Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

72 Motion Picture News October 11, 19 3 0 MANACEI?r ECIJND TACLt club TOP NOTCH DISPLAYS FROM LABY We don't know who it is handles the brush for the execution of the plans that George Laby, manager of the Olympia Theatre in Boston. Mass. lays out for his lobby displays, but it is certainly fine work, and seems to be carried down to the minutest details. As a number of our members have requested us to publish some more of these lobby displays and front art work, we are passing along these few for "All Quiet" and "Big Boy." Look them over carefully and we think that you'll find any number of slants contained in them which will help you when you are planning your art work. A great deal of comment was occasioned bv the "All Quiet" display and it is said that its effectiveness was such that it proved to be one of the strongest factors in the campaign, every patron of the theatre the week prior to the picture's opening returning to see it. We would also like to call your attention to the gag in the front photo showing a display for "Big Boy." The scale, placed out front, was used by many persons. Weight was free, and free admission was given to any person tipping the scale at 210 pounds. To make a play for the feminine good-will. Laby offered free tickets to any two ladies who could tip the beam at exactly 210. This gag helped to boost up the good-will stock of the house a great deal, and it's a cinch that it had them talking. REAL CLUB SPIRIT! We hate getting "slushy" over any member in particular or the Club in general, but we must take these means of expressing our appreciation to all of those members who "come through" with the requested material for the "Exploitation" series now running on the Club pages. This is but one of the many instances where we sent out an S O S and found the boys right behind us. It is what we have often referred to as "Club Spirit" and it clearlv demonstrates the value of "All For One And One For All" slogan. It is really remarkable that in the short space of about two years so many thousand showmen from all over the world have adopted this great medium of inter-communication in order that they may better acquaint themselves with what is new in show-selling and theatre management. And it did prove that they were ripe for an organization like ours. That is why we are constantly striving to make the Club, and our pages in Motion Picture News, always interesting and newsy, besides fulfilling the more important task of telling you HOW to improve your exploitation as well as the running of your theatre. Great things are in the working for making the Managers' Round Table Club an even greater factor in show-business than it is now. But it will be accomplished only by the continued backing of our host of members and readers. Wherever you go, whomever you talk to, at every chance that presents itself, let's all broadcast the fact that we are members of the greatest organization of its kind. M. R. T. C. It was an occasion for great Paramount Opening rejoicing on the part of the ,IT ,-, r ii T-i residents, and business organ WaS bUCCeSStully H,n izations of Texarkana, Texas, gineered By Hands when the Paramount Theatre a J opened there recently. And — they had all the more cause for joy because E. B. Hands, Jr., new manager of the house, turned out a complete and very showmanlike campaign along with it, in which all of the merchants and city luminaries participated. On opening day of the theatre, a band was secured to lead a parade of automobile dealers; the dealers carrying co-operative copy on their cars which served to impress people with the new Publix theatre. Practically every merchant had some form of a co-operative window display while some of them permitted Manager Hands to water-color the windows with copy about the opening, attraction, etc. A platform was built on top of the marquee underneath the theatre sign. This was used by the Mayor and President of the Chamber of Commerce when they addressed the crowd on the afternoon of the opening day of the picture. The platform on the marquee was also used in the evening for two hours by the leader of a 30-piece orchestra ; the members of the orchestra being equally divided on both sides of the newly-constructed platform. This musical group dispensed music from 7 to 9 P. M. on opening night, to the great delight of throngs of people. Hands, Jr. also used several other stunts and these tied in with his other activities to make the opening an event of State significance, especially as all of the surrounding newspapers carried big stories on it. And now that he has settled down to sell shows regularly at the house, we hope that "E. B." isn't going to be bashful about keeping us posted on his work, and that he'll also send us in a photo and a little dope on himself. Come on, "E. B.," let's have it.