Boxoffice-October.01.1955

. . Paul
EASTERN OKLAHOMA
By ART LAMAN
fiLL Oklahoma has been getting muchwelcomed
rain. This soaking will freshen
up the landscape, and will help the farmers
in and around the small towns, where much
of the picture patronage depends on good
conditions in the rural communities.
Speaking of rural areas and farmers, we
took in the last night of the fair in Muskogee,
and honestly, never in my whole life have we
seen as many people jam-packed into a fairground.
The entertainment value of the fair
was just so-so, a small act stage show in
front of the grandstand and hundreds of
sucker joints on the midway, but still the
people were there. There must be an answer.
The Proctors, who had just returned from a
business trip to Dallas, said the fair nearly
closes the Muskogee theatres during the time
it is in progress.
Well the Marciano-Moore set-to is over, but
the crowds who packed the Ritz in Tulsa for
the closed cii'cuit telecast will be remembered
for many days to come. The installing of
the telecast equipment was done by engineer
J. W. Murphy. With Carney Burton at the
video controls and Prank Layfield handling
the audio, the entire telecast went off without
a hitch . Stonum, the manager from
the Indian city of Anadarko. was in Tulsa a
few days visiting Downtown Theatres General
Manager Jack Hull. No doubt this was
an idea meeting.
Eddie Jones, Sand Springs Drive-In, and
Earl Snyder. Apache Drive-In. cornered the
fight pictures for first run in Tulsa.
The Admiral Drive-In, under the able
direction of Alex Blue, is coming up with
some top first
— run pictures, the first opening
on the 27th "Kiss of Fire" plus "Land of
Fury." This looks like a pulling combination
and should, with weather breaks, rack up an
alltime high for Tulsa drive-ins.
Over at Lawton. we found Don Jones of
the Ritz starting a special promotion on
"Lady and the Tramp." Don hoped to find
a tramp dog and a lady pooch to use as a
giveaway. We'll be mighty interested to find
out how this feature works out. There is
one thing certain. Don is up and at 'em when
it comes to hustling for business.
Ralph Drewry. until recently general manager
of the Tulsa Downtown Theatres, returned
from a short trip to Kansas City
with Owyn his wife.
J. C. Duncan, city boss for Tulsa Video
theatres, was kept busy counting money over
Saturday the 24th due to the excellent
patronage for "Francis in the Navy" at the
Will Rogers. When we cased the theatre the
young fry were lined up for two blocks in a
double line to the boxoffice.
Our feature item goes to smiling Horace
Clark, city manager for Video Theatres in
Chickasha. Pictured herewith i.s Horace presenting
to Hubert Miser a $5 book of theatre
tickets for bringing in the first bale of cotton
grown in Grady County. This promotion was
co-sponsored by the Chickasha Star through
Dale Nease, advertising director. This type
of goodwill builder goes a long way in creating
good public relations between the farmers
and the Chickasha theatres. Horace is the
type of go-getter theatre executive who takes
Showman Horace Clark, left, presenting
theatre ticket gift book to cotton grower
Hubert Miser.
advantage of every opportunity to build goodwill
for his theatres. Another promotion recently
was put on for the safety film, "The
Devil Take Us." Space does not permit a rundown
on it this issue but we will try to get
the details out in the next few weeks.
Tom Kirby. owner of the Time Theatre in
Wetumka. was telling this reporter that he,
with the help of the local newspaper editor,
R. B. Hayes, will try to work out some special
days for Wetumka, with the Time as the
center of attraction. Tom has a daii-y bar
connected with the theatre, which is one of
the finest in the state. He recently presented
a free Saturday kids show, sponsored by the
Kiwanis Club.
Many times in this column we have called
attention to what the lighted theatre front
means to the Main street of any town. Here's
more proof. The Chief Theatre in McAlester,
for many reasons has been closed the last
few months. The owner of the building, who
al.so owns a furniture store next door, took
this possible closing into consideration when
he leased the building, and had inserted a
clause into the lease agreement specifying
that in case the theatre should close, the
operators would always keep the front lighted
at night. This man realizes the value of the
theatre and lights next door to his business.
O. C. Mooney, city manager at Henryetta,
is now having Ringo in the top theatre. This
is a game like bingo which we understand
is being promoted in that city by the radio
station in nearby Okmulgee.
Bill Love, city manager, and his assistant
John Patton recently arranged a free show
for the Rabbits—first year cadets at the
Oklahoma Military Academy located at
Clurcmore. The school, under the direction
of Col. Homer M. Ledbetter, has a fine auditorium
where motion pictures have been a
part of the school's program. However, the
equipment has never been changed over to
the widescreen, and good up-to-date programs
are hard to obtain.
Love and Colonel Ledbetter are trying to
work out a plan which will bring the Cadets
downtown to the newly rebuilt Yale Theatre.
The plan will involve a low price for each
Cadet. This idea should be a happy solution
for both the school and the Claremore theatres.
We hope that Bill will be able to get
the promotion worked out.
During the last two weeks we have been
pointing out something in BOXOFFICE that
should have been read and taken to heart by
every theatre operator in the U.S.A. We also
found it had not been read by many who
take this publication . . . It's the editorial
in September 17 issue, titled "Keep It for the
Family," against running sex and other offbeat
pictures in the drive-in theatres. For
the sake of a quick buck many theatres are
damaging their prestige in their communities
many times beyond repair. This repwrter has
come in contact with cases where the entire
town was up in arms over the showing of
these films in local drive-ins. In September
this happened in a very much church-minded
town in Oklahoma, where a nudist camp
picture made in Arkansas and recently
banned in Oklahoma City, was shown. Theatremen
who operate in small or medium sized
cities should stop and think about what
managers have recently confided to this reporter.
One man put it this way; "I have a
daughter 16 years of age. What can I say
to her when I am asked by my office to run
pictures that she should not see?" That is
a mighty good question. I wonder how many
of the people who do run these films would,
like their teenage children (if they have
them) to sit on the back ramp of a drive-in
and pet while they show these off-brand sex
pictures.
Still another manager put it this way, "I'm
expected to be a top guy in my community
I'm to attend the church of my choice; I'm tc
be a leader in my civic clubs, and I am to b(
a leader in all juvenile campaigns, but how
can I do all these things and still show off
beat sex pictures?" Well it would be rathei
hard in many small cities to look your fellow
man in the face after showing some of thi
pictures certain people would like to get oi
the screens.
Yes sir. good friends, if you haven't reai
Publisher Shlyen's September 17 editorial, di
it up and read it. It will only require fiv
minutes at the most, and could, if you'll re
member it. save hours of headaches and los
of goodwill from schools and churches.
The other week we met one of the fines
men in the Oklahoma show business 1
Miller Davidge. oldtimer of Durant. Wi
pass along some of his operations down th
years in my next column.
Bits of Sharp Wire Cause
Flat Tires at Drive-In
SAN ANTONIO. TEX.— Bits of sharpen*
wire scattered around the ramps of the Soul
Loop Drive-In Theatre here resulted in fl
tires for a number of customers recentl
Patrolman E. W. Tofil said more than l\\'-
pieces of the wire were picked up the follo\'
ing morning at the airer.
He said employes discovered them after i
number of persons complained of tire puntures.
Tofil said the wii'e was of a ty;
used to reinforce concrete construction. ]J
said the pieces had been sharpened on boi
ends.
Canadian Actor in "Way We Are'
Lorne Greene, Canadian actor, has joiril
Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson in te
topline cast of Columbia's "The Way We Ar"
86
BOXOFFICE :: October 1. 1'6