If you grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the mid-twentieth century, the name Getty 4 Drive In probably stirs up a very specific set of sensory memories. You can almost smell the popcorn mingling with humid night air. You can hear the static-filled crackle of those heavy metal speakers hooked onto rolled-down windows.
It wasn't just a place to see a movie. It was an event.
Located at 6401 East Admiral Place, the Getty 4 was a landmark in a city that took its car culture seriously. Back then, Tulsa was the "Oil Capital of the World," and nothing screamed American prosperity quite like a massive four-screen outdoor cinema complex. It sat right in the heart of the action, near the intersection of Admiral and Sheridan, acting as a gateway to the evening for thousands of families and teenagers every single weekend.
The Rise of the Getty 4 Drive In
The 1950s and 60s were the golden age for this kind of thing. While many cities were lucky to have a single-screen lot, the Getty 4 was a bit of a local titan. Having four screens meant variety. You could have a Disney double feature on one screen, a gritty western on the second, a burgeoning sci-fi flick on the third, and perhaps a romantic drama on the fourth.
It was a logistical marvel for its time.
The theater was part of the Video Independent Theatres circuit, a powerhouse in the Oklahoma and Texas cinema scene. They knew exactly what the public wanted: convenience and a cheap night out. You didn't have to dress up. You didn't have to worry about the kids crying in a silent theater—you just shut the car doors or let them play on the playground usually located right under the massive screen towers.
Honestly, the playground was often a bigger draw than the movies for the under-ten crowd.
The screens themselves were massive, looming over the North Tulsa landscape. They served as a North Star for locals navigating the Admiral strip. If you saw those flickering lights against the dark Oklahoma sky, you knew you were close to home—or close to the weekend's best party.
The Experience of the Admiral Strip
To understand why the Getty 4 Drive In mattered, you have to understand the Admiral Place ecosystem. This wasn't just a road. It was a destination.
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Before the interstate system really took hold and moved the "center" of Tulsa further south and east, Admiral was the place to be seen. You had the Boman Twin nearby, and a host of diners and motels that catered to travelers and locals alike. The Getty 4 was the crown jewel of this entertainment corridor.
- People would pack six or seven people into a sedan.
- Sometimes, someone would "stealth" in via the trunk, though the ticket takers were usually wise to that trick.
- The snack bar was a cathedral of fried food and sugar.
The snack bar at the Getty 4 wasn't just a place to grab a soda; it was the social hub. During the intermission, which usually featured those iconic "Let's all go to the lobby" animated shorts, the building would swelter with the heat of dozens of deep fryers and the chatter of neighbors. It was a communal experience that modern Netflix binges simply cannot replicate.
Why We Lost the Great Drive-Ins
So, what happened? Why is the Getty 4 Drive In a memory instead of a Friday night plan?
It's a combination of things, really. The 1970s and 80s were brutal for outdoor cinema. First, you had the advent of Daylight Saving Time. It stayed light later, meaning movies couldn't start until 9:00 PM or later in the summer. For families with young kids, that was a dealbreaker.
Then came the VCR. Suddenly, you didn't have to deal with mosquitoes or rain to see a movie at home.
But the real killer was the land value. As Tulsa expanded, the massive acreage required to host four movie screens became too valuable to just sit empty during the daylight hours. Developers looked at places like the Getty 4 and saw retail space, warehouses, and industrial potential.
The Getty 4 eventually succumbed to these pressures. It closed its gates, the screens were dismantled, and the gravel lots where thousands of cars once sat were eventually reclaimed by the city's industrial evolution. Today, if you drive past 6401 E. Admiral Pl, you won't see any towering screens. The site has transitioned into industrial and commercial use, currently housing businesses like a trucking terminal and distribution facilities.
The Technical Side of the Magic
Technically speaking, running a four-screen drive-in was a nightmare.
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You had four separate projection booths—or one centralized one with complex platter systems—pumping out light over hundreds of feet. The carbon arc lamps used in the early days were finicky and dangerous, requiring constant attention from a skilled projectionist.
And then there was the sound.
The Getty 4 started with those iconic in-car speakers. They were heavy, painted a dull silver, and usually smelled like old cigarettes and dust. By the end of its life, like many drive-ins, they likely experimented with low-power FM radio broadcasts, allowing people to hear the movie through their own car's stereo system. It was a massive upgrade in audio quality, but it lost some of that "clunky" charm.
What People Get Wrong About the Getty 4
A lot of people confuse the Getty 4 with the Admiral Twin Drive-In, which is located just a bit further down the road.
While the Getty 4 is gone, the Admiral Twin famously survived, partly because it became a cult landmark after being featured in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders. Because the Admiral Twin is still standing (and was rebuilt after a fire in 2010), many younger Tulsans assume it was always the only one.
In reality, the Getty 4 was a formidable competitor. It provided a different atmosphere, perhaps a bit more "everyman" than the increasingly famous Admiral Twin. It’s a shame, really, that the Getty didn't get its own Hollywood cameo to cement its survival.
Nostalgia and the Tulsa Legacy
There is a specific kind of heartbreak in seeing a drive-in die. It's not just a business closing; it's the end of a specific type of American freedom.
The Getty 4 Drive In represented a time when you could be alone in your car with your date or your family, yet still be part of a crowd of a thousand people. It was private and public all at once.
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Today, we look back at the Getty 4 as a symbol of North Tulsa's mid-century vibrancy. It reminds us of a time when the Admiral strip was the heartbeat of the city’s social life.
Mapping the Ghost of Getty 4
If you want to do a "history tour" of what’s left, here is the best way to do it:
- Start at 6401 East Admiral Place. You’ll see the industrial sprawl. Try to visualize where the screen towers would have stood, angled away from each other to prevent light bleed.
- Head West on Admiral. Notice the remaining vintage signage from the motels and shops that survived the Getty era.
- Visit the Admiral Twin. It’s the closest you’ll get to feeling the scale of the Getty 4. Stand in the lot and imagine that same energy multiplied across the various screens the Getty once managed.
Actionable Steps for History Buffs and Locals
If you're looking to reconnect with the history of the Getty 4 Drive In or support the preservation of what's left of Tulsa's cinematic history, here is what you can do.
Search the Tulsa City-County Library Digital Collections
The library holds an incredible archive of photographs from the Video Independent Theatres era. Searching for "Getty 4" or "Admiral Place 1960s" will yield high-resolution images of the snack bar and the original marquee that are much more evocative than any modern description.
Support the Admiral Twin
The best way to honor the memory of the Getty 4 is to ensure its neighbor doesn't meet the same fate. Take your car out on a Friday night. Buy the popcorn. Experience the movies under the stars to keep the tradition alive in Tulsa.
Document Your Own History
If you have old photos or ticket stubs from the Getty 4, consider donating digital copies to the Oklahoma Historical Society. These ephemeral pieces of paper are often the only things that survive once the bulldozers move in. Keeping the records alive ensures that the Getty 4 remains more than just a ghost on a map.
Explore the Admiral District Renaissance
The area around the old Getty site is seeing a slow but steady resurgence of interest. Visit the local businesses that are trying to bring flavor back to Admiral Place. It’s a different kind of entertainment than a four-screen drive-in, but it’s the same spirit of community that made the Getty 4 a staple for decades.