Sooner Theater

Sooner Theater. . Norman's first “talkie” movie theater, the Sooner, was designed, constructed and owned by notable Norman architect Harold Gimeno in 1928/1929. (Population of Norman in 1930 - 9,603). Designed in the Spanish revival style, the structure remains basically unaltered and is believed to be the state's oldest surviving example of the Spanish style movie house. The theater's design reflected the latest in movie house construction, which included a refrigerated water cooling system and a cry room. The cost of the theater and movie equipment was $200,000. The theater was opened on February 10, 1929 and featured the talking movie “Alias Jimmy Valentine”. , The site of the Sooner Theater had long been associated with social and cultural activities. Shortly after the land run, on April 22, 1889, the first Fourth of July celebration was held and a large brush arbor was erected at Main Street just east of the tracks. At the invitation of town officials, Big Jim's band of Absentee Shawnee Indians came in from their camp east of Norman to perform a stomp dance to a crowd estimated at 1,500. By the end of 1889 the first brick building in Norman, the Adkins Brick Building, was erected here. Norman's first Christmas and New Year's dances were held in the Adkins. Gimeno purchased the Adkins Building in 1928, razing it to make way for the present building. , The Sooner Theater was greatly appreciated and loved during the depression of the thirties and World War II. The theater closed in June 1974 and fell into disrepair. A dedicated group of citizens encouraged the City to purchase the building from Gimeno and they promised to then restore the old theater to its former beauty. The City of Norman purchased the theater in 1977 and leased it to the non-profit Sooner Theatre of Norman, Inc. The Sooner Theater was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.