Vanishing Spaces

The Inca Theatre, located at 106 W. 7th, operated from 1934 to 1954. It opened on April 1, 1934 showing the film, “Bolero,” starring George Raft and Carole Lombard. Built in one month’s time, the theater was “beautifully decorated in the ancient Inca Indian motif, after which it was named” and seated about 470 moviegoers. L.L. Hancock, who had previously managed the Hippodrome, was the manager of the theatre at the time of its opening. See clippings about its construction and opening:

In December of 1934, Malcolm Cook of Oklahoma City leased the theatre from the Inca Amusement Co. After Cook’s death in 1939 at the age of 33, his widow sold his shares to Griffith Amusement Co., which was already part owner by that time and also operated the Orpheum and Yale Theatres. By 1945 the Inca was showing second-run movies, with the first-run films in Okmulgee being shown at the Orpheum and Yale. In 1950, the Inca was showing first-run films again. Live performances and gatherings of various kinds were also frequent events at the Inca.

The structure most recently housed an antique store. Office space comprised the second story, all of it now filled with the refuse of the years. Finding the seats pictured above, hidden in a dark corner, I drew the conclusion that we had discovered theatre seats from the old Inca. Sadly, I later read that the Inca’s chairs were set in concrete and had been specially upholstered in Grand Rapids, Michigan to match the building’s Inca Indian motif. These do not fit that description. And, according to building owner Helen Nygard, these came from a church somewhere. But still . . . .

The estate of Katie Fixico had an office in this building and the glass with her name on it in a door frame of one of the offices was seen a few years ago, but alas, it is now missing. Fixico was a wealthy Muscogee (Creek) woman whose land became one of the richest oil leases in Oklahoma. Her colorful life was highly publicized.

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Below, the Inca Theatre, 1939. “Frontier Marshal” (misspelled “Marshall” on the marquee) starring Randolph Scott, was showing. This theatre’s layout was unusual in that the screen was located in the front of the building. Historical photos courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society.