6 minute read
The Eclectic Landall Goolsby
Written by Noelle Bartl
Many ENMU alumni from the 90s and beyond can recall a time when they regularly rented movies from Landall’s Box Office during their time attending ENMU. Landall’s Box Office has played a starring role in providing entertainment and fun for the local community for close to three decades.
Just like a storyline in an ‘80’s teen movie, Landall Goolsby (BFA 95) was growing up on a drought-plagued alfalfa farm outside Ft. Sumner, New Mexico. When he was 12, a mysterious truck loaded with boxes of VHSmovies rolled into his dusty little town. The congenial driver was in search of someone interested in starting a business in Ft. Sumner – a video rental business.
Landall Goolsby with satisfied customer Maddie Hardin.
Photo by Jennifer Hardin
As his parents’ farm struggled financially, young Landall and his 17-year-old sister, Lexie, realized this truck full of movie videos was their ticket to helping the family and eventually getting out of their sleepy town. So, with a $2,000 investment, Landall launched not only a VHS movie rental business but also his lifelong love of movies and the movie industry.
“Our family didn’t even own a Betamax or VHS machine when we started the business. Kids today don’t realize that back then, living in Ft. Sumner, we had to drive an hour to Clovis to rent movies or go to the theatre,” recalled the ENMU alumnus.
“Earning a college degree was important to me. After high school graduation, money was tight, so I started taking a few classes at Clovis Community College, including an acting class, while running the video store.”
Fortune smiled again when legendary ENMU Professor Emeritus of Theatre Dr. R. Lyle Hagen came out of retirement to teach the course. “It was in this small class of only five students that I knew I wanted to be an actor,” Landall recalled. He went on to major in theatre at ENMU.
- Landall Goolsby
While attending Eastern, Landall opened a larger video rental business in Portales in 1992 naming it Landall’s Box Office. At the height of the video rental boom, Landall focused his inventory on obscure and off-beat movies that were hard to find, like ‘70s horror movies and movies that somehow connected with his customers on deeper levels.
“If I didn’t have a particular movie, I’d call the other video stores in town and see if they did. Customers learned to come to Landall’s Box Office first because of the extra effort.”
After selling the family farm, his mother, Peggy, joined Landall in running the business. Her partnership allowed Landall the freedom to move to Los Angeles and try his hand at acting. “I prayed every night for 10 years to get the opportunity to be an actor,” Landall admitted.
When first in California, he continued to take acting classes. To save on tuition, Landall walked the instructor’s dogs twice per day. The same teacher also worked in casting and gave him two critical pieces of advice that served him well. First, become a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) member within a year. Second, wait a year and find your niche in the business before you sign with an agent. The instructor also let him know of upcoming auditions.
In his first 10 auditions, Landall landed the second, third, fifth and eighth gigs. He was cast as an extra covered in volcanic ash in the movie “Volcano” with Tommy Lee Jones and as one of the high school kids in full Technicolor in Reese Witherspoon’s “Pleasantville.” Landall said, “I must have had a 1950s look about me because I ended up working a lot on that set and earned 27 SAG vouchers that helped me join the union.”
HBO's "Getting On" Series
Landall has 50 acting credits to his name on IMDB. com. Other acting roles include Marvel’s “Agents of Shield,” “Briarpatch,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Longmire,” “Workaholics,” “The Eye,” and “Criminal Minds.” With his dual career in both Los Angeles and Portales, Landall continues to fly back and forth to support the business and work in movies and television.
Netflix "Godless" mini-series
As digital media options continue to expand, Landall recognized the movie rental niche was coming to an end. With an innovative segue, Landall and Peggy added Sweetwater’s at Landall’s in Portales. With a wide variety of movie-related décor and a pleasant, friendly atmosphere, the new café drew even more customers enjoying beverages, sandwiches, baked treats, and most recently, homemade ice cream.
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After attending Ice Cream College at Penn State, Landall returned to perfect his mouthwatering ice cream flavors on the high plains. A fan favorite is Cookie Monster, made from Oreos, chocolate chip cookies and double folded vanilla. Customers also love the Sage and Salted Caramel, the Lemon Grass and Coconut and the second most popular flavor, Cory Walker, named after Portales High School alumnus and published comic book artist Cory Walker. Readers will simply have to stop in and discover for themselves the delectable tastes found in the variety of unpredictable, palate-pleasing flavors.
For over 27 years, ENMU students and employees and local community members had connected with Landall’s to find an escape from the stresses in their lives, watching movies with friends. With Sweetwater’s at Landall’s now enjoying a growing, loyal customer base and ice cream that continues to draw repeat customers, on June 19, 2019, Landall and Peggy said farewell to the movie rental business.
“I’m a 100% product of ENMU and been very blessed and grateful for all the support Portales and ENMU have given my mother and me. We donated special movie inventory to the Portales Public Library, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Consigning Women as a way to keep the best movies in Portales for many to enjoy for years to come.
When passing through Portales, be sure to stop by Sweetwater’s at Landall’s to enjoy an iced coffee, sweet tea, the Portales Legacy Hoagie, or scoop after scoop of the homemade specialty ice creams. Who knows what unique flavors he’ll come up with next or what new acting roles Landall will have to share.
One thing is certain – when talent meets hard work, success is sure to follow. We know Portales is lucky that ENMU son Landall Goolsby enjoys his gig in this Southwest city ... we suspect he’s in for a long, long run.”
