Midwest City will eventually add a movie theater to all the building that is going on there.