Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

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October 4, 193 0 Motion Picture N e w 131 MANACtPJ' HOUND TABLE CLUC WHAT IS EXPLOITATION? S. S. SOLOMON Gives His Slant: The present-day theatre manager first sets a program plot that yields the ultimate in balance and entertainment value. He then proceeds to sell his show through the medium of newspapers, screen, outside billing, radio, art work, marquee, front and lobby settings and — exploitation. It is exploitation that we are now concerned with. First and foremost must be considered the practicability of an exploitation stunt, for to exploit is to enhance the potential possibilities of any given program resulting in increased net revenue. Therefore, the success of exploitation is of proportionate value in terms of "Does It Sell Tickets?" There are two forms of exploitation: Institutional and specific. Institutional promotes openings, policies, atmosphere, location, and treats of distinctive features or personalities such as stage attractions and personality organists. This form of exploitation should be handled with an eye to coverage, focusing attention to your theatre rather than making odious comparisons. In treating with specific exploitation, we arrive at the backbone of showmanship. Because of its possibilities and extreme scope the ingenuity, ability and resourcefulness of a manager stands out like a sore thumb. Exploitation handled through newspapers may take the form of contests or freak news column crashes : handled through billing, radio or art work, may take the form of attention-getters such as a tie-in or co-operative copy for window merchandising, and treated in such a manner as to forcibly attract the eye or ear. Ballyhoo is an extreme, radical form of exploitation and runs the gamut of high-pressure merchandising playing essentially on mass psychology. To attempt a brief on ballyhoo would consume volumes and even then could only serve as illustrative copy because successful ballyhooing is extremely concrete as location, prestige, history of previous ballyhoos, opposition, relative costs, and the attitudes of civic authorities, merchants and mass population — all are important factors in ballyhoo promotion. First and foremost, centralize and organize the contemplated stunt and speak the language of the people you are trying to reach. Ballyhoos must be in keeping with the type of feature or show you are promoting and care should be exercised to eliminate antagonistic problems. For example, one of the first-run theatres in this city had a saddle and oats tieuo in a restaurant window exploiting ''Big Boy." Granted that "Big Boy" centers around jockey atmosphere; here is a display that will not only keep the women away, but tends to discourage the merchant to discontinue future tie-ups after realizing that this particular arrangement was highly unsatisfactory for his business. Then again, ballvhooing a feature of class distinction — as is typical of Gloria Swanson and George Arliss — would be a liability instead of an asset. Xever misrepresent or over-exaggerate to superinduce antagonistic reaction. Ballyhoos should, at all times, supplement rather than initiate a campaign. In some instances ballvhoos are extremelv beneficial. In playing "The Sea God" this week we followed lack of sex appeal and. therefore, issued a challenge to every working girl in Youngstown by means CONTINUING this most important and interesting series, we give you this week the views of "Sig" Solomon, Morris Rosenthal and C. J. Latta, of the Paramount, Youngstown, Ohio; Lyceum, Duluth, Minn.; and the Roger Sherman in New Haven, Conn., respectively. Next week we will pass along the views of still more wide-awake members. If you are taking our advice, and following the series, you will note the wide range of re-actions to the Question, "What Is Exploitation?" It's an open discussion; YOU can have your say as well. of a spontaneous ballyhoo. There was an instantaneous favorable recation at the box office. In short, exploitation is a form of advertising that must be handled with an eye to feasibility and is bounded by the sound, sensibilities and merchandising ability of managers whom it pleases us to call "Showmen." ROSENTHAL SAYS: Exploitation, what crimes have been committed in thy name! Having witnessed the passing of the old-time ballyhoo with its grass bands, fake stories, lost and stolen jewels and the like run of fake publicity yarns, we are entering a new era of publicity in which fakes have no place and wild yarns are relegated to the back yards. The public also are wise to these pipe dreams from press agents. Exploitation today, to be 100 per cent effective, must be directly tied up with the picture and must carry some relationship. As an illustration, while playing "Our Blushing Brides" recently we poured rice on the sidewalks and theatre entrance. This stunt, while costing a dollar or two, created more talk than some expensive campaign would have. The psychology of the idea is that women are always interested in weddings and the sight of scattered rice immediately brings that thought to mind. Couple this with the finding of the rice in front of the theatre and then witnessing the title. "Our Blushing Brides," and you have a complete inexpensive tie-up. A great many managers still have the impression that exploitation to be effective must be expensive, yet I have seen some of the best campaigns on recent pictures that cost practically nothing. An example of this is the picture. "Manslaughter." which was a natural for cheap publicity. It was a simple matter for us to interest the police department and secure their poles, the use of traffic police, placing of traffic tags on all cars, etc. Other managers throughout the country saw the possibilities along these lines and snapped into it Don't miss a single one of this great series. Each showman's oninion opens new avenues for imoroi^na nour own definition of exnloHation. Don't ever be too old to learn. with the result that the theatre secured publicity gratis that could not be purchased. It often happens that the most simple and inexpensive stunts are productive of box-office grosses. But the most important thing that is overlooked by a good many managers in laying out their campaigns is the picture itself. It is just as foolish to put a big expensive campaign behind a picture that will not live up to its ballyhoo in entertainment value than it is to neglect a sure-fire winner just because it is a good picture. A poor picture can perhaps be sold to the public once or twice through exploitation, but you can not fool the public all the time, especially if you are going to stay in business week after week. A manager must secure and hold the respect of his community so that when he does endorse a picture occasionally as being outstanding they will believe in him. One of the best examples of that was shown here last week when this city dedicated its airport. Mr. Anson, our district manager, made arrangements with the committee to book in "The Dawn Patrol" for that week. Some of the country's greatest stunt rivers were booked for the dedication and the theatre was guaranteed their appearance at the mianight show Saturday after the dedication ceremonies, banquet and ball were completed. We received publicity that could not have been bought, and all due to the confidence and respect in which the community holds Mr. Anson. In conclusion let me add that in preparing our advertising and campaigns, we hold three things in mind. Where, What and When. Unless these three items are sold so that the public knows Where the attraction is playing, What the attraction is and When it is showing, the best campaigns will be only half completed. C. J. LATTA Puts It This Way: Exploitation has certain basic principles and in certain fundamentals it is like a sculptor's pile of clay. He makes a subject, then destroys it. then remoulds another from the same material. "There is nothing new under the sun" runs the old proverb, and how true do we. who_ labor in the exploitation field, find this. What we have to do today is to put new and attractive angles on old ideas. Naturally a comprehensive selling exploitation campaign starts with a snappy trailer on down through newspaper*, billing, radio, mailing lists, attractive lobby displays, novelty throw-aways, street ballyhoos. etc., today each of these needs must be amplified; newspaper campaigns and window displays should carry contests where possible to sell the theatre, as the home of the consistently best and cleanest entertainment, is the big principle and this can be done through getting into local organizations and working with them. A well organized, courteous theatre staff snd a well kept theatre is a big ad in itself for the theatre. The far visioning manager studies every advertising medium known and. as the sculptor remoulds, so does he create exploitation, winnine attention, creatine desire, carrying conviction and selling in time. It is like dropping a stone into a millpond : he will see the small \> aves spread until they reach all shores and the entire surface completely covered.