HISTORY...
The Sooner Theatre
opened her doors for the first time in 1929 as the first movie
theatre in the region built to show "talking pictures." Local
architect Harold Gimeno spared no expense while building the Spanish
Gothic Style building, spending over $200,000. Mosaic tile and
Italian marble were imported for the project, and a special ladies'
lounge was installed on the mezzanine level. A soundproof cry-room
at the back of the orchestra level accommodated babies. The ceiling
is adorned with 252 Spanish coat-of-arms, which were hand painted by
the Patricio Gimeno, the architect's father. The theatre even
boasted refrigerated air and cooled water fountains.
The audience gasped in
surprise when the first "talkie," Alias Jimmy Valentine played;
the actors were speaking! After working frantically throughout
that first show to cue the oversized records with the miles and
miles of cellophane tape, the projectionist quit in disgust.
Moving pictures were "too darn complicated" and, he predicted,
they would not last. Luckily, motion pictures have lasted, and
so did the Sooner Theatre, at least until the 1970s. It was
during this time that movie theatres became multiplexes and the
single screened Sooner just couldn't keep up with the demand. In
1975, the Sooner Theatre closed with Attack of the Amazons. It
seemed that the only future visitor the Sooner Theatre could
look forward to was the wrecking ball.
A dedicated group of
citizens refused to lose the theater, and appealed to the City
of Norman under the aegis of The Sooner Theatre, Inc. The City
agreed to purchase the theatre and lease her to them for a
dollar per year. After the first phase of restoration, Norman's
own "Grand Dame" opened her doors again in 1982 as a community
performing arts center. The theatre is now listed on both the
State and National Registry of Historic Places, and hosts a
variety of shows, ranging from ballet and opera to concerts,
plays and musicals. Visit the Sooner Theatre today to find out
why she's so special!
Visit The Sooner
Theatre for more information...
The Sooner Theatre is
a rental and is not partnered with Vacant Era Films or the
Vacant Era Film Festival. |
