Tulsa Studios was a world-renown film and recording company established in 1976, located in Tulsa, O
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This impressive building included a huge Sound Stage, editing rooms, conforming rooms, interlock projection rooms, audio control rooms, a looping and dubbing studio, film and tape vault, dressing rooms, kitchen, offices, workshop, and a lavish forty seat theater.
Tulsa Studios was designed and built to offer the ultimate in flexibility and quality control.
Tulsa Studios Cinematographers had filmed in all 50 states and 35 foreign countries.
Being seasoned world travelers, the Tulsa Studios crew knew how to cut through red tape, keep costs down, and bring back superb footage and sounds.
Tulsa Studios offered the finest in sound recording facilities complete with the latest in recording equipment of its time. Its capabilities spanned from reproducing a full symphony orchestra to a solo sound effect on a perfect soundtrack.
LIGHTS, CAMERAS, ACTION!
Behind the antique saloon doors of Tulsa Studios, films were being made, musicians were being taped, and in essence, Hollywood and Nashville were brought to Tulsa.
“The customers of Tulsa Studios can always expect State of the Art quality along with personal involvement and dedication to each project.”
Established in 1976, Tulsa Studios was one of the best equipped film and recording companies in the Midwest. No expense was spared in providing the new studio with all of the necessary, latest equipment for total results.
Some of the Celebrities, Bands, Artists, and Professionals at Tulsa Studios (just to name a few):
• The Outsiders Motion Picture crew and cast
• Francis Ford Coppola
• Clint Walker
• Roy Clark and Gatemouth Brown
• Jim Halsey, Sherman Halsey, and Gina Halsey
• Aaron Copland
• Johnnie Lee Wills and John Thomas Wills
• Will Sampson
• Bob Burwell
• McAlester OK Prison Band
• Ronnie Dunn
• Jamie Oldecker
• Carl Radle
• Big Bill Smith
• Ronnie Wilson and the Gap Band
• The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra
• Boxcar W***y
• Tommy Crook
• Larry Dalton
• Will Holcomb
• Wes Reynolds
• Little Jimmy Henley
• Jim Byfield
• Tom Claiborne, Bill Belknap, and Jim Rhodes
• P*e Wee Lynn
• Ed Conley, Jim Bates, and Denny Freeman
• Lance Powers
• Cookson Hills Cowboys
• Chris and Heidi’s Pure Cane Music
• Johnny Lee Wills
• Eldon Chamblin, Johnny Gimble, Curly Lewis, John Thomas Wills, and Roy Ferguson
• Ted Adams, Clarence Cagle, Gene Crownover, Glenn Rhees, Wayne Johnson
• Alex Brasheare, Claude Cemmons, and Tom Montgomery
• Mickey Newbury
• Steve Ripley, Tony Garnier, Jim Keltner, Jack Hale, James Mitchell, and Lewis Collins
• Venetta Fields, Paulette Brown, Sherlie Mathews, and Gordon Shyrock
• The Tulsa Dixieland Band with Orville Smith, Willard Ashley, Ken Read, Ron Gates,
• Jim McGoffin, Jim Blazer, and Dave Hubbell
• Diane Thome and Tom Claiborne
• Bob Clear, John Rigney, Gary Smith, Jimmy Vest, Curly Lewis, Mike Brown, Rocky Caple, Tom Russell, Gary Hutton, Mike Breid, Dave Pease, Lloyd Hicks, and Buddy Spicher
• Hugh Moguin, Bing Vassaur, Walt Laham, Gary Pollard, Doug Wilson, Vernon Howard, and John Grove.
• Gwen Avery, Connie Hart, Marilynda Brown, Nancy Pollard, and The Bach Hap Singers
TULSA STUDIOS HISTORY
Bill Dawson, co-owner of Tyler Dawson Pipe and Supply Company, had a hobby of photography and traveled all over the world taking pictures and framing most of them. Around 1975, he began to make short motion pictures and set up a room in his home to edit them and distribute them with Mary Claiborne as his director and editor. Soon his home was becoming a production house with the hiring of other photographers and being asked to produce films for various companies.
In 1976, Bill decided to build a professional recording and film studio next door to his business on 13th street in Tulsa. He enlisted a dentist by the name of Vic Groves to oversee the design of the building and hired the brother of Mary Claiborne, Tom Claiborne. Tom had a recording studio in Los Angeles at that time, which he eventually sold, and moved to Tulsa to assist Vic and become the manager of the studio and productions.
Following the completion of the building and all the equipment in place, Bill hired Jerry Olson away from Universal Studios in Los Angeles to be a photographer and director for Industrial Films that were being done for clients at the time. Tom Claiborne hired Jim Rhodes away from his studio in Missouri to be a recording engineer. Walt Banfield became the chief electrician to hold it all together.
Tulsa Studios became well known throughout the world. It was recognized in Billboard Magazine and numerous Film and Music magazines as well as local publications. Many well known artists recorded works there and many well known personalities used the facility until it was closed in 1990.
The film division of the studio won over 100 international awards for their productions and the recording division was recognized for the first published album of synthesized music in the United States, garnishing a Grammy nomination. The music selected for this album was done by the famous composer, Aaron Copland and debuted at Tulsa University.
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