Vintage Leachman Theater - Stillwater, OK
Posted by: hamquilter
N 36° 07.004 W 097° 03.530
14S E 674704 N 3998640
The Leachman Theater operated over 30 years after World War II.
Waymark Code: WMZ0N7
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 08/21/2018
Views: 4
On the northwest corner of 5th and Main, the old Leachman Theater is now occupied as Furniture Showcase. The theater was opened in June, 1948 by owner Claude Leachman. It was a fancy theater and caught the attention of all. The first movie to play here was Bride Goes Wild with Van Johnson and June Allyson. The cost was 50 cents, with children under eleven, 10 cents.
Art Deco murals graced the walls, which can still be seen in the furniture store. The theater was true state-of-the-art for its day. Mr. Leachman refused to play R-rated movies at his theater, which eventually resulted in the theater's demise, and it closed in the 1980's. Mr. Leachman died in 1983.
The brick theater has a flat wrap-around canopy over the entrance, with the ticket booth located under the canopy, outside the building. Atop the marquee is a neon spire which remains today.
This link shows a photo of the theater when it played "The Big Circus" in 1959. Leachman