Cinema Mayflower

1133 NW 23rd Street,
Oklahoma City, OK 73111

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Showing 18 comments

Cimarron
Cimarron on July 5, 2016 at 6:08 pm

Pic added to photo section showing original neon sign.

Chris1982
Chris1982 on November 6, 2015 at 10:40 pm

NeonSky, your link takes you to hotels, no photo of the former theatre. Other links are dead links.

moviegoer1958
moviegoer1958 on November 6, 2015 at 10:01 am

went there in high school, that’s where I saw my first X-rated movie

NeonSky
NeonSky on December 26, 2012 at 12:21 pm

Does anyone remember the Mayflower Lounge that used to be next door to the cinema? I understand it burned down in ‘62 or '63. Thanks.

whorton
whorton on July 13, 2012 at 10:20 am

The Mayflower theatre was a soft core porn theatre until the end. They had tried to convert to showing video presentations, as the 35mm soft porn supply had dried up and died. They did a scant business for about a year before going belly up.

I was the last union projectionist there for (IATSE local 380).

Their business was not very good, as on a good day, they might sell 30 tickets.

Wesley Horton AIDA

raybradley
raybradley on March 23, 2011 at 8:47 pm

Modern day view of former Mayflower Cinema,

View link

seymourcox
seymourcox on July 17, 2010 at 1:08 pm

Now a Chinese Buffet, this site has photos of a snow covered Mayflower Cinema,
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/526

Stagehandguy
Stagehandguy on August 2, 2009 at 1:09 am

I once rented a spotlight to Planet Earth club 1993-94? for a DEICIDE concert there. The entire back line (guitar amps) were running on an extension cord and plugged into the projection booth. Seventy five feet of extension cord WAY overloaded gets HOT!!! :) It kept popping the breaker when I would run the little spotlight and the lead singer of the death metal band Deicide told the crowd over the sound system he was going to sacrafice me to the devil if it went off again. Wow I loved those days… And I didn’t get paid.

NeonSky
NeonSky on March 2, 2009 at 4:39 pm

View link

Click the above link for a view of the Mayflower in 1975. Photo
courtesy of Jeff Chapman Collection.

NeonSky
NeonSky on March 2, 2009 at 4:37 pm

Yes Roadsideok that was the Mayflower. The structure
was completely reconfigured as the Asian restaurant and
is thus unrecognizable. I will post a photo of the old Mayflower
in my next post so you guys can see what it looked like in the 70s.

Cimarron
Cimarron on February 22, 2009 at 6:54 pm

The above pic looks to be in the right locale for the old Mayflower. I do believe you may have found it.

krcrook
krcrook on February 17, 2009 at 10:07 pm

It was a live music venue just after it closed as a theater called Planet Earth. I was involved in the OKC music scene in the early ‘90’s and attended several shows there. It was quite interesting to explore the backstage area and see the old equipment there. The screen was retained at thus time, and light shows ans such were shown behind the bands. It didn’t last long in that role, though, it was my understanding that it was too expensive to operate.
I remember the restaurant as well, Hong Kong Garden – it was very nice inside and had pretty good food, It was there until at least 2002, when I moved out of the Gatewood area.
What I recall most about the Mayflower were the octagonal windows above the marquee that had etched images of ships and were framed in polished aluminum.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 19, 2008 at 6:38 pm

The Mayflower was a restaurant in 1999:
http://tinyurl.com/4ux58g

NeonSky
NeonSky on November 24, 2008 at 8:46 am

It was a porno cinema long before 1980s — I remember when it was
showing skin flicks as early as 1971, 72…

missmelbatoast
missmelbatoast on March 22, 2007 at 10:05 am

During the early 1980s the Cinema Mayflower specialized in Viet Namese language films. It was an X-rated porn grind house from 1984 through 1991.

xxx
xxx on April 1, 2005 at 4:31 pm

Mayflower Cinema 1937-1991, Streamline styling, now a Budhist Temple, 600 seats, Barton Cinemas, Hill, Sorey, & Hill, architects. This was originally sister to the Bison Theatre in OKC’s northeast section. Mayflower structure has now been completely restyled into brightly colored, lavish Oriental design.
WHEN does Cinema Treasures plan on posting new photos on its web site?