Thematic Survey of Historic Movie Theaters in Central Oklahoma, 2004-2005

Department of Geography, Oklahoma State University; Greiner, Alyson

From introduction: "The Department of Geography at Oklahoma State University represented by Dr. Alyson L. Greiner as the Principal Investigator and Marvin Sebourn as the Research Assistant, conducted a thematic survey of historic movie theaters in central Oklahoma during the 2004-2005 fiscal year. This survey was carried out under contract to the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. The survey covered Management Region #6, a seven-county area including Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties. Sixty-three movie theaters were photographed and documented using the Historic Preservation Resource Inventory Form. Many more properties were researched in the process of piecing together the chronology of movie theaters-including when they existed and where-for central Oklahoma. This document constitutes the project report for the thematic survey. It explains the research methods used, includes a discussion of the indoor and drive-in theaters surveyed, and presents the results of the project. The historic context provides background information on the rise of film, its diffusion, and impact on the material culture and quality of life. It presents national trends and discusses the ways in which Oklahoma's experience parallels or diverges from those trends. Particular emphasis is placed on establishing the basic social and economic history of indoor and outdoor movie theaters in Oklahoma from the days of silent film up to the present. The evolution of movie theater architecture is also examined. An annotated bibliography reviews the essential documents and publications related to the various facets of the history and architecture of movie theaters. Professor John Womack of the Department of Architecture at Oklahoma State University prepared the architectural review. Taken together, this information can be utilized to help determine the eligibility of specific properties for listing in the National Register of Historic Places." Funding was provided in part by a 2004 Historic Preservation Fund grant administered by the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (project number OK-04-401, grant number 40-04-19337) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Thematic Survey of Historic Movie Theaters in Central Oklahoma, 2004-2005

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