Will Rogers Theatre

4322 N. Western Avenue,
Oklahoma City, OK 73118

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Related Websites

Will Rogers Theater Events Center (Official)

Additional Info

Architects: Jack M. Corgan

Functions: Café, Special Events

Styles: Streamline Moderne

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 405.604.3015

Nearby Theaters

Will Rogers Theatre

The Will Rogers Theater was a handsome theater designed by architect Jack Corgan for Griffith Theatres which opened on September 18, 1946 with Fred MacMurray in “Smoky”. It was a dog-leg plan with the smallish lobby opening into a standee area and the auditorium on the right. The lobby featured an oil-on-linen mural by J. Craig Sheppard depicting scenes from Will Roger’s life. The auditorium had a fairly low ceiling of horizontally curved neon coves. There was a tiny stage.

Above the standee area were the projection booth, a cry room and two tiny offices. There was no balcony.

Architecturally, the theatre’s most impressive feature was its concrete, metal and neon vertical sign and curved/triangle marquee.

Contributed by Will Dunklin

Recent comments (view all 13 comments)

jchapman1
jchapman1 on July 8, 2007 at 10:42 am

Sharp pictures of the Will Rogers Theatre can be seen below.
http://www.agilitynut.com/theatres/ok.html

Rodney
Rodney on August 7, 2007 at 2:02 pm

Best vintage photos of the Will Rogers facade, lobby, and auditorium can be seen on Oklahoma Historical Society pages. Type in word “theatre”, then search.
View link

kpdennis
kpdennis on April 25, 2009 at 12:06 am

Some shots taken in 1995.
View link

missmelbatoast
missmelbatoast on July 24, 2009 at 10:31 am

This 1947 photo comes courtesy of LIFE. Though listed as being in Clarmore, it is actually the OKC Will Rogers Theater.
View link

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on March 24, 2010 at 7:18 pm

The Will Rogers was part of an article in Boxoffice back in March 1947:
http://tinyurl.com/yd9f7ug

seymourcox
seymourcox on July 17, 2010 at 12:38 pm

This site has fine vintage and modern photos of the Will Rogers Theatre,
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/484

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 30, 2014 at 6:54 pm

I haven’t had much luck finding stuff that has gone missing from earlier comments due to linkrot, but at least I found this page from Boxoffice of March 1, 1947, featuring a couple of interior photos of the Will Rogers Theatre at the bottom of the page.

rivest266
rivest266 on August 26, 2018 at 8:47 am

This opened on September 18th, 1946. Grand opening ad in the photo section.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on December 3, 2021 at 1:11 pm

1946 photo:

https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1552510/m1/1/?q=will%20rogers%20theatre&fbclid=IwAR1iN0W6IDOA9IrjqKkqZcn2WqWco5fftrE8XNlbUwqnU3bf0W3RhF_D7pg

May 31, 1939 Photo:

https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1552686/m1/1/?q=will%20rogers%20theatre&fbclid=IwAR2KJ8k5uvKAC-DIZa4VR1aS_HmOmlpWSzvI7Y0ZqMyGXp1FX7_0-bhCqzo

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