Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1930)

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44 Motion Picture News July 5, 1930 MANAGE l?r KCIJND TABLE CLUC CI VIC CONTA C T S (From Fox West Coast "Now") By 0. FRED GLASS Manager McCook (Neb.) Theatre In the following I have suggested only those things we have actually done and are doing day by day: I believe in being an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, knowing the secretary and helping him in his problems. I am on the entertainment committee, furnish entertainment for conventions, especially the Teachers Convention; through them you contact your kids. Tie up with city-wide clean-up, paint-up week, etc. Find we can be of great assistance to this organization and in return find they can, and do, help us in many ways and forget that we operate a chain theatre. I belong to as many civic clubs as possible and try to be active. I am a member of the Rotary and on the entertainment committee. Gave paper on the value of the theatre to the community at one of their luncheons. Belong to the Y. M. C. A., play on their athletic teams, help furnish transportation to games, work on their membership drives. The Elks are a live organization; I belong and am on their entertainment committee, and promote their fight cards for them. I know the officers of the Women's Clubs. Have promoted local home talent plays for their benefit fund, have tied up with percentage shows to raise funds for them, gave a paper at one of their meetings explaining the theatre's place in the community, and always invite their officers to previews on Educational pictures. We gave the Girl Scouts percentage of shows on outside tickets sold to raise funds for their organization and send girls to summer camp who could not afford to go. They believe in us. We run trailers reading "Attend Church Some Place." I know all ministers personally, play on their volley ball team and always invite them to previews on Educational pictures. I know all city officials personally and always ask their permission to use streets on special ballyhoo. I feel that they are with us 100 per cent. We know our Board of Education, the principals and teachers. We find that one of the best means of becoming acquainted with each teacher is to give tickets to all grades, boy and girl having highest or best grade each semester, both college and school. Unique lobby displays and lobby stunts have long been a source of considerable discussion among the Club members and this stunt that we are passing along is the idea of J. J. Cahill, manager of the Brockton Theatre in Brockton, Mass., which he used in connection with "The Vagabond King," deserves a word or two. He secured the services of a group of boys — members of the Guarde de Honeure of the French colony. These boys in fulldress uniform placed themselves on the approach to the tickettaker, with sabres crossed, in such a manner that patrons had to walk under an arch of crossed sabres. This stunt was used at the afternoon and evening peak hours. One group of boys would take their stand and when tired they would be relieved by another group. The effectiveness of the stunt was enhanced by the fact that the lobby of the theatre was made over into a castle, so that patrons went into the portals of the castle,, bought their tickets, then passed under the arch of sabres to give their tickets to the ticket-taker. About the only thing that we find lacking in connection with this story is a photo and we hope that when "J. J." sends us in his next stunt that he will include one or two with it. A Guard Of Honor Aided Cahill On Publicity Stunt Leonard Grossman Discusses Merchandising In Cuba In our daily quest for novel ideas to present to the Club members we have found that a good many may be obtained by becoming acquainted with the work of showmen from " other countries and in this article we are going to tell you of the methods used by Leonard Grossman, manager of the Teatro Encanto in Havana, Cuba, to bring them in. Along with this little story we are presenting a few samples of the newspaper advertising that he turns out and if you'll examine it closely you will notice how cleverly he has "localized" it and used copy of a forceful nature. As we feel that you would be interested in learning of what he does, in his own words, we are reprinting the letter exactly as received. "As in the States," writes Grossman, "our policy is a continuous performance with a program made up of news, shorts, and features. Due to language difficulties we show very few all talkies and those only of the very best, which includes among them the pick of the musical revues. Most of the exchanges are inserting superimposed titles in their pictures and in this way the general gist of the plot is given to the Latin public. "Our audiences down here shop for entertainment. They know what they want and we can't get them to come unless we have the goods. They eat up the heavy love stuff, and with the exception of Harold Lloyd, who is one of their biggest favorites, they care nothing about comedy. They pick their stars and stick by them. "One of our greatest problems is exploitation. Due to municipal regulations and red tape, ballyhoo and stunts are hard to put across. Merchants in Cuba are not far enough advanced to tie in with the theatre for a co-operative stunt but we are getting to the point where we can make them see the advantages. During the last year, due to the excellent work of our Mr. Ferrera we have been able to crash the newspapers for all sorts of free space. "We try to run our houses as near as possible to the deluxe style in which the States houses are operated and, considering local conditions, I hope I may be pardoned for saying that we are doing it very well. Our attaches are well trained and very courteous." Thanks, Leonard for letting us see this and we'd like you to know that from the reports drifting into Club headquarters we know that you are running your theatre in tip-top style. We are sure that the rest of the Club joins us in saying that it is certainly a pleasure to know how you are selling your shows. Let's hear from you again. Notice to Members PLEASE be sure to notify the Chairman of any change of address. —THANK YOU.