Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

O c lob, 11, 1 V30 Motion Picture News 71 MANAGE!?!' POUND TABLE CLUB FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE! Judging from the many inquiries coming into Club headquarters about Football tie-ups, etc., we are afraid that many showmen have neglected a mighty valuable angle for added business. It is, however, still early enough in the season to capitalize on this popular sport and we urge every manager to get set NOW. Among the many slants which come to mind as we write this reminder are: co-operative arrangement with the local high schools or football teams, wereby the theatre furnishes the team line-ups and score cards, carrying, of course, their plug for some current attraction or some good institutional copy. Another suggestion is the personal appearance of the local team on your theatre's stage on a gala "Football Night." This was worked with tremendous success in quite a few spots last fall and resulted in much profitable business and good-will. If possible, get some movie shots of the team in action, close-ups of them and the coach, as well as other officials of the team or school. Reference to last fall's Club pages will reveal several good campaigns which you can use as a guide for this season. But however you go about it, you should certainly manage to work out something along these lines. If you have already started on some good football exploitation and tie-ups, pass along the details so that we may publish them while thev are still "hot." Here's one that will interest Perhaps YOU Will you. Get a load of how Roy ^ L. Smart, manager of the Want To Use ThlS Broadhurst Theatre in High ■p V/-,iir Tliootro Point, N. C, made a dollar r or i our i neatre bill work overtime to plug his film, "Let's Go Native." After making the necessary arrangements with the newspaper, banker and the merchants' association. Smart had Jack Oakie send a wire to the banker, the wire reading, "Sending you one dollar with which to inaugurate High Point merchants' association's native dollar movement. Appreciate naming this after LET'S GO NATIVE, my newest comedy. Full speed to native dollar. May abundance of prosperity and joy follow it on its speeding rounds. — Jack Oakie." The wire, together with a story, was given to the newspaper for publication Sunday. On Monday morning the banker presented the Jack Oakie native dollar to the president of the merchants' association who placed it in circulation by making a purchase at a men's clothing store. The dollar was attached to a sheet of paper explaining the purpose of it. (Jack Oakie, star of the big comedy hit LET'S GO NATIVE sends this Native Dollar to prove what one dollar will do when kept busy. Sign your name and pass it on quickly to some High Point merchant, firm or individual. Every time it is spent, someone profits. Move it now. The person holding'it at 5:30 P. M. each day is requested to telephone 4244 so that an accurate record can be kept. Watch the Enterprise for the accomplishments of this Native dollar. And. for Fun's sake, see LET'S GO NATIVE at the Broadhurst, Friday and Saturday.) The entire sheet accompanying the dollar bill was then placed in a leather case under a transparent cover with sheets of paper fastened to the back for the signatures of those receiving the dollar. Its progress was slow on the first day, but it increased on the second day and maintained a rapid rate throughout the week. No trouble was had in locating the dollar each afternoon. Each afternoon the dollar was sent for, the names were copied from the list and then a story was written for publication the following day — the newspaper giving the native dollar's rounds for the day and returning the dollar to the one holding it last. Several concerns offered $1.50 in merchandise for the native dollar which further helped to circulate it among the merchants. Everybody had a gay old time reading about the travels of the Native Dollar and we'd like to point out that you, too, can use this stunt. Think it over and if it will fit in with your local conditions, make use of it when you get the opportunity. Thanks, Roy, for passing this along. Let's have some more. The "Needham Natator" D. McSweeney Has was the cognomen bestowed t\ i\/r i rr, i upon David C. McSweeney, DOT\e MUCh 1 OWardS last summer by the residents GoodWill Of HoUSe of Nee^am Mass., in recognition of the splendid good will he contacted by means of the Needham Paramount Theatre Swimming Club, which he inaugurated as a plug for his kiddie business. From the time he first entered upon his duties in Needham, this popular showman-manager has clicked with a string of successes. The swimming club, which was a follow-up of his Kiddie Club, was his best summer bet in a long time. On certain afternoons the kids would meet McSweeney at the beach and there receive instructions in swimming, play games, and listen to a short talk about the coming attractions at the theatre. The club met with favor also from the adults, who were very much pleased to see that their kids were so well taken care of. ^» Another angle that McSweeney had introduced in the town is that of weekly broadcasting, with those kid members of the Club, who possessed exceptional talent, furnishing the entertainment. McSweeney himself takes a hand and strums a uke ; and from what we understand he sure gurgles a wicked booppoop-a-doop. It is also interesting to note that he is well thought of by the newspapers and the local merchants, a fact which may be accounted for by the activity he displayed in treating the town to a "Fall Trade Week." Plenty of pep went into this one, and if you'll look at the ad we are reproducing, you can get a few angles on a stunt of this sort. McSweeney received the full co-operation of the Chamber of Commerce and the newspaper on this stunt and the mediums enabled him to turn in a record breaking week of good-will and business. We would like to mention that if you are in a position to do so, a week of this sort, if properly handled, will prove to be a winner for you, too. Thanks, Dave, for shooting this along to us so that we could let your fellow-members in on what you are doing; and by the way, when you send in your next contribution, let's have a photo of yourself. The Real Club Spirit! "All For One And One For Air