NBC: Video: Discovery in old theatre
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:49 am
http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/art ... tre/63900/
(Click on the link above for the TV news story)
Video: Discovery in old theatre
NBC News Channel
Published: March 16, 2009
You’ve heard stories about the guy who finds a million dollar painting at a garage sale or the lady who picked up a vase for a couple of pennies only to discover it’s from the Ming dynasty.
There�s a story kind of like that in Ponca City, Oklahoma, where a theater manager discovered something in a dusty closet that also proved to be quite valuable.
When he took this job three years ago, Dave May knew he was walking into a treasured piece of theater history.
The Poncan Theaters has been home to silent movies, Vaudeville, the old news reels and lots of other talkies.
These days the Poncan is also home to children’s theater and a live music review.
But in getting to know his new place of business, Dave made a discovery in a dusty closet upstairs.
“I didn’t know that hidden in the upper recesses of the theater was a world class art exhibit,“ said theater owner Dave May.
He rediscovered a stash of hand painted movie boards that harken back to the days when movies and Vaudeville shared the stage.
Dave searched around the Internet, but it took a question to the guys at the antiques road show to determine that he actually had.
“The world’s largest collection of hand painted lobby art of the 1930’s,“ said May.
There are 25 movie boards with paintings on both sides.
Gloria Stewart is included as are John and Lionel Barrymore.
Henry Fonda gets second billing for a movie for ‘Way Down East.‘
People still buy tickets to see a show here, but more and more people are booking tours to see the artwork.
“It’s like seeing a great collection of art inside a great collection of art because architecturally the Poncan is so interesting,“ May said.
Former advertisements, that now share top billing themselves with one of Oklahoma's grandest movie palaces.
(Click on the link above for the TV news story)
Video: Discovery in old theatre
NBC News Channel
Published: March 16, 2009
You’ve heard stories about the guy who finds a million dollar painting at a garage sale or the lady who picked up a vase for a couple of pennies only to discover it’s from the Ming dynasty.
There�s a story kind of like that in Ponca City, Oklahoma, where a theater manager discovered something in a dusty closet that also proved to be quite valuable.
When he took this job three years ago, Dave May knew he was walking into a treasured piece of theater history.
The Poncan Theaters has been home to silent movies, Vaudeville, the old news reels and lots of other talkies.
These days the Poncan is also home to children’s theater and a live music review.
But in getting to know his new place of business, Dave made a discovery in a dusty closet upstairs.
“I didn’t know that hidden in the upper recesses of the theater was a world class art exhibit,“ said theater owner Dave May.
He rediscovered a stash of hand painted movie boards that harken back to the days when movies and Vaudeville shared the stage.
Dave searched around the Internet, but it took a question to the guys at the antiques road show to determine that he actually had.
“The world’s largest collection of hand painted lobby art of the 1930’s,“ said May.
There are 25 movie boards with paintings on both sides.
Gloria Stewart is included as are John and Lionel Barrymore.
Henry Fonda gets second billing for a movie for ‘Way Down East.‘
People still buy tickets to see a show here, but more and more people are booking tours to see the artwork.
“It’s like seeing a great collection of art inside a great collection of art because architecturally the Poncan is so interesting,“ May said.
Former advertisements, that now share top billing themselves with one of Oklahoma's grandest movie palaces.