Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

October 25 , 19 3 U Motion Picture News 91 MANAGE RJ' POUND TABLE CLUB After Trying for a Number of Months Hance Staged This "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," was what they used to tell us when we went to school. Monte Hance, manager of the Saenger Theatre in Biloxi, Miss., seems to have remembered it, for after a lot of trying to secure a couple for a stage wedding, work which was started in Hattiesburg and finally ended in success in Biloxi, he accomplished his objective. He had been trying since last March, while in Hattiesburg, to secure a couple who would agree to marry on the stage. He had things pretty well sewed up in Hattiesburg when he was transferred to Biloxi. This was somewhat disappointing but he kept on, determined to have that stage wedding if it took him a few thousand years. On his arrival in Biloxi in May he remarked, in one of the weekly letters that he sends out, that he would like to have a couple married on the stage. He expressed the opinion that he thought he could run it on August 15th. He missed out by three days. The wedding was held on the 18th. But we are getting way ahead of the story. Hance started his quest for the couple by calling a meeting of the theatre personnel and asking them to be on the look-out for prospects. A want-ad was inserted in the paper advertising for a couple who would be married on the stage. The confidence of a lady running the "Advice to the Lovelorn" department was next gained, and a letter submitted to her in which the writer confided that she would like to be married in a novel way where all their friends could see them. The letter was published in the paper and several days later Hance sent in an answer stating that a wedding on the stage of the theatre would be the proper way. This letter, too, was printed. A favorable break in the campaign was hit upon when a certain gentleman, still unknown to Hance, advertised for a wife. The newspaper played this up, and Hance sent in an answer purported to come from a woman who expressed the desire to be married on the Saenger stage. The newspaper grabbed the fictitious letter and gave it a big display. So the months rolled by, and still no couple in sight. In the latter part of July, another meeting of the service staff was called and they were again requested — this time urgently — to scout around and see if they couldn't get a lead on a couple. Finally he got a break. A man came into the office and announced that he and his bride would be married on the stage. Hance almost hit his head on the ceiling jumping for joy. Then he set out to put the wedding across. Everything and everybody in sight was tied up. There were gifts of an opening account at the bank, bridal dress and veil, bride's slippers, flowers and bouquets, groom's evening clothes, wedding ring, the bridal suite at the local hotel, haircut for the groom and facial and permanent for the bride, 3 month's subscription to the daily paper, floor lamp and baby carriage, wedding cake, ice cream, wedding supper. 50 piece dinner set, complete shower bath installed, and many other articles. REMEMBER— FOOT B A LL—l This is about the third time we are calling attention to the fact that during the football season you can do many things to boost business, tying right in with the popular sport. In response to many requests we have forwarded the details of how other showmen have successfully engineered this type of stunt in the past few years, but it should be sufficient to know that an invite to the entire local team, together with their coaches, trainers, etc., ought to mean something in your theatre. If the school has a band, O. K. Bring them into the party, too. They'll liven things up with a parade to the theatre and then play some of the popular school songs before the team is presented on the stage. Get busy right now and plan some sort of a celebration for your team. Print their line-ups, the schedules, and get banners around the home field. Enough angles here to make it mighty profitable for every one concerned. Collegiate Flivver Was a Ballyhoo That Clicked for Hecht Hance did the job up fine and received reams of publicity for his house. Each of the merchants displayed his gift or gifts in the window; a display was placed in the theatre foyer; the merchants inserted co-operative ads in the local paper and plenty of stories and pictures came along. The stage setting was a knockout, and we are unable to show it all to you in the photo we are reproducing. The photo was taken the morning after the wedding. Only a part of the setting is visible. The photo had to be taken this way to eliminate the cost of stage hands. At the real wedding the stage was deep, the screen being flown. The town had never seen so fine an affair and they didn't hesitate to tell Hance about it. And by the way, Monte, like a real showman, declares that he shouldn't be given all of the credit. He wants to hand some of it to the employees who contributed their services, and a lot to his assistant George Pollitz who helped him make it a success. Oke Monte, there are the credits; but just the same you deserve plenty. A couple of stunts that netted him some publicity and good-will for his house were successfully executed by Elmer Hecht when he played . "Sunny Skies" at the Isis Theatre in Pensacola, Fla., by the use of an ancient flivver and a tie-up with a cooking school. The flivver was of 1924 vintage and was completely painted white and covered with numerous collegiate wisecracks as well as the title of picture, name of theatre and play dates. Just above the back of the front seat an opened umbrella was placed on which was painted the title of picture and name of theatre. Four boys drove the thing through the residential and business district of the town while one of the boys announced the title of picture, theatre and play dates through a megaphone. At night the car was parked in front of the theatre. The ballyhoo caused much atention and received more comments than forthcoming in a long time. Hecht also tied up with a local cooking school in which two guest tickets were offered as an attendance prize. In return for this, the name and play date of the current attraction was announced before the body of cooking school members, which totaled about 600. The school also mentioned in their newspaper ads that "Sunny Skies" was playing at the Isis and gave play dates. These two angles enabled him to turn in a few dollars more than were expected. And when that's done, it turns the trick, doesn't it. Elmer? And, by the way, we haven't a photo of you. What do you say about remedying the deficit?