San Angelo Standard-Times from San Angelo, Texas • 5

SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17 1942 PAGE FIVE "A Standard-Times In Every West Texas Home 'Great White Way' Made A Hit Here Will Rogers Madame Schu-mann-Helnk and other gnat show people were presented on the stage of the Lyric Theatre when it was West Texas best and played the largest stage attractions to come to the South Perhaps the biggest rush was at presentation of "Hashes of the Great Whir Way" recalls John Jones It was a sellout at matinee with seats $3 JO apiece The crowd buying tickets at the City Drug Store almost crushed the windows and scalpers made a profit selling at $8 a seat The Broadway girl show was one of the best ever to come to the state Theatre Remodeling Job in Wartime Is 'Sweat And Tears' It was no cinch to remodel the Lyric Theatre for Its new career although theatres in Army towns have a comparatively excellent priority rating And John Jones manager and I Youngblood assistant manager of the Concho Theatres Inc here can tell a person something now about "blood and' sweat and tears" and some of the wartime exigencies that the Allied leaders have spoken shout Without an architect with only a carpentry foreman and -his helpers the local theatre men went in and came out with a presentable show house -to keep in mind Uncle to they Used some doors with 25 yean of history behind thm Rebuflders Included Bill Harrison Leslie Mien George Wylie Luther Cummings Ray Howell Ralph Zamarippi Orbon Vittrlo and others connected with the theatres here Theatre Payroll $60000 Yearly Concho Group Employs 50-60 The seven Concho Theatres Inc San Angelo units in the Robb Ss Rowley five-state circuit have a total annual payroll of 360000 The number of persons employed from janitors and ushers to managers ranges from 50 to 60 The theatres of the group here are: Texas Plaza Rltz Royal An-gelus Rex and Lyric Christmas salary bonus parties have been a feature of the business management of the local theatre family for a long period Surplus Bus Service Must Be Eliminated Betten Says CHICAGO Sept 16 Robert Betten chief of the OPA tire rationing branch declared today surplus bus service must be eliminated the most passengers must be carried with the fewest tire miles and bus companies must conserve their tires by closer Inspection and servicing Hearkening Back To Good Old ROBB AND ROWLEY COME BACK FOR REOPENING OF OLD LYRIC Another world war the first ode had Just got under way when the original Lyric Theatre the only big time show place in this region was constructed and opened by a couple of young San Angeloans Today those same two men now owners of a great theatre system spreading over five states are coming back to San Angelo coming back for the formal opening of the Lyric Theatre the resurrection of old original- which started them on their way in the show business and actually initiated San history as a center of great motion picture entertainment And once again the demand occasioned by another world war that brought about the opening of the show house The projection and sound equipment the air conditioning and temperature control system of the new lyric are the latest and most improved to be had And the old show it had been used as a post office and as a gymnasium during the Intervening again is a comfortable theatre But the remodeling was done in wartime and restrictions prevented it from coming back to rival the Texas which supplanted it in the favor of West Texans For Ed Rowley and Harold Robb of -Dallas' and formerly of San Angelo however it matter so much that the sight and sound projector in use today is a miracle of modem science nor that some of the doors in the rebuilt house are 25 years old With them a homecoming be a hearkening back to the eld days The popular -film to be shown today at the Inaugural Is one ef the late comedy films but Weaver Brothers and Elviry In "The Old Homestead" nonetheless will carry poignant reminders to the homecomcra They and John Jones another pioneer In the show business here and connected with Robb Ray Howell To Be Manager Of Lyric Ray Howell with the Sc theatre family here for many years is to be house manager of the remodeled Lyric Theatre John Jones manager of the group of show houses has announced Mr Howell has been manager of the Royal recently THEY'RE BACK HOME Harold Robb left vice-president of Robb Rowley United Theatres now operating in five states ran the original Lyric Theatre here back in World War I days while his partner Ed Rowley right was cashier of the Santa Fe here The two dropped pressing business interests in Dallas in order to come here today for opening of the remodeled Lyric Rowley for more than a quarter of a century longer than any other man in the circuit will see rolling across the screen the cavalcade of early great pictures "The Birth at a Nation" and "The Covered They'll hear the rib tickling humor of the late Will Rogers world-renowned humorist who put on his first San Angelo rope-twirling philosophy-decorated "programme" cm the stage of the old Lyric THE SAME STAGER REMODELED AND REDECORATED A BIT IS BACK IN USE TODAY IN READINESS FOR STAGE SHOWS OP THIS DAY AND TOMORROW be memories for the triumvirate of pioneer San Angelo showmen For the general public however there will be a comfortable show bouse and continued popular entertainment hereafter at popular prices The prices first show begins at 1 will be: downstairs matinee 17 cents and night 2 cents balcony 11 cents anytime children 5 cents anytime Another Theatre Joins The Cl Family Dm Sam Angelo In opantng tho now Lyric Theatre in San Angelo wo ara continuing a long-established policy of that of kaaping abreast of tho antortainmont needs of tho San Angolo Territory by providing adequate theatres comfortably arranged conveniently located and employing tho finest and latast typo equipment obtainable Tho Now Lyric forms another strong link in our chain Among the honor guests will be Mr Rowley president of the Robb Sc Rowley United Theatres Inc and also of the Concho Theatres Inc which are a part of the Sc system: and Mr Robb vice-president of Sc and secretary-treasurer of Concho Jones general manager of the circuit and several film exchange officials of Dallas John Jones manager of the theatres here is vice-president of Concho Theatres Die Few San Angeloans today recall the story of the beginning of the Ac 2C theatre partnership PRICES TODAY AND FRIDAY Matinee 17c Night 22c Children Day or Night Sc Balcony Day or Night 11c (Tax Included) ZZ1 Opening Program then at the start Robb was the theatre manager ef the partnership operating the Lyrie down then on Cenche Just eai ef the Isoldes Hotel Rowley was the cashier at the Santo Fe nilnad station In the summer of 1917 Robb and Rowley sold out the Lyric to Southern Biterprlses and sought new fields Isite in 1918 John Jones came hen and bought out Noah Smith and operated the Crystal Theatre "cowboy theatre" across the street in opposition to the finer lyric Jones ran the Crystal a year and a half and then formed a partnership with Frank Roberta and bought out the Lyric and the Palace the Palace stood when the Mode Day store la now And the three theatres did all right the next 3 1-2 years and Robb and Rowley hearkened back to San Angelo and decided to come back again They bought out Interest and formed the partnership with Jones which still continues It was in the lyric that plans were laid by the triumvirate for the building of the Texas Theatre now known as "West Texas finest theatre" And when the large and pretentious Texas came upon the scene the lyric disappeared But now proud of its name and its technical equipment if not of its external physique the lyric is back again to stay COBHCll wr J-jti'i West time you need calomel taka Calotaba the Improved calomel compound tatdeta that make ealo-Mistaking pleaaant Bugar-eoated asToeatilo prompt and effective Not nceeeeazj to XODow With aalta or castor oil Uee only as directed cm labOL First Tima Shown in San Angolo Did SHIRT WEATHER Coatless days a a 1 1 show Model-ffinishod shirts to an advantage Tho caroful finishing gats out EVERY wrinklo hoop tho shirt looking bottar longor Sand YOUR shirts todavl 1OlDfBrL' ALSO 1 MINSTREL DAYS" AND DONALD DUCK Newest Style Comfortable Seats Sound Equipment! 115 SIRV1NG (pbtt3X.