I found this snapshot at an estate sale a few weeks ago and am trying to figure out where these buildings were/are.
As you can see, the date on the photo is September '68, and the only thing written on the back is "Oklahoma."
Any clues, anyone?
This photo was taken on February 20, 2009.
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postpanglossian (40 months ago | reply)
wow, this is great - an early dashboard shot?
love the faded quality too, makes it feel like a hot parking lot in summer..
postpanglossian (40 months ago | reply)
I wonder if they were inflatable, weren't people doing that then?
Lynne's Lens (40 months ago | reply)
I know that there was a building at the OKC Fairgrounds with an inflatable roof, but it was coverted to a standard roof a few years ago. That building is still around and looks nothing like these.
But, you're right, from the photo, it looks like these could have been inflatable. Interesting!
army.arch (40 months ago | reply)
Hey Lynne, would you mind changing the settings so that we can see the original size? Or post a couple of close-up scans of the domes? thanks
Ed Brodzinsky (40 months ago | reply)
I'd say maybe something sports related, interesting that there are two of them plus whatever that structure is over to the right in the foreground
illtakeyourphoto! (40 months ago | reply)
Are there words going around the edge of the domes? It looks like it.
army.arch (40 months ago | reply)
That's what I thought too. That's why I was wondering if Lynne could let us see the original size of the scan.
Lynne's Lens (40 months ago | reply)
Okay, I've been looking at this photo for two weeks with a loop and couldn't decipher anything. Then, I decided to crop it really tightly here on Flickr and BINGO! The writing says, "Gone With the Wind."
So, these were movie theaters? I have never, ever seen these buildings in OK -- has anyone else?
Time to start going through the newspaper archives to see what I can find....
army.arch (40 months ago | reply)
So they were Cinerama Domes then. That should make it easier to figure out where they were located.
MathueTI (40 months ago | reply)
I'm going to chime in and say these are Cinerama domes as well. Where, I've not a clue, though there are such domes still in San Jose, CA
These show gray roofs, not patterned like in the image.
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maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&h l=en&geo...
army.arch (40 months ago | reply)
YES!! These are the Century 21 Theaters in Sacramento, CA (the ones in San Jose were constructed by the same theater chain).
Here's the Cinema Treasures link:
cinematreasures.org/theater/6574/
They're at 1590 Ethan Way, Sacramento, CA.
The tipoff is the high tension wires in the background.
Here's an aerial view.
As far as I can determine there were no Cinerama Domes in Oklahoma. Films shot in Cinerama were shown at the Cooper Theater in Oklahoma City. Oh and Gone with the Wind came out in Cinerama in 1967 [you gotta love the internet].
Lynne's Lens (40 months ago | reply)
Yes, I've looked around and can't find any Cinerarma Domes here, either. Wonder why "Oklahoma" is written on the back of the photo, though. It will have to remain a mystery, I suppose.
illtakeyourphoto! (40 months ago | reply)
Perhaps Oklahoma was the movie they saw?
I have seen a movie in the domes in Sacramento.
Lynne's Lens (40 months ago | reply)
That's a possibilty -- hadn't thought of that.
beechlights (40 months ago | reply)
That's a really cool photo. Interesting thinking about who took it, what was happening in the world then.
Happyshooter (40 months ago | reply)
I agree with army.arch that those are the Century 21 Theaters in Sacramento. The partial building on the right belonged to a restaurant that I used to frequent. Rare Earth or something close to it and was a restaurant with lots of fresh healthy stuff on the menu.
I used to live only a block and a half from there in the mid-seventies so I've been there many times to catch movies on slow days and nights. I do recognize where it's shot from.
ak5x (40 months ago | reply)
Oklahoma the movie was relesaed in late 1955 or early 1956. The date on the photo development says 1968 and the automobiles seem to agree with 1968 ish. It could still be where they saw Oklahoma provided the domes were there in 1955/1956.
I found the following post and dates of the Sacramento location:
The original large dome theatres were wonderful, but were both cut in half more than 25 years ago. I hope they have the sense to restore them back to the way they were- it makes me sad to drive by them now. It's the area's oldest first-run theatre, having opened with the front dome in 1967, the second one in 1968, adding the 2 smaller domes in 1974 and twinning the second dome, other dome was twinned in 1978 and 8 new theatres were added in 1994. I won't go to any of them until they bring back the 2 big domes though.
posted by AlanSmithee on Apr 30, 2004 at 12:03am
from: cinematreasures.org/theater/6574/
jaydex (39 months ago | reply)
i remember seeing a whoopi goldburg movie "Boys on the side" at this movie theatre in sacramento in the '90's
Cinematour (39 months ago | reply)
Syufy Luxury Theatres built a series of these domes all over the west. There were only a few were built so close to each other like this and fewer still that are still open.
I would agree that these are probably Century 21 and 22 in Sacramento (assuming the dome in the background is the same size as the one in the foreground). Otherwise it COULD be the Century 21 Oakland, Century 21 Reno or even Century 21 Salt Lake. But I tend to agree -- Century Complex in Sacramento.
okc_rn (33 months ago | reply)
The only Cinerama venue that I am aware of that was in the OKC area, was the old Cooper Theatre Downtown. Certainly not one of these. . But, it is an interesting question!
illtakeyourphoto! (33 months ago | reply)
Here is The Cooper.
Gone_And_Here (29 months ago | reply)
I grew up in las Vegas, and we had one of these, just a single dome, called the CInedome (of course). Built in '81 by Syufy, It was torn down in 2001. Which is right on course for the average building lifespan in vegas!
What I remember the most about this place was the staggering SIZE of the theatres themselves- it felt like they could seat about 3 times as many people as the modern theatre!
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bentramer2003 (21 months ago | reply)
These were great theaters when they were new, but in the 70s a wall was put down the middle of both of them to divide each into 2 theaters- and they're STILL that way now! Don't know why people still go to them.
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hmdavid (5 months ago | reply)
The architect for all of the dome theaters in the Century chain was Vincent G. Raney. The very first dome was the Century 21 in San Jose.