Tulsa's Circle Cinema Receives Restoration Ahead Of 95th Anniversary

Tulsa's Circle Cinema is getting a facelift just in time for its 95th birthday.

The marquee at Circle Cinema was installed in the 50s, and the goal is to get it looking as good as it did back then.

With the neon tubes safely removed, Roderick Kauley sanded away the old, red paint to make way for a fresh coat. He said he's proud to help restore a piece of Tulsa history.

"It's definitely not a normal project, it's pretty cool to be a part of. A lot of my family has had a part in different parts of Tulsa. My grandpa was part of the crew that built the Zingo. My uncle was part of the crews that took it down, and now here I am painting a part of Tulsa history," Kauley said.

Ryan Thomas with Circle Cinema said it's been about 10 years since the sign has seen this kind of attention.

"It may look a little rough right now, but trust me next week it's gonna look fantastic," he said.

Thomas said the sign has showcased movies for decades, dating back to some old war flicks.

"There was a World War II film called 'Retreat Hell' that we got a great picture of and that's actually on the marquee in the photo that we based this current look on from the 50s," he said.

Thomas said for the next week, workers will repaint the porcelain sign, and fix any broken neon tubes so they can be refitted back on the marquee.

"It was about time for it with our 95th birthday coming up. There's really no better occasion to get it looking good again," he said.

He wants to remind people that you can actually take out personal messages on the sign for things like birthdays or graduations.