Boxoffice-October.01.1955

Phone:
Among Eastern Oklahoma Showmen
Uy AKT LAMAN
\I7eatlier in eastern Okliihoma cooled after
rainfall, and the .schools opened with a
record enrollment in the area. Ticket.s have
Kone on sale in the downtown area for the
fair, which open.s in October, and tickets are
on .-^ale for "Holiday on Ice." the great ice
review to be held in the pavillion duriim
the entire week of the fair. The Horace
Heidt show will play tiie Municipal Theatre
October 1, featuring a TV show over NBC
with national talent finals.
Many civic clubs are announcing a variety
of sponsored events. Ticket sales are under
way in Tulsa for two circuses, both to be here
during October. A number of name bands
have been booked into tlie dance spots, and
the football ticket campaigns are well under
way.
All these special shows and events just don't
help theatie business in T-town. and theatremen
are finding that their businesses require
a lot of extra work, promotion gimmicks and
advertising to help offset the many other attractions.
Frank Love of Wewoka. Okla., staged a
big style show at the Key Theatre. This is a
top-flight attraction each year, with Allen's
Style Shop presenting the very latest in fall
and winter attii-e. The Wewoka Order of
the Eastern Star was tied in as co-.sponsor.
This is the type of local show and presentation
that jam-packs the theatre.
Frank is no "first of May" when it comes
to filling theatre seats, having been a feature
attraction, on the stage of many theatres ever
since he was in high school, doing everything
from magic to hillbilly numbers.
Here is a recent picture of Frank's hillbilly
act. known as the "Lovebirds." Mrs. Love,
Gladys, is the female part of the team.
When this writer geks his fall stage .show
going in Muskogee one of the first guest
stars to be invited will be the "Lovebirds."
NOW with TWO convenient locations for
BETTER than EVER ierrice to you
DIXIE
THEATRE SERV8CE
61 SUPPLY COMPANY
YOUR BALLANTYNE DEALER
Drhi 9S Walton SlrMt. N W
1010 North Slippt/
P. 0. Bm 771 P. 0. Bo« 858
Albany, Georgii Atlanta. Georgia
.'hone: HEmlock 2-2846 WAInut 4118
COMPLETE THEATRE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES
Prompt. Courteous Strviu 'Round the Clock
TOP SERIAL!
12 Episodes
•
FLASH~GORDON
CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE
ATLANTA —JACKSONVILLE
CHARLOTTE — MEMPHIS
SEW ORLEANS
We know that Muskogee Theatregoers will
enjoy those two hillbillies from the thea'r-'
in Wewoka.
Over in El Reno we ran into some new.-,
that it might be well for theatre operators
and managers to consider. Recently, as
printed in BOXOFFICE, Jim Rush has been
made city manager for Video Theatres there.
The houses are the Center. Rocket and
Squaw Drive-In. In. the last few years El
Reno citizens have, to some extent, lost tht
theatregoing habit. When Jim came to town
he looked over the setup and decided that he
would put on a special night during the off
midweek. He chose Wednesday night, and
put up a banner in front of the theatre
heralding that night as 10-cent night, with
admission scaled at that figure.
Here's the payoff; At ten-cents the boxoffice
take is double in dollars what it has
been on regular admissions on that night.
On top of that. Jim says the concessions
business has doubled. I noticed that while
walking up the street with Jim. everyone we
met had a greeting like. "Hi, Jim," "Howdy,
Jim," etc. In other words, he's making El
Reno "Jim Rush-minded." In return, the
paying customers are becoming theatreminded
again. The lesson here could be that
many theatres could fill up those empty midweek
seats by a little more oldtime promotion.
All other busine.sses put on sales, with
price reductions, so it might also work in
theatres. To those who say it won't work
in theatres, I'd say just take a look at the
Jim Rush movie sale in El Reno.
"The Blades on Ice" show opened on the
stage of the Rialto Theatre downtown to
business that was not up to par. There were
many reasons for the small amount of
business: among them, lack of promotion,
no outstanding advertLsing and poor outlook
on the part of the producer of the .show in
thinking Tulsa would be a pushover for
business.
This fair city will fool you. mc or anyone
else who things It's a pushover. It's a town
that has to be sold and sold hard, with a lot
of gimmicks thrown In for good measure.
"Blades on Ice" Is a very classy show made
up of some really great skating talent. I; >
a show that could make money In some '
theatres, but it's no show to be played
(Continued on following pngei