Located in downtown Norman is the Sooner Theatre. Originally it was built in 1929 as the first talkie, or non silent movie theatre. Designed by local architect Harold Gimeno it was a top of the line building of its time. It had new features such as air conditioning and chilled water fountains. The entire ceiling of the theatre is covered hand painted Spanish coat-of-arms to complement the building’s Spanish gothic style. When movie became much more popular, the single screen theatre couldn't keep up with the new multi-screen cinemas and in 1975 the theatre closed. Thanks to a group of people dedicated to the preservation of the building, they convinced the City of Norman to purchase the property and rent it out at a $1 a month. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and after restoration the theatre opened back up in 1982.
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