In the small town of Independence, Oregon, The Star Theater provided entertainment to the population. Within the attached article from December 22, 1911, we can see that the Independence Enterprise is letting readers know about the “The Pendleton Round-up” being shown in town. An interesting piece of information in this short article is how the shows will be shown in the Independence Opera House, but under the name of the Star Theater. At the end of the article, we get a sense of understanding that the picture show was an affordable night out. Admission was fifteen to twenty-five cents, and calculating for inflation, that is roughly equivalent to four dollars in twenty nineteen.
The language used within the article is slightly more eye catching than the affordable prices. For example, in the start of the third paragraph, it says, “These pictures show six tribes of Indians and fifteen hundred cowboys and cowgirls in daring feats and pastimes dear to the hearts of all red-blooded people.” Being a small town right outside of Salem, the aspects of the open wilderness and freedom might be appealing to the population of Independence. Furthermore, pointing towards the use of the phrase “red-blooded people” indicates a sense of pride and liberty that is often associated with Patriots. Nonetheless, the use of the words “daring feats” inspires a sense of mystery and compels the reader to check out the motion picture. Later in the article, the writer says “this show is an Oregon production and already acknowledged to be the greatest wild west show in the world.” This statement is helpful for convincing the reader to go out and see “The Pendleton Round-up”when it comes to the Opera House. The language used in this article is totally marketing focused to help bring in revenue for the theater on December 27th.
“Good Pictures Are Coming.” Independence Enterprise, 22 Dec. 1911. Pg 10.
