Local stores experience the force

by Karen E. Culp

SBJ Staff

Jedi Master Yoda once said the force was omnipresent: it was in the trees, in the rocks, in the air. And lately, it has been in the cash registers.

"Star Wars: Episode One" invaded local movie theaters in May, and those who sell the force, in its various manifestations, have been benefitting from the kind of interest in their products not seen since the late 1970s when the original "Star Wars" film premiered.

"It's been several weeks, and it continues to be a real strong sell. Of course, it's our wish that it would go on forever, but we know we'll keep it in our theaters as long as we can," said Kelly Hoskins, director of marketing for Wehrenberg Theatres, which owns the Campbell 16 Cin? and the Battlefield Mall 6 in Springfield. During the film's opening week, Campbell 16 was among the top three grossing theaters in Missouri, Hoskins said.

"People in Springfield really embrace that theater