Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

October 9, 1943 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 15 Unif ormed Girls Are Showmanship in ^X^artime Held Vital to Patronage in Peacetime Entries in Topeka's Personality Parade Conceived as a new angle on the always successful amateur show, a Uniformed Girls Personality Parade was held in Topeka, Kans., recently by Mel Miller, publicity man for the Fox Theatres and Manager Jack Slinker of the Jayhawk Theatre. Stunt was a natural because of the number of girls working in uniform and the existing interest in the uniforms worn by the girls in the armed forces. Entries were solicited from all industries employing uniformed girls to replace men, from Fedural schools training girls for such industry, from civic uniformed girl organizations and branches of the armed forces. Not considered at the start, but developed later : the interest of the U. S. Employment Office in the development of such activity to further "glamorize" girls in industry. Because recruiting centers are interested in attracting enlistments, girls from the military branches were obtained through these enlistment centers. Miller and Slinker opened their show with a prologue which was a tribute to"Girls at War," read by an off-stage narrator while behind a screen, effectively lighted, the girls slowly paraded. Following the prologue, the master of ceremonies (a soldier) started the introduction, and each girl participated in a brief interview. The service girls, including Wacs, Waves, Army nurses and others remained on the stage after their introduction for the balance of the show. Judges in the audience selected two winners from each of four classifications : service girls, volunteer services, trainees and industry. In addition, one girl was selected as the outstanding contestant among all girls participating. Bases for judges decisions: personality, neatness of uniforms, stage presence, audience reaction and statements made during the interview concerning the girl's work — its importance and man-replacement value. Audience reaction : enthusiastic. To the first three winners went cash prizes. Those in military service did not participate in the awards. The show has been recommended by the U. S. Employment Office as a nation-wide idea. The Office is particularly interested in having the cooperation of theatres in staging a contest of this kind. Filmack Announces September Showmanship Trailer Awards Three winners were announced last week by the Filmack Trailer Company for the September Showmanship Award Contest : First prize to Ike Hoig of the Ute Theatre, Colorado Springs, Colo., for a "Happy Hit Show" idea — a trailer entry emphasizing a program entirely escapist. Second award went to Alice Gorham of the United Detroit Theatres, Detroit, who stressed the patriotism and virility of "These Gals of 1943," as exemplified by Claudette Colbert, • Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake in "So Proudly We Hail." The third prize went to W. G. Hillman of the Allan Theatre, Akron. Reports from various sections of the country indicate that, for the most part, theatres are experiencing consistently good business at the box-office. There are, of course, exceptions here and there (example : small communities whose populations have been drained by war industries in ether cities); but these are apparently few and far between in comparison to those theatres whose box-office statements reveal daily figures that bring -contented smiles to managerial physiognomies. Yet, in the face of this present-day prosperity, there is a practice which, if allowed to continue and develop, will prove a post-war boomerang. Prevailing, for the most part, in average communities, this practice involves the suspension of exploitation activities on the theory that when business is booming, little if any exploitation is needed. Theatres are literally posting one-sheets and displaying sets of 11 x 14's, with patrons forming long queues in front of ticket windows. More To It Than That On the face of it, as long as business booms, it does seem like a waste of time and energy to devise and execute stunts to attract patrons who are bound to attend the movies anyway. But there's more to the situation than that. For one thing, few — possibly no one— can tell how long this box-office prosperity will last. That will depend, to a large extent, on the cessation of hostilities in the present global conflict. But one thing is certain: just as there is now a boom, there is bound to be a period in which any profitable business realized will have to be influenced through smart showmanship. Thus many exhibitors now bursting with pride as they watch the front-of-the-theatre lineup are likely 'Wintertime' Snowballs in Summer Sensationally successful was this "Wintertime" snowball gag staged for the showing of the 20th Century-Fox musical comedy at the Orpheum Theatre in Wichita, Kan. Two pretty girls threw cotton snowballs at passersby. Payoff: snowballs contained passes good to see the picture. to be tearing their hair in perhaps the not-sodistant future trying to devise ways and means of luring patronage to the box-office. Because they failed to maintain their showmanship activities, these theatremen may well find themselves so "rusty" in selling their attractions that the easiest way out — giving away cash, chinaware, gadgets and gimmicks — will be resorted to in an effort to bring business back to its former high level. It is to be hoped that such' a situation may not again come to pass, but it easily may if the business of show-selling is allowed, like a neglected flower, to wither and die away. Not Getting Valuable Training The war-time drain on manpower has brought women into managerial posts in some situations, draft-exempt or unfit-for-war-duty men in others. In their new posts, these men and women, under present conditions, aren't getting the valuable training that goes into the making of livewire showmen. When the time comes to expend genuine effort to arouse show-going action on the part of the public, they will not be ready. Aside from the exploitation angle, there is a little matter of goodwill. So necesary in peacetime, this factor of successful theatre operation is all but forgotten in the face of war-time prosperity. Those little courtesies, those gestures which make the patron feel genuinely "at home" in the theatre, those acts which make the theatre itself a necessary institution in the progress of the community, should be continued at all costs. Chances are that most patrons miss these acts but continue to patronize the theatre because of war-time restrictions that prevent pursuance of other recreational activities. Let the time come when the patron feels he is being neglected, that his patronage is not genuinely appreciated, and he is in a position to do something about it, he will turn his attention to the more alert and considerate cofnpetitor or to some other form of relaxation and amusement. Involves No Great Financial Outlay Smart showmanship, be it expended during peace or war, involves no great financial outlay. -So the excuse that "there's no use spending money to get business that's coming in anyway" is hardly applicable here. Smart showmanship involves the creation and execution of showselling stunts at little or no cost. Thus the theatreman who is on his toes now to keep his theatre and its attractions in the limelight is tlie theatreman who will know what course to pursue when effecting profitable box-office figures becomes a matter of going after patronage. There should be no let-down in selling activities. Rather, theatremen would do well to keep in mind that any relaxation of showmanship, even during these prosperous times, is killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Cards Carry Marine Hymn Distribution of postcards carrying the Marine hymn featured the "Salute to the Marines" campaign put over by Ed Claffey, Academy, Meadville. Pa.