| Updated: 9/03/2010 11:53 pm |
Published: 9/03/2010 1:58 pm
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The scene for drivers along I-244 is not the same. The iconic 9-story screen of the Admiral Twin Drive-In has burned to the ground. Fox 23’s Douglas Clark has the story.
“We’ve been here since 1951. The city seems to love this place. We love being here. It’s going to be difficult,” says co-owner Blake Smith.
It was not just a theater but a Tulsa icon – one of the last remaining souvenirs of a by-gone era. Now, the Admiral Twin Drive-In may never be what it once was.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever be back. We’d like to be back,” says Smith.
The Admiral Twin Drive-In was built in 1951 and became famous in the 1983 movie The Outsiders.
It is one of the last remaining drive-ins in the country. Now, after years of showing comedies and dramas, the theater is dealing with real-life drama of its own. Around 2 p.m., a person driving along 244 spotted the iconic theater on fire. Flames were shooting hundreds of feet in the air.
“The fire was at the very top of the theater and it was burning straight down,” says witness Bill Anderson. “Yeah, it’s a shame.”
Thirteen fire trucks rushed to the scene, but crews had to battle high winds and search for the nearest water supply.
“Because of the distance from the highway and access to fire hydrants, we had a hard time getting water to these units,” says Tulsa Fire Department spokesperson Bill French.
It was too late to save the beloved structure. The owners weren’t able to get insurance on the screen, because it was so old. Right now, they’re not sure if they can rebuild.
“It broke my heart. It’s still breaking my heart. It’s hard to look because that tower was such an icon of Tulsa,” says Smith.
There is now a Facebook campaign devoted to raising money so the theater can rebuild. The owners have set up a fund for donations at the Security Bank at 51st & 169.
