Rachel Whitney, Curator, Sapulpa Historical Museum
The Turkish & Greek immigrant family of James & Alexandria Zartaludes came to the United States with dreams of business and family. They lived at 525 S Oklahoma St and the Zartaludes begun purchasing theaters. James’ first theater job was at the ticket booth and sweeping the theater of Yale Nickelodeon in 1913. James went on to open, own, operate, and manage the Yale, State, Victorian (later Criterion), and then the Tee Pee Drive-In Theaters by the time he retired in October 1954.
The Yale Theater, located at 7-9 S Main was built in 1911. It opened the following year in 1912. In just two years, Zartaludes became a partner in 1914, and gained full ownership in 1936.
Twenty years later, tragedy struck. This week in Sapulpa history, the Yale Theatre caught fire.
“Three Sapulpa buildings and an estimated more than $300,000 went up in billowing clouds of smoke today as firemen battled for more than two hours before brining the fire under control. Completely destroyed were the Beard Building, Yale office building, and Yale Theater building.”
The fire began that morning on July 27, 1954 around 11 A.M.
“A fire alarm was turned in for a trash fire in the alley behind the Yale Theater, but then almost immediately, flames began spouting from the roof of the Beard Building and every piece of fire fighting equipment was rushed to the area.”
It became a challenge to control and “a Tulsa pumper was rushed over to help in the battle against the flames and was immediately placed on standby while the crew pitched in to help the Sapulpa Department in its battle against the roaring fire.”
At the time, “the Theatre was operated by the Griffin Theatre chain, and managed by Jimmy Zartaludes.” The Yale Theatre building was owned by Mrs. Carl Herrman.
“Zartaludes only about two months ago had become the sole owner of the Beard Building which was completely destroyed in the blaze.”
A similar description to many of the previous town fires stated “a column of thick, black smoke towered hundreds of feet into the air as the fire reached its peak and gradually turned lighter in color as the firemen continued to pour tons and tons of water into the doomed buildings and onto the roofs of the threated buildings adjacent.”
With the struggle, “three Sapulpa firemen were injured slightly in battling the flames and every man in the Department was nursing minor aches and pains as a result of the grueling duel. George Robertson, fire captain, suffered burns about the face and eyes, which were treated at Curry Clinic. Joe Vanatta suffered burns on the face and one had, and Leo Enlow suffered a sprained shoulder.”
The newspaper went on to describe “it was the worst fire in Sapulpa since the Loraine fire December 2, 1949, and started only two doors from the site of that fire.”
“The Beard Building is separated from the vacant lots on which the old Loraine Hotel stood by only two small buildings, which, with the Rogers and City Drug are all the building left undamaged on the east of Main between Dewey and Lee.”
In total, “businesses destroyed by the fire in addition to the Yale Theater include the Ace Typewriter Co., Sapulpa Bowling Alley, Ben’s Photo Shop, White House Barber Shop, Rowland Recreation Parlor.”
Many expensive equipment and tools were destroyed in the fire, along with many families lost their possessions. Many onlookers stepped in and tried to remove as many items from the buildings as they could without any damage and injuries. “They saved the screen and the expensive CinemaScope lenses used in that method of projection. The Beard Building was not occupied on the second floor, Zartaludes said, but six families occupied apartments on the second floor the two Yale buildings.”
Within 24 hours, Jimmy Zartaludes announced the next day that the Yale Theater would be rebuilt at or near the same location as the old theater.
This was never done. And within a few months, Zartaludes retired.
(Sapulpa Herald, July 27, 28, 1954; Democrat News, July 28, 1954)
