Sunday, December 29, 2013

The Chariot Race #9



It even appeared on the curtain of the Forum Theater in Wichita, Kansas, as seen in this old postcard.

8 comments:

Eric said...

Wichita’s Forum Theater is still around today and is being used as a performing arts center. Does anyone know if THE CHARIOT RACE still appears on its curtain?

Chic Silber said...


This also appears to be painted

on the asbestos curtain just up

from the proscenium often these

pictorials were called "olios"

which could also be on canvas

Ole Whitey said...

Chic: An olio was also an act performed in front of the front curtain, also called "in one."

Chic Silber said...


There seem to be 2 Forum Theaters

in Kansas Eric 1 in Wichita which

hd previously been a church & is

now a restored 700 seat legit &

the other in Wichita Falls is

likely to be the old structure

combined with a convention center

They are about to restore it also

So neither are likely to have the

image in question currently

Chic Silber said...


Never heard the word "olio" used

that way Dave but the expression

"In One" or "Down In One" is used

still for anything that occurs in

the 1st slot but not usually on

the apron or forestage & Olios

were often generic pictorials

both with and without advertising

painted on the asbestos curtain

or on a muslin or canvas drop on

the 1st pipe (or battan)

Chic Silber said...


I guess we better watch it with

all this theatrical shit or DAD

is likely to get all upset

Ole Whitey said...

Chic: I heard "oilo" used by rep show people to mean an act or bit that could be done in one while the scenery was being changed. I assume it was an old vaude or maybe burlesque term.

If Billie Henderson Schuller is reading this she can back me up; she grew up in rep.

Chic Silber said...


I was a little too late to work

in vaudeville Dave but I did get

to be a frontlight operator in

the last of the Baltimore houses

of Burlesque "The Gayety" owned

& operated by Blaze Star during

my free nights while stationed in

Curtis Bay with the Coast Guard

Them were some really good days