Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1940)

October 12, 1940 Manager Field Gives Personal Endorsement to "Our Town ' After viewing "Our Town," Manager John P. Field of the Ogden Theatre, Chicago, knew that it was a picture for every member of the family. . Accordingly, he personally endorsed it over the P. A. system, via a one-card trailer on the screen and a card in the lobby with his signature at the bottom: "To my patrons— I personally endorse this picture for every member of the family, and after you see it, there will be a greater bond between every member of the family." . Field also sent letters to new residents of his neighborhood welcoming them and reminding them "to take the whole family" to see "Our Town." SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 25 Cohn Sells "Pago Pago" and "Daltons" Combo as Thrill Show Playing "South of Pago Pago" and "When the Daltons Rode" on the same program, Manager Eli Arkin of the Avalon Theatre, Chicago, sold the show on the basis of "action, romance, thrills, adventure." Lobby panels carried action and thrill scenes from the pictures. Arkin also advertised the program to students as the "first big back to school program." In a jewelry window tieup on "South of Pago Pago," pearls were displayed with this copy: "Pearls— the desired jewel of beautiful women. Pearls— the prize of desperate men in 'South of Pago Pago'." Book stores were contacted for displays of books on South Sea adventure, and travel bureaus were also brought into play. Theatre's Married Patrons Vote on Trading Places with Spouses As one of his gags in selling "Turnabout," Manager Robert Busch of the Shore Theatre, Chicago, placed a ballot box in the lobby and asked men and women patrons if they would like to exchange places with their wives and husbands, respectively. Results of each day's voting was placed on the ballot box. Busch ran an upside-down ad in his program on the picture. Newspaper Trucks Ballyhoo "Foreign Correspondent" Through arrangements with The Columbus Citizen, Manager Russell Bovim of the Ohio Theatre, Columbus 0.,made a tieup whereby the newspaper's fleet of trucks carried banners on either side plugging the "accurat!, dependable foreign correspondents' of the CITIZEN and the showing of Walter Wanger's United Artists release, "Foreign Correspondent at the Ohio. Book Review Matinees Increase Attendance Tried Out in Two Widely Different Situations, Innovation Meets With Success as Business Triples Itself Roxy's "Sea Hawk" Display This eye-arresting lobby display on Warners' "The Sea Hawk," was created for the engagement of that film at the Roxy Theatre, Peru, Ind. A boat model contest tvas also promoted. Dale Loomis is city manager for Alliance Theatres, who also operate the Wallace and Ritz. COMETHING new in building matinee busi° ness is being used with success in some of the Warner Brothers theatres in the Chicago area The innovation is a "Book Review Matinee," and the way it has succeeded m two different situations should furnish food-forthought for showmen across the country. Before starting the reviews, the manager of the Beverly Theatre, Chicago, one of the houses in which the stunt has proved successful, canvassed all women's organizations to make sure that the day selected would not interfere with their meetings. Tuesday matinee was selected. At the present time book review matinees are being held once a month, with a different reviewer each month. In smaller communities, of course, it may be possible to select only one or two reviewers. Opening of the theatre takes place about an hour ahead of the scheduled time, and the speaker talks about an hour. Patrons are admitted at the regular matinee prices and are permitted to remain for the picture program, which begins immediately at the conclusion of the book review. Attendance More Than Doubles How well the stunt went over at the Beverly may be gleaned from these facts: After five monthly matinees, attendance jumped from 700 for the first matinee to 1,200 for the fifth. Since the average attendance is less than halt of the latter figure, it can be readily seen that the book review idea was responsible for extra patronage. A questionnaire was circulated at one of the recent matinees, to which over 700 women responded. These women asked for two reviews a month, for a series between September and Christmas and another series between January and June. In the final analysis it was learned that the Beverly's mailing list jumped one-hundred per cent, that patronage came from many miles away— sections from which the theatre had never before drawn patronage. An entirely different situation is Hammond, Ind., but the stunt went over there, too. Because Hammond is primarily a wage-earning own, Larry Stein wanted to protect_ himseli in case the experiment was not successf ul. Contacting two large women's organizations, he made a deal whereby if they sold 500 tickets at $1 each— each ticket good for four admissions—to a series of book review matinees, the clubs would get 25 per cent. To sell less than 500 meant that there would be no percentages for the clubs. In advance of the first review, which was held recently, the women had already sold 1,000 tickets and were on their second 1,000 several weeks before the initial review. Thus, the Hammond theatre was assured of a minimum attendance of at least 1,500 for its first series of four book review matinees. The fee to the book reviewer for his or her services may vary in certain localities, but it should not exceed more than $15 or $20 for each review. And when one realizes that business has actually been doubled and tripled on these matinees, the fee becomes a drop in the bucket. Perhaps you have been searching for a matinee business-building idea like this for a long time. The method of procedure and the results as reported here should enable you to get started on the right track. "Beat Emergency" Drive Begun by Stanley-Warner Houses in Philly The Stanley-Warner Zone in Philly has started a new drive, "The Drive To Meet and Beat the Emergency," in which 105 managers in nine districts will compete for $4,000.00 in cash prizes. The drive is based on the greatest gross increase at each competing theatre, according to Zone Head Ted Schlanger, with quarterly cash prizes for the leading district. It was pointed out that managers producing new ideas for revenue in addition to those who execute outstanding campaigns will also be eligible to compete in the new Joe Bernhard Car Contest in which three outstanding managers will receive three cars from Bernhard personally. The drive to "Meet and Beat the Emergency" terminates August 31, 1941.