Cooper Cinerama Theatre

On December 13, 1915, Paramount Pictures Inc. opened their modish Craftsman/Mission style Liberty Theatre, complete with a billiard parlour on the spacious mezzanine. A new innovation resurlted in supurb picture quality - the projection booth was located on the ground floor.

When Paramount almost went bankrupt in the mid-1930’s, Warner Bros. took this opportunity to seize control of the 1,700-seat Liberty Theatre, which was on the same block as their Warner Theatre & Midwest Theatres.

Ownership again changed to Cooper Foundation Theaters Inc. in the late-1940’s, and the original facade and lobby were razed to make wasy for a sleek new look. The auditorium was also modernised, all to the plans of architect’s Boller & Lusk, with decorations by interior decorator Hanns Teichert. At this time it was renamed Harber Theatre.

Cinerama equipment was installed around 1953, half of the balcony was blocked off to reduce seating capacity down to 1,100. On June 19, 1958 it re-opened as the Cooper Theatre with “Windjammer” presented in Cinemiracle.

Thoughout its long life, this movie palace remained profitable, until know-it-all Urban Renewal said the old downtown movie theatre had to come down in the mid-1970’s…..and it closed September 2, 1975, and was razed in 1976.

Recent comments (view all 44 comments)

Mikeoaklandpark on February 4, 2014 at 8:30 am

Wow this theater looks so much like the Gateway theater in Ft Lauderdale. Pull it up and see.

Cimarron on February 6, 2014 at 8:39 pm

1953 Pic of Harber added to Photo Section.

Cimarron on February 23, 2014 at 9:51 pm

See 1925 Liberty Theatre Ad for “Phantom of the Opera” in Photo Section with some bargain prices.

Don Eldredge on February 28, 2014 at 2:16 pm

One of the many restorations of Gone With The Wind played there, I believe in 1966.

Cimarron on March 6, 2014 at 8:19 pm

Mid 60’s day time view pic added to Photo Section showing Cooper Theater on left side of street.

Cimarron on April 7, 2014 at 9:49 pm

Mickey Rooney, 1963 “It’s A……” uploaded in Photo Section.

OKCdoorman on October 20, 2015 at 3:47 pm

Closed for good on Tuesday, September 2, 1975 (ad states “Ends Today!”) with a new film that hadn’t even entered general US release yet, Fred Williamson and Lee Van Cleef in TAKE A HARD RIDE (Opened in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, August 27 here and also the Tower and South Park Theaters. Official 20th Century Fox release according to IMDB was over two months later on October 29.) and the 2nd feature GORDON’S WAR (1973). [Source: Oklahoma Journal]

Cimarron on October 31, 2015 at 9:17 pm

Early card pic of Liberty Theatre added to Photo Section.

rivest266 on August 21, 2018 at 6:06 pm

Reopened as Cooper on June 19th, 1959. Cooper Theatre opening Fri, Jun 19, 1959 – 10 · The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) · Newspapers.com

rivest266 on August 22, 2018 at 4:44 pm

December 13th, 1915 Liberty theater opening Mon, Dec 13, 1915 – 5 · The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) · Newspapers.com

No ad was found for February 1st, 1916.