Poncan Theater

Poncan Theater. . , Built in 1927, the Poncan Theater experienced the transition between live performances and “the new talking pictures.” It was the fifth and grandest theater in a town of 16,000 people. Boller Brothers, an architectural firm from Kansas City, designed the theater. By the late 1920s Carl and Robert Boller came to rule the theater design business in the mid and southwest. Styles such as this Spanish Colonial Revival became their specialty. The Plaza Theater in Kansas City and KiMo in Albuquerque are well known theaters which were designed by the firm. Several of their theaters, including the Poncan, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. , When constructed, the Poncan cost $280,000 and it helped transform Ponca City from just another dusty oil town into a city which is known for its cultural offerings. The Poncan is one of the few surviving atmospheric theaters in the country. These theaters were very popular because they transported audiences from their everyday world into different and often exotic places. The interior of the Poncan was created to simulate a romantic outdoor Mediterranean courtyard. , The building was designed for legitimate theater with special lighting effects and equipment. During the early days vaudeville, singing, opera, drama and dancing were combined with a featured silent movie. They were accompanied by a $22,500 Wurlitzer organ, two concert pianos and The Poncan Theater Orchestra. , The latest Pathe newsreels were received direct from New York, Chicago and the west coast twice weekly by airmail. The film was then edited and assembled by manager Fred Pickrel and shown to local audiences before being sent on to other Oklahoma towns. This special service was made possible only because Pickrel was former manager of the Pathe Exchange in Oklahoma City. , By 1929 it became apparent that the “talkies” were here to stay and the theater was wired for sound. The Depression created an abundance of empty seats across the nation. In an effort to boost attendance during the 1930s the Poncan, as well as other theaters featured Bank Night. Each patron was given a number and the numbers were drawn for a pool of money. If you were not present to win the pot increased. At times it reached over $600 and the crowd was so large they had to stand outside and listen through a loud speaker. , Theater attendance slipped again in the mid 1950s because of television. In 1955 the Poncan was remodeled. The marquee was enlarged, seats replaced, and a waterfall-type curtain replaced the original. Despite these changes, and the fact the musical instruments have been sold, one can still imagine the theater when the likes of Ethel Barrymore, Sally Rand, Admiral Byrd and a host of others took center stage either live or on the silver screen.