Admiral Twin is on Fire

[Townsend]

Wow.

Congrats on the restraint.

[Hoss]

Congrats on the restraint.

I've been working on it.. at least I haven't seen a reference to 'T-Towne' in some time.

[dbacks fan]

I'm curious to see boiled's pic since he was so close that his cabbage got cooked from the heat.

[RecycleMichael]

I think waterboy has made some valid points about our blinding love for the place, without really knowing anything about the owner or the fire.

I liked going there and part of it was because it was cheaper than going to another theater. I also liked that we could talk and visit during the show without interupting the experience for others.

The reaction to the closing of a place that most Tulsans never went or hadn't gone since they were kids was wild.

[DolfanBob]

Alright you guys. Here's an idea. Steel ! 

[Red Arrow]

Rust?

[Bumby]

Wow...just wow.  

WB?  Parts of your posts sound like a bitter business owner that chafes within the constraints of floating peeps down a river that hasn't been open to much commercial navigation for years. A river with weird currents, low water dams that have killed, rumors of quicksand, protected wildlife areas and a history of flooding.  On top of that....families who might not possess any experience with watercraft or rivers would be your potential customers...just a tump away from disaster.  Quite a different scenario from a drive in theater where the customers drive themselves.

I liked the Admiral Twin.  I grew up in Tulsa and remember the long driveway before 244 went through.   Many times driving down I-244 at night, I checked out the screens.  Please don't tell my insurance agent that I might have been intermittently distracted within a span of 10 seconds, I might not be able to renew.  During the day, I admired the quirky architecture.  I want that sort of stuff for Tulsa.

It's not just fuzzy memories and there are plenty wrapped around the Admiral Twin....I just can't for the life of me understand the worry behind the what ifs of a fire breaking out during a show.  Couldn't most people get their family to safety with a car for shelter or their legs for conveyance within 8 friggin acres?  If safety is such a concern... why let kids play in front of the screens...couldn't a car careen off the Crosstown and run them down?  

edited to get around the what the frick filter.

[waterboy]

Typical. Attack the poster, the river, the masses....anything to keep from addressing issues.

I loved the drive-ins too. The Capri, The Bellaire, The 51. They are all good memories. (you actually ever been on the river?) In fact I was watching "Zacharia" at a drive-in theatre in Norman Okla. when a huge tornado was bearing down upon us and the drive in owner was smart enough to give us warning to exit. Of course the one exit clogged immediately, cars bumped into each other and it was pretty much chaos when the wind started blowing sand and chat in our faces. I remember those crowd dynamics.

Better hurry on those donations. The rush to build drive-ins is in full bloom across the country, You may not be able to find any labor or steel to rebuild Tulsa's icon.

[sauerkraut]

Growing up in Metro-Detroit we had alot of Drive-In's, but they are all gone now, The Admiral Twin let people come in early and have a picnic on the grounds, perhaps if they get too many donations - they can use the  extra money to re-model or fix up the projection houses and do something about that field of speaker posts- maybe even get them working. The drive-in is getting rare across America. It'll be great to get the Admiral Twin up and humming once more.

[sauerkraut]

Rust?

They can re-build the screen frame the way the build those electrical transmission towers with galvenized steel to avoid rust, steel will stand up to high winds better than wood. That would be the way to go even if it costs more. They may be able to get it covered by insurance if it was steel framed.

[Conan71]

They said this morning there was minimal electricity in the tower and that the best liklihood was the fire was started by someone, most likely an accident.

"Fire investigators say they've all but ruled out arson. They say it's because indicators have not pointed in that direction.

"The investigation is leaning towards an accidental fire that was set by human involvement somehow," said Bill French, Tulsa Fire Department.

An electrical cause has also been ruled out because there was very little to no electricity running to the screens. French also said due to the time of day and the clear skies, it could not have been lightning.

"Because it was nothing but a wooden structure used to reflect a movie screen, there was nothing inside it that would have caused the fire to start," he said. "So you are talking about a very large heavy wooden structure that somehow started on fire."

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=13113334

[carltonplace]

As long as they are rebuilding, why not make a next generation drive in without projectors and replace the screen with gigantic 3D Sony XBRs

[sgrizzle]

As long as they are rebuilding, why not make a next generation drive in without projectors and replace the screen with gigantic 3D Sony XBRs

.. and put a stage on the other side for "drive in concerts" and..

[Townsend]

.. and put a stage on the other side for "drive in concerts" and..

...and get a beer and wine license for those of us who might not just sneak it in all the time...

[waterboy]

I know a place that has an existing digital screen that could be upgraded for less than rebuilding a drive-in. It has a large grassy playground below it with picnic or stage capabilities, lots of parking, covered and uncovered bleachers in place, a great sound system and pretty good concession stands. All in place ready to go.

The Drillers just left the place.