Show Background Report Entertainment Was Important Project For Community in Moab's Early Days It takes all types of businesses to make a good town Not the least of these Is the business of entertainment entertainment en en- for the allwork all allwork allwork work no play theor theory holds a lot of water Even early day were fortunate enough to have a motion picture t thea theater theater gl- gl ter operated by Mrs El berta Clark and her enterprising enter enterprising enterprising enter enter- late husband Robert RobertC C C. C The first films shown in Moab were a far cry from Irom the technicolor extravaganzas zas they later produced in ina a building built for the pur pur- pose s Moal first picture shows were silent flickers starring Fatty Arbuckle Mary Pickford Rudolph Valentino Valentino Valentino Va Va- lentino and other great names of the day The pictures pictures pictures pic pic- tures were shown In a makeshift theater in the old Woodman of the World Hall now the Arches Building on Center street I I I Named The Ides The theater was named The rhe Ides after its blustering March opening day The name survived two WOW Hall Halle operations and was carried carded Into Moab's first theater building opened by Mrs Clark in the mid The Ides was a family opera op op- era oration Mrs 1 Clark sold tickets their daughter Neva Neva Neva Ne Ne- va Kirk pumped background background background back back- ground music on an old player piano from an elevated elevated elevated ele ele- nook just big enough for her the piano and the hundreds of piano rolls Matinees were wem th the most trying of the Clarks Clarks' silent movies The WOW Hall was surrounded by an apple orchard orchard or or- chard and young theater theatergoers theatergoers theatergoers goers went armed with fruit If the show was Interesting interesting In in- in they ate the ap ape apI apples I pies ples when it wasn't they threw them Many a Moab I youth was helped out of the matinee b by his suspender straps One prominent res res- ident admits he never saw sawa a silent movie mo all the way through WOW Hall Burns Bums Moab 1 was walt without a theater theater thea then ter for tor awhile after the WOW Hall hail burned All AU the volunteer firemen saved savell was the player piano It H was hoist hoisted out of the box with witha a rope and pulley and survived sur sure to play for the next t theater when It reopened In the new WOW Hall lIall Al M Jolson Sonny Boy Doy was the first talking plc- plc lure tuio shown In ht the Ides All through the film sound and picture were ed rd but not a fan left the building The Ides theaters were equipped with portable benches ben ches which could be stacked stack stack- cd ed out of ut the way ay top for town r 4 t Ii Mrs Elberta Clark Moab's oldest lifetime resident and her late husband provided their city with a anum number number num num- ber of firsts in its early pioneer days This week turns back the clock and tells amusing episodes in their early-day early theater experience Ei dances The WOW buildings also sufficed as rally centers and for Lyceum Lyceum Lyceum Ly Ly- Ly- Ly Theater circuit pro pro- One of the most memorable memorable memorable able evenings of the year however was election night The picture show was presented presented presented pre pre- on schedule but was halted several times during the evening when editor lush Dish Taylor Talor rushed over from Irom the Times office to read lead the latest election re returns returns re- re turns reported to him b by telephone Build New Theater After her husbands husband's death Mrs Clark and John Leaming LearnIng Learning Learn Learn- ing pooled resources for lor a anew anew anew new Ides Theater now the Holiday on Main 1 street The new theater was the pride of Moab It sported porter plush carpets upholstered seats and a velvet curtained stage tage Until the rush of business luring during the uranium boom In Moab forced forcer her to stop Mrs 1 Clark gave youngsters in the community a free movie for a 1 Christmas pro pre sent Oddly enough It was this urge surge of business during the tho fiOs fiO's boom that forced Mrs Mis Clark out of the theater business At one time the entertainment needs of the town were satisfied with a Saturday Sunda Sunday and one midweek show When the boom struck like every other medium of business in Moab the Ides was overrun o with customers The schedule schedule sched sched- ule was increased eased to two each night and still stilt stilla a block long line pf of disappointed pointed customers were left outside the door It was too much pi assure on the veteran veteran veteran vet vet- eran theater manager manager- and ami Mrs Clark went out of the motion picture business for forthe forthe PI the first time in almost half halfa a It century Other Enterprises As well attended as the Ides Theater shows were In Inthe inthe the Hie early days the Cl Clarks had to Improvise other enterprIses enterprises en en- to subsidize the family Mr Clark provided Moab l with the first butcher shop located on Main street where Dr Jay Munsey now has his offices Mrs Clark made homemade mincemeat and rendered pork for lor lard to sell in the shop She also also baked pies and homemade bread Her husband also started the first Ice lee industry chopping chop ping blocks from the Colo River to store in sawdust for house to house delivery In Inthe inthe inthe the hot summer He was Ii a novice electrician putting in inthe inthe inthe the wiring for the first electrically elec lit home in Moab and he instigated the first Grand Co Fairs The versatile versa versa- tile the businessman was contractor on the highway highway highway high high- way north of Moab now known as Suicide Hill lillI and was a founder of the old Moab Garage Company He was also an early day Deputy Sheriff Mrs Clark fed his Jail prisoners In their home One desperado she sh will w never forget He lie made with the Clarks Clark's 5 j pfd old son Jack and coax coaxed coaxed ed the child into slipping him a hacksaw and gun The escaped prisoner r hid out In iri the tho Cane Creels Creul rucks rocks and probably would have shot sho- Deputy Clark and his poss had hail not oung young Jack slip slipped him the wrong sl size a b bullets Young Jack Juck grew glew up to be bet bei come cane a prominent doctor in tn Salt Lake City CUy TWO of th Clarks Clark's daughters rs live there too Mrs Ir Harold Ethel Leonard and antI Mrs Ted Jess Jes Mitchell Their other dau dau daughter Mrs Neva Kirk rest reil q ies i with her m mother mother ther In Moab t i I |