Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

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76 Motion Picture N ezv s October 11, 19 3 0 MANACErcr kcijnd table club McKoy's Assistant Steps to The Front With Helpful Work That live-wire showmanmanager of the Olympia Theatre in Miami, Fla., James H. McKoy, has an alert assistant by the name of Falkenburg, who figured recently in a valu^^= able tie-up that helped the success of McKoy's campaign. halkenburg sold the Chief of Police on the idea of changing the copy on the traffic signs attached to the electric light poles. All of the signs on the light poles carried copy reading, "30 Minute Parking Limit in this Block from 8. A.M. to 6 P.M." This copy was somewhat changed by replacing the old signs with new ones, copy reading, "Park Here 30 Minutes Only — It takes two hours to see 'Raffles' at the Olympia. Tues.-Wed.Thurs." These signs were placed on every other pole on Flagler street and on the side streets that have heavy traffic. McKoy himself carried out a splendid idea when he put on a necklace contest. One hundred ten-cent necklaces were purchased at the 5 & 10-cent store. To each one of these necklaces was attached a tag on which appeared copy, "Perhaps!! This is the very Necklace that Raffles is looking for. Bring it to the Olympia Theatre and if it is exactly like the one on display in the lobby you will get a pass to see Ronald Colman in 'Raffles'." These necklaces were effectively distributed throughout the city in order to obtain the resultant publicity from the stunt. As is usual with McKoy's campaigns, they clicked. The slight expenditure made for the necklaces was more than paid back in the additional business, or we should say, packed houses. And we'd like you to know that McKoy does it nearly every week; and if you have followed past issues of the Club you will have noticed how he sold them by stunts that were sure-fire. Right on the heels of our announcement regarding the value of keeping a close check on the newsreel shots in the event that an item of local interest might be screened we learned that Herbert Morgan, manager of the State Theatre in Dayton, Ohio, used a stunt similar to the idea. The Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad Company placed a new type of high-speed car into service to boost business. As a publicity stunt, they arranged to have an airplane race. The newsreels were informed of the stunt and Pathe had a couple of men on the scene to shoot the race. Before the car started off, it was displayed on a side track in the center of the town for a day or so. A large banner, plugging the theatre, announced the place where the race would be staged. In the photos we are showing you can get a slant or two on it. Two special displays were secured in the windows of the largest banks in the town. Newsreel Came In For Plenty Of Play From Herb Morgan To make the car ballyhoo more effective, an amplifier was hooked up and installed in it. The horns could be plainly heard on the sidewalks and this attracted plenty of attention. The traction company also wrote a letter to each of their employees in the local shops, requesting that they see the picture in the Pathe News at the State Theatre. We want to thank Mr. Morgan for passing this one along to us as we feel it is of particular interest to Club members. And, by the way, Mr. Morgan, we hear that you are turning out some fine showmanship in Dayton: keep us posted. TRAILER SLANTS! We had no idea what we started when we got behind the discussion of trailers last spring and followed it up with opinions from many showmen from all over the country. Some people took the liberty of capitalizing on the published comments of several managers and making it appear that the Round Table Club was in favor of some particular type of trailer. When showmen have reached that point where they cannot think for themselves we will have to turn this department into a kindergarden for theatre men, but we are confident that they can not only think, but also act, without promptings or biased opinions from outside sources. What is great in Palooka may be applesauce in Sqweedunk. And vice-versa. But when we get "het up" about some slant in show-business, we do so because we honestly feel that the topic is timely and will prove of value to our thousands of members and readers, the world over. Subsequent events have proven, beyond all doubt, that such is the case. On our recent trip to the coast we sat in the back row of a theatre one morning and watched a talking trailer being screened. After it was over the manager, and a mighty capable gent too, expressed himself in no small way on how "lousy" that trailer was. Maybe we were all wet, but we thought it was a doggoned tine plug for the coming attraction and even better than the average. Which proves that we can't all be expected to see things in the same light. Perhaps his views were right, then again maybe we had the right dope. But the important point is, that a manager must know his town, his theatre and his pubre. At least he is supposed to. Therefore, he must be the judge of what he wants on his screen. BUT. that doesn't mean that the whole wide world must condemn that particular trailer just because he didn't like it. In some other town the manager might rave over it as being the finest he ever ran. These differences of opinion are what makes show-business as fascinating as it is. And the reason why we are making so much of an issue of it, is because we dislike being quoted in any way that might mislead anyone. If my own humble opinion means a good gosh-darn to anyone, I'll tell the whole cock-eyed world that I AM in favor of the talking trailer on coming attractions, BUT not in doses of four to six at any one time. The most appetizing food you ever ate would make you sick and tired of it if you had to eat a whole pot full at one sitting. "CHICK" Sidney Holland Is Still Turning Out Trailer Prologues Since he is rapidly becoming known for his trailer presentation, and mostly because of the fact that the people enjoy them so much, Sidney Holland, manager of the Par■ amount Theatre in Hammond, Ind., is introducing novelties on every new trailer he presents. For "Song o' My Heart" he arranged one which created much favorable comment and, in addition to being a good advertising device, was a splendid entertainment feature, too. The trailer was run, and as the traveler closed in following the trailer, showing the regular organ feature, slide announcement was made which included the information that the organist would play a medley of John McCormack favorites. After playing several of the numbers from "Song o' My Heart," the slide announced that no McCormack program would be complete without a vocal rendition of "Song o' My Heart," and followed this with an introduction to a young tenor who did a vocal solo with organ accompaniment. And just to show you that Holland knows his stuff in other lines, too, here's a little dope on how lie sold "Dangerous Nan McGrew" via a street ballyhoo. He secured the first horse car ever used in Chicago and painted it over to resemble an old stage coach. Two teams of horses were hitched to the stage coach and the slow-moving salesman meandered through the city for two days prior to the opening. Appropriate cards established the proper sales idea. There was plenty of hilarity occasioned, too. And when that happened. Holland knew that the final results would more than merit the time he had spent in planning the idea.