One of the things I always found interesting was that Roy Clark was asked to perform at the Hee Haw Theater, but he never did. The theater was owned by the folks who produced the TV show. Instead, Clark partnered with a local businessman and built his own theater two years later...right next door to Hee Haw Theater! In his autobiography George "Goober" Lindsey said Hee Haw Theater was ten years before it's time. As far as I know, Roy Clark never even mentioned Hee Haw Theater in his autobiography. Then, when the Hee Haw Theater went bust in 1983, Clark and his partner purchased it, and called it "Roy Clark's Ozark Hee Haw" in 1984! A decline in revenue and management issues allegedly were at the heart of the closing of the theater. Roy Clark is credited with being the first celebrity to own and perform in his own Branson Theater. However, I'd like to point out that my boss, Hee Haw TV show writer Tom Lutz, was there two years before Clark, and was the first to book nationally known music and comedy performers, all Hee Haw TV show stars, for each and every performance, as well as experiment with off season shows, and even scheduled the first Christmas shows...all in 1981. Of the off season shows, only three performances were held...Grandpa Jones was the headliner, and played to a house that averaged 30 patrons per night! The rest of the off season shows were dumped, as well as the scheduled Christmas shows. However, the attempt was made. I believe Tom and his idea for the Hee Haw Theater WAS ten years ahead of their time. I believe that Tom had a vision of the future of Branson entertainment and tried, unsucessfully, to bring it to full fruition. Tom Lutz and his work are an overlooked chapter in the history of the Branson entertainment industry. I hope this little post helps to set the record straight.
