Comments

Volume 8, Issue 8 - Feature #1499

The Pix Theatre - Alva's Old Twin Booths...

I'm not sure of the exact dates I worked at the Pix, but probably early fifties. When I was there it only had one ticket booth (on the right). The other side was the concession area, with the popcorn popper sitting in the area of the the second booth. I remember earning $10 a month, and probably worked around forty hours a month. Frank Deaton was the working manager, but Jim Kelly was alway there. Frank gave me a raise to $15 a month, and I remember getting a scolding from my Dad for not thanking Frank with the proper enthusiasm. Clara Wharton (who later married my uncle, Stan Warren) was one of the main ticket cashiers. When Frank and Jim sold the Pix, Frank moved to Ft. Smith, Arkansas, and sold life insurance for American National Ins. with my Dad. Not sure what happened to Jim Kelly. Boy, does this bring back memories. Most of them good, but cleaning a dirty theater every night was not one of them.

Stan Paris - 2006-02-26 12:03:06

One more bit of trivia Linda. One of your relatives and a former neighbor of mine Stan Paris, son of the late Alvin Paris, used to work at the Pix Theater when he was in high school. I have not seen Stan since they moved from Alva to Colorado. Stan, his parents, and brothers Lynn and Phill lived in the big house at the corner of Third Street and Choctaw. Some while back there was an article in The Okie Legacy written by Stan about making peanut brittle.

Leslie Kurth - 2006-02-26 08:22:42

Is that correct and did it jog any other memories out there about the Pix in Alva, OK, during WWII being the USO for the soldiers from the camp? Very interesting. I'm sure there are some memories being jogged out there this week. Search through those old photographs and see what other memories we can jog up around here. Thanks so much for all of your inputs this week. You are Great!

NW Okie (a.k.a. Linda Wagner) - 2006-02-25 23:43:31

I was the projectionist at both the Rialto and the drive in back in about '56 & '57. Seems like Johnny was just a little boy then. Nice place to work as I remember. Does anyone remember WaHoo on Wednesday nites?

Steve Nicholson - 2006-02-25 20:18:17

I believe the PIX THEATRE in Alva was owned by JIM KELLEY and FRANK DEATON. I worked for Mr. DEATON when he was manager for the THOMPSON THEATRE CHAIN in 1940 in ATOKA,OK. Where there were two (2) THEATRES, the THOMPSON and PIX THEATRES. KELLEY and DEATON married twin sisters in ATOKA and were they were the daughters of JOHN SHOEMAKE who wasSheriff of Atoka County. The twins names were NEETA and WEETA SHOMAKE, and I believe they had a sister in ALVA, OK. HOMER "PUG" HAWKINS - Lawton, OK.

HOMER HAWKINS - 2006-02-25 17:57:14

If my memory serves me correctly, which might be questionable, during WW II, when the POW Camp was south of town, what became the PIX Theater was the USO, for the Soldiers from the camp. The south booth at the PIX was the concession stand, the north booth sold the tickets.

Marvin Henry - 2006-02-25 17:11:26

If I remember correctly the Pix Theater and the Alva Drive-In Theater were owned by Jim Kelly and Frank Deaton during the late 1940s and 1950s.

Leslie Kurth - 2006-02-25 16:20:16

So far as I know, Homer Jones was the first theatre owner to use a new (at that time) plastic based paint to seal his theatre's cement floor before installing new seating in Alva. The paint was designed for very easy cleanup (spilled drinks and popcorn oils couldn't be absorbed by the concrete). I was the concession's sales person at the OKC branch of National Theatre Supply at the time and we sold the paint at discount to Homer so we could find out just how good it really was. I was also operating a theatre at Minco, Ok. and was the first to use an epoxy paint on restroom walls to prevent lipstick and other means of writing to adhere. It worked. No more naughty sayings!

Roy Kendrick - 2006-02-25 16:17:42

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