Scene - Blogs - Taking a step back into Footlooses Oklahoma history.

Taking a step back into "Footloose's" Oklahoma history.
Published: 10/18/2011 2:18 PM
Last Modified: 10/18/2011 2:18 PM

My colleague Michael Smith wrote a fine story about the real-life Oklahomans who inspired the movie "Footloose," which ran in Sunday's Tulsa World.

It reminded me of an interview I had done a dozen years earlier with Dean Pitchford, who wrote the screenplay for the film "Footloose," as well as the lyrics for most of the movie's songs. The interview was in conjunction with the Tulsa run of the Broadway musical version of the film, which Pitchford also wrote.

Pitchford talked about visiting Oklahoma in order to gain the proper local color for his story about a big-city kid who moves to a small town and help overturn the town's ban on dancing.

He said he headed out for Elmore City, the town with the dancing ban, but had trouble finding it, so he ended up spending time in near-by Ardmore.

"I really knew nothing about this part of the country," Pitchford said. "I didn't understand people who went to church three or four times a week, who drive pickup trucks that have rifles on racks in the rear window."

But, he said, "I really loved the time I spent in Ardmore. The people there are wonderful. They knew they were the model for the film, and they liked the finished product -- we even had a little premiere when it opened there."

The full interview is here.

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ARTS

James D. Watts Jr. has lived in Oklahoma for most his life, even though he still has people saying to him, "Don't sound like you're from around these parts." A University of Oklahoma Phi Beta Kappa graduate, Watts has received the Governor Arts Award, Harwelden Award and the National Conference of Christians and Jews Beth Macklin Award for his writing. Before coming to the Tulsa World, Watts worked for the Tulsa Tribune.

Contact him at (918) 581-8478.

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Past Articles By James D. Watts Jr

2/15/2013		'Concept/OK' exhibit ends Saturday
2/14/2013		Symphony to host piano soloist
2/14/2013		Broadway tours bring 'Shrek,' improv musical to Tulsa area this weekend
2/14/2013		Arts roundup: Improv reigns at several upcoming theater events
2/14/2013		'Lion King' returns to Tulsa PAC June 4
2/12/2013		Review: Signature Symphony reprises '100 Years of Oklahoma Music'
2/11/2013		Tulsa Symphony's concert salutes diverse American music
2/10/2013		Cherokee artist weaves messages into baskets
2/10/2013		Tesla Quartet set for Tulsa residency next week with variety of activities
2/10/2013		Jim Murphy wins 2013 Anne Zarrow Award
2/10/2013		LBJ chronicler Robert Caro to speak at TU on Tuesday
2/9/2013		Theater review: Playhouse makes "Barefoot in the Park" believable

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