Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

October 5, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 47 Public Schools and Football Tieups Pep Up Attendance; Here's How DUBLIC SCHOOLS may be used to boost -*■ attendance at the theatre and in fact it is possible to secure the aid of both teachers and pupils in playing up a show house, provided the proper approach is made however. School superintendents and boards of educations are always on the job to see that their school work is not interfered with and in many cases it is rather a difficult problem for any publicity man to overcome. However, if it is possible to add something to the students' knowledge or to induce a more studious atmosphere the school officials will generally react favorably to the theatre's plans. The problems arising in working out such a campaign are rather difficult but Bob Kelley, district director of Publix advertising and exploitation, with offices in Dallas, has worked out the following outline which is worth the attention of any theatre manager. His suggestions for such a public school campaign are listed under four headings : Essay Contests, Football Tieups, Talent and Adult Plugs. Essay Contests in Schools Educational essay contests planned to run until let-down following school opening is overcome, the pontests to be sponsored by school officials, newspapers and the theatre. Offer $10 each week as a prize to the student writing the best 200 word essay on why he prefers talking pictures. Letters should be sent to all English teachers in the city schools announcing the contest with one addressed to the principals to go on the school's bulletin board. A lobby frame in the theatre should be devoted to the contest, for the announcement of the contest and later the winners. This display will do a great deal towards keeping the adult and parent patronage interested. A trailer on the screen would be good. The essays should be judged for originality, neatness and its grammatical construction and the judges be selected from the schools, newspapers and any local personalities, who may be prominent as writers. All the English instructors should be given passes in order to promote their good will and cooperation. Try and have the school officials to make announcement of the contest winners each week in the general assemblies. Football Tieups The publicity man should first get acquainted with all the coaches and arrange personal appearance night for each of the teams. They should be presented to the audience from the stage. This can be very effective if the team will wear their "fighting togs" or letter sweaters. The sport writers of the local newspapers wrill gladly play up their appearances and suggest to him that he cite famous picture stars who were formerly football players. The theatre should make arrangements with a jeweler for the purchase of a cup to be awarded the school championship team and have the cup displayed in a window with a tieup with the current attractions at the theatre. During the entire football season the school paper should carry stories of the theatre's activities in sponsoring the games. Arrange a contest at the close of the season to pick the most popular player and award him a trophy. He should be judged by the merits of his work in every game of the season. This idea should be announced before the first game and carried through until the last, with the local newspapers and school papers playing it up. Give the trophy enough value to create rT~lhE Greater Palace Theater, Dallas, in ■* conjunction with Linz Brothers, a Dallas jewelry firm, ivill award a football player statue to the most valuable player on the Southern Methodist University team at the close of the season. The trophy is designated as the Palace Theatrc-Linz Brothers trophy and will be aivarded each year. The most valuable player will be determined by the casting of ballots which will be published in the school paper and also in the Dallas Times-Herald. Football fans are to use these ballots in voting for their selection as the most valuable player. The trophy will be awarded the winner at the last game of the season and the presentation will be made by Jimmy Ellard, stage band leader, who will be present at the game. The most valuable player and his teammates will then be honor guests of the Palace Theatre at a box party that night. The above photo shows David Wortsman of Linz Brothers Jewelry company showing the trophy to Dr. Blackwell. (left) Athletic Business Manager, and Coach Ray Morrison of S. M. U. (right). an incentive in each of the players to do their best. Photographers should take pictures of the most important games and these pictures displayed in the theatre lobby. Pep-up parties at the theatre should be arranged and as a special attraction the organist should present special illustrated song slides for his solo. It might be well to have the slides specially made with a photo of a member of the team on each, and the song should bring in the name of each player as they flash on the screen. School pennants should be used to decorate the lobby of the theatre on these nights. Dramatic Talent The theatre should get in touch with the dramatic talent and music instructors and arrange for a personal appearance, on the theatre's stage, of any pupil showing ability as a public entertainer. Talent school nights should be arranged with students furnishing part of the program. If a really good act is discovered it should be booked for a run at the theatre and the theatre manager can cooperate in making the yearly senior class play a real worth while production, by aiding in selection of costumes, furnishing a scenic painter to help with their sets and by donating the theatre's stage for morning rehearsals. Th psychology of the students rehearsing on a real stage in a real theatre goes a long way in creating the right atmosphere tor the entire cast. In some instances it is possible that the theatre be turned over to the school for this play but in any case it is advisable to use the cast in a presentation act for the week following its initial school performance. Contests can be staged among the pupils and the winners be awarded a try out at the local theatre. Such tieups will be given considerable mention in the newspapers as school activities are of public interest. Adult Plugs During the entire time in which the theatre is active in school affairs a campaign should be carried offering special inducements to the adults and parents of the school children. Bargain matinees should be staged when school talent appears on the stage and each day a special price should be offered for one hour to school children, following the close of the school for the day. An arrangement should be made with the head of the school's R. O. T. C. and drill contests be staged at the theatre with military officers acting as judges. This sort of contest can be run for several weeks until one from each school is left and then hold a final contest and award prizes to the winning cadets. * For the theatre manager who will really get down and plug with the school, many_ dull nights can be made into big paying nights, during the entire school year. He cannot afford to overlook the possibilities offered by such a medium of exploitation and advertising. * * * Don Smith, manager of the Lake theatre, Milwaukee, has been following this policy lately with very good results. He had pictures taken of local high school football squads in the neighborhood of his theatre and showed these exclusive pictures to a packed house. As a result of this type of cooperation he gets constant patronage from the students of high schools in that section of Milwaukee. Ushers Present Patrons Personal Invitations to See Coming Attractions Don Smith, manager of the Lake theatre, Milwaukee, has thought up a fine way of getting the names of coming pictures before his regular theatre patrons. He had small, average sized cards printed on which was a little copy concerning each picture that would show at the Lake during the coming week. It was headed "For Your Personal Information" and was signed by "Your Usher." This is getting a little different slant on advertising coming pictures and one which has proved very effective. Rather than have the manager announce and praise the pictures, as is the usual way, the idea of having the usher say that he hopes he will have the pleasure of seating people at one performance of each of the listed attractions, attracts more attention from people. Bebe Daniels Sings Over Radio NEW YORK — Bebe Daniels sang two numbers over the NBC chain sunshine hour last week. The broadcast was sponsored by the Fleischmann Yeast Corporation. Miss Daniels sang "You're Always In My Arms" and "If You're In Love You'll Waltz."